The day passed, and Ara returned, thanking Caius for his help. Caius assured her once more that it had been no trouble, and Yeul returned home with her mother, leaving him alone to prepare for the night's duel. It would be difficult, he was sure, far more difficult than any monster he had faced. Arenth was a l'Cie, which was no small challenge. But Caius felt strangely confident. He was younger, and Arenth's brain muddled by drink. Caius also knew what he was fighting for, something that he was unsure Arenth could say the same of.
Caius practiced his swordplay on the outskirts of the village, reminded suddenly of that day three years ago when his life had been changed, for better and for worse. He smiled softly at the memory, stabbing his sword in the ground and sitting on a nearby rock. Rest would do him good for the brief amount of time before he set foot for the wasteland.
The hour had already grown late, and the sun was just beginning to retreat behind the mountaintops. Caius retrieved his sword and was about to go to the wasteland when he heard his name being called.
"Caius? Is that you? Where are you going?" It was Ara again, though her voice this time was laced with anxiety. "You aren't leaving, are you?"
"No, of course not," Caius said, turning to face her and shouldering his sword. "I would never leave without notice."
"Then where are you going?" she asked, nervous suspicion replacing the anxiety.
Caius fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment before he sighed, deciding to tell the truth.
"Arenth challenged me this morning," he said, his voice heavy. "I am to replace him as Yeul's Guardian, should I defeat him in battle."
Ara was silent for a moment before she nodded. "Then please, take this," she said, rummaging in one of her pockets and procuring a slender vial of liquid. "It's a potion. It will heal any mortal wounds, but anything else is beyond it's capabilities. It can only go so far, but use it if you are in grave danger, alright? Please?"
Caius took it thankfully, tucking it into the pouch at his side. "I will. Thank you, Ara." He turned to go, looking back once more. "I swear, I will return, and I will protect your daughter for as long and as well as I am able." Ara smiled.
"I hope so, Caius," she said softly, folding her arms to shield herself from the cold wind. Caius nodded again, and went on his way.
Night had just fallen by the time he reached the wastelands. The dead grasses swayed in a cool breeze, the air silent save for the chirping of a few far-off crickets, perhaps the distant call of an owl. Caius scanned around, drawing his sword. His wariness, however, was unnecessary, as there were few places to hide, and surprise attacks were generally not Arenth's preferred method. So Caius waited, sword at the ready, his eyes and ears alert as only a warrior's could be.
At last, he heard it: the sound of approaching footsteps. He whirled around, repositioning his sword. "You took your time, Arenth," he said.
"The Wastelands are large," replied the older warrior, shrugging. "I may have gotten a bit lost."
Caius shook his head to himself, approaching the Guardian. He retained his defensive stance, but relaxed just slightly. It seemed that they were going to have a proper duel rather than a mindless bloodfest. "Arenth, I bear little ill will of my own toward you," Caius said after a moment of thought. "I fight for Yeul, and her alone. You understand this?"
Arenth smiled bitterly. "Of course I do, boy. You forget that I was once in your exact position."
The thought, for some reason, shocked Caius, striking a thin needle of doubt into his heart. Arenth, too, had once been a young man desiring only to protect his seeress. Arenth, too, had slain his predecessor, had taken up the role of Guardian. But Arenth's motivation for the role had disappeared after his Yeul had died. Would Caius be the same? Would he end up the same way?
No, Caius was different. Arenth was brash, made decisions based on sudden spurs of passion. Caius, on the other hand, was thoughtful, calculating, and to incite passion in him was to spark a flame that would never die. Caius would protect this Yeul, and the next, and the next, however many he could. Because he loved Yeul's soul, the soul that would be reborn over and over again.
"Well, boy, are you going to stand there looking pensive, or are you prepared?" Arenth sounded oddly urgent, snapping Caius out of his thoughts. The Guardian didn't wait for an answer. He drew his weapons—two long, thin blades, contrasting with Caius's greatsword—and lunged, leaving Caius with barely enough time to block the attack. The duel had begun.
The cool night air was exhilarating. Caius let his senses take over, swing after swing, parry after parry. Occassionally one or the other would land a painful blow, but there was nothing too serious, due to the levels of each of their skills. It had been a long time since Caius had met such a powerful opponent. Arenth indeed lived up to his reputation as a mighty warrior, and he began to claim the upper hand, driving Caius up against a rock wall. The younger man cursed himself for the mistake
"I'm surprised, boy," said Arenth, closing in on Caius. "And disappointed. Surely there is more to your skill than this?"
The jab helped Caius refocus himself. He watched carefully for an opening, but Arenth hadn't let his guard down. For a moment, doubt seized Caius's heart. Had he overestimated himself? Was he going to die here tonight? Was he going to leave Yeul alone?
