~*~Chapter 5 Hurting friends~*~
About two weeks passed, but Kain hardly recognized it. He didn't think much, he just existed. He didn't see Valvalis again, either. Then suddenly one day, Golbez turned up again.
Kain was standing on the castle wall, watching the distant mountains without even a trace of emotion or thought. Then he heard the sound of footsteps. He turned around and sat down on one knee, his armor clinking.
"My liege, what do you ask of me?" he said.
"You will come with me and the Red wings," Golbez sneered, "we're going to Fabul, and I believe it's time that you prove to me that your life was no waste of my time."
And so, Kain and some soldiers boarded several of the fleet's airships, setting course for the land of the karate-masters. There were loads of monsters on the ships too, but the dragoon didn't wonder why. He didn't even consider that monsters aboard was a little strange.
After the not too long flight, the ships landed close to the big castle. By Golbez' command, the monsters stood up in lines and attacked. There were only three men standing outside of the castle gate, but they resisted attack after attack before they finally retreated into the building, followed by the monsters.
"Tell me," Golbez said to Kain as they walked towards the trashed gate, "did you find something familiar about any of those three men by the door?"
"No, my liege." Kain answered.
"Ah, I see. You were too far away, of course. The one in the middle was your old friend Cecil."
"Cecil?!" Kain exclaimed in rage and reached for his spear.
"Yes," Golbez sneered, "he has helped the blasted summoner-girl to escape, and he's starting to irritate me."
"My liege," Kain growled, "I ask of you to allow me the honor…!"
"I will, my minion."
They walked into the castle, passed a lot of trashed furniture and reached the throne-room. Without any hesitating, Golbez pointed at a door to the left. There were sounds of a fight coming from inside. Kain nodded, and went inside of the door, just when a man of Fabul helped a young man with golden hair to his feet again.
"Kain?" a familiar voice stuttered.
The dragoon looked darkly at the man in the dark armor. Cecil looked just the same as always, holding yet another black sword.
"Kain?" he said again, "is that really you?"
"Indeed, it is I, Cecil."
"I thought you were dead! I'm so glad you're alive! Let's fight together again…"
"Yes," Kain growled and grabbed his spear, "we will fight, but not in the way you think!"
And he jumped.
Shocked, Cecil raised his sword trying to parry the attack, but he should know it was impossible. He screamed the dragoon's name, but Kain ignored it.
The controlled warrior's weight brought Cecil down, the spear penetrated the knight's armor by the shoulder.
Somebody screamed, and it wasn't only the Cecil. Kain pulled out his weapon and drew back, his head burning.
"Kain! What are you doing!?"
Rosa… she and a green-haired girl who seemed familiar came running, and the woman in the white cloak kneeled by Cecil's side, staring at his wounds.
"Kain," she stuttered, "what are you doing? Have you forgotten who you are?"
"Don't… look at me…!" Kain snarled and turned away.
His head was about to break… then Golbez entered, and the pain ceased.
"I see I'll have to work a little on you, Kain," he snorted.
"Who are you…?" Cecil muttered, gritting his teeth in pain.
"I am Golbez," the man dressed in dark said with a scornful bow, "and you are Cecil… your deeds are already notable, so I am afraid I'll have to…"
"Don't you dare to touch him!" Rosa yelled and stood up, raising her empty hands.
Golbez sneered.
"Such a brave girl…" he said, "big words from somebody who doesn't know a single attack spell. You'll need to study a bit more, woman, before you fight me. Kain, get the crystal for me."
"Yes, my liege."
He went up the stair, towards the glistening crystal.
"Kain, don't!" Rosa screamed and took a step forward.
Her voice was so painful… it hurt his head, it sent agony through his soul…
But he reached out and grabbed the crystal.
"Rosa, don't try to…" Cecil croaked.
Golbez looked at the fallen dark knight and the white magician, thoughtful.
"I see," he said, sneering, "this woman is dear to you."
Fear rose in Cecil's eyes; somehow he knew the continued sentence.
"Then I'll take her with me, to make sure that you don't cause me more trouble," Golbez said.
