Start Date: February 16, 2022
Windwillow
Final Fantasy IV
Chapter Two
We now open at the Cave of Mist. Cecil Harvey, former Captain of Baron's Red Wings, now fights together with his childhood friend Kain Highwind to reach the aptly named Village of Mist, on a mission to deliver a strange "Carnelian Signet" as a "peace offering" to the summoners there.
Had he known what was about to unfold, he'd have destroyed the accursed thing long ago.
Scene One
The mist amidst the cavern rippled and waned, cold air chilling the two warriors' bodies to the core. They'd fought their way here, and now a strange voice warned them away.
"I shall ask only once," said the voice. "Leave or perish."
Cecil gritted his teeth. Retreat was unthinkable. His task was clear and that obligation must be fulfilled...
"And I shall say only once," he said as he readied his sword, "that we will pass. Whoever gets in our way shall be cut down!"
From the mist a strange coldness reverberated. No air, no breath. Kain slid his foot along the ground, moving carefully.
"Something is amiss..."
Nodding, Cecil stood firm.
"Aye. Be careful..."
The mist erupted with a gust of wind, and the head of a pure-white dragon lunged at Cecil. Thinking quickly, he skidded out of the way, landing beside Kain. He tightened his grip, as did Kain.
"Could it be...?"
Kain cocked his head.
"Could it be what?"
Cecil shook his head.
"The summoners of Mist wield creatures of mystery called Eidolons. Are we facing one?"
Again the dragon's head emerged, and now the two clashed their weapons against its mighty teeth. Struggling, they disengaged, and the dragon's maw continued on to tear off a chunk of the cave wall.
It turned with bile in its eyes, and Cecil quickly enchanted his sword with darkness. The dragon threw its fangs forward and he deftly slid out of the way. With a mighty swing he launched a wave of black energy forward, but the dragon dissolved to mist and the attack ripped open the cavern's wall.
The dragon again materialized, and opened its maw wide. Cecil and Kain watched closely, and as the roaring white flame appeared they deftly moved out of the way before the fire enveloped them. Again Cecil swung, and swung again, but each time he hit only mist.
Cecil held out his hand and charged it with blackness, and with great force he slammed it to the ground. A shockwave of dark energy burst from his hand and tore open much of the cave, yet it struck only mist again.
"Dammit!" he cursed. "I can't even hit the damn thing!"
As the dragon again reappeared, he felt a great gust of wind.
"Then," yelled Kain, "we'll hit it before it can evade!"
Kain had leapt to the top of the cavern, hovering in the air for a moment before slamming both feet against the ceiling, launching himself downward. The classic jumping technique of the Dragoons struck faster than lightning, his lance piercing the dragon's head before it could react.
As he landed, Kain swept the blood from his spear.
"Bastard wouldn't go down. It had to end this way."
Cecil paused as his sheathed his sword. His eyes narrowed as the mist cleared.
"Did it...?"
Scene Two
The trip from the Cave of Mist to the Village of Mist took only a few hours. It was a quaint village, simple and plain yet beautiful in its own way.
"I see it," said Kain. "Seems a pleasant place."
Cecil nodded.
"Yes. Let's finish our mission, and..."
A tremor echoed through Cecil's body, as the ring - the Carnelian Signet - broke open. Countless red, orb-shaped fireballs - Bombs - burst from it, and carnage ensued. The bombs set the village aflame, each breaking into flame at each house in turn.
Multiple explosions and fires destroyed the village. Citizens screamed and fled, but the bombs sought them out and incinerated them. Building after building fell, and as they did Kain stood wide-eyed. Cecil fell to his knees.
"THIS... is what His Majesty intended?!"
Kain shook his head.
"Awful..."
Cecil slammed his hand into the ground with enough force to make his knuckles bleed. He ground the knuckle, digging open a bloody hole.
"Dammit... DAMMIT! What in God's name have we done?!"
Placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, Kain sighed.
"We've been tricked... by the last person I'd ever expect such treachery from..."
