Chapter 11: Chaos in the Oasis
It was midday when Kain reached Kaipo. He knew he could've gotten there much more efficiently if he hadn't zigzagged through the desert to traverse the path of fewest monsters.
For a traveler parched from the desert's arid dryness and scorching sunlight, the large lake was refreshing to look at. Comparatively, the town of Kaipo was miniscule relative to the size of its oasis lake. At the entrance of the village, the sandy roads were sprinkled with palm trees and sparse patches of grass. Deeper into the interior of the village, the foliage thickened as it neared the fertile ground alongside the lake. Most noticeably lay an artificial river that flowed from its irrigation system, connecting both ends of the of the river to Kaipo lake.
However, from previous visits with his parents as a child, the dragoon knew he wouldn't need to get anywhere near the lake to reach the inn, which lay at the heart of the village easily accessible from the entrance of the town. Striding there quickly, he got the attention of the innkeeper.
"Hail, traveler!"
"You wouldn't happen to know the merchant Epaphras?"
"I do," the innkeeper acknowledged. "But anyone with a heart can see that this child needs help. She looks like you pulled her out of a warzone with injuries like that. On this account, I won't put it on Epaphras' tab or on your tab. Consider the night free."
"Thank you."
"I'll just go ahead and find you a room with two beds."
Depositing the green-haired girl on a bed, he stepped away and paused before he exited the room. After all, he couldn't leave the child on her own but he didn't want to be there when she awoke.
I might as well find that sage's daughter, he thought as he headed out. Someone better to look after the child than me.
Stumbling upon a merchant stall just outside the inn, he inquired about the sage's daughter.
"Oh Anna, you mean?" the merchant laughed. "Yes, everyone's seen her but she's hardly ever in Kaipo. In fact, I think Tellah sent several warrants for her arrest. I mean he actually hired people to go looking for her. Word must have travelled far for even a foreigner to know about her galivanting."
"That's what you think," the merchant's wife interjected, turning to face them after restocking a stall behind her. "I bet she ran off with that bard. You know, I've never seen Tellah run out of the village so fast when he got wind of the rumors."
"You listen to too much gossip," he chided her. "The great sage always goes off on a rampage looking for her. It's not enough to be a sage. He has to be a traveling sage now."
"Hey, don't say that so lightly," she responded. "What if that was our daughter that we couldn't get to settle down on a nice Kaipo man like Epaphras? Tellah's choice for her was much better than a spoony bard whose only merit is probably as a starving musician."
"Well at least this young man isn't pursuing her, right?"
"No, silly," she replied. "I thought it was obvious she likes the creative types – the actors, the painters, the musicians. Wouldn't settle down with a boring soldier no matter how handsome."
"I take it that neither of you know then?" the dragoon asked, ignoring their playful banter.
"Nope," they responded unanimously.
"And trust me, when I say that I know," the merchant boasted. "My stall's closest to the entrance. I can see everyone that enters and exits. Anna goes. Tellah goes."
"That's regular news," the merchant's wife intoned.
"I guess she's not here," Kain muttered to himself as he walked off.
Aimlessly, he paced around the oasis yet did not find any peace. The day began to wane, with the sun already setting. If not already here, the Baron Army would be here soon to escort him back to Baron. Though he had mostly fulfilled his promise to Cecil, he felt an unsettling feeling, especially after what the girl had told him about her parents. Surely, he was expected to kill the girl as well if her grandfather had really battled Baron in the past and the Carnelian Signet acted in such a way in the Mist. It had only not been apparent to Cecil.
The girl is a ticking timebomb, he considered as he walked towards the entrance of the village to exit. By now, it was already dusk and the street lanterns began to glow gently against the night sky. Having singlehandedly almost defeating two of the most skilled military leaders, the girl could be a very real threat if she continued in her path of revenge. Baron will soon have a thorn in its side.
"You there," he heard someone shout. "You must help. A band of Baron soldiers have begun searching the inn. I cannot have them disturbing my patrons."
