The man named Cecil had survived taking the ring to the village of Mist. The Dragon
Knight had seen to that. They had made it to Mist, the BombRing had activated itself and
destroyed the city. Cecil… was headed for the Oasis village, Kaipo. Cain… was lying
before me, unconscious. My Four Emperors—excluding Cagnazzo, as he was in Baron—
stood behind me, silent as I watched the young man's silent form.

"So…" Scarmiglione spoke. "What are we going to do with him?"

"I haven't decided yet." I sighed. "He's an ally of that Dark Knight, so by all means we
should kill him. Zemus wouldn't be pleased with me if I left a potential threat alive.
Don't you agree?"

"Yeah, I agree," Scarmiglione said slightly obnoxiously. "Can I kill him?"

"Don't kill him." Barbaricia spoke up. "Don't you think he could be useful?"

I turned to look at Barbaricia. "You never give me advice without your own ulterior
motives, Barbaricia." I sighed. "Why do you want this man left alive? And why do you
think he could be useful?"

"We're both creatures of the sky," Barbaricia said, her voice frosting slightly. "I have my
reasons for everything."

"I know that very well, Empress of the Sky," I murmured.

"He's a strong man. He proved that by defeating the Mist Dragon." Rubicant shrugged
his shoulders and adjusted his long cape. "She may be on to something here."

"He had the assistance of the Dark Knight."

"The Dark Sword is not too strong when it comes to the Phantom Warriors," Rubicant
said pointedly. "Let the man live. Barbaricia is right, he may be of some use, even if he is
but a weak human."

"Scarmiglione?" I arched an eyebrow for nobody to see. "What do you think?"

"I guess they have a point." Scarmiglione stared at the floor. He'd been looking forward
to killing this human… Cain, the Dragon Knight. Yes, he'd make a nice little minion for
me.

"Excellent. I'll keep him then. You are dismissed." The Emperors left.

I turned my attention back to the man lying on a slab table of crystal. I sent power
flowing through the table. Slowly I dragged the man's mind to the surface of him and
sank my teeth into it—metaphorically speaking. I spread tendrils of darkness into his very
soul, banishing all that was good and light within him to deep beneath the surface,
controlling his mind into making him nothing but my man, my minion… my slave.

He awoke in the middle, still not fully under my control. "Who are you? What do you
want with me?"

"I need a minion, Cain. A right-hand man, you might say. I'm out to conquer the world."

"Why the hell should I help you? You're a twisted old bastard if you're going to do
something like that. I'm not helping you. Let me out of here."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Cain."

"And how do you know my name?"

"It's pretty clear I'm the one in charge here, isn't it Cain?"

"You haven't answered my questions."

"Because I don't have to." I smirked at him. "I suggest you listen to what I have to say, as
it may spare your miserable life… which you already owe to the Empress of the Sky,
Barbaricia. She is the one who persuaded me to let you live… on the pretext that you'd
be useful. Do you want to disappoint my faith in her?"

"I don't care any more about her than I do about you, old bastard!" Cain glared at me and
tried to get up, but couldn't. I'd frozen his body to the slab. "I won't help you and that's
final! I have to help Cecil defeat King Baron and restore the proper way of things to the
world."

"I can help you accomplish that."

"I don't know what your motives are, other than total control. You're probably worse
than King Baron!"

I chuckled. "You're right, I probably am. But I'm not giving you a choice, Cain." With
that, I sealed the good, kind, loyal, moral Cain within himself, and left nothing but the
ruthless man who would do anything to see what he believed to be right carried out. "You
will serve me."

The determined, loyal, fierce light left his eyes, along with the kindness they had held
when he spoke of his friend. "All right. I'll help you."

"Good little man," I told him. "The Red Wings are on their way to Damcyan for the Fire
Crystal. They'll collect that… then I think the two of us will make a little appearance at
Fabul… doesn't that sound nice?"

"Cecil should be there, with all his sense of right and good," Cain said bitterly. "Going to
try to protect Fabul's crystal as soon as he finds out what's going on. He will find out,
won't he?"

"He will find out," I said quietly. "The Prince of Damcyan has heard of my quest…
though how he knows I do not. He will find Cecil and tell him about me… yes, your
friend Cecil will know what is happening, and will try to come to the aid of Fabul."

"Knowing Rosa, she'll be there too," he continued, barely hearing what I'd said. A
glimmer of lust sparkled in his eyes as he spoke of the girl Rosa. "I'd like to keep her if
that doesn't bother you."

"We will see."

"Thank you."

I released Cain from his bonds. "You will find your room. We must wait now."

Cain left, a slight smirk on his face.

We have the Fire Crystal, Master Golbez. Cagnazzo again.

Good work. You're going very fast. Any other news?

Some old man has sworn to get revenge on you for what you've done. I think his
daughter died in the attack.

Did you get the man's name?

I'm afraid not, Master Golbez. I apologize for lacking thoroughness in my operations.

That is not a problem. We will manage. I sighed bitterly. Inform me of the progress
of the Dark Knight. Tell me, say, when you reach Fabul. I do believe that he will try to
thwart your taking the crystal, and I believe his friend Cain would like to see him again.

