Chapter One…The Beginning of Trouble
Cecil of Baron looked over his balcony at the magnificent few he possessed of his kingdom. It's a beautiful night, he thought with a sigh. He thought of everything that he and his friends had endured to get to this point. Then his thoughts seemed to rest on his best friend, Kain. He let out a sigh. "I wish Kain could be here to enjoy this peaceful period with us." It had been almost a year since they had seen each other, since that fateful day that ended Zemus' reign of terror. Cecil and his friends missed him dearly and hoped for his safe return someday.
Just then, he heard commotion from the castle gates below. He quickly and quietly scrambled out of the room to investigate and found two guards near the gates. The guards immediately saluted when they say the king. "What is going on here?" Cecil demanded to know.
"Sire, a man was found unconscious nearby," said one of the sentries.
"Where is he?" Cecil asked worriedly.
"He is outside, sire. We were about to get your permission to bring him in, Your Majesty."
"Bring him in immediately!" The gate was quickly lowered and two guards entered, carefully carrying the injured man between them.
He was in bad shape. His armor was dented and cut open in many places, revealing deep gashes that oozed blood. There was something familiar about this man, but his armor and body were too beaten to be recognizable.
"Have him taken to guest room quickly. I shall go wake the queen." Cecil went to the chambers that he and his wife Rosa shared. He gently shook her. "Rosa."
Rosa stirred and finally woke up. "Wha—What is it Cecil?"
"An injured man is being brought into the castle. He needs your help." Cecil didn't need to say more. Rosa quickly dressed and followed Cecil and a guard to where the man lay unconscious. Rosa leaned over to remove his helm to reveal his pale face. She gasped and dropped the helm onto the floor.
The man lying before them was Kain.
"Kain!" Cecil cried out, just realizing that the injured man was his best friend. Kain's armor was completely trashed, making it hard to tell that it was the armor of the Dragoons. Cecil bent over his friend and took one of his lifeless hands into his own. "Rosa, can you do anything for him?"
Rosa was already chanting her most powerful spell. She released it after what seemed like eternity. Kain's wounds were healed, and his breathing became less labored. He even gained some color to his cheeks. She leaned back, letting out a long sigh. "I think he'll be alright. But he'll need to rest awhile. I think we should leave him so he can sleep." Cecil reluctantly agreed and followed Rosa out of the room.
The morning rays woke Kain from his sleep. He nearly leaped up when he saw Rosa leaning over him. "Well, it's about time you woke up. I was beginning to worry."
"R-Rosa?" Kain said, not really knowing where he was or how he had come to be there. He quickly glanced around, at once realizing where he was. "I'm in Baron?" Rosa nodded.
"The guards found you unconscious last night. I was able to cure you in time."
Kain leaped out of bed, his memory of the previous twenty-four hours returning. But a wave of dizziness overcame him and he would have fallen if Cecil had not taken him by the shoulder.
"Easy, my friend. You are still very weak from your ordeal."
"Cecil, thank goodness you're safe, both of you. I was afraid that whatever is out there would come for you, too." Kain seemed frantic as he described what had taken place before he was found.
"I went to Mt. Ordeals, hoping to cleanse my soul. I stayed there for the entire year we were apart, Cecil. Then I tried to become a Paladin, like you, but I failed. The voice said that I could try again later, if I had the strength. I decided to leave the mountain and wander around for a while. All of the sudden, I saw it. It was enormous. I have never seen anything like it in all my days. Then it attacked me. I tried to defend myself, but I was totally outclassed. I didn't stand a chance."
Cecil frowned deeply at Kain's account of what happened and the monster that attacked him. Could that stop this monster before it destroys them all? "I certainly hope so," he thought grimly.
Kain looked at his mangled armor and sighed. "I won't be of much help if my armor stays looking like that," he stated. "I have to go and get it repaired."
"But—don't you have to go to Dragon Canyon to repair your armor?" Rosa asked hesitantly. Kain nodded.
"But that's over two days from here!" Cecil cried, looking at his friend with concern. "What if that thing comes after you again? I am going, too."
"NO! You have to gather the others and prepare for battle. It's going to take everything we have to stop this thing." He turned to go. "And even that may not be enough."
