A scene of panic and discord erupted from my awakening. I just remember I woke up to the smell of smoke and humidity which felt like blankets being tossed on top of me. An attempt to stand was met with crippling weakness. Falling to the ground I listened carefully until I could hear the sound of ravaging flames very close by. Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming from outside my room. The door slammed, as if a person had just tackled it. The first time, it stood stagnant, but I heard the wood of the panel begin to give in. Then the second time, the person from outside successfully barged down the door. It was a savage warrior, no doubt serving under Brakmar's legion by the hue of his armor. I tried to hide behind the bedpost but the warrior surveyed the room quickly before finding me. I felt his stare, I saw his grin. He was a heartless soldier, serving under the Twilight Gaol. By no means was he ready to let me leave unscathed. His hand caught me by the neck and I was lifted off the ground. The sound of a blade being drawn caused me to shut my eyes closed tightly, clenching my teeth shut and bracing for the grasp of death. A bellow erupted from this brute. He took ultimately pleasure from my acceptance to death. "Beg for mercy." He whispered this close to my face. My executioner stood their, his grip tightening, then suddenly released as he grunted dismissively before completely dropping me to the ground. I opened my eyes, gasping for breath, and there he lie as well, face down in a puddle of his own blood. Cid stood before the warrior's body as well as my own, smirking coyly. He pulled me to my feet, handing me a weapon. A longsword, no less. I felt the cool steel as I tested its quality with my finger. Staring at the metal, I felt the adrenaline starting to circulate in my blood... not the same adrenaline that pumped through my veins when sparring in the Kanojedo. I understood what was to come. It was time to put my enemies to their graves, and at the same time... put myself at the risk of the same cruel fate. Soon the essence of embers became the stench of war, and the sound of fire would become the entropy of death.
Hastily we dashed through the hallways of the tavern which had apparently caught aflame. Outside was the cries of warriors and the sound of metal scraping upon metal, gashing into flesh and blood. Three more Brakmarians threw themselves upon Cid and I. A blade came down on Cid, but he expertly parried it away before thrusting a jab into his opponent. A swing in my direction, and I ducked before feeling for the first time what it felt like to end a life. I became one with the sword and as the blood slid fluidly down the edge of the blade; at the same time my very own blood pumped ecstatically throughout my veins. This was the feeling of the god Iop and his merciless wrath, and as more enemies came up behind us, the power surged immensely through the course of my body. This power, this ferocity, was released in devastation as I sunk the blade into the ground and all of this energy was released in a cataclysmic fury. The explosion cracked the ground itself and impacted at the feet of my enemies, completely annihilating them. This power, it was one which I had never felt before. Released by the shedding of a blood price. I now understood what war really was. The fire, it was brooding within me, and as I desired to release it again. A hand came to my shoulder and I twisted in a jerking motion about to assault the owner of it before I realized it was Cid. He stood there, in awe of my own power. I too, had just begun to realize what I had done.
"Rayn... there is a proper time for such senseless savagery. You now know the pleasure of bloodshed... keep its callousness in your heart, but do not allow it devour you from the inside-out." At this, his hand was released and I gazed upon blood-stained earth, a sickly red and brown color of such discord. The rain began to pick up again as Cid began to walk away onto the pathway north towards Astrub. Without moving my head or shifting my eyes, I involuntarily began to follow suit, leaving behind a wake of destruction and chaos in my tread. This was the beginning of the long road ahead of us.