The Dark Storm Chapter 5

By Martin Berglund

Finally the people in the guardia kingdom could stay calm.
Rumor of that the stranger, known only as ‘Shadin’, and the trial was fast circulating around. At 18:00 there were a big crowd outside Guardia Castle.
They wanted to know if it was true. A few houres earlier, Crono and Marle had told the Chancellor about it. After that, the Chancellor had to spend the entire day to arrange the trial.
The first problem was that there were far too many people who wanted to see Shadin with their own eyes, in the courtroom.
The judge had agreed to place the trial outside, so everyone could watch.
This was all the people spoke about for the rest of the day.
Even on the night, words about the trial could be heard...

--knock-- --knock--
”Who is it?”
”Guess twise... Santa of course!”
”Who?” The man behind behind the door said.
The first one thought about were he got that word from...
”Never mind...”
The door slowly opened.
”You again...” The man looked over his shoulder at the clock hanging on the wall behind him.
”...and just in time. 02:30”
The stranger walked into the house.
”Working hard, I guess?”
The first man nodded.
”Yes... If you mean... that... I’m working on it...”
The stranger looked strange at him.
”And the trial...”
”I said I’m working on it!”
”IDIOT!!!” the stranger shouted right in the man’s face.
The man looked at him angry.
”Look! All you asked me to do was repay a favor. Not a lifedeaph.”
The stranger turned around.
”That could be arranged.”
”Go to hell.”
The stranger turned to the man, and pointed at him.
”You have played hero once...” Then he pointed at himself.
”...now it’s my turn.”
 
 

 
 
”Ready?”
”Ready.” Crono nodded.
”Good luck!”
Crono left Marle just outside Truce, and continued on his own to the castle.
Marle walked back to Lucca’s house.
She opened the door.
”I’m back!”
No responce.
”Lucca?”
Nothing.
”Lucca?!?”
Marle walked up to Lucca’s room.
”Let see... book, book, more books, bed, strange cylinder, burned experiment, Lucca sleeping on her workning table, cabl...  Lucca?!?”
Marle walked carefully to Lucca’s working table, were Lucca literally were sleeping with her nose in the book. ”Lucca...”
She didn’t react.
”LUCCA!”
”Hmpfslydgf.... Wha... who... Marle?”
Marle smiled.
”As far as I know...”
Lucca lifted her head out of the book.
”Sorry...”
”It’s okay.” Marle said. ”None of us got any sleep last night. And you were up far too early today.”
”If it isn’t the storm...” Lucca said and rose up from the chair. She placed the chair nicely beside the table and walked to the kitched.
”Have Crono left yet?”
”Yeah.”
Lucca picked out two sandwiches from the refridgerator.
”Want one?”
Marle shook her head.
Lucca put back one of them.
”What do you think about this?” Lucca said as she took a seat by the table.
”Crono is positive.”
Lucca looked at her.
”What do YOU think?”
”Don’t know. I’m quite neutral. Let’s hope for the best.”
Lucca nodded, while eating.
 
 

 
 
When Crono arrived to the castle, Shadin was already there.
”I’m late?” Crono asked.
”No.” was the answer.
Crono got closer.
”What’s this big crowd on the other side of the forest?” Shadin asked.
Crono look at it confused.
”Don’t know... How long have you been here?”
Shadin looked at him.
”All morning.”
”Really?”
Shadin nodded.
”Thay have been over there for a few houres now. I wonder what’s going on.”
Crono shook his head.
”I’m clueless. Now, before we go on... I want you to promise me one thing.”
”Yes?”
”Swear that you will never use any kind of magic inside the court room.”
Shadin looked at him.
”I swear I will not use any kind of magic inside the court room. Happy?”
Crono nodded.
”Good. Let’s go.” he led Shadin into the castle, to the thrown room.
But no one was there.
”Hello?” Crono shouted.
Shadin looked around.
”Who’s there?” a female voice said.
”Crono.” Crono answered. ”And a guest.”
A maid came down from the left stair.
”Crono? But... Shouldn’t you be at the trial?”
Crono looked at her confused.
”But... Isn’t the trial here?”
The maid smiled.
”No. It’s on the other side of the forest. You know... There were far too many people who wanted to see it.”
Crono nodded.
”This way.”
 
 

 
 