The last thought strengthened his resolve. He slightly loosened his grip on his sword, which he had been clenching far too tightly. Relax, he told himself. Now, think. Caius flipped through strategies in his mind as Arenth continued to approach. An idea struck him, one that may have been just cliché enough to work. It was somewhat of a low blow, Caius had to admit, but he had decided that he would do whatever he could to defeat his rival.
Caius slowly changed his position, making it seem as though he were wounded and tired. Hopefully it would lull Arenth into a false sense of security. For a moment, it seemed to have worked.
"Have you given up already?" Arenth mocked, advancing further. Caius made a great show of looking to be in pain, letting Arenth get just close enough for Caius's blade to reach. Quick as a cat, he swung his sword upward into Arenth's unprotected chest—or so he had thought. But, to Caius's dismay, Arenth had just managed to dodge the blade, leaping deftly to one side, having anticipated the attack. Caius cursed, and there was a flash of sliver—then a moment of silence.
Caius was confused momentarily by Arenth's grim, victorious expression until he realized what must have happened. He felt his shirt, which had suddenly become damp, and looked at his fingers. They were covered in dark red liquid, and Caius looked at Arenth in shock. The pain st in, searing across his abdomen, and he struggled to stay upright, leaning back against the rock wall for support.
"I thought you were stronger than this, Caius," said Arenth, his voice flat. He administered a sturdy blow to Caius's chest, and something cracked. "I must have overestimated you. Tell me, does Yeul deserve a Guardian this weak?"
Arenth's words stung nearly as bad as the wounds he had inflicted. And, even after his taunts, he continued to beat Caius like a cruel owner of a dog. The pain was excruciating, but once Arenth ceased his volley of attacks, Caius steadied himself on his sword, glaring at Arenth in a haze of pain, his breathing ragged. The Guardian stepped so close to Caius that their faces were almost touching. "You failed her, boy," he whispered bitterly. "You will die even before she does. Have you come to grips with this quite yet?" Barely perceptible, Caius shook his head, reaching shakily behind himself for his last resort.
Arenth looked amused for a moment before his expression changed to one of surprise. He looked down at his chest, then back to Caius in shock. Caius in turn pulled a small hunting dagger out of Arenth's chest, his eyes venomous. The Guardian fell, clutching at his own deep wound. "You've killed us both, you fool," he hissed, barely conscious.
"No," said Caius, his voice remarkably strong for someone who had suffered such wounds as he had. "I will not die here, Arenth."
The Guardian laughed raspily, blood trickling out of his mouth. "Is that so?" he growled through gritted teeth. "Do you truly expect to survive that gash of yours?"
"Yes," said Caius, straightening the best he could, pressing his hand to the wound. "For her. I have to protect her, and I will. No wound will keep that from happening."
Arenth looked up at the young swordsman, seeing the fire in his eyes. The Guardian began to cough. "Caius," he said between breaths, "you had best be telling the truth. Don't you dare leave that child... like I did." A cough wracked his body, blood trickling out of his mouth. He looked up at Caius, his dark eyes far away. "Keep her safe," he whispered, barely audible, just loud enough for Caius to hear him. The younger man nodded, eyes hazy with pain, and Arenth smirked once more before he collapsed into the dirt.
Caius, on the other hand, felt himself growing light-headed, and he fought to keep conscious. He began ripping cloth from his clothing in an effort to make a makeshift bandage, but his hands were shaking too badly. He bandaged what he could, and as he did so he saw something shining on the ground: the potion Ara had given him. It must have fallen during the battle. He fumbled for it, somehow managing to uncork the bottle. Shakily, he raised it to his lips, recoiling at the taste, but relishing the immediate relief it brought.
Some of the pain lessened. Caius looked at his bloodied shirt to find that the flesh beneath it had somehow mended itself, healing the gaping wound all on its own. Only a thin scar was left where Arenth's sword had pierced him. But Caius had still lost a great amount of blood, and his ribs were still badly cracked. He remembered Ara's words: "It will heal any mortal wounds, but anything else is beyond it's capabilities." He looked to the sky, sensing that his time was short, and he called out. "Goddess Etro!" he cried, falling to his knees. "Mighty Fal'cie! I pledge myself to the protection of the seeress... so, please, give me strength!"
Caius thought he heard a distant noise, a low rumble, and he thought he saw a pale light illuminate the landscape. Before he could be sure, however, his vision faded, slowly but surely. He saw flashes of a familiar blue-haired girl before everything faded to black. At last, he collapsed near the body of the man he had slain.
Okay, writing battle scenes is hard for me, apparently. But the plot develops. I sneaked in a reference to the end of Lightning Returns, if anyone catches it :)