Big thanks goes out to Black Lotus Flower and Dr Facer for beta reading this hefty second chapter.
Mist. An appropriate, if not a simple name for the valley that is covered in eternal fog all year round. Even though Baron is its closest neighbor, there is very little, if any concrete information known to its citizens regarding the valley. Crucial facts were lost and certain details became exaggerated with each passing generation that weaved the stories of Mist. Now, only vague rumors can be heard circulating within the town of Baron; some so ludicrous only the irrational are ready to believe while others spin a tall tale seemingly catering to the young and naive.
Kain and Cecil's journey was short. By the time they reached the mouth of the cave, the sky's color along the horizon had just deepened to an vivid red. The two knights take a moment to assess the cavern; the flowing mist emitting from within looks less ominous and its interior less grand than what their childhood memories recall.
"Well, no sense in standing out here admiring the view," Kain announces before turning his head towards the dark knight, "Let's get this over with."
Cecil nods to the dragoon as he follows half a step behind him. The heavy fog surrounds them as they enter with spear and sword at the ready. However, neither one is truly expecting anything to appear out of the mist even as their visibility steadily worsens. As the two knights travel deeper into the cave, the limited scenery offered to Kain's vision starts to grow more familiar to him, "It should be around here somewhere...
... Found it."
A few meters away from the dragoon lays a large, deep indention at the base of several sharp stalagmites. Cecil focuses his gaze to where his friend was looking and discovers what Kain saw. The dark knight's face lights up and he gasps with recognition, "Wow... That sure takes me back. It's been about 10 years since the last time we've ever been back in this cave, hasn't it?"
"Yeah... I just thought it would make for a good enough marker while we're here."
"Good idea. We'll know whether we're making any progress if we don't pass by this checkpoint again," Cecil replies. After the short exchange, the two knights continue their travels in silence and both the near automation of walking mixed with the surreal tranquility of the cave gives Kain's mind free reign to wonder.
"We've already been walking for hours, Kain! Come on, let's just give up already."
The blond haired boy called Kain turned to his white haired companion and replied, "Hey, I'm not stopping you if you want to go home. But don't come crawling back to me when I'm the first one who finds the village and gets to name it after me."
"But don't you think if there really was a village that it would have been discovered by now? I mean, what makes you think we can find it when none of the other grown-ups can?"
Kain shook his head at the naivety of his friend. He then spoke to the white haired boy with the infinite wisdom he accumulated in his 11 years of life, "That's just because the Mist village must be really far away and nobody has gone for as long as we have up till now! I'm sure it's just a little further until we can see the exit and that's why we got to keep going. Or do you want to walk alllll the way back just for nothing?"
The white haired boy took a moment to mull over Kain's words, though the apparent frown on his face indicated he was more than a little skeptical at the blond haired boy's logic.
"Well, at least let's take a break first. We've been at this for hours," his friend reiterated before he leaned his back against a stone wall and sat on the ground.
"Jeez, you're tired already? Well fine! You can sit there like a lump on a log, but I'm going ahead," Kain turned around and continued walking in the direction they were going; the sound of his steps grew louder to his ears the further he walked alone.
"Stupid Cecil..." Kain muttered under his breath as he began to sweat. The boy was met with apparent silence and his breathing became heavier as he increased his pace to a jog. His eyes darted from side to side, but all he could see within the cavern was the ghastly shadows mingling with the thick, surrounding mist.
Just then, Kain thought he heard something. He abruptly stopped and tensely listened. It only took a few seconds before he caught the sound of footsteps from behind him. At first, the boy thought it was his friend, but he struck that idea out almost immediately since these footsteps sounded heavier than either of the two boys could possibly have made. His feet rooted to the ground, Kain's mind raced with possibilities. Yet the single wish he repeatedly thought was for the sound to simply go away. Instead, it only intensified until it seemed to be coming from directly behind his back.
Kain shut his eyes tightly and broke out into a mad dash, pumping his arms and legs while he sucked the moist air in deep breaths. The boy thought of nothing more than to distance himself from the unknown entity, so it came as a complete surprise when he saw another vague figure right in front of him. He stopped just before he collided straight into his friend, Cecil.
Still spooked by the sudden encounter, the blond haired boy stuttered, "C-C-Cecil..! How did you get ahead of me?"
"W-What are you talking about? I was resting here the whole time. You're the one who got behin..." but Cecil's next words trailed off as his gaze stared up and past Kain's left shoulder. The blond haired boy instinctively turned to see what his friend was looking at and was stunned upon seeing a broad, shadowy figure steadily approaching them. Kain's mounting fears lessened, however, as the figure became clearer to the boy's vision.
"So, this is where you two were."
Kain stared at the all-too-familiar man in front of him and and could only utter, "D-Dad..?"
"How many times have I told you not to come to this cavern, Kain?" His father questioned as he sternly looked down at his son before his attention shifted to his white haired friend, "And Cecil, I thought you would know better than this. Or do you take some sort of pleasure in troubling his highness?"
Cecil sheepishly looked at the ground and meekly answered, "No, sir... I'm sorry, sir."
"Come. Let this be the last time you boys venture here."
"We can't go." Kain suddenly declared and both his friend and his father turned back around to look at him. His resolve weakened under the man's gaze, yet the blond haired boy mustered his courage and continued, "It's only a little further until we reach the village, so we have to keep going..!"