Rushing back to the inn, he hoped the Army Escorts were just looking for him.
"Halt!" the innkeeper cried as he ran ahead to confront the soldiers coming down the hall. "I can't have you barging into the rooms of all my patrons."
"We wouldn't have to if you told us who your patrons are," the regiment captain barked, forcing the innkeeper down the hall to where Kain stood at the entrance.
"Ah, Commander Kain, it's good to see you back," the regiment captain greeted, instantly changing his tone. "I am told you'll be reinstated as soon as you return to Baron. Maybe you can help me with the king's orders so we can return faster."
The regiment captain and his soldiers marched down the hallway to reach the last unchecked room.
Busting the door open, they found the green-haired girl asleep.
"There she is," the regiment captain stated. "And with the commander on our side, there's no way we'd lose to this wretched witch. These are the orders of the king. Leave none of the villagers of the Mist alive."
Kain cautiously maneuvered to the front of the soldiers as if he were joining them.
"C'mon 1st Regiment, charge," the captain ordered.
"I'm afraid I stand in your way," Kain countered, brandishing his lance.
From his perspective now facing the soldiers, he could see the surprise in many of the soldier's faces. After all, they didn't know they were set up to kill a child or defeat the commander of the dragoons. Nonetheless the two rows of soldiers ran towards him.
Meanwhile, as he began to fend off the soldiers, the green-haired girl began to stir in her sleep from the commotion. Though not fully recovered, she realized her peril. She couldn't defend herself as her magic had not yet been replenished from the summonings. Even after the dragoon had used up his tent, her emotional turmoil seemed to hinder her magic recovery rate. Despite knowing a little white magic, she didn't even have the will to heal herself.
She took in the sight before her in confusion. The dragoon who considered her death mere "foul work to be done" was fighting what seemed like a whole squadron of twenty soldiers in her defense.
If I had my magic back, I could end him right there while he's distracted, the child thought to herself sourly. But what would that accomplish? The image of her mother putting flowers on the enemies' graves came to mind. Not a peaceful end. Definitely not what her mother wanted even if her life was taken unfairly.
Regardless over how skilled Kain was relative to the soldiers, the sheer number of them overwhelmed him. About three of them were nearly slipped past him.
Turning to stop the three that got past, the general got a clear hit on the dragoon.
"I've got your back, Commander," he heard a woman's voice behind him. "You've got nothing to fear."
Although he didn't know whether she meant to backstab him or whether she was sincere, he didn't have a choice with the opposition he faced.
As he parried a blow from a soldier that got too close to the child, suddenly the dozen of soldiers remaining went into confusion.
"Captain's dead!"
"What do we do?"
"It's all Laurel's fault."
"She used black magic."
"I was always suspicious how she was so skilled anyway as if she were placed here for a reason."
"Easy for her to disobey. She's not one of us," another added, swiping at her head. In shock, she narrowly avoided it, causing her helmet to fall off from the impact.
"End her!" someone shouted, causing several soldiers to rush at her at once. She successfully blocked the first two but one managed to get a cut on her shoulder. Now that she was fighting back to back with the former commander, the remaining ones were held off by the dragoon.
"No, I think we should end the summoner first."
"But she's not joining the fight. Used up all the energy destroying things and causing natural disasters."
"Eliminate the commander first. He's the biggest threat."
"He's part of our mission. We can't do that!"
Taking advantage of the confusion, Kain and the compromised soldier killed all but one of the remaining soldiers. Seeing that the rebel soldier had the upper hand, he watched the scene unfold as he moved to stand besides her.
"You-you monster, Laurel," the soldier backed into the corner farthest away from the girl. "You killed a new father, Captain, and Roland. We wouldn't have made it through without him."
"And you almost killed a child. Our whole regiment did," she responded, her broadsword poised at Tyrell. "Get away from here!"
Fleeing, the lone soldier ran out of the village, tears streaming down his face and not glancing back. Still staring at the path he had departed, the compromised soldier seemed troubled by the situation. Kain, on the other hand, continued to watch the compromised soldier. She reminded him of Cecil. Too merciful. So brave that she was a liability.
