Chapter 29: Yields of Courage
None of the companions slept well that night.
They had left the Citadel behind the previous evening, Cen flying the Phaëton out to the bare patch of land they had seen before. But if any of them hoped having the ominous building out of sight would help ease their distress, they were mistaken; the memories of what they had experienced in the Citadel could not be dampened by a mere change of scenery. And so, the restless, troubled night crawled by.
Sapphire rose and left her cabin late the next morning. She had put her sleepless hours to use cleaning the baked-dry clay off her robes, so when she emerged into the common room, she looked tired but clean. Behind the weariness, however, it could be faintly seen that something in her bearing and expression had changed.
Cen and Estel were already in the common room when Sapphire arrived. Cen appeared more or less back to normal; though he looked tired and disheveled, his hair standing out in every direction in a tangled mess, his expression was one of quiet composure and something akin to resignation. He sat in a comfortable sort of sprawl in a sagging, oversized armchair, staring out the open door as though he was deep in thought. Estel, on the other hand, looked awful. He sat huddled back in a corner of one of the sofas, his hair and clothing rumpled, his face ashen, his eyes downcast and blank.
Cen looked around as he heard Sapphire enter the room.
"'Morning, Saph. How are you doing?"
"Oh…" Sapphire sighed, her gaze drifting to Estel before going back to Cen. "I'm all right, I suppose. What about you?"
"This might surprise you, but I've been better."
Sapphire gave a little half-smile, but she sobered at once. "Have you heard anything from Rath?"
"No." A bit of concern flicked across Cen's face, and he glanced at the door to Rath's cabin. "Not for a while, anyway. I heard him moving around or something a little during the night, but that's about it."
"I see… And what about…?"
Cen followed Sapphire's gaze to the unresponsive Estel. He opened his mouth to speak, then he stopped and started over.
"Oh, you know. We just couldn't sleep, so we decided to come sit out here." He gave Sapphire a rather pointed look, showing that, in spite of his worry, he was leaving much unsaid for Estel's sake. "At least then we had some company."
Sapphire just nodded. She sat down beside Estel, perched on the edge of the sofa and half-turned so she was facing him. Again, he gave no reaction to her, instead just continuing to look morose and dull-eyed. Sapphire glanced at Cen, and he gave her a knowing, approving sort of look.
"I'll give you two a minute." He got to his feet and went outside.
Sapphire watching him go, and once he was out of sight, she turned back to Estel.
"I need to apologize to you."
Estel did not reply. Sapphire continued.
"I never meant to hurt you like that. I told you what I did because I still wasn't certain how I really felt. I couldn't say that before, because you would have still been just as nervous and miserable over everything, all because I was still confused, and I didn't want that. And I couldn't say 'no', because…it just felt wrong, and I didn't want to say that and maybe hurt you like Rath hurt me." She sighed and looked down at her hands. "But what I did hurt you even worse. I can't even start to say how sorry I am for making you think such horrible things about yourself. After seeing all those things in the Citadel, and realizing that…oh, Estel, if I'd had any idea…"
She looked back at Estel. He had finally reacted to her presence, but had done so by turning his head away, still unable to bring himself to look at her. Sapphire, frowning in concern, put her hand on his shoulder, but he curled away further, sliding his arm out from under her touch. Sapphire withdrew her hand with obvious but subdued dismay and went on speaking again.
"Estel, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for how much I've hurt you, and for not noticing how you felt for so long. If I had, I…" She trailed off, hesitating, but she then recovered and went on. "And…I'm sorry for everything that's happened to you. You didn't deserve any of it."
Quiet reigned for a moment, then Sapphire, without any hint of her usual hesitance, slid back right beside Estel and embraced him. Estel went tense with discomfort, but Sapphire did not release him.
"You could never be anything like him. And I never believed that you were."
Silence fell again. Sapphire continued to hold Estel, resting her head against his shoulder. Estel remained tense and uncomfortable at first, but then some of the rigidity started to go out of him, and he drew a deep breath. He tentatively put his hand to one of Sapphire's, as though to verify its presence.
"Saph…"
Sapphire straightened up and looked at him at once. "Yes?"
Estel half-turned his head, looking pained and exhausted and overwhelmed, and took in the sight of Sapphire sitting beside him, watching him with concern. She met his eyes, and after a moment, he gave a shuddering breath, turned in her arms, and hugged her tight. Sapphire tightened her own embrace in response.
"Thank you," he said, and he sounded almost on the verge of tears. "I just…ah, gods…" He broke off and buried his face in the crook of her neck.