"'Only a little further' you say?" Kain's father repeated, his face contorted in mild agony. His eyes had then brightened for just a moment before they hardened back to his usual expression, "Tell me, son, how high do you believe this cavern to be?"
Not sure where his father was going with this change of topic, Kain cautiously asked, "You mean to the ceiling? I dunno. 20... maybe 25 meters high..?"
Kain's father silently nodded to himself before he went over to his son, squatted and effortlessly scooped up the boy in one arm. Like a coiled snake ready to strike, he crouched even lower to the ground before his feet suddenly sprung clear off the ground.
The abrupt jump was so powerful that Kain couldn't even cry out in surprise, but he did manage to hear one from his friend before the sound quickly vanished under the mist. The boy tried to keep his head upright, but the savage winds from above had beaten down upon them. Yet his father's flight would not be deterred and they continued to rise higher into the air; the relentless mist still around them. It was only after several seconds had passed did Kain realize they had yet to hit the ceiling, which he later figured was a good thing since the sheer rate of their rise skyward would have instantly killed them upon impact.
As they reached the peak of the jump, the severity of the flight Kain felt a moment ago was soon replaced by the joy of the descent. The ascending winds encompassed them as it did before, only instead of challenging their progress like a stern father, it had embraced their struggle like a loving mother. Kain couldn't help but keep the euphoric smile plastered on his face as the two continued to fall. But the jubilant thrill soon broke way to complete horror as the blond haired boy suddenly realized they were rapidly approaching a set of tall, jagged rocks only a few meters away.
Kain's worries were for naught, however, as his father easily maneuvered in and around the various stalagmites. The crash that followed as they hit the ground made a thundering echo throughout the cave, but the boy didn't feel even the slightest bit of discomfort as he remained sitting in his father's arm. He looked down expecting to see some type of injury his dad received from the landing yet was astonished to find out it was the stone floor that gave way to his father's iron-encased feet.
Kain's father placed the boy down and straightened himself up with no trouble. He then looked down at his son and inquired, "Do you see now, Kain?"
Feeling ashamed, Kain could only respond, "Yeah... I'm sorry, dad."
"It's fine, so long as you understand and learn from your mistakes," his father replied as he placed a firm hand on his son's back and turned him around, "Now, let's go back and fetch Cecil."
"Father..."
Kain's mind drifts back to the present situation yet his thoughts still linger on the past. Back then, he remembers taking pride in all of the recognition his dad received for his skills as an exceptional soldier of Baron. But it wasn't until that experience did Kain come to fully understand how great of a knight, how great of a man he truly was. Even after succeeding his father's title and becoming the youngest captain to ever lead the dragoons, Kain still felt his abilities and accomplishments were still being overshadowed, that he hasn't been able to measure up to him as of yet.
"Not just from my father, but also by the youngest ranked captain in the history of Baron," Kain glances at Cecil, the tiniest of smirks forming on his lips, "Or at least he had been."
Kain shakes his head doggedly at his thoughts. The dragoon then slows to a halt upon spotting the familiar rock formation and indention on the ground.
"Looks like it's still no good," the dragoon announces, his mood becoming sour, "I believe the king could have stood to instruct us more on 'everything that needs to be done' instead of simply sending us out here on this fool's errand."
"Everything we need..." Cecil whispers to himself, his mind deep in thought and only half-listening to what Kain just said, "The king... ring... What about the ring?"
Cecil takes out the burgundy colored ring and starts examining it for any possible clues the king may have wished them to find. Yet there is no need to even look as the ring revels its purpose the moment it makes contact with the moist cavern air. Like a miniature whirlpool, the surrounding mist begins to swirl closer and closer around the ring until it gets sucked into its very center. The radius of the whirlpool grows with each passing minute until huge globs of mist become swept by the current and vanish into the vortex. Once all of the mist clears, both Kain and Cecil simply stand in place for a moment to intake what just happened.
"Well, that was rather simple," Kain huffs, feeling rather put off that just possessing a piece of jewelry was all it took to solve the biggest mystery that eluded their childhood.
"Aaa..." Cecil mumbles in agreement as he pockets the ring back, noticing it got lighter in color and is now more of a scarlet red.
The two knights look around and find the inside of the cavern to be far smaller than what they had imagined; the dragoon dryly notes the ceiling is only about 15 meters high. There is a light shining at the far end of the cavern about 100 meters from where they're standing and upon approaching closer, they become surprised seeing a white dragon in front of the exit. Its bulky body, despite covering up the huge opening of the cavern, casts no shadow as it seems to perfectly blend in with the outside light. Its intelligent eyes never leaving the two knights, the divine creature remains poised in a guarded position yet makes no motion to attack.
"It doesn't seem to be very hostile..." Cecil wonders out loud.
"But its not exactly friendly either," Kain finishes.
A low growl escapes from the dragon's closed mouth and its frontal claws dig a little deeper into the earth. To Kain, the beast doesn't seem like it has any intention of fighting them, but it was warning the two knights of the consequences if they attempted to trespass.
"Perhaps we can try to reason with it," Cecil says as he seems to have gotten the same, unique impression as the dragoon. Kain's eyes widen in dumbfounded amazement as he sees the dark knight sheathing his sword and carefully making his way closer to the dragon. The beast crotches lower to the ground and its body language shows greater signs of aggression, but still it does not attack.
