Chapter 9: I Knew I Should Have Taken A Left Turn At Nikeah...
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<Got to keep control. Got to keep control. Got to...>

A massive golden form tore across the sky, sinous and graceful. It had
been several days, and Gau was still going full tilt, not pausing to
eat or sleep. In truth, the Doom Dragon form was much more suited to
such exertion, capable of flight through sheer will rather than muscle
power, and Gau's desperation lending him incredible reserves of endurance
and wakefulness. He realized that once he reached his destination, a 
*LONG* sleep would be in order, and he would probably be paying dearly
for this trip for a while to come. <Ok, then, I'll just stay with Dee for
a while. The others will get by without me.> Then as the Doom Dragon's
mind took this opportunity to try and wrest control from Gau again, Gau
was forced to turn his thoughts back to his destination and purpose. As
he continued his flight, Gau suddenly realized where he was when he 
spotted the ominous grey tower that had housed the Cult of Kefka in days
gone by on the horizon, nestled amidst a spectacular ring of mountains. 
Admiring the jagged peaks, alabaster snow lining the tips and extending
chill fingers further down the razor edged cliffs and valleys. <I wonder
what became of it? Let's just make a flyby and see...> With that, the
leviathan angled slightly and plunged through the sparse clouds towards
the grim monument to insanity and corrupt power. Gau winced as the dark
mind of the creature whose form he wore like a cloak raged and clawed
inside his own mind, but managed to push the desire to simply attack
the tower and slaughter all life he could find back down.

Meanwhile, inside the tower...

Erwillian Korell burst into the central worship chamber, dark robes
flapping wildy, almost tripping over himself in his excitement.
Approaching the central altar dais, where Shirak Rokal, high priestess
of the Cult of Kefka, stood preparing the next ceremony to be held, he
brought himself to a halt. The slender priestess fixed Korell with a 
fierce stare made all the worse by her ember-like eyes, and waited for
an explanation of this intrusion.

Korell drew himself up, took a deep breath, and began speaking.

"Most High Priestess Shirak, come see! Come see! A most magnificent 
beast approaches from the west, surely a sign of our Lord's will,
just as when you returned to us! I was adjusting the spyglass on the
top floor, and happened to look west when I saw something in the sky.
I thought it was an airship at first, it was so large to be seen at
such a distance, but it's definitely alive!"

"Indeed. Is it coming to test us, or serve us? And just what manner
of beast is it, priest?" 

"It is a great dragon, High Priestess! Golden in color, and as long as
any airship I have ever seen. Even bigger than your dragon form,
milady, by a quarter again the size!"

Shirak simply glared at the hapless priest for a moment, then began to
mull over the possibilities. <Surely a reward from our Lord, blessed be
his name! To send such an ally to aid our cause...> Snapping instructions
to two acolytes to finish the preparations, Shirak made for the chapel
exit. <I must see to this personally.>

"Come, Erwillian. I will speak with this dragon myself."

"Yes, ma'am."

With that, the two raced for the top of the tower, pushing aside 
acolytes, priests, and priestesses all in Shirak's haste to see
this sign of Kefka's will. 

Reaching the top floor at last, Shirak could only stare at the 
approaching wyrm, still far off, yet easily visible. Shaking
with excitement, she reached a decision. <I must greet it in a 
properly respectful form.> Korell stood back as the High Priestess
took a deep breath and thrust out her arms, knowing what was coming.

The High Priestess cried out as she tapped the latent power inside her.
"It is a sign! My Lord Kefka, a thousand praises to your name!"

Shirak Rokal began to change.

The transition started as a darkening, almost as if an eclipse meant
for the madwoman alone had come, accompanied by a low rumbling as 
of a distant thunderstorm. Rent by an unseen force, her robes dropped
to the iron floor in tatters as Shirak began to grow and warp, scales
forming along her now-ebon flesh. Lethal spikes and horns tore 
through her scales in numerous places, and her body began to lengthen
in proportion to the width. With a sickening ripping noise, Shirak's
head and neck split in half, the two pieces reforming into fully 
intact heads that began to grow long reptilian snouts and more of the
wicked black horns. Still, the now monstrous High Priestess 
continued to grow, as wings erupted from her back and shot outward,
until at last they covered the tower's peak with shadow in their
great span. Bringing both heads to bear on the approaching creature,
Shirak bellowed a welcoming cry and took to the air to meet it.