"You shouldn't have let him go," he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall besides her.
"I know," the soldier admitted, putting her helmet back on. "He's no threat when we outnumbered him though."
Seeing that he wasn't going to drop the subject easily, she turned her attention back to the bodies on the ground.
The innkeeper and several of the villagers had come to an agreement where to bury the bodies slightly outside the city limit. Concerned over a potential clash with Baron, some villagers had begun digging a large pit in the sand for them to lay the bodies.
"We need to bury the fallen soldiers," she deflected, kneeling to the ground to lift her regiment captain by the shoulders.
"Your feelings are getting in the way of your military career," he observed, grabbing the captain from the midsection to assist her. After all, her build seemed like half the size of the captain. "What is your position in the Army?"
A bit annoyed by his gesture, she reached for a smaller soldier to satisfy his assumption about her. Having only used a few spells on the Captain, she had plenty of magic left to boost her physical strength and lift the remaining soldiers.
"I'm a recruit of six months," she replied as soon as they had reached the plot of land designated for the burial.
"That comes as a surprise," he responded, laying the regiment captain alongside the mass grave since it was not finished being dug out. Glancing at the captain's remains again, he found the soldier's accusation from earlier was correct. The mortal blow seemed to be some sort of earth-based spell and a couple of slashes. Rydia was out of question, having not battled at all during the skirmish to the best of his knowledge. "With such a low standing in the military, one would expect unwavering loyalty to your Captain. Just what how is Baigan training the recruits nowadays."
"That skill with a weapon is paramount," she said. "Sometimes the dark knights come to observe worthy recruits albeit not from our regiment."
"But what of whose orders you take?"
"Captain Baigan was our drillmaster most of the time. Of course, we're expected to follow his commands and anything from our Captains or higher ups."
"If I were a Captain of the Army, I would've weeded you out a long time ago. There is not much skill to be found in the Army corps compared to the specialized corps like Dragoons. In the Army, loyalty is valued more than skill."
Even though the helmet shadowed the soldier's face, he perceived she felt guilty. But in actuality, she was stumbling over a proper apology that didn't sound like an excuse.
"I will not fail Baron in the future," she settled for.
"If you want to stay alive, you probably shouldn't remain in Baron armor for the time being," Kain said dismissively. "You'd be much easier to track down than me."
Relenting, she unequipped her armor, returning it to her inventory. He looked her over – brown hair tied in a simple braid, standard military clothing, and a very feminine figure. As he expected, she didn't seem to have the constitution of a soldier. How did this not cause suspicion from her superiors?
"The uniform is a dead giveaway," he continued.
"This is my only set of clothes. I'm not going to undress in front of you," she reddened, feeling self-conscious under his scrutinizing gaze. "I'll just have to buy new clothes."
"Then you'd best blend in as a Kaipo villager," he advised.
"Oh, I was planning as just dressing as a mage. Then, if I have enough gil to buy armor, they definitely won't recognize me."
"Suit yourself. As long as it is a disguise."
After bringing the bodies to the burial site, the compromised soldier gave a quick blessing for them collectively and provided the names of the soldiers for the inscription. Hearing her mumble something about Mother Gaia when she thought he was out of earshot drew more suspicion from Kain.
Returning to the inn, the two reentered the room the young summoner remained in. Kain stayed back whereas the disgraced soldier approached the girl, remembering to sheath her sword.
Almost instantly, the child grabbed her around the middle and began bawling. Returning the gesture in a gentle hug, the disgraced soldier inwardly prayed to Mother Gaia for the child to heal from what troubled her, especially at so young and fragile an age. To the child, it was so different to have a woman to show kindness to her rather than an almost heartless dragoon. Besides, this woman didn't seem to have a complicated past that involved killing her mother and didn't seem anything like the soldiers she was with.
"They killed Mama and maybe even Grandpa," she continued to cry. "They burned my village the Mist. I can hardly use magic because of them. They hate me because I'm a summoner."
