She paced the darkened chamber, incensed that this doctor her assistant had named would dare to keep her waiting. "Am I not Queen Shelia Wyndia," she thought, "the most powerful person in the kingdom that shares my name? Am I not important enough for this lowly scientist, who hides in the Jungles like a pack of barbaric Fullen? If I had not required his, "unique services", I'd never have come." Shelia preferred sorcery to science, but sorcery, was not the answer this time, as her advisor had pointed out.

"How dare that worm Elviento tell me I was wrong," she thought. "I have seen with my own eyes how Nina had shown a soft spot for that Exquisite general Nysdragon, and how the general really had treated her like a princess. And yet, I am here, in a freakish castle about to meet with a reclusive scientist so I can settle for less than what I want!?

"Calm yourself Shelia" she said with a haughty air as she taking a cleansing breath, " Vince may be a fool, but he did have a point. Perfect as he was, Nysdragon doesn't love Nina. He preferred that useless little engineer. To think, a dragon of noble blood such as he would turn down the perfection of my daughter for a petty thing like an old love." Finding herself becoming angrier at each passing moment, Queen Shelia decided to escape into habit, and began to inspect herself in a mirror that hung in the dark hallway where she stood.

She was quite lovely, as usual, her kind-yet-harsh face radiating an aura of regal superiority. Her hair, tied back in a conservative bun, was a healthy strawberry blond, and capped off by her golden, jewel-encrusted tiara. She wore a stunning blue and white gown, not as extravagant as what she would wear about the palace, on account of the jungle heat, but standards must be upheld, and she wanted this scientist, this Von Reichter, to know whom he was dealing with.

She was interrupted from her train of thought by a groaning creak, as the oaken double doors at the end of this hallway parted, revealing a tall, well-built pale man with mousy brown hair, his eyes a dark brown.

"Please forgive the delay," the man said, " my name is Krumens, and I will escort you to the master now. I will also answer some of your questions if you have any."

"Please take us," she said, assuming her royal airs, " to the doctor. Queen Shelia will not be kept waiting." She elegantly strode down the corridor, accompanied by the doctor's servant. In an attempt to get an understanding of this Von Reichter, she studied her surroundings.

They were traveling through a nightmare of a castle, designed in a gothic style, with various gargoyles and other grotesque statuary sprouting from the walls like demonic flowers; but along the ceiling, was layer upon layer of wiring, electrical cable, and fuses, many with faulty connections, occasionally sparking with arcs of neon-green electricity, which filled the room like flashes of lightning. The servant led her down resplendent halls, devoid of all life, yet kept immaculate. The halls were like caverns, each with vaulted ceilings, which created an echo of the queen's footsteps. As they ascended to another floor, Shelia was confronted a gigantic portrait of the doctor, his cold eyes staring down at her like she was but a specimen for him to dissect, hanging on the wall looking down the staircase. Eventually, she and Krumens reached a set of steel sliding door, which parted for Shelia with a serpentine hiss of opaque steam.

"The master awaits inside," Krumens said, "He will see you now." The servant then left Shelia alone at the door to Von Reichter's sanctum.

"He is expecting me?" She thought, "the nerve of this reclusive madman, treating me like some, some, Commoner! I will show him that I am unimpressed by his dilapidated castle, that I will be treated with the proper respect, which would involve the doctor on his knees before me, and that I would…

Shelia's thoughts were stilled by what she saw.

She had heard from her daughter about the bizarre experiments that went on in the chrysm crop plant, profane tests to resurrect the dead and grant immortality, of monstrous plant mutants and giant worms. She had dismissed it, thinking it a mite exaggerated given her daughter's impulsive and youthful nature. Now, she had a suspicion that Nina was right, for before her lay something far worse than what her child had described. Before her was a maze of Glass chambers, filled with a hellish glowing green liquid, casting a nightmarish pallor upon her gaze, tainting everything she saw with that evil shade of color; there were no other lights in the room, only the glow of the chambers. As Shelia made her way into what she guessed was the doctor's lab, she saw that the liquid wasn't the only thing in the chambers. Within each glass prison, floated a horrific beast, each more repugnant than the last, each some grotesque parody of both human and animal form. They were colossal brutes, seemingly mindless, yet obviously deadly.

"I take it you are impressed by my creations," a harsh, rasping voice called from behind her. Momentarily started, Queen Shelia whirled to face who had just spoke, and found herself facing the man she was looking for

"Doctor Von Reichter, I presume," she said in a casual manner, as if this were but an ordinary meeting.

"Queen Shelia Francesca Wyndia," the doctor said, his monocle gleaming under the light of those disgusting monster-filled tubes. "Welcome to my humble laboratory."

Von Reichter was hardly an impressive man to look at. He wasn't very tall, only a drab green shirt concealed his thin frame with a greenish ascot tie, khaki jodhpurs, knee high black boots, and a black lab coat. His oily black hair was brushed forward into a pompadour; concealing the upper half of his face in shadow, save for his beady yellow eyes, one of which was hidden behind a monocle. He reclined in a massive wicker chair, the kind one saw on the patio of a hacienda, it's back as wide as he was tall. At the side of his chair was what first seemed to the queen to be a pool of breathing darkness, until two gleaming yellow eyes opened, and the shadow moved, revealing itself to be a powerfully built black panther. It yawned a moment, revealing it's blazing white fangs.

"You'll forgive my pet's…" the doctor paused, "interruption. I believe we have some business to discuss."