"I understand," Sapphire said quietly. She relaxed a little but kept her arms securely around Estel. "It's all right; you don't have to say anything."
Estel nodded, taking deep breaths to try to keep from breaking down and weeping. Sapphire patted his back, and the pair sat in silence and held each other.
After a few long minutes, Cen appeared in the common room doorway. Leaning inside, he caught Sapphire's eye and raised a questioning eyebrow, and she gave him a tiny nod over Estel's shoulder. Cen sighed, then he entered the room and returned to his chair. Sapphire turned her attention back to Estel.
"How are you feeling?"
There was a pause, then Estel straightened up a little and sniffed. His eyes looked very red.
"I don't know," he said, sounding as though he had a bad cold. "A little better, I guess. It's just…after yesterday…"
Sapphire nodded, looking sympathetic and concerned in equal measure. "I know. That was awful. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that."
Estel nodded and sat back in the couch, resting against the soft cushions. Sapphire settled back as well to remain beside him. A few moments of silence passed, then Estel spoke again.
"…I hate that you had to see that."
"Yeah, none of us were really happy with what went on in there," Cen said. "But it's done with now. We'll be okay."
"That's right," Sapphire said reassuringly. "Don't even think about any of it, Estel. It was horrible, but it's over now."
Estel nodded, his eyes taking on a far-away look. Sapphire started combing out his hair with her fingers, and he gave a little sigh and relaxed somewhat. Still, the small comfort Sapphire's touch provided did not stop Estel cringing a moment later.
"But I can't stop thinkin' about it."
Sapphire sighed, and her hand stilled.
"Maybe you do need to talk about it, then."
"…I don't know. I just…" Estel trailed off, dropping his gaze and sighing. "I don't know." There was a pause, then he spoke again, hesitant. "Could you…keep doin' that? That with your fingers, I mean?"
Sapphire smiled, a bit sadly. "Of course." She resumed her combing.
The group sat in silence, just taking some comfort in one another's company. Estel closed his eyes, looking about to doze off as Sapphire tidied his hair. Sapphire watched him, her own expression a bit far-away now, but in a thoughtful way rather than a pained one. Cen stared off at the far wall, his expression more focused than those of his companions. He tapped his fingers against one knee as though counting something.
After a little while, Sapphire spoke up, looking from Estel to Cen.
"When are we going to return to Cardia?"
"Tomorrow," Cen said, so entrenched in his thoughts that he did not look at her as he answered. "And we'll take our time, so we'll get there in the evening. I don't think Bahamut would blame us for taking a little time to get our heads on straight after this."
"Hm." Sapphire considered this, then nodded. "Yes, that sounds all right. I was just about to say that I didn't think we should go back right away."
In the brief pause before anyone else could speak, there came the sound of movement and an odd, high-pitched plinking from inside Rath's cabin. Though not loud, it carried, and Cen and Sapphire looked over at once. Estel even opened his eyes.
The sounds died away. After a few tense seconds of watching, Cen and Sapphire settled back again, and Estel's eyelids drooped. Sapphire, however, now looked troubled.
"I wish he would come out."
"He won't, though," Cen pointed out.
"I know, but I still wish he would. I'm worried about him."
Cen half-smiled. "Even after he zapped me? I thought you were on my side."
Sapphire frowned at him. "We're all a team, Cen; we don't have 'sides'."
"I'm just kidding," Cen said. "Actually, I kind of agree with you. But there's not a lot we can do about it; he'll come out when he wants to." He paused, then added, "Or when we get back to Cardia, I guess."
"I suppose so…" Sapphire glanced away as she resumed combing Estel's hair, then she shook her head. "He should come out now. He needs help." She looked first at Estel, then at Cen. "Why won't he let us try to help?"
Cen shrugged. "Right now, I guess we can help by just leaving him alone like he wants. And when he does come out, we'll act like nothing happened."
Sapphire looked a bit dubious. "Are you sure that would actually help him?"
"Better than trying to drag anything out of him, that's for sure."
Sapphire considered this, and though she did not look entirely pleased by the prospect, she did nod.
"Have you tried to check on him at all?"
"Sort of." Cen gestured vaguely in the direction of Rath's cabin. "I peeked through the keyhole a couple of times. He always just looked like he was asleep, though; you know how he gets sometimes."
"Right…"
The conversation trailed off. Sapphire turned her focus back to Estel, but she kept her head tilted just a bit toward Rath's cabin, listening for any other signs of movement. Before too long, however, Estel broke the silence, sounding a bit drowsy now.
"Saph?"
"Yes?"
"…Did you really mean it, that you don't think I'm…like him? Really?"