Gau/Doom Dragon began to descend towards the tower, eyes keener than
any bird of prey's picking out the sight of gawking men and women in
familiar robes, robes that he last saw on zombiefied men circling the
tower so long ago. Gau had not faced the MagiMaster, as only magic
worked within the tower's influence at the time. And so he could only
watch as Celes, Rydia, Strago, and the mysterious Gogo, the top
magic wielders in the group, ascended and fought their way past
countless spellcasting monsters. But now there appeared to be only
groups of people there, no sign of any monsters. <But where do their
loyalties lie? Are these part of the Church Kefka told me about?> 

Then something happened. As he watched, Gau witnessed the awesome
sight of a regally dressed woman atop the tower become something
even the Doom Dragon could not recall seeing in it's millenia of
existence. On wings of darkest night, the two-headed monstrosity
rose to intercept Gau, but oddly enough did not seem hostile.
Bringing himself to a halt, fighting the Doom Dragon's natural
instinct to attack the potential rival, Gau awaited the creature's
approach with anticipation. <Maybe she/it can tell me if this is
the Church of Kefka or not. Doesn't look too good, though. Gau
thought... I thought the Church was good. So why they using
monsters? Or maybe she like me?>

Finally the black dragon reached Gau, and hovered there, beating
mighty wings in a slow rhythm. In a terrible voice, made worse
by the fact that it issued from dual mouths, Shirak spoke.

"Greetingsss, bringer of death and woe! I, Ssshirak Rokal, High
Priessstesss of the Cult, greet thee after thine long journey.
Hassst thou come to aid usss, or dossst thou bring word from our
Lord Kefka? We are honored by your presssence..."

The Doom Dragon considered these words, intrigued enough by the
unusual creature before it to stop fighting Gau mentally and to 
try to learn more. Gau gratefully relaxed his control, and let
the Rage handle things for a moment. In a rumbling, hissing
voice that carried even to the tower, shaking the very walls
in it's low tone, the Doom Dragon returned the greeting.

"Greetings, sister wyrm. I am honored by thine words, and thou
dost thine clan justice with them. What manner of serpent are 
thou? I would know thy clan's name, if thou wouldst share it 
with me." 

Shirak was taken aback, twin heads blinking in confusion. <What?
Clan? Type? What does this have to do with Kefka? How could such
an obvious emissary of our Lord not even acknowledge Kefka's name?>

The Dragon winced for a second, as Gau reasserted control, and 
tried to get to the point. <That's NOT what I wanted to say!> 
As Shirak watched in astonishment, the creature before her seemed 
to lose some of its presence, eyes somehow becoming less malevolent 
and more... innocent?

"Um, you're a priestess of Kefka, correct? Is this the Church of
Kefka he told me about? Are you a friend of Lahndo's?"

Dual sets of blazing red eyes opened wide in shock, at the mention
of the accursed heretic, and the familiar tone in which the now-
not-so welcome creature mentioned her Lord's name.

"Lahndo? What do you know of the traitor to our Lord? Are you truly
a dragon, or a trickster of some sorts? Speak! Or I shall rip your
heart from your breast and feast on it!"

Gau was confused, and the Doom Dragon's mind wasn't helping, having
doubled it's assault from within. <She calls the one Kefka mentioned
a traitor? Wait, she did mention the Cult, not the Church. So they're
still around. Maybe I can still reason with her, though.> As he spoke, 
Gau winced as the words came out in his old speaking style.

"Me not dragon, me Gau! Kefka mention a Church, and Lahndo is head of
it. How you get be High Priestess talking about Lahndo like that?"

Big mistake.

Shirak had had enough. At the mention of Gau, one of her Lord's worst
opponents along with the other eleven so-called "heroes", what little
control she had blew away like fog under a noon sun. With a scream of
rage and hatred that echoed for miles in every direction, she charged,
fangs bared and night-black talons poised to gut the hated one. <You
are truly great, mighty Kefka. Sending one of your worst enemies for 
me to destroy for your glory, I could not ask for more!>

As the spiky black wyrm charged at Gau/Doom Dragon. <Uh-oh. Gau not
have time for...> Then at last his control slipped, and the Doom
Dragon bellowed a return challenge at the oncoming priestess-turned-
monster. With dark gleeful thoughts echoing all around his mind, Gau
could only hope that the Rage would become distracted enough for him
to reassert himself and get on with his trip. <Don't have time for 
this! Damn!> The mighty wyrm spread his forelegs wide and steeled itself
for the coming assault...