"Yes," Shelia replied, nonplussed about the panther that made its way from it's master's side, and had begun stalk around her as it took in her scent. " My servant, Count Vince Elviento, tells me that your Expertise in your given field is without equal. I require a man of your…" she scanned the chamber, gazing over the myriad abominations, "talents, in the immediate future. I need a champion, Doctor, one who can provide me with absolute victory over my enemies, yet prove a willing and capable lover and husband for my errant daughter."

"I have already spoken with your servant konigin," he replied, his German accent creeping into his emotionless voice. "He has told me what you desire and I have found your situation, intriguing. You have presented me with an interesting challenge. Creating a champion who can defeat any foe is a simple enough matter, considering the data you have given me." He paused, getting up from his chair, and pulling what appeared to be the skull of a child from a nearby table "However, it has been far too long since I gave intelligence to one of my creations. The results of my most ambitious attempt," he paused, holding the skull like a wine glass," was my most profound failure. However, I have learned from my error, and can create this perfect champion for you. But in doing so, I would like some favors in return."

"That depends doctor, " Shelia said with a smile, pleased that they would be avoiding any unnecessary small talk and getting down to the business at hand. "Exactly what are you requesting of me?"

"First," the doctor said, "there is the small matter of my fee. I will require a sum of exactly five million dollars to be delivered, as payment for services rendered, to my bank account. Second, I have taken an interest in your country, and have decided to move my operations there. But to do so, I require proper facilities in which to continue my research. I understand that such a laboratory complex lies within your borders?"

"Ah yes, the Chrysm plant. From the reports I've read, and from what I've seen of your 'research', it should suit your needs quite readily. I see no reason why not."

"Excellent. I will contact you at a later date about the details of this transaction. In the meantime, let us discuss your champion."

"Agreed," Shelia almost giggled inwardly at the thought of the scientist's terms. The money he had requested was extravagant, yet easily payable from the royal treasury. As for the chrysm plant, it had been declared off limits to the public due to the hordes of monsters roaming its grounds and hallways, and Nina's investigation into the work of its insane director, Doctor Anton Palet, had shown that Palet's controversial research into immortality was but a mad fantasy. "I trust you received the specimen I wish for you to use in this project when I arrived?"

"Yes," Von Reichter replied in that serpentine whisper of his as he walked away from the table and began to head into the maze of suspension tubes, " It is a most intriguing specimen. Might I ask where you found it?"

"His kind are easy enough to find," the queen stated with a wry chuckle, following the doctor through the lab, " if you know where to look."

Their conversation closed as they came upon a particular tube. Inside was a man, stripped to his underwear, immersed in the vile green liquid which filled every other tube, a breathing mask placed over his face to keep him alive despite the immersion. A somewhat tall man, his body was lean and wiry, like an Iron-hard poker. His skin was pale, as if he had been kept in darkness all his life. His short hair waved in the liquid like sea anemones, as if it had a life of it's own. He floated without any conscious motion, as if he were already dead.

"He is magnificent," Shelia, said with an impressed whisper, " I know he is the one for my little Angel."

"Humph," The scientist snorted in response, "you let your emotions cloud your judgment. But, I do agree that he is a fascinating specimen because of his genetic potential, a true superman. But, from how I understand it, you are not so much interested in his body, as in his mind, yes?"

"Yes. I want him to become the perfect suitor for my daughter: a shining example of Wyndian values; with dignity, manners, charm, honor, and most important, Doctor, I want him to be loyal and devoted to me. I want a powerful man I can control like a puppet, to act upon my wishes without question; a man my daughter will have empathy for, so she will not forsake or betray him. He must be defiant enough that no one will suspect that I am manipulating him, yet so weak-willed in his devotion to Nina and I that he would fall upon his sword if we requested it. And, I want you to see that his only other goal aside from making my daughter happy is to utterly and completely destroy Ryu Bateson the 3rd. I want him furious at the mere mention of that name, and for him to kill Ryu upon visual contact. I don't care about the cost to his sanity, so long as he guards Nina like the treasure that she is."

Von Reichter smirked at the passion that filled Shelia's voice as she spoke about the personality she wanted this experiment to have. "What you desire can be easily arranged. He will be ready before the month is out. Now, before I begin his conditioning, might I ask for what name you wish to call him?"

Shelia stared long and hard at the man in the chamber, and then finally spoke as her mind was made. "He is Lord Skie of Wingover, and nothing else."

"Very well then. That will be all your highness. I think you would want to leave before the screaming starts." He turned towards one of the lab's many dark corners, "Krumens!"

"Yes, my Master," the servant asked as he stepped from out of the shadows.

"Please show queen Shelia the way out, then fetch Jose and come here. We have much work to do."

"That," Shelia stated, "will be unnecessary. I will take my leave now doctor. Good day." She then cast a warp spell, taking her from the dread confines of the scientist's infernal lair, back to her carriage that waited outside the castle.

"Take me home," was her only command, as the horse drawn vehicle began to make its way down the road, back to the nearest port, where she would return to Wyndia

Back in the castle, as the subject of the queen's wish underwent his conditioning, Von Reichter smiled. This meeting with that spoiled hag of a queen had proven, most profitable. He was to be 5 million dollars richer, he would be gaining a new base of operations, and best of all, and he now had the DNA of the perfect soldier. He let slip of his emotions for a moment, and took in a hideous cackle of mad laughter, as his work progressed into the night.


THE END

Special thanks: I'd like to thank Adrian Siedelman, for giving me the insight into Von Reichter's head; Val-z-gr8, for, for inspiring me to write this backstory to events on the "Breath of Fire: Myria Trial By Jury" RPG message board; and Bethany, who's involvement in said message board rpg allowed this fic to take place


and for those who are still curious or even remember the guy, the true identity of skie wingover was none other than my own fanfic character and 1st persona on the rp board

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