Sapphire nodded. "Yes, I do mean it. You couldn't be more different."
Estel let out a long, slow breath, taking his time to absorb this.
"Thank you," he said, his posture relaxing a little. His eyes slipped closed. "I…needed to hear that again."
"…I can say it whenever you need me to, Estel," Sapphire said quietly.
Only a few minutes later, Estel slipped into a fitful sleep, his exhaustion finally overtaking his anxiety.
Outside, the wind began to howl.
The next day saw the three companions in somewhat better spirits. They had all managed to get at least some sleep that night, and Estel had roused a bit more from his morose stupor, which did a great deal to buoy up the others. That they were traveling again aided matters as well. Indeed, the only remaining dampener on the group's mood was Rath's continued absence.
They arrived at Cardia shortly before sunset, their guard of dragons seeing them safely through the brewings of what looked to be a harrowing storm. Estel, sitting half-curled against the railing, said he was certain he could hear shrieks of rage out on the wind as they traveled, but though neither Cen nor Sapphire disputed this, they did ask him not to talk about it.
Rath still had not emerged from his cabin by the time they reached the islands, and so Cen took it upon himself to fetch him. Leaving Estel and Sapphire to make themselves presentable, Cen walked back to Rath's door and knocked.
"Rath? Are you awake?"
No answer, though there was a rustle of movement. Cen went on.
"Look, sorry to bother you, but we're back at Cardia. You need to come out so we can all go talk to Bahamut."
Again, no response. Cen lifted his fist to knock again, but the door swung open before he could. Rath looked no different than usual, save that he had his hat and collar drawn so close around his face that even his eyes could scarcely be seen. He gave a minute, involuntary twitch backward when Cen lowered his hand. Cen kept both his expression and his tone neutral, bordering on pleasant.
"Thanks. Estel and Sapphire should be ready now, so let's go."
He turned away and crossed the common room to the door leading outside. After a moment's silence, Rath followed him.
Most of the companions' guard—Leviathan's silver and blue sea serpents and Fenrir's storm-grey wyverns—remained to keep watch over the airship, while a pair of Bahamut's servants led the Light Warriors into the caverns where Bahamut dwelt. Estel, quite impressively, hardly even cringed at this descent into the earth, though he did move to walk closer to Sapphire; she reached out and took his hand as he did. Cen walked in his now-usual place at the head of the group, while Rath trudged along at the rear.
Their guides took them directly to Bahamut's vast hall, as before leaving them to proceed inside on their own. They made their way across the hall in fits and starts; Rath persisted in lagging behind, making the others wait for him. At last, however, they reached the end of the column-lined thoroughfare, where Bahamut sat waiting for them.
He hardly seemed to have moved since the last time they had seen him. He still sat on the stone dais, his pitch-black wings tented over him, his glowing gold eyes watching them as they approached. Now, however, he had a distinct expression on his face: a smile that was satisfied, proud, and sad all at once.
"You did it."
"Of course," Cen said with a bit of a smile. "We didn't want to spoil that great opportunity for you, Lord Bahamut."
Bahamut inclined his head in gratitude, eyes glimmering.
"I knew you wouldn't disappoint me. And I don't mind telling you that the Fiends are absolutely furious over your success."
He straightened up a little, lifting his head up on his long neck, and surveyed the companions standing before him. Cen, Estel, and Sapphire all stood together, Estel and Sapphire still hand in hand, but Rath kept away from them, a few paces back and to the side. Bahamut's expression became rather sphinx-like again, and he focused his bright, piercing gaze on the young mage.
"I know that nothing I could say to you would come close to matching what you have been saying to yourself. So, rather than lecture, I will simply ask whether there is anything you wish to say to your companions."
He did not sound commanding, angry, or disappointed, his tone almost off-hand and as neutral as his expression. A long silence followed his words, but finally, Rath drew a breath and spoke, in a deadened, hoarse sort of voice.
"I…apologize for my behavior in the Citadel. My lack of control jeopardized not only all our lives, but also our errand. There is no excuse for this. I will not allow such a lapse to occur again."
Silence fell, but almost at once, Cen nodded.
"Okay. Thanks, Rath. We accept your apology."
Estel and Sapphire both murmured quiet agreement, and Bahamut nodded his approval. Rath did not acknowledge any of them.
There came the sound of quickly-approaching steps from the far end of the hall, and moments later, a small, long-tailed creature came into view. Blue-green, furry, with a gleaming red gem in its forehead, it scampered across the floor and climbed up a pillar beside Bahamut's dais. Bahamut turned his head to look at the little animal.