"But you're safe now," the woman comforted her. "And you'll always be safe as long as I can fight to make it happen."
"Thank you," the child sniffed, cleaning up her tears a bit and letting go of her. Her tears were mostly on the woman's shirt but she didn't seem mind, with her sole focus on the child. "You remind me of my mother. She defended our village, even when it was a losing battle."
"Laurel."
"You don't need to call me that anymore now that I'm not a soldier anymore," she replied, without turning to face him. "To you two, I'm just Aria."
"Well then, I'm just Rydia," the green-haired summoner added. Aria and Rydia looked at the dragoon expectantly.
"Kain," he replied reluctantly.
"I think, Kain, maybe you're not so bad after all," Rydia stated.
"You aren't required to forgive me."
"I still haven't fully," Rydia agreed. "It's just the start."
"Forgiveness is part of healing," Aria chimed in to which Rydia gave firm nod. It sounded deep although Rydia wasn't completely sure what she meant.
The dragoon was silent, not fully believing her. After all, if someone killed his mother, he would not be so quick to forgive.
"What's the deal from here? Rydia needs to be kept hidden from Baron. And you, you're probably returning to Baron to get your position back," Aria addressed.
"We can't linger in Kaipo," he responded.
"We're traveling together. The three of us, right?" Rydia asked.
"I think it's a good idea," Aria agreed.
"This arrangement is temporary," Kain replied.
"It's a yes," Aria intoned. "I'm sure we can all agree our focus is getting Rydia to somewhere safe."
"I'd glad Aria's around," Rydia replied. "I don't think I could endure his company if he always wanted to leave the party."
"I guess I'll have to make sure that doesn't happen prematurely then," Aria laughed.
"Just where is this safe place?" Rydia demanded to know.
"As for our destination, I think Damcyan kingdom would be safest," Kain suggested.
"The way to the Mist is closed," Rydia added a bit smugly, crawling back under the covers of the bed.
"She certainly seems happy about it," he intoned.
"She should be," Aria asserted, not understanding. "Her village is protected at least via the land route to the Mist. The Red Wings cannot be obstructed though. Although I doubt they would land near a burning village with wreckage that could harm the airships."
"Mama would've been proud if she saw the destruction from a single summon," Rydia bragged. "She always says my magic growth is exponential. I know that means very fast."
"You summoned Gaia, the great giant who rends the very earth asunder?" Aria exclaimed, placing her hand over where her pendant glimmered hidden from view under her uniform. "The great chasms she creates in the ground can swallow up armies of soldiers. She who repays the evil done to her followers with perfect justice and mercy."
"Technically, I summoned Titan," Rydia clarified. "He's a descendant of Gaia and inherited some of her eternal earth power. I didn't even take the test to summon Titan. I was just emotional when my mom died and that's what happened."
"You wield the power of the gods," Aria complimented. "It stems from the power of the Earth Crystal. If you summon with good in your heart, at some point people will not fear you."
"It's dangerous to use," she admitted, rolling to one side to face them with drooping eyes. With that, she fell asleep.
"We should continue this elsewhere," Kain suggested, leading Aria out. "The pub?"
"Ugh, the door is still broken," she frowned, pausing at the doorway. "Should we really just leave her?"
"She'll be fine," he assured her. To prove his point, he stopped by the innkeeper's counter.
"So about the door?" Aria began shyly.
"It's not a big deal," the innkeeper assured them. "Considering I get to house the two heroes of Kaipo today. Or should I say heroine. You're a mighty fine one, I might add."
"You shouldn't call us heroes," Aria responded. "My captain and his whole regiment raided your inn and probably created property damage all around. We should pay like any other customer at your establishment."
"If that is what you wish," the innkeeper agreed. "An honorable duo from Baron. That is nice to see considering the way Baron is viewed nowadays."
Turning to the innkeeper, he implored, "You will watch for entry into our room while we are gone?"
"Of course, it's the least I can do," the innkeeper agreed.