Cecil stops at a reasonable distance away and waits for a moment. His face bears a good amount of uncertainty to it but he nevertheless exclaims, "We are knights of Baron and are in need of traveling beyond these borders. Is there any way you would allow us to pass?"
The dragon growls and its long tail pounds the ground heavily, and that to Kain was a final warning for them to leave. Before Cecil can speak any further, a red light seems to flash from the dark knight's body. Both his friend and the creature recoil from the sudden flash, and in an instant the beast whips its tail towards the dark knight. Cecil is sent sailing backwards, hits the stone floor and continues to skid back to where Kain is; all the while the dragon roars.
"So much for negotiations," Kain observes, not all that surprised regarding the outcome.
Cecil wheezes as he tries to catch his breath while his right hand moves to his left side, yet he grabs nothing but air. The two knights look back to see Cecil's sword lying underneath the white dragon. However, the beast makes no further move to follow up on its strike and instead waits for them to initiate the offensive.
"Quite a clever creature it is, I'll give it that much," Kain says before turning his head back towards his friend, "I'll draw the dragon's attacks while you try finding an opportunity to recover your sword. Then, we can assault it simultaneously from the air and ground."
Nodding his head a bit weakly, Cecil replies, "Sounds like a plan."
The two knights waste no more time moving to flank the creature on both sides; Kain going to the right with Cecil taking the left. As soon as the dragoon gets within a desirable distance, he makes full use of his trademark skill and jumps towards the dragon, attempting to also go in for the kill should the opportunity arises. And though the cave's low interior restricts his jumping ability, it is still high enough for him to get above his target and gain the initial advantage.
To Kain's utter shock, the dragon stands up on its hind legs and meets the dragoon's gaze at an even level, its long, serpentine neck and head quickly snapping towards him. He maneuvers himself as best as he can and barely manages to dodge the dragon's fangs as it bites at the spot where his right leg was at just a second ago. As soon as his feet touch the ground, the dragoon makes a series of alternating jumps, this time playing it safe and trying to bait the beast away from its position and into attacking him. However, the creature does not fall for his ploy and instead focuses its attacks on his unarmed friend.
Kain lands back on the ground and takes a quick glance to see how Cecil is faring in his condition. Unfortunately, the dark knight was unable to retrieve his sword during that time; the lower half of the dragon's body was still enough to keep him at a distance. The dragoon thinks about making another risky jump that would force the beast to meet his assault. His gamble will also lower the danger of its claws and tail for Cecil, giving the dark knight another chance at picking his sword back up. But a repeat of what happened the first time kept replaying itself in Kain's mind, and he grimly wonders whether lady luck would smile upon him a second time.
Just then, Cecil turns his head in Kain's direction and makes eye contact with him; the dark knight rises the small shield strapped to his left forearm ever so slightly. It takes the dragoon only two seconds to understand what his friend means to do.
"So that's it."
Kain jumps way back behind Cecil and flips his spear over with renewed vigor, the jigged saw edge being switched to the dual prong pike meant for sheer, unbridled impalement. He watches his friend dashing into and pulling out of the dragon's airspace before fierce claws could slash his torso apart. Kain's eyes remain unblinking as he aims his spear towards the beast's neck and continues to wait for the right opportunity.
The moment came in the form of a fang thrust as the dragon crotches low to the ground and utilizes the longer reach of its neck to try biting the elusive dark knight in half. Cecil rolls to one side while Kain vault jumps to try covering as much ground as fast as possible. But the distance between them was too great, and the beast had enough time to stand back on its hind legs and meet him head-on. The dragon bares its fangs once more and lunges forward, and there's no doubt in the dragoon's mind that its fangs would impale him before the length of his spear could slay the beast. But Kain makes no motion to avert his flight, his spear still trained on the dragon's neck as that is where he intends to skewer it.
Even with the looming death approaching him, the dragoon always kept track of his friend's position at the bottom of his eyesight, and that is why he knew for certain their plan would succeed.
Kain sees Cecil rushing underneath him, his sword laid within arm's reach now if he takes a single moment to crouch down. But the dark knight dashes passed the blade and continues to make a beeline towards the dragon. Using the force of his momentum, he raises his shield and rams his body directly into the dragon's exposed belly, causing its neck to teeter just enough for its fangs to prematurely snap shut in the empty space besides the dragoon's left arm.
"I've got you!"
The edge of Kain's spear easily sinks into the weaving neck of the white dragon as the beast loses its unsteady balance and falls backwards. Yet the expected sound of the creature hitting the ground is never heard as its entire body dissipates back into the vanishing mist.
"Kyaaaaahhh..!"
The woman's shriek reverberates throughout the empty living room of her home and she can only hope her voice did not disturb her child's slumber upstairs. Using both of her hands, the woman frantically grips her delicate neck in a vain attempt to cover the phantom wound.
"Calm down... it's only an illusion..."
But the pain feels incredibly real. Her head keeps feeding her the logic that this agony is due to the connection she shares with her eidolon. Yet every time the woman tries easing the pressure of her hands away, she begins to convulse terribly, her breath feeling as if air is escaping from the hole within her neck while imaginary blood wets her hands and leaks down from the cracks between her fingers.
A crystal-clear voice that is not her own suddenly echoes in the woman's mind, "Mistress, are you well?"