"Good of you to come. Do you have the islands secured?"
The creature made a chirruping noise in reply, intent on cleaning the jewel on its head with its tiny paws. Bahamut smiled, then looked back at the companions.
"This is Carbuncle," he said. "He's something of a defense specialist among myself and my siblings, and as his barriers are somewhat more powerful when he's physically present, I asked him to join us today. We don't want to be interrupted by any unwanted visitors."
Carbuncle gave a self-satisfied whistle, then curled up on top of the column and appeared to go to sleep. The jewel on his head shone like a beacon.
"Well then." Bahamut stood and stretched his wings. "Let's begin, shall we?"
He paused, surveying the companions, then, in the same imperceptibly smooth manner Fenrir had displayed in the Citadel, he changed. The massive draconic form dwindled down to that of a human, albeit a tall and impressively built one, with long, blue-black hair drawn back in a ponytail, and a neatly-trimmed beard. He wore a sharp-cut black suit, the coat so long it trailed on the floor behind him, with a gleaming golden waistcoat to accent it. He had a striking, handsome face, made even more appealing by his warm smile, and the companions were again struck by a feeling of familiarity. He stepped off the dais and approached the companions.
"I think things will go more easily if I'm in this form, don't you?" He held out his hand to Cen. "May I have the token, please?"
Cen shot an apologetic look at his companions, then he took the rat's tail out of his pocket and handed it to Bahamut. Estel looked mortally offended as he saw the token, and had he not been in such august company, he likely would have burst out swearing in sheer outrage. Sapphire patted his arm in a reassuring sort of way.
Bahamut examined the rat's tail, then he glanced up, a rather sly smile on his lips.
"You brought back the real token. I'm impressed; you'd be surprised how many Fallen are too embarrassed by what I leave for them to show it to me. They'll bring in something more 'impressive' instead."
"Are the tokens always things like that?" Cen asked.
"Usually," Bahamut said, tucking the tail away in some hidden pocket in his coat. "I'll just set it as whatever unassuming little thing first comes to mind. Of course, the supplicants generally expect something more grand, but that's all the more reason to have something insignificant, I think. Life itself, after all, is rarely what we expect it to be."
"…Oh."
"You didn't think you'd look even a little ridiculous bringing that in to me?" Bahamut's tone was light, but there was a veiled probing quality to it.
"Well…" Cen considered this. "Yeah, I guess so. But you'd said to bring back the token at the end, and that tail was the only thing there, so I just grabbed it. It seemed stupid for me to double-guess whether this was the right thing or not, since I figured that you knew what was what a lot better than I did."
Bahamut nodded. "Nicely said, Cen." His smile grew warm again. "You have grown so much during this quest. You have a natural talent for leadership, and it has been wonderful to watch you develop that, along with realizing and strengthening your intellect. You keep calm and aid your friends in troubling and chaotic situations, and in battle, you are, of course, an excellent swordsman. And, as you have developed all this, you have also shed a great deal of anger and resentment. You have proved this many times in recent months, in many ways and circumstances, but most notably both in the Citadel and here before me today, as you showed understanding and genuine forgiveness to one who attacked you with enough force to take your life."
Rath seemed to shrink about a foot where he stood. Bahamut quite tactfully let him be, instead staying focused on Cen. He placed his hands on Cen's shoulders and smiled with such paternal pride and affection that Cen was quite taken aback.
"That," Bahamut said, "is knightly behavior, Cen."
Cen almost stopped breathing. His eyes went round as Bahamut released his shoulders and took a step back.
"May I see your sword?"
"Of course."
Cen drew the sword, mythril blade gleaming in the light of the strange glowing stones that lit the room, and presented it to Bahamut. With a critical eye, Bahamut examined the weapon, testing its balance and checking the blade for notches. After a moment of this, he lifted the blade up before his face and blew lightly down the length of it; the metal began to shine like pale sunlight.
"There," he said with an approving nod. "That should be just about right." He lowered the blade and looked at Cen. "Kneel."
Cen did so at once.
"Cen Venture," Bahamut said, the formality not quite eclipsing the pride in his eyes. "In honor and acknowledgement of your deeds, which are myriad, and your growth in body and spirit, and as fitting reward for both conquering the Citadel and slaying Marilith, the Fiend of Fire, I hereby dub you…" He touched the tip of the gleaming sword to Cen's shoulder. "…Sir Venture, Knight of Cardia…" He lifted the sword and touched it to Cen's other shoulder. "…and paladin in my service." He withdrew the blade. "Arise, Sir Venture."
