Hello, all. Sorry for the delay in updating, but I got a nasty sinus infection, and I had to start school again. Luckily, they didn't quite occur simultaneously. So, here are the next two chapters.
Just so you know, I intend to do minor reediting of all the chapters, mostly to make the first three or so chapters better match the later ones. If you have any suggestions for how I could do things better, I'd love to hear so that I can incorporate your advice into my editings.
Once again, thanks to Katmillia and Dragonlover for reviewing. I tried to follow your suggestions, and I especially hope I got the paragraphs fixed. I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know if I didn't.
That's a long author's note. Oh well. I hope everyone has a lovely day!
Allergies and a Harp
by Maelstra
12 - Treasure Hunt
"Well? What's it say? Let me see it!" Kain wasted no words as the others returned.
"It describes the four locations of the pieces of a key, and then the final location where the harp itself rests," Cecil answered hesitantly.
"So, let me have it! I don't want to waste any more time!"
"Kain . . ." Cecil did not want to let his old friend do this alone, but he knew that however he tried to explain this, the dragoon would object. Fortunately, he had the inklings of a plan to outmaneuver Kain. "It's late, and the forests are dangerous – especially for a solitary traveler. I think we should camp here for the night and discuss the whole situation before anyone goes off and does anything else."
Kain glowered. "So, what you're saying is that you're going to hold onto the tablet to force me to let you come along!"
"No, I . . ." He knows me too well. "That's not the point. I just want to know all the details of why you're looking for this harp . . ."
Rosa and Rydia took the initiative to start up a small fire roughly in the center of the group. They both set up a pile of wood, then Rydia pointed at it and the logs magically burst into flames.
"I don't need your help, Cecil. Please! I need to do this alone!" Just for a second, Kain dropped the icy mask that he had kept up since Cecil arrived. He looked almost desperate.
"Kain – I just want to –"
"Hey, everybody! Look at what I've got!" Edge returned and struck a triumphant pose while holding a white-dusted bag aloft.
"What is it?" Rydia made a dubious face. "Unrefined phoenix downs? They're so dusty! You're going to turn your ninja suit white."
"Yeah, yeah, but they're free phoenix downs." Edge raised his eyebrows as if that explained everything. Then, blatantly strutting, he walked over to the fire and dropped the bag within several feet of Kain. A big cloud of dust rose from the impact.
"A-tchoo!" Kain sneezed, then tried to back away, but it was too late. "A-tchoo! A-tchi! Atch-Atchoo!"
Cecil hurried forward. "Kain? Are you alright?"
The dragoon shook his head and sneezed again. "A-tchoo-oo!"
"Edge, get those phoenix downs put away!" Cecil yelled over his shoulder. Then, he reached into his limited magic power and cast a simple cure spell on Kain.
The spell worked, letting Kain resume breathing normally. He hastily wiped off the tears that had involuntarily come forth from sneezing so hard.
Cecil looked back at the group, and noticed Edge was standing totally still, just staring. "Edge, please – move those things now."
Edge bent over and scooped up the bag – then as he straightened, his eyes widened. He looked at the bag, looked at Kain, then exploded in laughter. Inbetween chuckles, he managed to gasp out, "You're – you're allergic! Allergic to phoenix downs! Ha ha ha ha!"
Kain gave Edge the ultimate-dragoon-death-glare-of-doom while his cheeks started turning crimson.
"You're not serious . . . ?" Rydia appealed to Cecil for an answer.
Cecil tugged at his shirt sleeves, stalling.
Edge was still going. "So, no wonder you couldn't go into the phoenix's nest! Ha ha ha! What, did you fall in the first time? Ha! The phoenix must have felt really sorry for you!"
"Stop it, you–!" Kain growled, dropping into a fighting stance.
"Ha! Oh yeah? What could you do to me?"
"Edge! Be silent!" Cecil thundered. Even the birds in the forest stopped chirping.
After a long, awkward silence, Rydia finally got the nerve to ask, "But how could he be allergic? I mean, we traveled with him all the way to the moon, and he never seemed to react . . ."
"Well . . ." Cecil gave an apologetic glance to Kain, then explained. "Maybe you didn't notice, but on the moon, the few times that he got knocked out, Rosa used magic to revive him. Kain doesn't react as badly to the commercially cleaned feathers, but . . . well . . ."
"It's never been an issue before," Kain said stiffly, throwing another icy look at the ninja.
"I've heard of other cases," Cid mentioned with a half smile.
Kain studied Cid's face in shock. "You already knew!"
Cid smirked. "I've known you since you were a little whelp. I know all your secrets."
Kain looked disturbed. He tried to cover this up by quickly asking Cecil, "So . . . what does that tablet say?"
Cecil folded his arms. "No, wait. First I want to hear about why you're on this quest anyway."
Edge sniggered to himself something that sounded suspiciously like "phoenix downs." Rydia slapped him on the side of the head and told the ninja, "Be nice."
"Okay, fine." Kain took a seat by the fire, as far away as he could get from Edge. Then, he related to the group his interpretation of what had transpired on Mount Ordeals.
"So, you see . . . unless I can find this harp . . . I can't trust myself to go back to Baron."
"Everyone gets caught by confuse spells sometimes, Kain," Rosa attempted to reassure.
"Yeah. But not every time."
"Uh-huh." Cid paused to nudge one of the logs into a better position with his boot. "But, that still doesn't explain where you got the 'brilliant' idea that you have to do this all by yourself."
For a moment, the only sound was the crackle of the fire. At last, Kain said. "Well, you're not giving me a choice now, are you?"
"No. Glad you understand that much, at least. So, Cecil – what's the plan?"
Cecil stared into the dancing flames as if he somehow expected them to foretell the future. "We'll leave tomorrow at dawn, and start tracking down the clues." He glanced up, anticipating Kain's reaction, but the dragoon only frowned and said nothing.
With the conversation effectively killed, the whole group settled down into sleeping bags or blankets and soon fell asleep.
Several hours later, Kain opened his eyes. The sky was veiled with thin clouds, letting only a few scraggly moonbeams through. He had deliberately positioned himself with his bag of supplies at his feet, and Cecil on his immediate left. For a moment, he just watched his friend sleep. Kain still found it unfathomable that Cecil would trust him so much, considering everything that happened. True, most of his betrayal had been Golbez's fault, but not all of it. The fact that Cecil apparently trusted Kain enough to not even keep watch made it all the more painful now that Kain had decided to deliberately betray that trust.
I don't have a choice! Kain tried to rationalize to himself as he rolled onto his stomach in utter silence, then crawled over to reach the traveling bag that lay at Cecil's feet. Painstakingly controlling his breathing, he untied the drawstring, then felt around inside until his fingers closed on cold stone.
Once he held the tablet in his hands, his nerve broke, and he moved recklessly fast over to grab his own supplies. His father's armor clanked softly in the bag as Kain sprinted into the forest.