"Mist..." the woman weakly transmits back, "Yes. I'll manage... How about you?"
"You need not concern yourself with me," the voice reverberates in her head, "More importantly, those two men will soon be leaving the cavern. And I am afraid that in my current condition I will not have the strength to stop them."
"Yes..." the woman gravely agrees, the memories of the battle still fresh in her mind. Never did she dream of there being warriors out in the world who possess the strength to best the eidolons, "There's no other choice. We need to release the limiters completely."
"You understand what this means, Mistress? While this will allow us to fight once more beyond our normal capacity, the sense of the pain suffered in the prior battle will merely be overwhelmed by the temporary sensation of our assimilation. If we should retain the unrestrictive spell for too long in our weakened state, or if we are mortally wounded during that time..."
"Then there will be no second chances. I know, Mist," the woman finishes. And though her body is still shaking, no longer wholly from the phantom pain, her face is set with resolve. It is her duty as guardian, but more than that, her desire as a mother to protect the village and her child within it. "Even so, this isn't about what happens to us. Not anymore."
"... I understand, forgive me for voicing needless concerns," the bell-like voice resounds, "At your ready, Mistress."
Closing her eyes, the woman steadies her breathing as best as she can and wastes no time preparing the forbidden spell. A set of magical seals suddenly blossoms and forms at the base of her feet. The overflowing mana found within the Mist valley's boundaries gather into the seals and resonates with the tattoo etched in her left breast.
Forged from the unbreakable pact
passed down through the ages past...
The first verses recited, its runic equivalence that shape the center circle lifts up and erodes away. When the last of the words vanish, the seal suddenly shimmers and starts to slowly rotate clockwise.
The pain in the woman's throat already starts to ease into nothingness. Not so much in recovery, but more like her spirit is gradually being released from its life.
The spoken word ever binding
the true duty eternally...
Again, the symbols that make up the larger triangle seal decay, and a second rush of mana causes it to flash and spin counter-clockwise at a faster rate.
Her mind's eye blurs as if it were traveling at an insane speed. Shapes of objects and scenery become unrecognizable like they were doused with water and smeared to one direction.
I alone holds the runic key
the rightful call to beckon thee
to grant the awaited release...
The verses of the 3 smaller, outermost circles located at each of the spinning triangle's corners disappear for a third time and the entire seal flares intensely; leaving only the last incantation, the final seal over her hear, to be released.
She can see it now. Like an omnipotent onlooker, she witnesses everything that is happening inside the Mist cavern where her eidolon fell. However, she is powerless to intervene and can only watch as the two knights, having recollected their weapons, make their way to the mouth of the cave. Even hidden, she can still feel all of the mana being sucked in by that terrible ring.
"It's too late..." the woman thinks spitefully as her vision grows steadily closer to them.
"Cecil..." the azure knight whispers as he slows his pace. When he takes a quick glance at his companion, he sees the black knight has already stopped walking with his sword drawn once more. The two knights cautiously look around, yet the increasing amount of mist gathering around them is far worse than before and would not even allow for 5 meters of visibility.
As if feeling the presence behind his back, the swordsman quickly whips his head around, his eyes showing great surprise as he looks directly at her, "You're too late!"
Fulfill the pledged promise!
Dragon of the Mist!
"Kai—!"
Her lashes out for a second time and sends the ring bearer flying before he even has time to finish. The strike was so powerful that it causes his form to become imprinted into the stone wall he smashes behind. The azure knight quickly recovers from the shock and attempts to jump out of the mist, however, the guardian's left claw solidifies from above, swiftly catches him in midair and pins his back to the ground. She begins applying her immense body weight onto her captured prey, and both the grating sound of his armor crippling and the satisfying cries of his agony follows.
But before the eidolon can lean any more forward, a sharp pain erupts from the side of her left claw, causing her to howl and loosen her grip on the azure knight. Though sheer willpower, the guardian manages to push pass the pain long enough to re-tighten her hold on him before he escapes. With the infernal spear still lodged in her claw, the suffering it inflicts won't allow her to apply much pressure on him; only enough to hold the azure knight in place.
The guardian shifts her attention back to the black knight and sees him struggling to remove the last piece of himself, his sword arm, out of the wall. After a moment he succeeds and staggers hurriedly towards her but she is ready for him. Releasing the long breath she had taken in, the eidolon blows out a continuous stream of vapid mist towards the swordsman, stopping his advance.
Being too far away to mount any form of counterattack and having no cover within the spacious cavern, the ring bearer can do nothing more but try to evade and endure the long ranged assault. But all the eidolon need do is move her head slightly to keep a lock on him. And no matter how tight his defenses are, her mist breath will overwhelm him and seep into even the tiniest openings of his armor. The black knight seems to have discovered that fact for himself as he forgos the protection his shield offered. He then takes his sword in both hands, shifts to a side stance and raises the blade horizontal to the line of his sight.
The guardian would have roared with laughter at the swordsman's futile attempts if her throat wasn't already preoccupied. However, she begins to think differently as the eidolon sees a dark aura start to ooze out of the black knight's entire body. The small globs of darkness rise up until they stick to the sleek metal of his sword, causing the entire blade to grow pitch black and look sinisterly sharp. Feeling an awful premonition, the guardian prepares to breath out her mist breath to its fullest extent, one that will permanently halt the swordsman's progress, but the throbbing ache in her throat gives cause for her to falter.