For a moment, Cen seemed too stunned and awed to move. Then, almost having to force himself, he rose to his feet, his expression one of barely restrained elation behind a thin veil of noble solemnity. Positively beaming, Bahamut handed the sword back to him. His hand shaking a bit from the rush of emotion, Cen took it and returned it to its scabbard.
"I improved it somewhat," Bahamut said. "It has a rather keen dislike of undead now. I felt it would be appropriate."
"It is," Cen said, sounding a little breathless. "Thank you, my lord."
"This is a great responsibility I'm giving you, Cen. If I didn't think you were capable of handling it, however, I would not have given it to you."
"I understand."
"I'm certain you do. If you have any doubts or questions, about anything at all, you may call on me at any time."
"How?"
A wry little smirk crossed Bahamut's face. "Well, praying is the usual method."
"…Oh. Right."
"Do keep in mind that I won't be able to answer as straightforwardly as I am doing here, however; the Fiends will be watching for that. I'll answer in more subtle ways, so be observant and keep your mind open."
"Right. I will."
"Good man." Bahamut extended his hand. "I look forward to working with you more closely, Cen."
The pair clasped hands briefly, and there was a quiet whispering sound, perhaps nothing more than the rustle of Bahamut's coat. The companions hardly noticed it, but Carbuncle roused a bit, lifted his head, and looked down at the group below before settling back down and dozing off again.
The other Light Warriors had remained silent as Cen and Bahamut had spoken, but now Estel and Sapphire burst into a round of applause, Sapphire beaming and Estel looking proud by association. Cen gave a rather self-conscious grin in return, and Bahamut laughed as he clapped Cen on the shoulder and walked on to the others.
Estel straightened up a little as Bahamut stopped in front of him. Bahamut examined his face thoughtfully.
"Well, you seem to be in better spirits today, Estel. What you went through in the Citadel was difficult, but your mind is more at ease now than it was before."
"Yeah…" Estel cast a grateful glance at Sapphire. "Yeah, that was…I guess I owe you and Saph for that one."
"You owe as much to yourself for being strong enough to resist absorbing the environment you were in for so many years. Weaker men would have succumbed and ended up as the very thing you so feared you were becoming. That is also due, in part, to your having a much more admirable role model to whom you were infinitely closer."
"Mom," Estel said at once, without hesitation or embarrassment.
Bahamut nodded. "That's right. Your mother's determination, strength, and selflessness were a great support and example for you in the midst of such depravity. She is a singular woman, by all accounts."
Estel glowed with pride. Smiling, Bahamut went on.
"Now, you still have a long way to go. While your thieving has lessened, you need to fully break the habit before something very bad comes of it. Oh, and my siblings and I would appreciate it if you stopped cursing at us. We can hear all that, you know."
Estel cleared his throat and glanced away. Bahamut continued.
"Regardless of all that, however, you have shown great growth and even greater potential, and as I said before, I would hate to see that go to waste." He stroked his beard thoughtfully for a moment. "Estel, do you know what a ninja is?"
Estel shook his head. Bahamut explained:
"Ninja are a rather unique type of warrior from a country which, sadly, no longer exists. They specialized in stealth and cunning rather than brute force, and as such were frequently employed as spies, assassins, elite bodyguards, that sort of thing." He gave Estel a sly smile. "That sounds like it would be rather appropriate for you, doesn't it?"
Estel nodded, a little smile creeping over his face. "Yeah, definitely."
Bahamut stretched out a hand and grabbed something out of the air beside him, the objects materializing as he closed his hand around them: a pair of swords in unadorned black scabbards. Their craftsmanship was unfamiliar, the blades somewhat short and very slightly curved. The hilts were wrapped with crisscrossing strips of cloth, and the oval cross-guards were small and etched with writing in a strange alphabet.
"These," Bahamut said, "are called katana. They are ninja blades, and one of the many different weapons in a ninja's arsenal." He handed the swords to Estel. "You're meant to use both together; dual-wielding is something of a signature ninja skill, along with a few other tricks."
Estel accepted the swords, examining them with more interest than he had shown in anything for a while. Then he paused and looked up, a little puzzled.
"I just get 'em? There's not a ceremony or anything?"
Bahamut shrugged, looking deceptively innocent. "Well, in that culture, when a young ninja completed his training, he engaged in a combat match with his master to prove he was worthy. In this case, you would fight against me. Now," he continued, as Estel's eyes went round, "while you're certainly free to follow that tradition…"
Estel shook his head emphatically.
Bahamut, to his credit, only looked a little amused. "I didn't think so." He watched as Estel resumed studying his new weapons. "There are a few things you'll need to learn to be able to master these skills, but I don't doubt you'll pick them up quickly. Just be sure to practice."