As you wish, sir. Cagnazzo closed the link. He wasn't a very talkative person, I'd
noticed. So much the better.

We waited… again. I spent more time in my laboratory with Cain and some select
scientists. They enhanced his body and mind with a twisted combination of science and
Dark Magic, so that he would be virtually invincible so long as he remained loyal to
me… which he was, of course. Cain had forgotten why Cecil was his friend, forgotten
why he had cared for the man.

All he knew was that Cecil was all that stood between him and his beloved Rosa. It was
so easy for me to manipulate his emotions to do to him what so much else would not.
And now my minion Cain would kill the Dark Knight Cecil… of his own free will. How I
longed to see the look on the man's face as his best friend struck him down as he still
wondered.

Finally, the day came. The Red Wings were ready, Cecil and his allies were in Fabul and
the military there was depleted. Perfect. Cecil was strong… he'd gotten past many, many
obstacles. That Rosa Cain had mentioned was an accomplished White Mage. He was
accompanied by the prince of Damcyan—a bard, of all the pathetic things he could be—
and a Fabul karate master.

And there was that Summoner. They had let a Summoner survive the attack on Mist. It
was rather amusing, when you thought about it. If he were still loyal to the non-existent
king of Baron, he'd have gone back… and been punished for not succeeding in the
assigned task. But as things were…

Cain and I boarded the head airship, taking positions in the cabin, so as not to be seen.
The ships flew through the sky, darkening the world with the cruelty they practically
radiated. The Fabul castle loomed into view. One by one, the many soldiers—human and
otherwise—dropped on to the premises, hurling explosives and burning oil into the castle
as they fell.

We could see Cecil and his allies fighting our soldiers, standing firm even as the Fabul
soldiers fell at their feet. Those who remained on the airships began to fire more
explosives at the castle, forcing them to retreat inside. Some small groups of troops
followed them, including one soldier, a Domovoy, who disguised himself as one of
Fabul's soldiers. He opened the door and let our soldiers in.

Cecil killed them as well. Despite how I despised him, as he was an enemy, I respected
his strength. It was, however, simply one more incentive to kill him. He would most
certainly be a threat.

Cain and I approached the room where the crystal and Cecil were, along with their other
allies. "You may go first, Cain. Catch them off their guard… they aren't expecting you to
have been disillusioned."

"Yes, sir." Cain strode purposefully into the room. I looked into the room, watched what
he did, and heard him speak. "It's been a while, hasn't it Cecil?"

"Cain!" the Dark Knight cried, overjoyed to see his friend. "You're alive!"

Cain regarded him coldly. "So it would appear."

"Fight with us!" Cecil cried. "We need your help!"

"Surely I will fight." Cain smirked. "But against you, Cecil."

"What?" Cecil's face fell, and he stepped back, looking afraid. "What are you talking
about?"

"I challenge you to fight me, Cecil. Single combat. Now!" he lunged forward, spear high.

"No! I won't fight you!" Cecil took another step back. "What's wrong, Cain?"

Cain didn't reply, but leapt into the air, then crashed down on Cecil, the weight of his
armor and the point of his spear wounding the man grievously. "Heh…" he said coldly.
"Got you, Cecil. You're going to die now, Cecil."

"You… you're under Golbez's…"

"What? His control? I don't think so." Cain smirked. "I'll put you out of your misery,
Cecil. It's the least I can do for an old friend."

"No!" cried the karate master. "You can't!"

"No!" cried a voice. Two girls rushed into the room. One was the green-haired
Summoner, the other could be none other than Cain's dear Rosa.

Cain did a double take. "R-Rosa?" he stammered.

"Why you little—!" Rosa left her sentence hanging.

Cain glared. "Don't even look at me, Rosa.!"

I took this as my cue, and entered the room. "Why are you so upset, Cain?"

"Golbez!" the bard gasped.

"So you're Golbez…" Cecil glared vehemently at me.

"And you're Cecil…" I smirked. "How pleased I am to meet you, though I doubt the
feeling's mutual." I threw out a bolt of energy at the men and flung them to the edges of
the room, leaving a clear path between Cain, myself, and the crystal. "But that's enough
of that. Take the crystal, Cain."

"Yes, master." He could have said more, but I suppose it was for effect. He walked up to
the crystal's stand, but paused.

"No, Cain!" Rosa called to him with the last of her energy. "Don't do it!"

"Don't do it," Cecil added. "Please Cain… you don't really want to follow Golbez, do
you?"

I looked over at Rosa. "She's important to you, isn't she Cecil?"

Cecil said nothing, but his eyes screamed "Of course!"

"Very well." I picked her up and held her tightly. "We will meet again, Cecil Harvey. I'll
take your darling Rosa as proof of that. Come, Cain. Take the crystal and leave. We have
no time for these… people."

I left. Cain seized the crystal and followed me, but stopped by Cecil. "You had a pretty
narrow escape there, Cecil my boy. Next time you might not be so lucky."