With an angry shrug, Cecil rose and swiveled to face Kain.
"This is too much! Too much! I cannot allow this injustice to stand... One that I bear responsibility for..."
Kain crossed his arms.
"Treason, is it?"
Cecil pushed Kain back.
"If this be treason, let us make the most of it."
Kain shoved him back in turn.
"You realize you've just borne steel at His Majesty's name? I'm obligated as a Baronian to execute you here and now."
Cecil slapped his friend hard on the cheek.
"Don't tell me you condone this?!"
Kain slammed his hand into Cecil's gut, sending him backwards. His frown turned to a smile.
"I suppose I don't. We must make this right."
Holding his aching stomach, Cecil eked out a grin.
"We'll need help."
Kain nodded.
"Cid and Rosa... They must be taken from danger's maw."
Cecil sighed.
"I'd rather not make them traitors as well, but..."
At that a shrill cry startled the two. They rushed to a corner of the village and found a beautiful young woman laying dead on the ground, a child - presumably her daughter - sobbing over her body.
"Mother!" she croaked. "Mother!"
Stepping forward, Cecil lowered his head.
"The summoners of Mist call Eidolons... Did we kill this poor's child's mother?"
The girl stopped crying and turned with tears and fury in her eyes. She narrowed them, digging her hands into the ground with bloody lines.
"You! You killed her?!"
Kain shook his head.
"We must make it right. Let's take her to safety."
Cecil nodded, and extended his hand. The girl slapped it away and stumbled to her feet.
"I won't let you take me anywhere! Titan, to me!"
The burning ground rumbled, as a massive tremor resounded through what remained of the village. Then, a huge hand burst from the firmament, locking its knuckle and dragging itself from the earth.
It was a monstrous humanoid, pale skinned and heavily muscular, wearing a simple loincloth. The creature flexed its muscles menacingly.
"An Eidolon?!" gasped Kain. "We must-"
"No!" shouted Cecil. "If we harm it, we'll harm the girl!"
The young girl fell to her knees and cried. As she did, the Eidolon drew up its fist and slammed it into the ground, a wild maelstrom of dirt and wind encompassing the entirety of the area. The ground quaked and quivered, and in the chaos Cecil lost consciousness.
When he awoke, Cecil stumbled to his feet. His eyes darted back and forth wildly, searching for Kain. He found no one, except for the heavily exhausted young girl laying before him. Cecil bowed his head.
"I must take her to safety... The village of Kaipo isn't far."
Scene Three
Carrying the girl, Cecil reached Kaipo within the hour. As he turned back to look, the Mist village had vanished behind a pillar of uptorn earth, buried by the Eidolon's earthquake. He immediately entered the Inn, and looked solemnly at the innkeeper.
"I've no idea what is happening," said the innkeeper, "but take her to a room. I waive charges for the both of you."
"Thank you," said Cecil with a bow. He carried the youth into a nearby bedroom and placed her in a bed, laying her carefully into the sheets. Covering her with a blanket, he sighed and slid down on his back to rest. All this weighed on him with the heaviness of a boulder.
As the night approached, Cecil's senses struck him. He rushed from her bedside and found four Baronian soldiers at the door. The general leading them bowed.
"Lord Captain, praise be that you're well. The King sent us."
Cecil sighed, and smiled.
"Yes. We must..."
The general drew his sword.
"We must exterminate the final summoner."
Cecil's blood ran cold.
"Fine work, Lord Captain. Now, step aside and..."
The general was pushed backwards, a heavy punch from Cecil hitting his gut and propelling him into his men. Angrily, he tightened his grip on the blade. Cecil simply stepped between the child and them.
"Step outside," he hissed. "Do not disturb this child."
One of the soldiers reached for the girl, and Cecil knocked him back. Extending his knuckle, he clenched his fist as a violent black whirlwind covered his hand, causing the soldiers to recoil.
"I said, STEP OUTSIDE."
Scene Four
Outside the inn, Cecil and the four soldiers stood opposite each other. The general sighed.