Estel nodded, tying the sword belts around his waist. "Okay."
"Sapphire…" Bahamat glanced at the young healer. "…you make sure he does as he's told, all right?"
Sapphire smiled and nodded. "I will."
"Good." Bahamut turned back to Estel and extended his hand. "Do your best learning this, Estel. The Fiend of Wind is still waiting for you, and you need to be as prepared as possible, and even more than possible, to face her."
Estel looked a bit daunted, and he swallowed hard before nodding and shaking Bahamut's hand. As with Cen, there was the faint whispering sound as their hands touched, and Carbuncle sat up again and gave an annoyed chittering. As Cen and Sapphire congratulated Estel, Bahamut looked up at Carbuncle and raised an eyebrow.
"Is there a problem?"
Carbuncle whistled and lay back down, but he did not doze off again, instead continuing to watch the proceedings with a bit of a glare. Bahamut gave him a look of unadulterated innocence, then turned away and approached Sapphire.
"You've had an interesting time of things on this quest, haven't you?"
Looking suddenly quite shy, Sapphire nodded, not quite meeting Bahamut's gaze.
"I…wasn't really prepared for all of this. But I'm learning."
Bahamut gave a warm smile. "I know you are. And it has been difficult for you, as you're not used to such things, but that really isn't so bad. You're fortunate that, when you were young, the Fiends did not see fit to meddle in your life. I suppose they didn't think you were much of a threat, and I'm glad to see you've proved them wrong."
Sapphire blinked in confusion.
"I'm…a threat?"
"Of course you are," Bahamut said. "Though you're not as skilled in combat as your companions—I must tell you that your battle in the Citadel was very impressive, however—your strength lies more in your heart than in your arm. Estel told you much the same once. Do you remember?"
Sapphire thought for a moment, then gave a quiet "oh" of recollection. "That's right. On the Charybdis, after…" She trailed off.
Bahamut inclined his head. "And he was perfectly correct. Someone with a weaker heart would have broken under Lich's assault, but you did not, even though you were terrified. It is this, as much as your healing skills and your compassion, that makes you invaluable to your friends, more than any prowess in battle that you have gained on this quest. Never doubt that."
Sapphire looked quite touched. She glanced at Estel, who was watching her with a small smile, then looked back at Bahamut. "I won't."
"Good." Bahamut put his hands on her shoulders, his metallic eyes glittering in the light of the glowing stones as he smiled. "You have done so well. Though you often stumbled in the beginning, you persevered and grew, and you are now so much stronger than you were before." His smile broadened, and he gave her shoulders a squeeze. "Your parents," he said, "are so very proud of you, Sapphire."
Sapphire's hands flew to her mouth.
"Oh, really?" she said, her voice quavering as tears appeared in her eyes. "They're… They know I'm…?"
Bahamut nodded. "They do. They're watching you from Alexander's Halls and are scarcely able to express how pleased they are with you, and what you're doing, and the wonderful young woman you've become."
Sapphire could not reply. Bahamut, understanding, gathered her into an embrace, and she looked so small enfolded in his arms, her face buried against his shimmering waistcoat.
After a moment, Bahamut ended the embrace and held Sapphire at arm's length. He gave her time to dry her eyes, then he placed his hands on either side of her head. He did not appear to do anything, but after a few seconds Sapphire gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth again.
"Oh… Oh, thank you, thank you…"
"What is it?" Estel asked, looking puzzled.
"She's a wizard now," Bahamut said, removing his hands from Sapphire's head. "Which means she's quite a bit stronger in her magic than she was when she was a mage. I know you'll make good use of these abilities," he added, addressing Sapphire.
Sapphire nodded at once. "Yes, I will. Thank you so much, Lord Bahamut."
"You're welcome. And this is also for you." As he had with Estel's swords, Bahamut reached out and grabbed something out of the air beside him: a staff made of silver-white wood with a starburst of thick quartz crystals at the top. "It's a healing staff, similar to the one Cen used in the Citadel but more powerful. And, should the need arise, it can do a fair amount of damage to an attacker as well."
Sapphire, looking quite overwhelmed, reached out and took the staff from Bahamut. She ran her fingers over the smooth wood.
"Thank you. I'm…I hardly feel I deserve all this, but…I won't let you down."
"I have complete confidence that you won't."
Sapphire just smiled and hugged her new staff to her chest. Estel took a hesitant step toward her, and she turned to him at once, beaming.
"I'm—"
"Yeah. Congratulations, Saph. You really earned it."
"Thank you."