"No..! Not now—!"
The burning pain increases with each passing second; the use of the mist breath only serves to accelerate the reappearing damage within her neck. Despite the imminent danger, the guardian steadily increases the strength of the attack, praying she can at least stop the ring bearer from ever entering Mist. Yet the more she immerses herself into the spell-bound pact, the more a distant voice grows stronger and pulls her out of it.
"Mama! Mama! Snap out of it!" the green haired girl cries out again as she desperately tries to take hold of her mother, her small hands only millimeters away.
Something felt terribly out of place the moment the little caller awoke this morning. She first noticed the strange, vibrant orange of the sun's rays filtering into her bedroom. The vision offered to her eyes as she looked outside was far clearer than all the mornings she has experienced before. For the first time in her life, the girl was able to look pass the mist-less forest and saw the dual mountain ranges that cradle the village, stretching into and beyond the far horizon. Her tension only increased as she walked in the dead silence of her house and made her way downstairs. An awful feeling then swept over her as she saw the multicolored lights emitting from the living room, and she jumped the last few steps of the stairs to quickly see what was happening.
What she saw were runic symbols brightly shining beneath her mother's feet as the woman sat on a chair sideways from the table while intensely staring into empty space. The caller was taken aback upon seeing her mother's fierce expression, but her surprise was soon replaced with worry as she witnessed the woman pressing her hand down hard against the table and aggravating the wound punctured in her left waist. Suddenly, a small drop of blood appeared out of nowhere on her mother's neck. The drop grew larger until it could no longer maintain its form and began to slowly trickle down.
The girl had called out with slight reserve, yet the woman made no motion of hearing her daughter's voice. She began walking towards the seated woman but was stopped by what felt like a small static shock, discharged at the tip of her toes. Flinching back from the unexpected shock, she reopened her eyes and took notice of her mother's neck again, alarmed to find the trail of blood had grown 5 times wider within such short period of time.
Her concern far outweighing her rationale, the girl moved towards her mother without a second thought and as soon as she steps onto the outermost seal again, the electric shocks resumed and intensified as more of her feet covered the light of the seals. A long, hapless moan escaped through the caller's clamped mouth for she couldn't withstand the pressure and pain, wanting desperately to shrink into herself and let out the wail contain beneath the base of her throat. But the shortening distance, however slow the progress was, allowed her to preserve.
"Just a little more..!"
The caller now makes a final lunge and her hand manages to grab hold of her mother's right sleeve. But the moment she touches her, a shock more powerful than any other suddenly jolts throughout her entire body and just as quickly returns to a singular point over her chest. The pain is pure, overwhelming agony, like all of the gathered energy busted out and left a gaping hole over her heart. But the feeling soon vanishes along with the shocks that tried to resist her so, the runic seals now working in harmony with the girl.
With no more obstacles standing in her way, the girl emotionally pleads, "Mama, please!"
The woman minutely blinks, her eyes regaining some of their focus as she turns towards her daughter. Relieved, the girl smiles upon seeing the recognition in her mother's eyes. However, the moment lasts all too briefly.
From the corner of her right shoulder all the way down to the middle of her left thigh, a crimson scar suddenly blossoms and stains her mother's tan dress. She slowly collapses out of her chair, the runic seals disappearing before the right side of her body even manages to hit the wooden floor.
"This can't be real..." is the caller's only thought as she stares at her mother's still form. More and more, panicked thoughts hijack her mind as tears start welling up in her eyes. Yet, the girl fights to remain calm, "... Got to get help. The Faeries. Anyone of the older kids who can call them. Anyone..!"
But before she could take the first step towards the door, her mother's voice slurs out, "Ry...dia... wait..."
Rydia stops and turns back around to see her mother take her wounded hand and dip a finger into the sizable puddle of blood by her right shoulder. Dragging it to a clean spot on the floor, she shakily draws a circle and then an unfamiliar symbol within it. As soon as the last strokes are written, several green spheres swiftly swirl and raise from the seal. A yellow light then flashes from the ground and out materializes a strange woodland creature, the large red gemstone engraved in its forehead clashing heavily with the teal color of its fur.
The tiny creature looks at the one who summoned it and curiously tilts its head to one side. The woman takes her blood-stained finger and rubs it onto the creature's gem before she murmurs, "pleas...e... s long... you... can... Car...bunc...le..."
The ruby glows and the creature, in a trance, begins to float a few inches above the seal. The girl sees a faint red light shot up from out of the ground and into the ceiling, yet no damage was done to any of the structure it seemingly cuts. The light forms and spreads, encompassing the entire house.
With great difficulty, the woman turns her head and cloudy eyes towards Rydia, outstretches her arm and pleads, "prom...ise... eave... don'... leave..!"
The caller feverishly shakes her head as she grasps her mother's hand with both of her own. But the woman's eyes shone with fierce desperation and implores Rydia to fulfill her final request. As she sits on the floor by her mother's side, the girl can't help but notice the majority of the dress is already dyed into a dark maroon. Rydia shuts her eyes at the sight, and that momentary lack of knowing gives her the incentive needed to nod her head as she intertwines her own pinky finger with her mother's.