Cecil of Baron looked over his balcony at the magnificent few he possessed of his kingdom. It's a beautiful night, he thought with a sigh. He thought of everything that he and his friends had endured to get to this point. Then his thoughts seemed to rest on his best friend, Kain. He let out a sigh. "I wish Kain could be here to enjoy this peaceful period with us." It had been almost a year since they had seen each other, since that fateful day that ended Zemus' reign of terror. Cecil and his friends missed him dearly and hoped for his safe return someday.
Just then, he heard commotion from the castle gates below. He quickly and quietly scrambled out of the room to investigate and found two guards near the gates. The guards immediately saluted when they say the king. "What is going on here?" Cecil demanded to know.
"Sire, a man was found unconscious nearby," said one of the sentries.
"Where is he?" Cecil asked worriedly.
"He is outside, sire. We were about to get your permission to bring him in, Your Majesty."
"Bring him in immediately!" The gate was quickly lowered and two guards entered, carefully carrying the injured man between them.
He was in bad shape. His armor was dented and cut open in many places, revealing deep gashes that oozed blood. There was something familiar about this man, but his armor and body were too beaten to be recognizable.
"Have him taken to guest room quickly. I shall go wake the queen." Cecil went to the chambers that he and his wife Rosa shared. He gently shook her. "Rosa."
Rosa stirred and finally woke up. "Wha—What is it Cecil?"
"An injured man is being brought into the castle. He needs your help." Cecil didn't need to say more. Rosa quickly dressed and followed Cecil and a guard to where the man lay unconscious. Rosa leaned over to remove his helm to reveal his pale face. She gasped and dropped the helm onto the floor.
The man lying before them was Kain.
"Kain!" Cecil cried out, just realizing that the injured man was his best friend. Kain's armor was completely trashed, making it hard to tell that it was the armor of the Dragoons. Cecil bent over his friend and took one of his lifeless hands into his own. "Rosa, can you do anything for him?"
Rosa was already chanting her most powerful spell. She released it after what seemed like eternity. Kain's wounds were healed, and his breathing became less labored. He even gained some color to his cheeks. She leaned back, letting out a long sigh. "I think he'll be alright. But he'll need to rest awhile. I think we should leave him so he can sleep." Cecil reluctantly agreed and followed Rosa out of the room.
The morning rays woke Kain from his sleep. He nearly leaped up when he saw Rosa leaning over him. "Well, it's about time you woke up. I was beginning to worry."
"R-Rosa?" Kain said, not really knowing where he was or how he had come to be there. He quickly glanced around, at once realizing where he was. "I'm in Baron?" Rosa nodded.
"The guards found you unconscious last night. I was able to cure you in time."
Kain leaped out of bed, his memory of the previous twenty-four hours returning. But a wave of dizziness overcame him and he would have fallen if Cecil had not taken him by the shoulder.
"Easy, my friend. You are still very weak from your ordeal."
"Cecil, thank goodness you're safe, both of you. I was afraid that whatever is out there would come for you, too." Kain seemed frantic as he described what had taken place before he was found.
"I went to Mt. Ordeals, hoping to cleanse my soul. I stayed there for the entire year we were apart, Cecil. Then I tried to become a Paladin, like you, but I failed. The voice said that I could try again later, if I had the strength. I decided to leave the mountain and wander around for a while. All of the sudden, I saw it. It was enormous. I have never seen anything like it in all my days. Then it attacked me. I tried to defend myself, but I was totally outclassed. I didn't stand a chance."
Cecil frowned deeply at Kain's account of what happened and the monster that attacked him. Could that stop this monster before it destroys them all? "I certainly hope so," he thought grimly.
Kain looked at his mangled armor and sighed. "I won't be of much help if my armor stays looking like that," he stated. "I have to go and get it repaired."
"But—don't you have to go to Dragon Canyon to repair your armor?" Rosa asked hesitantly. Kain nodded.
"But that's over two days from here!" Cecil cried, looking at his friend with concern. "What if that thing comes after you again? I am going, too."
"NO! You have to gather the others and prepare for battle. It's going to take everything we have to stop this thing." He turned to go. "And even that may not be enough."