Sapphire held her hand out to Estel, and after a half-second's pause, he reached out and clasped it.
Smiling rather paternally, Bahamut moved on, leaving Estel and Sapphire hand in hand behind him as Cen moved toward them to offer Sapphire his own congratulations. Carbuncle still glared from atop his pillar, his gem flashing as he worked to maintain the islands' defenses, but Bahamut ignored him, walking straight on to Rath standing a short distance from the other Light Warriors.
But as Bahamut approached, Rath stepped away, eyes down. Bahamut stopped.
"Rath, look at me."
Rath kept his eyes on the ground. Bahamut watched him, his expression sphinx-like once more, then, to the companions' shock, his eyes hardened and he bellowed:
"RATH!"
The cavern shook. The companions gasped and cringed away, and Rath staggered and half-collapsed as his knees buckled. Still, he did not look up.
"Why? You have nothing to give me."
"What makes you so certain of that?" Bahamut asked, stern.
"Because I deserve nothing."
Bahamut just continued to stare at Rath as he got shakily to his feet. The other companions watched the pair, and a palpable tension suffused the cavernous chamber.
"As it happens, I do have something to give you," Bahamut said at last, his tone perfectly neutral again. "And while you are free to decline my offer, I feel it only fair to warn you: if you do not accept it, this quest will fail."
A deeply uncomfortable silence fell. The other companions looked at Rath as he continued to stare at the grey stone floor, even his eyes invisible now. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Rath took a step toward Bahamut.
"…If that is how it must be, Lord Bahamut."
"It is."
Bahamut surveyed Rath for a few moments, looking thoughtful, and when he spoke again it was in Onracean. Though the other companions could not understand his words, the delicacy of his tone and faint sorrow in his eyes said much. Rath did not look at Bahamut as he spoke, instead keeping his head down and cringing every so often. The others watched with a mixture of fascination, concern, and wariness.
Bahamut did not speak long, and then after a pause he asked Rath a question. Rath shook his head. Bahamut spoke again, seeming to be pressing the issue, and then repeated his query. Rath offered a few short words in answer and shook his head again. Bahamut sighed and nodded, though he did give what sounded like a brief admonition of Rath's answer as well.
Then Rath, his voice strained, asked a question.
Inexplicably, Bahamut switched back to Common to answer.
"We have. But remember that all actions have consequences, seen and unforeseen, whether you want them to or not. Even we cannot change that."
Rath shut his eyes, though whether in dismay at the answer itself or at the fact that it had been spoken so the others could understand could not be told. He said nothing further on the subject.
"Are you ready?" Bahamut asked after a brief, prickly silence.
A longer pause, then Rath nodded.
Bahamut stepped forward and took Rath's head in his hands as he had done with Sapphire, being careful not to dislodge Rath's hat. A few seconds passed, and then Rath drew a sharp breath and clenched his hands tight at his sides. Bahamut released him and stepped back.
"You now have all the powers of black magic at your disposal," he said. "Use them well, and wisely."
Rath nodded and gave a rather stiff half-bow by way of thanks.
"This," Bahamut went on, "is also for you."
Again, he reached out and pulled something out of the air beside him. It was another staff, this one as jet black as Sapphire's was white. A polished, artful snarl of roots at the top clutched like a claw around a glimmering golden orb. Sapphire gasped as she saw it, earning puzzled looks from Cen and Estel and causing Rath to finally look up. His eyes widened as he beheld the weapon in Bahamut's hand, and he jerked backward, looking suddenly horrified.
"No! You can't—!"
"I'm not going to use it on you," Bahamut chided. He held the staff out to Rath. "Let's say, rather, that I'm lending it to you."
Rath did not look at all comforted by this. He made no move to take the staff.
"I cannot take it. You ask too much of me."
"What is it?" Estel whispered to Sapphire.
"It's the Judgment Staff," Sapphire whispered back, not taking her eyes off the exchange between Bahamut and Rath. "Bahamut's own weapon that he used in the battle with Chaos in the beginning."
"What?"
"Sh!"
"It is my wish," Bahamut said, tone neutral, "that you take this on the remainder of your journey. You will return it to me when you are finished, whenever that happens to be. It places great responsibility on you, true, but it is no more than you are capable of handling, and you will need this power before the end. Or are you presuming you know better than I about these matters?"
Rath stared at him, breathing hard, then he dropped his gaze and shook his head.
"…No, Lord Bahamut."
"Then take the staff."
Haltingly, Rath came forward and took the Judgment Staff from Bahamut. It was far larger than he could easily use, but after a few moments in his grip, it adjusted down to a more manageable size. Rath mumbled something in Onracean, then fell silent, clutching the staff with trembling hands.