He reached out and grabbed Rosa's arm. Kain wanted to scream, but he wasn't sure why. The woman with the white cloak tried to break free, then she suddenly became rigid for a moment. After that, she lowered her head, as if she stood up sleeping.
"That's it, come with me…" Golbez sneered.
Staggering, Rosa followed him as he went out of the door, and Kain walked after them without a word. He heard Cecil call something in pitch-black despair, then the world somehow turned to dust.
The next thing Kain knew, he was inside of a big room with light walls, which blinked eerily at some parts. Golbez was also there, somewhere behind him. And Rosa too, with fear in her otherwise warm, gentle eyes.
'I am in the Tower of Zot,' he thought, 'and I am going to do this properly.'
Rosa clenched her teeth as he pulled the ropes, tightening her bounds. She was tied onto a pole by the wall, and there was something dark a few feet above her head. Kain experienced a short hunch telling him he didn't want that thing to be there; it was dangerous to her… but who cared?
"Still not perfect, Kain," Golbez snorted, "you're constantly trying to break free."
"I am sorry, my liege."
"Surely… now, there is some news, and I will tell you this aloud since I want our lovely guest to hear it too."
Kain stepped away from Rosa. Surprisingly enough she didn't seem scared anymore, only angry. Her eyes were filled with loathing.
"So that's it?" she snarled to Golbez, "you control Kain!"
"Of course I do, my dear." the evil one sneered.
He cleared his throat, scornfully.
"Now then, it seems as in the past few days that you've both been sleeping a bit, Cecil was on a journey to Baron, hoping to find you or an airship… well, sadly, his boat sank."
"What?! No!" Rosa cried.
"Alas, that is true. However, he survived, as well as his friend Yang, who is also my faithful servant now. He is in Baron, just in case something truly unexpected should occur. I'm afraid that the young king Edward and the small, poor Rydia drowned, though."
"Yang, Edward… Rydia…" Rosa whispered, "you monster! Where is Cecil?!"
"In a most surprising place; Mysidia."
"What?" Kain and Rosa gasped in unison.
Golbez sneered.
"Indeed."
"No, my king, he has left," Valvalis' voice said.
"Oh?" Golbez said.
The fiend of Air materialized in front of Golbez.
"The winds tells me that he is on his way to Mount Ordeals, hoping to become a paladin," she reported.
Her eyes went over to Kain for a moment, then she resolutely looked away.
"A paladin?" Golbez repeated, a frown heard in his voice, "now that is not good news. If that should occur, he could be a threat."
He turned to look at Rosa, who met his gaze without any emotion showing.
"Your lover is truly foolish and stubborn, hoping to save you with the power of light, my dear."
"You thought that he would give up and hide just because I was your hostage?" Rosa spat, "you don't know anything about him!"
Golbez snorted.
"Well then, I'll give him a true ordeal. Valvalis, bring this order to Milon; that mountain is most suitable for his… children, so he'll take care of this. Cecil's dark swords won't work at all against the zombies."
Valvalis nodded. She looked as she was about to leave, but froze.
"Sir Golbez," she said, "I'm just wondering…"
"Well tell me, dear," Golbez said with a small, cold smile.
"Since Cecil obviously love this woman…"
Valvalis pointed at Rosa and continued:
"… Why don't you turn her into your servant too, and dump her as a traitor into Cecil's arms?"
Golbez looked at Rosa, in disgust.
"Yes, my dear Valvalis, that would solve the problem fast. Sadly, her heart is so pure that I cannot do anything about it. She even feels compassion towards Kain, though he hurt her beloved so badly."
"I know he didn't want to!" Rosa growled, "it's you, you monster!"
"But dear, I only added a little fuel to your friends jealousy, that's all."
"Jealousy?"
"Indeed a lot, in fact. Kain suffers from grave heartache; he is deeply in love with you, and he has always been aware that you can never become his. Therefore, he has hated his best friend for a long time."
Rosa stared at Kain, but he didn't feel anything as his secret was unveiled.
Valvalis bowed, without any expression in her face.
"I will go to talk with Milon at once."
"Good," Golbez said.
And the fiend of Air left the room.