"My thanks," Kain responded.
"We have much to discuss in the pub," Kain told Aria, pulling her away.
Seating herself on a stool besides him, she watched him order two glasses of the local specialty, the Naga Fresca, which the bartender guaranteed to slow down exhaustion traveling in the desert heat.
"It's for you," he stated.
"I still find it horrible that was the primary excuse to burn her village to the ground," Aria thought aloud, accepting the drink.
"Baron has had a complicated past with the Mist," Kain remarked. He was surprised Aria seemed unaware since she looked the same age as him, which he assumed most Baronians remembered the series of invasions of the Mist by the dragoons during their childhood if they were living in Baron at the time.
"Anyway, considering places other than that. There are other kingdoms that are safer. My regiment landed near the shoals to reach Kaipo, which may make Damcyan too accessible to Baron by Red Wings." Aria added.
"Damcyan we will have to pass through at some point anyway," Kain pointed out. "You can bring her to any kingdom of your choice."
"I think I have something in mind before I go back to Baron," Aria agreed, swirling the green fruit-flavored drink in her glass with disinterest.
"It's important for me to make things right in Baron," she looked at the green drink sadly. "I have no reason to celebrate when I acted like a monster today, killing off my own comrades. I took away their promotion to the Red Wings."
"I was harsh on you before," Kain admitted. "You did what was morally right not what your duty dictates."
"No, I understand," she looked at him. "You naturally wanted the best quality soldiers in Baron as a military leader yourself."
"I still stand by my statement," he asserted. "You weren't meant to be a soldier."
"In spite of all I did, that's what you think of me?" she questioned.
"What you did was something only a leader could've done. And that's why I suspected you."
"A rebel leader," she finished, pushing the glass back in front of him.
"Indeed."
"I don't take it as a compliment," she frowned. Even an outsider could see through her true colors. She often thought of her parents as rebel leaders and heroes while they were alive. Then when they tragically passed away, she had a period of hating them for leaving her and striving to be the peaceful leader rather than the controversial ones they were. While she was over it now, she hoped to never feel pressured to walk the path they did.
"Take it any way you want," he responded finishing her drink.
She almost regretted not taking the drink after taking so much damage in conversation, bringing up exactly what she didn't want to discuss. Troia had dictated her non-involvement in any Baron invasions to keep the peace. Neutrality, in this case, was turning a blind eye she couldn't bear to do.
"You should stay with the girl," he pressed her.
"I don't know if I can," she responded. "Now thinking about it, I would choose Mysidia because Baron probably wouldn't think to look there twice. She's a mage so she'll probably thrive there."
"And the Devil's Road is closed."
"Good point," she agreed, having actually not known about that. As a soldier, she never was stationed to Baron city so she was unaware of the problems and restrictions they faced there. She felt a bit embarrassed. Maybe every soldier except her knew the obvious about Baron city.
"I knew I'd be better off entrusting her to your care."
"Why are you so fixated on leaving me with Rydia," she inquired though not particularly angrily. "So you can leave the moral obligation to someone else? What is this about?"
"A promise I made to Cecil – to keep the child alive and safe from falling into Baron's hands," he confided.
"You're reluctant to do so."
He was silent.
"And in turn, you pass the burden to me. Honestly, I find it a privilege to look after her and see her to a safe haven until I can reunite one day."
"That's good for you," he stated, standing to leave.
Frowning, she followed after him to turn in for the night.
-~o`'*'`o~-
Staring off into the night sky, it was almost perfect night for the newlyweds, celebrating the week of their honeymoon in Damcyan Castle. Dressed in a white evening gown, the woman turned to her husband. Though she was a stunning beauty, the prince knew her beauty wasn't the only charm. Maybe it was her gutsy personality or the way she always found value in his music. Sometimes when they were alone, she would even sing possible words to go along with his music. She wasn't the best singer, but she was an excellent lyricist and always had hilarious impressions of various people that could make anyone laugh.
"You regret marrying into a royal family?" her husband asked. He was sitting in one corner, playing a cheery tune on his harp.