Any lingering discomfort vanished at once as Carbuncle sat up on his pillar and began chattering at Bahamut with quite a bit of heat. Bahamut turned to look at him with a frown.
"Well, what were you expecting? I warned you when I asked you to come here."
"What's he saying?" Cen asked, looking glad of the distraction.
"Our little ceremony has drawn the Fiends' attention," Bahamut said, still watching Carbuncle fume. "They are putting all their effort into breaking through Carbuncle's barriers to come disturb us, and Carbuncle is rather resenting this. In spite of knowing about it beforehand," he added pointedly.
Carbuncle chirped something, sounding indignant. Bahamut just gave him a look, then turned away, coat whispering along the stone floor as he paced before the Warriors.
"Very well. It seems we might have to cut this meeting a bit shorter than I would like. At least…" He paused, cocking his head to one side, then he gave a sigh of relief. "Ah. Good. Fenrir and Leviathan have arrived. They should be able to keep the Fiends busy while we finish here." He stopped pacing and turned to the companions. "Well. Half your journey now lies behind you. But, as I think you can already guess, the half you still have to face will be much more difficult. You have decided your next course, I believe: to the Shrine of Water in Onrac?"
Cen nodded. "That's right, my lord."
"And you're quite certain about that?"
Something about Bahamut's tone made Cen hesitate.
"Uh…no?"
Bahamut half-glanced at Rath. "Where instead, then?"
Cen, Estel, and Sapphire all looked quite blank, but after a long silence Rath spoke up, having to force the speech out of his dry mouth.
"Gaia."
"Huh?" Cen stared first at Bahamut, then at Rath. "Why?"
Another silence, and then Rath answered. "…Because the Shrine of Water is at the bottom of the sea. We must attain the ability to survive underwater in order to infiltrate it. The only place such a thing can be found is in Gaia."
Cen blinked a few times.
"That's…really something you should've mentioned sooner."
Bahamut shrugged his broad shoulders. "True. However, you have all been rather preoccupied with various matters lately; I think some leniency could be extended to him for forgetting a few details."
Cen considered this, then nodded. "Yeah, that's true. Sorry, Rath."
Rath did not respond.
"So." Bahamut looked around at the group. "You have your new path set. Don't worry about trying to find your destination; there are maps aboard your ship which have it clearly marked, and I'm certain Estel's compass will be working well enough now to be able to help you. But, while you will need to leave for Gaia as soon as possible, it would be for the best if you stayed here for the night. My brothers and I will need time to stop the Fiends howling around the islands."
"You mean…they're really outside, right now?" Sapphire asked, blanching. She and Estel gripped one another's hands tighter.
Bahamut stared off into the darkness above, frowning in thought. "Well…yes and no. Their presences are there, but their physical forms are not. It's difficult to explain the exact process of what they're doing."
"…Oh."
"Regardless, with Fenrir, Leviathan, and myself working together, it shouldn't be too hard to drive them off. You'll likely be able to leave by morning, but one of my servants will let you know for certain then."
General murmurs of understanding came in reply.
"I wish we could talk longer," Bahamut said, still gazing upward, "but our other visitors aren't allowing us that luxury. I'll leave you to go rest while I take care of this. Carbuncle will accompany you to keep a few extra layers of protection around you."
From atop his pillar, Carbuncle gave a triumphant sort of whistle, which for some reason sent Sapphire into a fit of giggles. As inexplicable as this was, it did much to break the tension that had settled over the room; Cen chuckled, and even Estel smiled. Bahamut laughed as well, and the mood in the room lightened yet further.
"All right. Again, I must tell you how proud I am of all of you for everything you have done. You still have a long and difficult road ahead of you, but you know you can call on me or any of my siblings at any time, and we will do what we can to aid you. Now…" Bahamut looked around at the companions, looking each of them in the eye and holding their gazes, then he smiled, though perhaps a bit sadly. "What else can I say? My blessing goes with each of you, Warriors. Don't let us down."
"We won't, my lord," Cen said, and he bowed as Estel and Sapphire voiced their agreement.
"Good." Bahamut walked back to his dais, then turned back to the companions and beamed at them. "Farewell, for now!"
One moment, he stood on the dais as a man, and the next, the towering form of the dragon stood there again, glistening black wings half furled around the massive body and golden crown sparkling in the glow of the stones. As Cen, Estel, and Sapphire cried their farewells back to him, he spread his wings to their full, enormous span and soared up into the darkness above, disappearing from sight with a low, booming roar.