"Lord Captain, I ask your understanding. Our orders are..."
"To butcher this poor girl?!" Cecil hissed. "I'll not allow it."
Drawing his sword, the general narrowed his eyes.
"If you resist, we're under orders to subdue you."
Cecil lowered his head and sighed.
"Twenty seconds..." he said softly.
The general's blood ran cold.
"Pardon?"
Snapping his head up, Cecil drew his sword.
"Twenty seconds to kill you and incinerate your wretched bodies!"
At that a wild rush began. With three deft slices Cecil cut down the soldiers, and as he reached the general his eyes turned jet black. The general tried to escape, but was easily impaled.
As their bodies fell, Cecil drove his sword into the ground. A dark abyss consumed the corpses in dark flame, burning them and leaving nothing but ash. It was all over before anyone in Kaipo could even think of it happening.
Cecil slowly sheathed his sword. From the window, the young girl watched wide-eyed, as he re-entered the inn. He approached her, gripped his sword, and threw it away. Solemnly, he fell to his knees and placed his head to the ground.
"I'll not let any harm come to you. I swear on my life and honor. You've no need to say anything to my wretched self, but I swear no harm shall come to you."
At that he began to sob, slowly turning to convulsion. The young girl exited the bed and placed her hand on his head. Cecil's neck snapped up, tears in his eyes.
"Rydia," said the girl.
"Pardon?"
The girl sighed, and gave a weak smile.
"My name. My name is Rydia."
Through his tears, Cecil lowered his head further.
"God almighty, am I sorry!"
Rydia dropped to her knees and hugged Cecil. His eyes snapped open in shock, but slowly he returned the embrace. Time passed slowly, as night turned to day and the two sat up all night and talked.
They talked of their families, and of what had happened. The young girl listened intently, as did Cecil when she speaked of her mother and her death. Slowly, trust developed, and by morning the two had become good friends. Friends, and a dose of penance on Cecil's part.
Scene Four
"Rosa?!"
Cecil rushed into the elderly couple's bedroom, falling to one knee as he bent by their beside. Rosa, his lover, lay there. Having been alerted by one of them who was in the know, he discovered that they'd found her unconscious and delirious in the desert. She'd been dropped off there by Cid, but fell ill and now rested in their bed.
"How did she get here?!" Cecil sighed. "I fear Cid has a role in all this..."
The old man shook his head.
"She's got Desert Fever. Won't go away without a Sand Pearl."
Rydia lowered her head.
"Whatever that is, I guess we have to find it."
The old woman nodded.
"It's produced by the Antlions up north past Damcyan. If you want to cure her, look first to Damcyan and its people for aid."
Cecil rose slowly, a hand stroking his feverish lover.
"Fine," he breathed. "I'll have it in no time."
Rydia raised her hand.
"Where's Damcyan?"
Stepping forward, the old man opened a large book.
"Damcyan is a nation of nomads and traders," he said. "Founded in the desert as an oasis, steadily it grew into the center of a trading empire. If it's on the market, they deal in it. The ruling family, the von Muirs, have a troublesome son... I doubt he'd make a good king. So it's good that the present rulers are in good health."
Cecil sighed.
"To the northern caves it is, then. Rydia, can you stay with them for a while?"
Rydia shook her head.
"I'm coming with you."
"What?!" yelled Cecil. "You'd be in terrible danger!"
Rydia smiled and held up her hands. In the center a small electric spark formed, bursting into a small whirlwind of lightning. Then it shattered into shards that reformed as motes of light.
"I'm a black mage AND a white mage. You'll need both to get to Damcyan."
Pausing, Cecil lowered his head.
"I swear, no harm shall come to you, not as long as I draw breath."
Rydia nodded.
"I know. I'll be careful."
Scene Five
The Water Cavern lay due north of Kaipo, far past the desert. Cecil and Rydia traveled there within a day, reaching it at night. They entered carefully, finding a winding tunnel laced with rivers and waterfalls.