"I have no regrets about marrying you, Edward. Royalty or not, you were always true to me," she turned to him. "Your family mostly thinks little of me. I know for a fact, you would step down from royalty to marry me if they did not permit it."
"Thank you, Anna," he offered a sad smile. "I am not so dense to be unaware of something that's troubling you."
"It's my father," she admitted. "It would have meant the world to me for him attend the wedding."
"I was selfish to take you from him."
"Nonsense," she insisted. "My father couldn't get over the fact that I could want to be with anyone else than Epaphras. Does he even know what it is like to fall in love? I wonder. Besides, how are strict royal parents less confining that the Great Sage of Mysidia that went traveling all over the world spreading his knowledge?"
"Remind me how he ended up with the archeologist Sarai again," he inquired, changing the melody to a sad romantic tone. "Epaphras makes sense though. He was your childhood friend and you both liked to travel."
"Convenience isn't enough to make a relationship. I seriously think it must have been arranged for him to have such a disastrous view of love," she scowled.
"Let me play a song for your mother," he offered. "She did not deserve to die the way she did in Adamant Grotto."
"I hardly remember her at all. What I recall is from his account that she looked a lot like me. Maybe things would have been different if she were alive."
Replaced by a fully melancholy tune, the romantic tone faded away. Anna sat besides her husband, admiring his sad songs most of all. Inspired by his music, she broke into a song she had been thinking about:
"The darkening ink-colored sky
Invites traces of distant days.
Carrying childhood dreams and yearnings,
Airship trails flow and disappear.
If I crossed time
To the me of that day,
If I could tell her,
I'd want to fly away."
"We could return to Kaipo," Edward suggested.
"I would like to," Anna admitted. "but I'm not ready yet. I actually like it here in Damcyan. It's very peaceful. In Kaipo, everyone knows everyone and it's impossible to do anything secretly."
"I'm glad you like it," he sighed, switching the tune to the classic Desert Aria, signature of the desert region. "I certainly didn't like it growing up. My relatives were always pushing me to learn about politics, which I had no interest. If anything, you would be the better candidate for the royal family, having almost become the town magistrate of Kaipo."
"We're opposites in that regard," she smiled. "You dread Damcyan and prefer Kaipo. It is the reverse for me."
"I guess we're going to have to use that hovercraft many times," he remarked.
"A timely wedding gift," she laughed.
"Of course," he agreed.
"And this time, I will make you battle some of the sahagins, hundlegs, sandworms. Anything I find," she stared at him, startling him. "You will learn to defend yourself."
"I'm a mere musician though," he shuddered, missing a few notes he was going to put emphasis on. "Not a powerful sage like you or your father."
"We can start easy with goblins," she promised. "You can weaken them by playing horrible songs and wrong notes while I finish them off. You're stronger than you think, you know that?"
"No, not particularly," he shook his head. "My only strength is having you by my side."
"I don't believe that for one bit," she responded, placing an arm on his shoulder closer to her which she rested her head upon.
"I think you'd leave me if I ever made your ears hurt by subjecting you to horrible songs," he responded solemnly, causing her to laugh.
With that, the two newlyweds sat side-by-side the rest of the night, listening to Edward's soulful tunes before they both fell asleep.
A/N: No shade on Anna for the first perspective of the chapter. As a character, I actually like her a lot and wish you got the chance to battle with her in your party. I imagine she'd be like Tellah without the Forget (...I mean Recall) ability. My impression is that she is free-spirited and contains the courage that Edward doesn't have. If there's anything cliché that says opposites attract, it would be this pairing but I regard it in the best of ways for them. I think I'll really like to delve into their relationship in future chapters. It would've been cool to see her as a protagonist because CecilxRosa gets boring at some point.
The song Anna sang was an excerpt of a few verses from Tooi Hibi no Nagori (Traces of Distant Days) from the Love Will Grow Album. The original English translation/version says airplanes instead of airships so I changed it to keep it relevant to FFIV.