"od... good... gi...rl..." her mother whispers as she begins to faintly stroke the girl's palm with her fingers. And though she continues to speak, the words can no longer be made out, her voice pausing too frequently and coming in too softly. Feeling completely hapless and pathetic, Rydia sheds the tears she tried so hard to hold back. Even now, her mother is the one comforting her, trying to ease her own anguish while she's suffering so much more.
Several minutes pass by with only the sound of the girl's soft weeping. Then, her mother's stroking fingers slows to a stop. A moment later, her lips cease to move and her eyes close. Rydia calls out to her: once, twice and yells out the third time. She frantically shakes the woman's body and cries out again and again and again. But this time, her mother won't turn her eyes towards her. Never again.
"It's over."
A resounding crash sounds as the dragon hits the cavern floor, the once noble beast laying in a great heap a fair distance away from Cecil. The dark knight begins to walk towards to where his friend lies but halfway along he is overcome by an insuperable weariness and falls to one knee. His gaze falls on his sword and he isn't surprised to find the blade a bit duller than it was a few moments ago. Just like his sword's durability, he feels his own life vitality being slowly eaten away each time he uses his secret technique: the Corrosion of Darkness.
By the time Cecil feels well enough to move again, Kain has already removed himself from beneath the dragon, discarded his crushed breastplate, recovered his spear from the beast's claw and made his way towards the dark knight. The dragoon stops in front of Cecil and with a loose grin he silently extends his hand out. The dark knight also smiles a little under his visor and gratefully accepts his friend's aid in getting back on his feet.
As the two knights approach the dragon, they begin to assess the severity of its injuries. Finding that it doesn't have long to live, Kain lifts up his spear and prepares to strike the finishing blow. But there is something in the creature's eyes that causes Cecil to waver and call out to his friend, "Wait, Kain."
Without turning, the dragoon evidently responds, "It will be far kinder of us to put the beast out of its misery."
"Still... Just don't."
The dragoon turns and raises an eyebrow at Cecil, then lowers his spear and walks past the dragon. With his back to him again, Kain states plainly, "I didn't think you would wish to leave it to such a cruel fate."
Cecil takes a last look at the creature as it calmly closes its eyes before he follows after his friend. The two knights soon step out of the cave and into the dawning yellow sunlight. It takes a moment for their vision to readjust, and what they see in front of them is the village of Mist residing just outside the cavern exit. But nothing seems mystical about this backwater town, or at least not enough to warrant the various myths fashioned about it. If anything, the village resembles the two knights' own hometown, except it's far smaller and looks less alive with activity.
Cecil and Kain simply make their way to the town center. Before long, townsfolk begin to notice the strangers walking within their village and start to gather around the two knights. Many of the adults' expression hold confusion and worry while the children look on curiously. The townspeople whisper amongst themselves as they keep their distance, and Cecil takes note of one particular group who are all huddled together. They continue to converse until two of their junior members break away from their circle and dash north of the village that is nearest to the mountainside.
"What business would you men have in coming here?" an elderly man looking to be in his mid 80s suddenly questions as he takes the first step towards them, "You wouldn't possibly be affiliated with Mysidia by any chance? If so, then our answer has not changed and remains the same as before."
The two knights are slightly taken aback by the old man's unexpected question. Cecil is the first to recover and replies, "Oh, no. We hail from the kingdom of Baron and have been sent by our king to travel here to the valley of Mist..."
"... And? For what purpose?" the old man reiterates. Cecil's eyebrows crease in thought as he turns to look at Kain in the hopes he might have a ready response. The dragoon merely shrugs his shoulders, indicating to the dark knight he won't find any help from his friend.
Several beats of silence pass by and suspicion starts to grow within the crowd. Cecil then decides to show them the king's ring, hoping it may distract them or at least buy the two knights more time to think.
As Cecil takes out the ring, he distinctly notices its color is now a hot pink. And just like before when it is exposed to the air, the ring's function starts taking affect and begins to burn wickedly through his gauntlet. As soon as his nerves register the heating metal on his palm, the dark knight cries out in pain and flings the ring into the air. The ring then explodes into a blinding red light so bright that Cecil shields his sight, and the only sensation he can feel is the air as it grows scorching hot all around him. It takes several seconds of blinking before he is able to see clearly again.
But what awaits his vision is the village of Mist transformed into a burning ruin as countless creatures of the flame erode all that is left standing. Houses and homes both tall and small, men, women, children: nothing is spared as the great fire sweeps through the entire village. What was once a circle of lively townsfolk now lie only ablaze bodies littered around the two knights. Cecil falls to his knees, not believing the horrid sight in front of him, "No... This can't be... It's like Mysidia all over again, only far worse... Why..? Why is this happening?"
"Cecil!"
The dark knight snaps out of his reverie in time to see one of the floating bomb monsters come incredibly close to him with wide open jaws. Before the bomb could chomp his head off, the point of Kain's spear shots straight into its mouth, drills the flaming creature's brain clean through and comes out the other end of its skull. The bomb profusely bleeds black oil as it continues to twitch even after it dies. The dragoon violently swings his spear sideways to dislodge the bomb corpse still impaled on its edge and urgently yells at the dark knight, "We got to get out of here!"