In the center of the room, a ring of water surrounded a lone path forward. The two proceeded, but from the water a series of enemies emerged. Several sahaguins appeared, twisted aquatic humanoids holding spears. Another group of two large pikes leapt into the air. Lastly, a lone zombie dragged itself onto dry ground.
Cecil drew his sword and cut through the pikes, turning quickly to the sahaguins. He clashed with two, butchered three, and deftly finished them with a sweeping motion. Another pike burst from the water, its maw wide and aiming for Cecil.
Rydia stretched out her hand, and a large jolt of lightning struck the pike and electrocuted it. As its carcass sunk beneath the waves, Cecil swung at the zombie. But, his sword caught in the undead's mottled flesh, unable to penetrate it.
"Undead are immune to darkness and physical attacks!" yelled Rydia. "But white magic is really, REALLY potent!"
She rushed forward and threw out both hands, a wave of holy energy bursting from her fingers. The light penetrated the zombie, went through its body, and shredded it. As what remained shriveled, Cecil sheathed his sword.
"My thanks, Rydia."
Rydia giggled, and stuck out her tongue.
Cecil eyed the horizon.
"Isn't someone there...?"
Scene Six
"Let's see, fire... thunder... pearl? Oh, bother. What's the right spell for this place?"
An old man mumbled to himself at the far end of the cavern. He was dressed in bright, elegant purple robes and wore large spectacles over his wrinkled face. He seemed to be arguing with someone, but that someone may not have been there.
Cecil approached carefully.
"Sir?"
The old man startled.
"Oh, my. Whatever may a child and a knight be found here for?"
Rydia sighed.
"This old guy's weird."
Shaking his head, Cecil looked closely at the old man.
"Can it be...? The great sage, Tellah? What would bring you here, sir?"
Tellah nodded.
"Ah, yes. My name IS Tellah. Good to know. I've always liked the name..."
Rydia cocked her head. Cecil held out his hand.
"Great sage, I am Ca... FORMER Captain Cecil of Baron. May we be of aid to you?"
Tellah nodded again.
"Of Baron? Splendid. I need your help, Lord Captain. But, before that... There is a magic circle ahead void of danger. May we set up camp there? I have a tent."
Cecil smiled.
"It is night, isn't it? Yes, that sounds excellent."
Scene Seven
Magic circles ward off evil. Within them, no monsters will penetrate. Because of this, places with magic circles have often formed the base for villages and even countries. The tent used here was a magical one, one that air connducted and comforted everyone inside. Very seldom found, most are only ownd by wealthy and influencial individuals.
Tellah erected the tent, and the area became cooled, blocking the heat of the water cavern. They set up a small campfire, and set back to rest.
"So," said Cecil. "Why would a great sage be squatting in a cave?"
Tellah sighed.
"Yes, yes, so crude. All sticky, and smelly... It's not the road tha matters but the destination: Damcyan."
Rydia's eyes went wide.
"Then we're heading the same way!"
Tellah nodded.
"Yes, yet perhaps no. I am going solely to rescue my daughter from some bum bard she ran off with. I'll never let Anna waste her life on some minstrel!"
Cecil crossed his arms.
"Whatever our motivation, our destination is essentially the same. It makes sense to team up and fight our way out of the caverns. Is this acceptable, Lord Sage?"
Tellah nodded again.
"I hear there's an aquatic abomination in these parts, a huge octopus known as Octomamm. Fighting in the water is obviously out, so magic is the way to go. Between me and this fiery little lass, I'd say we can win."
Cecil leaned back on the wall.
"Then we depart at dawn. Get some sleep, everyone."
Scene Eight
Having departed the magic circle, the trio continued on. After several rooms filled with water, they came upon a chamber with a large ring of sediment, facing a giant waterfall. But, a series of goblins and sahaguin loitered. Cecil unsheathed his sword.
"Looks like our way out is clouded. Let's cut through!"
Cecil took point, charging and dissolving several goblins with a series of quick strokes. From behind, Rydia slammed her hands into the ground, sending a shockwave of lightning forward that fried several Sahaguins.