”I think we’re late!” Marle exclaimed when she and Lucca came to the new place, were the court were.
”You also got that funny thought?” Lucca answered.
The new place was just outside the Guardia forest.
A huge crowd had gathered on the open place, south of the forest.
Lucca and Marle ran the last part.
They worked their way to the front of the crowd and walked to Crono who were on the left edge of the crowd.
In front of them, was the court gathered.
The judge was sitting behind the table in middle, and the chancellor on his right.
The table to his left was empty.
”Where’s Pierre?” Marle whispeared.
”Shadin said he didn’t want any defense.”
Marle nodded.
”How much have we missed?” Lucca asked.
”Not much.” Crono answered. ”Just the introduction.”
All three looked at Shadin, who were standing in front of the middle table.
”You have been charge for ”attempted murder”on princess Nadia once, and her friend Lucca twice. Are you guilty or not?” The chancellor said.
 Shadin remained quiet for a moment.
”Guilty.” he said.
A lot of voices could be heared from the crowd.
The cancellor looked at him.
”Good. You admit it. Now let’s see how serius it is...”
Shadin did react.
”First. You came to Truce inn, 3 days ago, and then attack Lucca. Correct?”
Shadin looked up.
”Almost. First she talked to me. Then I told her to leave me, and then I attacked her.”
More voices came from the crowd.
The chancellor rose and started to walk around in the court area.
”And what was the motive?”
Shadin didn’t say a word.
”I asked, what was the motive?”
Shadin looked at him, and then the judge.
”I refuse to answer that question.”
The chancellor walked closer to him.
”You refuse to answer that question?”
Shadin nodded.
”I think that was what I said.”
The chancellor turned to the judge.
”Your honor, I...”
”Continue your story.” The judge interupped him.
The chancellor turned around.
”Well, then...”
”Yesterday, Lucca and the princess took an innocently little walk in the forest, and they meet you, who attack them. True?”
Shadin nodded. ”I think it’s true.”
The chancellor turned to the judge and then to the jury.
”You heard it yourself... He have admitted that he met Lucca and the princess in the forest and then attacked them. That’s all for me.”
A lot of voices came from the crowd again.
”Shadin.” The judge said.
”Did princess Nadia or Lucca anything... thretning... Before you attacked them?”
Shadin nodded.
”Yes. They fired a powerfull spell on me.”
The chancellor jumped up from his chair.
”Objection! That’s noncens!”
Shadin looked him.
”Explain yourself.” the judge said.
”I know the princess!” the chancellor replied.
Marle laughed.
”She would never do anything like that! You’re just trying to get a chance to get free...”
Shadin shook his head.
”No. I speak the truth.”
The judge was just about to say something, when the chancellor interuppted him.
”You’re just trying to talk away your crime!”
”No, I...” Shadin answered, but the chancellor intruppted him.
”Admit it!” he said and pointed at Shadin.
Shadin looked at his finger.
”Can you...”
”Admit it!” the chancellor said, interuppting him again.
”Stop pointing at me!” Shadin said agrily.
The chancellor watched him.
”Are you thretning me?”
”Do you want me to?” Shadin answered.
”You have sworn not to use any magic in the court room, haven’t you?”
”Yes.”
The chancellor smiled.
”But this ain’t the courtroom...” Shadin continued.
The chancellor’s body almost turned to stone.
What had he done?
How could he be so stupid?
And why did he go this far? Couldn’t he just be happy with Shadin’s first admision.
He looked panicly in all directions.
”Guards! Anyone! Arrest him!”
Two guards came running from two directions.
Shadin made complexed movments with his hands.
”Iiimeara Defhera Yillasyra...” But before the spell was complete,
The steel-armored guards jumped over him.
”You’re comming with us!” one of them said.
The chancellor pointed at the castle.
”Take him there!”
The cancellor looked at the jury.
”Members of the jury... I sudgest we continue this very interesting trial in the castle.”
All of them agreed and walked away.
Most of the people did so too.
Lucca turned to Crono and Marle.
”Puuhh... THAT was close.”
”Yeah.” Crono said. ”Let see how things turn out in the castle.”
They walked towards the Guardia forest.
 
 

 
 
It didn’t take very long to cross the forest and get to the castle.
The soldiers held Shadin hard, and didn’t even let his hands free.
When they got to the castle, Shadin suddenly fell to the ground.
”What happend?” The chancellor yelled.
The soldiers shook their head.
”Don’t know, sir! He just fell!”
One of the soldiers sat down beside Shadin.
”Are you okay?”
Shadin noddded.
”I’m fine.” He said.
Another soldier pointed with his lance on Shadin.
”Then let’s move it!”
Shadin looked at him.
This gave Crono, who had just arrived, bad fellings.
”Stop pointing that on me.”
Other soldiers came closer.
”On your knees!”
Shadin spinned around, to check the situation.
”Croo- Shakk!” he shouted and fired a rainbow-colored beam.
The beam hit the commander of the soldiers, and he was thrown backwards.
The soldiers attacked Shadin all at once, but he made a jump 4 meter up in the air and landed behind them. ”Iilluminarta Kiirnns... Flamman!”
A big wall of fire raised in front of the soldiers, and then it fell on them.
The soldiers paniced away and all of them could escape the flame wall.
Shadin stood on the castle stairs and watched the crowd of people around him.
They were all quite afraid of what he could do.
Crono looked at him.
Then Crono turned to Marle and Lucca.
”Let’s make a delta storm.”
Lucca and Marle nodded, and tried to place themselfes in good positions to get Shadin in the middle of the triangel.
Shadin pointed both his hands up and said something strange.
Lucca, Marle and Crono were now ready.
They all nodded to eachother.
Suddenly a big bold flied from Shadins hand and hit Lucca. It throwed her back.
The crowd started to scatter, and in all panic, Crono could her Shadin say:
”Nuthorialnrth... something... Jugkernalf... something...”
A few soldiers with long ranche weapons came.
But it was too late. Big lightning bolts came out of Shadin’s hands.
Crono saw how the sky became red.
A deep rumbling could be heard.
Shadin started to levitate from the ground.
His head shoke and so did his armes.
”What the...” Crono started.
”Hyills Gyyrthiorner!!!” Shadin said with a deep voice.
”Or... as you prefer... scorch earth!”
The word echoed in Crono head.
Big bold appeared from nowhere.
The ground started to shake.
”An earthquake!” someone screamed.
”This must be the final destruction spell...” Crono thought as he and Marle ran away from the area.
The ground scattered, the wind blew harder than ever and bolts came out of nowhere...
On the other side of the forest Crono, Marle and the other people stopped.
Crono gasped. ”Well, that wasn’t very...” he started, but Marle interupped him.
”Look!!!” She pointed at the castle.
Crono turned around, and he was terrified of what he saw.
The castle collapsed.
 
 
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authors note:
Finally!
That’s half of it!
What do you think?
Of course I got the rest of the story in my head, but all comments are welcomed!
 
-Martin
 
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