But Cecil could barely hear his friend over the roar of the inferno and the townspeople's distant screams within it. Kain grabs the dazed dark knight's arm, yanks him back on his feet and turns him around, only to be greeted with the sight of half a dozen hungry bombs blocking their escape path. The two knights cautiously back away, but the monsters don't let up even an inch as they slowly advance as well. As Cecil starts scanning for the best place to breach through the pack of flaming creatures, his far sight happens to catch a lone structure that is not dyed along with the sea of orange, red and ashen black. The dark knight taps his friend's hand and motions with his eyes to what he saw. Upon seeing what is to the north of them, the dragoon gives a slight nod.
The two knights immediately sprint towards the direction of the house with the bombs closely in hot pursuit. They run with all their might, and Cecil feels the gap widening between them. However, as they approach closer to their destination, he grimly notes a pair of bombs already in front of the house's entrance. But as luck would have it, the monsters lay their focus on assaulting the house with their backs facing the two knights. The dark knight quickly cleaves the closer bomb clean in half with his sword while the dragoon pierces the other one with his spear.
As the two halves of the monster float down to the ground, Cecil is surprised to see a green haired girl no older than 10 look up at him with eyes full of stricken fear. He only realizes after looking at her wet, blackened neck that he came incredibly close to beheading her along with the bomb. Before he can dwell on the thought for very long, Kain brushes past him and returns the dark knight back to the reality of the situation.
Cecil takes care not to bump into the girl as he runs into the house as well. A couple of seconds later, the six bombs finally catch up with their prey but are driven back as they hit the mysterious, ruby light emitting from the floor of the house. No matter how fiercely they assault the barrier, it gives no quarter and continues to repel them. The two knights breath a sign of relief before they look at the girl who is trying to speak, her mouth working on and off during the entire process.
"H...h-help... help me... my mom... she..." the little girl manages to choke out after a good while. Cecil and Kain look towards the far side of the house and see a woman lying on the floor with a small, glowing creature besides her. They go over to the woman, the dark knight crouching down next to her and checking for any signs of life. But the two knights already know. The woman's complete and utter stillness, the large pool of blood on the floor. Cecil turns back to look at the girl and gravely shakes his head. She slowly shakes her own head in disbelief and slumps back on the floor. Her eyes well up to the brim with renewed tears, yet she is able to somehow hold it all in and let none fall from her face.
During the time Cecil examined the woman's body, an uneasy feeling had risen within him. The puncture in her waist, the wound in her neck, the obvious cut across her body hidden by her dress, even the position she lays in; it is completely identical to his last image of the dragon as it laid dying in the cave. And the more he thinks about it, the more he becomes certain. Both the type and cause of her injuries made it impossible for the woman to have receive these wounds from the bomb monsters outside, and the fact the barrier itself was erected in anticipation from this disaster is proof enough to confirm his suspicions.
Cecil turns to his friend and can't help but question, "Kain, did we really..? It is possible that we..?"
Coming to the same conclusion, Kain nods, "I didn't think the rumors were true, but it looks like these people do have the ability to control phantom beasts and bend them to their will. This is probably the trade-off for the power they're bestowed. By killing the dragon, in turn we this woman, its maste—"
"No..." the girl suddenly voices and glares up at the two knights through wet, brimming eyes, "You mean, you did this?"
"We're sorry... We didn't know..." Cecil feebly replies. But he knows ignorance is not nearly enough of an excuse for their actions and simply apologizing won't undo the damage already done.
Kain remains silent to the girl's questioning as he takes a heavy step closer to her, gripping his spear more tightly in his left hand, "It's foul work, Cecil, but we need to kill this girl as well."
Both the dark knight and the girl stares shockingly at the dragoon and Cecil loudly protests, "Kain!"
"You should know by now. His majesty wished this village torched, along with everything in it," Kain speaks with an eerie calm, "If you're unwilling to stain your hands, then I can be the one to do the deed. Or we can simply toss her outside this barrier if you prefer. Either way will bring about the same end."
"How the hell can you even say that? She's just a child!" the dark knight yells as he gets dangerously close to the dragoon's face.
"We've come this far, there's no turning back now," Kain passively states in the face of his friend's anger. Ruefully shaking his head, he then spreads out his right hand to indicate everything that's behind him, "These people. All of these lives are already lost. We need only take the last one to complete the mission, one more for us to return to life in Baron. Think about everything we'll be giving up if we disobey. It's either her or us, Cecil."
"Just one more, to endure just a little more... I'm tired of using that excuse. Believing it doesn't make things any easier, any better," Cecil solemnly states more to himself than to anyone else. He closes his eyes and keeps them shut for a long time. Honor, duty, sacrifice, the greater good: all the jumbled thoughts of last night breaks down in the face of one definite truth. Cecil reopens his eyes, "This is wrong, Kain. And I will no longer play a party to this."
"You would betray the king?"
"I won't betray my feelings. I won't turn a blind eye to this any longer."
The dragoon looks at the dark knight, critically assessing the worth of his words. It is only after he finds no fault or waver in Cecil's expression does Kain loosen his grip on his spear, "Even so, Cecil, you won't be doing the girl any favors by saving her here. You'll see it will all be meaningless in the end."
A jarring clash suddenly breaks into the two knights' conversation and they both look towards the entrance to see a fallen support beam was the cause of the noise. Upon further inspection, they notice the entire front wall is lit ablaze behind the group of bombs who managed to get inside the house. Though the mysterious light still repels them as it did before, one thing is for certain. The barrier is gradually shrinking and the flames are slowly licking away at the structure of the house.