Tellah put his hand to his chin.
"Let's see... fire, right? No, no. Lightning. Right..."
A giant pike burst from the water and veered towards the sage, who continued to converse with himself. Seeing this, Cecil broke off and sliced the pike in half. As he did, the remaining goblins and sahaguins quickly swarmed the group.
Rydia zapped a couple and Cecil cut through a few, but the amount of enemies was staggering. There was no way to win by attrition. As they fought their hardest, Tellah clapped his hands.
"Right, right! Thund... aga. Thundaga!"
Tellah threw his arms upward, sending a wave of electricity into the air. There he gestured, and a series of lightning bolts split off and sought out the fiends. Within a few seconds, the coast was clear. Cecil smiled.
"Amazing, Lord Sage!"
Rydia nodded.
"Cool moves, old guy!"
Tellah sighed.
"Ooh, I'm pooped... Don't have as much mana as I used to... It may be a couple minutes before I can cast anything else."
A large tentacle burst from the water, followed by seven others. The Octomamm dragged its torso up, its ninth tentacle-shaped head popped up like a drill. It was several meters across, and there wasn't much room to maneuver on dry land.
"Dammit," growled Cecil. "I guess amazing comes at a price. Rydia!"
Rydia startled.
"Hold back and evade as best you can," said Cecil. "Support me when you can and we'll wait for the Lord Tellah to regain his mana."
Rydia cocked her head.
"But, how're you gonna fight it?"
Cecil placed one hand on the blade of his sword and swiped it across, creating a dark sleeve of power along the weapon. He readied, charged, and leapt onto the beast. As he jumped from tentacle to tentacle he gashed and slashed, piercing the Octomamm's defenses in several places.
As Tellah gathered himself, one of the massive tentacles loomed above Rydia. She flinched, dug her heel into the ground, and covered herself with a dome of lightning. The tentacle struck,but the barrier held long enough for Rydia to escape. She and Cecil danced and weaved throughout the battle, until Tellah caught his breath.
Tellah threw his hands up again, creating a large (but smaller than before) bolt of lightning. He launched it into the air and, slamming down his hands, struck the Octomamm just as Cecil dismounted. The creature writhed and screamed, until it finally turned grey, inert and dead. Tellah sighed.
"Drat. I used Thundara, not Thundaga. Well, with the life in these bones I'm surprised I managed even that!"
Cecil dissolved the darkness around him, leaving a twang and ache from the use of darkness. He sheathed his sword and beckoned to his companions.
"Climb over it! The carcass is sturdy enough to walk on."
Scene Nine
It took only a few minutes to clear the cavern. Cecil, Rydia, and Tellah exited into fresh air as noontime came. Cecil put his hand over his eyes and scanned the horizon.
"I can see a castle! Must be Damcyan Castle. I'd wager it's a couple hours to get there. Do any of you have water spells to keep us hydrated?"
Rydia nodded.
"I know basic water magic, so we'll be fine. Hey, old guy! You with us?"
Tellah sighed.
"I tell you, these old bones need some rest..."
As he scanned the horizon, Cecil's blood ran cold. He could see a familiar sight in the distance: the Red Wings of Baron.
"Both of you, back in the cave!" yelled Cecil. "We'll have to wait them out!"
But to his horror, the airships passed right above them and continued on. They moved towards Damcyan, and began to pepper the castle with explosives. The great roars of cannon and hurrahs of soldiers were clear to hear.
Cecil lowered his head.
"Damcyan? No, no!"
Rydia cocked her head.
"Yeah, it's bad! But you look more worried than me!"
Cecil tightened his fist hard enough to draw blood.
"The nation of Damcyan holds the Fire Crystal. They're attacking them like..."
He fell to his knee.
"... like I did to the Mysidians...!"
Tellah rushed forward.
"God, no! Anna might be in the castle!"
Cecil scrambled to his feet and drew his weapon.
"We have to move fast. Let's move as quickly as we can. I pray we aren't too late!"