//------------------------------// // Prologue Part 1: The Heart of Ymir // Story: The Minstrel's Coda // by Kiniro //------------------------------// The Minstrel's Coda Prologue Part 1: The Heart of Ymir "You know Lightning, I know we've had airships in operation for decades, but I've never had the chance to be on one." I commented with excitement as we stood on the deck of the airship. "Well, do keep in mind that it was only recently that the Kafra Corp began selling the blue prints to allow licensed production to many of the nations of Midgard." Lightning Strike responded. "So... you're telling me that Kafra had a monopoly in the skies?" I asked curiously. "Well yes, but with that type of advantage in air travel brought many fears of possible arming of their fleet of airships, even though Kafra Corp is just a business, but with the stories of many corporations forming private armies and security firms in Swartzvald. People worried of a hostile take over of Kafra, and with that their fleet of airships could become a problem." "Private armies? How come I never heard of this?" I responded. "They operate clandestinely for their employer attempting to eliminate the competition by more... violent means literally letting the laissez faire case go to another extreme." "Merchants..." I stated detracting tone. "So how many airships do we have in our service now Lightning?" "Well as the most powerful nation in Midgard, we have currently 26 airships in service, about 8 dreadnought class, 12 frigate class, and 4 transport class. With another round of 4 dreadnoughts, 7 frigates and 3 transports currently in production at the Alberta Ship Yards. Once this is ambitious plan is completed, Rune Midgard will have the most impressive air flotilla the world has ever seen." Lightning Strike explained. "You know with airships being in operation for so long, I've never found out what powers them." I wondered. "Well most airships in operation use small scaled down copies of the Heart of Ymir." Lightning Strike commented. "Wait... you mean... Are you shitting me? Copies? Don't these so called 'engineers' know what the hell they are getting themselves into?! Do they not know how unstable copies of that relic are? Why else have they been outlawed in most of the nations of Midgard!" I shouted. "Well that hasn't stopped people from pressing more airships into production with the copies. However their is some benefit, the scaled down copies vs the illegal copies you are aware of, are much more stable, but still they have to be used to certain standards, otherwise they can break down and cause a chain reaction that could be very... dire." Lightning Strike explained. "To be fair also... most of the illegal copies are somewhat stable, but the problem is that they can not take the stresses compared to the scaled copies, which is why they are illegal now anyway. The scaled copies are the only legal copies produced today by the leading magicians in Midgard, but only for this purpose." "I see... but they are still dangerous." I commented. "Agreed, which is why Rune Midgard is leading the charge with a new technology." Lightning stated. "Which would be?" I asked only to have Lightning Strike open his arms wide and upward. "You're flying in it!" Lightning stated with excitement. "Uh..." "You're flying in Rune Midgard's leading innovation, a steam powered Dreadnought! The Arcadian!" "Steam powered?" I asked. "Yes! Steam powered, we have a boiler on board that burns any coal and any other carbon based material and heats water into steam. Which then the steam turns a giant fan blade called a turbine, and as the turbine spins it creates an electrical current, just like magical lightning. As opposed to using a Heart of Ymir copy as a power source. It's actually very cutting edge, they say that within a few more years, we can break our dependence on the copies." "Now that type of technology I can support. We can finally get rid of all these copies and just let the original Heart of Ymir be the only catalyst for magic. We don't need another incident of another madman acquiring a copy threatening to destroy the world with it. Especially considering our understanding of the copies is so limited and their potential is almost unlimited... who knows what they can really do." I stated as I walked over to a side railing of the airship. "You know... I can't say thank you enough Kiniro for doing this... not for the queen, but for me... for everyone one Midgard." Lightning Strike commented. "Well... thanks. I guess. Shame that no matter what I do anyway, I'll never get my chance to redeem my name as long as that bitch is in power." I responded as I placed my arms over the railing of the wondrous airship. "Well as I said before to you in Juno, my loyalties lay with our old King." Lightning responded as he looked toward me. Myself seeing the sincerity of his words based on his expression. I sighed heavily. "You know... those were the days... before The Civil War, before the Wars of Emperium, and before the queen... I miss them." I said as a tear rolled down my cheek, quickly wiping it off my face. "You know that peace will eventually come to Midgard." Lightning responded. "Lightning Strike, you of all people... you're in the royal guard for fucks sake. You're Midgardian military, you'd be out of a job if peace came." I said trying to joke. "Well... so would you, an old beaten warrior from days gone past." Lightning joked back in kind. "Hey! I was never beaten, I just retired, then you have to stumble into my Library in Juno and pull me out of retirement. Couldn't have just let me be, could you?" I retorted. "Now now, if I didn't need you're help, you know I would have never bothered you, as a friend I promised I'd keep you're whereabouts hidden from Rune Midgard." "I still wish I knew why it had to be me..." "The gods chose you Kiniro my friend. Why they chose you, no one will ever know, but this is you're purpose." Lightning Strike stated as he placed his hand on my right shoulder. "Lightning... tell me... what's it like to not have a path set in front of you, to not have any purpose." I asked as I turned my head and looked out into the morning sky from my railing perch on the airship. "Excuse me?" Lightning Strike responded unaware of the question. "Was that an insult or just..." "No I didn't mean it like that..." I interrupted. "I mean not having to feel like a tool at someone else's disposal, not have to follow this set path of destruction..." "Kiniro my friend, I've watched over you since the Civil War, we never have to follow a path we don't want to..." Lightning Strike tried to comfort me. "Easy for you to say... I've lost everything Lightning Strike. My first love, my home, most of my friends except you... and my family has been gone for a long time. I even lost the man who treated me like his own son years ago." "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to bring back memories of Fayd's death... and I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when Xellie tried to execute you." Lightning apologized. "Had I known that she was going to..." "Yeah I know... I know... I've heard it before... you would have put a stop to it..." I responded angrily with tears beginning to run down my face. Lightning Strike sighed heavily, pulling his hand away from my shoulder. "I know you're hurt Kiniro... but I'm still here for you, no matter how much you try to push me away now. I made a promise to save you, even if from yourself, since I owe my life to you." "Lightning... can we please stop talking about this... Can we please talk about something else." I responded wiping the tears from my face. -End of Prologue Part 1.