"Looks like we've overstayed our welcome," the dragoon offhandedly remarks. He then looks towards the dark knight and seriously asks, "You'll be taking the girl then?"
Nodding, Cecil responds, "Go on ahead, Kain. It will be easier for you to make it out on your own, and I don't want to involve you into anymore—"
Raising his right hand, the dragoon cuts off Cecil and breaks out a humorless laugh, "Ha. You say that now, but I'm already in enough of your mess as it is. May as well go the full distance, you know."
"Kain..."
Another clash sounds from the far side of the house and dust starts to fall from the ceiling as the roof caves in a little more. The dragoon dismissively replies, "Save the thanks for later, we can't linger any longer."
The two knights finally turn their attention back at the girl and they see she was staring at them the entire time while she fearfully huddled besides her mother's side. Cecil carefully walks towards her with his arm outstretched, "It's dangerous to stay here, come with us."
The girl looks down and decisively shakes her head. Annoyed, the dragoon aggressively approaches her and asserts, "We've no time for this, simply take her by force."
"No! Stay away!" the girl cries and manages to dash in between the two knights, however in doing so, she nearly runs into the group of bombs awaiting in the next room. She halts to a stop just along the blue light's edge, and the girl can only stare wide-eyed as the monsters all turn towards her and try grinding through the barrier; their carnivorous teeth only a few millimeters away from her face. Using the protection of the barrier to their advantage, the two knights quickly dispatch the flaming creatures with little difficulty and the gruesome aftermath remaining in front of the girl leaves her completely shell-shocked.
Though her hollow eyes trouble his conscious greatly, Cecil nevertheless carries the paralyzed girl under his left arm, knowing it will be easier this way than if she's flailing about. With Kain taking point guard, the dark knight follows two steps behind his friend's right side as they rush through the blazing streets of Mist. But it doesn't take long before the hundreads of bombs scattered throughout the ruined village sense their presence, and they all start to converge towards the sole survivors of their destruction.
The first wave of bombs slow the two knights down, and the second wave halts their progress completely. By the third and fourth waves, retreat is no longer an option as the numerous monsters begin to overwhelm them from all directions. With their backs turned against each other, the dark knight is unable to spare even a passing glance to see how Kain is faring.
The flaming corpses keep piling up around them and Cecil losses track of the number of bombs he has slain long ago. His body is drenching with sweat from both the long exhaustion and the fierce heat while his armor becomes thoroughly soaked in the enemy's oil. Still, he continues swinging at anything red and circular, fully aware of the monsters slipping more and more into his guard with each passing second.
A furious bomb suddenly comes into Cecil's blind spot at his left side, and the dark knight makes a desperate turnabout swing of his body, allowing him to narrowly dodge the monster's jaws at his back while simultaneously smashing its face in with the hilt of his sword. But the maneuver causes Cecil to loss his grip on the girl and she is sent tumbling several feet away. Seeming to have recovered from her paralyzed shock, the girl crawls and desperately tries to run back towards the house but another bomb comes barreling down the street in front of her.
"No!" Cecil sprints forward and is able to get in front of the girl just as the bomb makes a lunging chomp. The dark knight raises his shield in time and wedges the monster's jaws with it. He then quickly drives the tip of his sword through the bomb's left eye, effectively ending its life.
Cecil turns around to re-collect the girl but he is stunned into motionlessness upon seeing the agonizing look on her face, the hot tears flowing uncontrollably down her cheeks. What was once void of any feelings, an array of emotions now swirl within those wet, blue eyes: bewildered fear, righteous anger, profound emptiness. But nothing is more vivid than the ruling passion that governs them all.
Pain.
That look of naked, overflowing grief causes a cold shock to run throughout Cecil's body: never before does the glaring guilt come so strongly. His instincts tell him to avert his eyes to anywhere but hers, yet he is simply unable to do so. The dark knight is absently aware of several bombs enclosing around them but even they feel distant and insignificant compared to what is before him.
The little girl heart-achingly screams at him, her voice dominating over the roaring fire and breaking into the darkened heavens, "Why? Why did you do this to us? I HATE you! I HATE YOU ALL!"
The next thing Cecil knew, something akin to a huge explosion rocks his entire body and sends him flying backwards at an incredible velocity. The invisible force thrusts him all the way back to the house but as soon as he passes through the barrier again, gravity starts to sink in and slow him down. With a heavy thud, Cecil's rear strikes the wooden floor and he continues to skid until he slams hard into the far end of the house, his flight taking him back to the same room the dead woman still lays. The dark knight groggily gets back on his feet, yet he wobbles back down; not because he lost his balance but because the earth actually moved underneath him. He looks outside just in time to see the ground has split into countless fragments, some raising high into the air that obscures the far scape while many others simply fall and create an even deeper ravine.
Cecil manages to spot the girl laying unconscious on a piece of ground and notices with dread that it happens to be one of the split sections falling into the earth. Willing himself to make it on time, he speeds towards her. But another violent rumble causes the ground to collapse in front of him, and an increasingly wide canyon starts to form and drive them apart. But the dark knight continues to rush forward, praying he has even a fraction of his friend's ability as he makes the long jump to the other side. He soars through the empty air and is able to safely grab onto the ledge where the girl is at, however, his added body weight causes that piece of land to crack and crumple. They both plummet down; the darkness of the abyss the last image Cecil sees before his consciousness fades into the same black.
