Chapter 3: Forests and Mountains and Desrts (Oh, my!)
Over his career as a Red Wing, Cecil spent most of his time in the air. It would take half an hour to get from Baron to Damcyan. He had forgotten what it was like to walk a long way. Or, really, walk at all. Sometimes the walk to his room would tire Cecil out. Still six more days of non-stop hiking, he thought to himself. I'm gonna fucking DIE out here. The warm morning sun was nice. It wasn't until mid-day that Cecil would start to suffer sunburn. Kain however was enjoying it. A long the way he would sing cheerful songs. Most of them were either about water or the sky. Both were close to the Dragoon heart. Both of these depressed Cecil.
"Kain, we're not gonna survive this trip are we?" Cecil said.
"Oh, come on Cecil, of course we will." said the cheerful Dragoon. "Well, I will at least. You're the only one with a problem, as far as I can see."
"How far have we gotten?" asked Cecil.
"Well," Kain begun. "I can still see the castle, so we're no where near our destination."
"Damn." Cecil was unfit, swordplay doesn't really excersise your legs very much. Cecil looked across the plains of Baron. He really wished that he had gotten some more water, half of it was already gone and they had only been walking for no more than an hour. It felt like Cecil had been walking forever though. Already he had forgotten the feel of a cool breeze, as Cecil stood on the deck of an airship. Cecil wiped a droplet of sweat from his forehead when he remembered that feeling. A gust of wind brushed past the two. A light brown feathered eagle turned around for another shot, after missing the first time. This time the winged demon picked the tired Dark Knight as his prey. Cecil was knocked down by the eagle when it landed on his chest. The scavenger bird squaked at Cecil's face. Kain readied his spear and jabbed it through the birds back. It gave one last dieying squaked before slumping on Cecils face. Cecil rolled over and set the bird on it's back.
"Your going soft Cecil."
"Shut up Kain, I'm not used to walking a long distance." Cecil said angrily. Once Cecil said this, a twinkle of light came to Kains eye.
"Who says we have to walk" Kain said with a wicked grin on his face.
"What the hell are you talking about Kain? And get that grin off your face, it's creeping me out."
"Cecil, remember when we were little and you, me and Rosa all went to the Chocobo Forest that one time?" Cecil didn't like where this was going. Normally when Kain had that type of grin on his face, something bad was going to happen.
"Well, we could always catch a Chocobo..."
"Kain, no."
"It's easier than walking isn't it? And YOU wouldn't have to do any work. Chances are, we'll be safer from monsters as well. So???" Cecil was beginning to sway toward Kains proposition. It would be very easy to get a Chocobo, and even easier when Cecil didn't have to do any walking. "C'mon Cecil, it'll be fun!" There was that damn line. That's what always got Cecil into trouble.
"Fine then. Will we still have to walk across the desert?" Kain didn't want to tell Cecil that the answer was yes.
"Well, we can stick closer to the mountains, if you prefer."
"Will it take any longer?" Cecil asked. He wouldn't mind trekking the desert if it ment he could get to the Chocobo Forest any longer.
"It may Cecil, It may." Kain said. "It could take a little longer due to the higher monster count."
"I think that we should follow the mountain line. Chances are there'll be a cool stream running down the hillside." Cecil drew his sword now, better now than after he was ambushed again.
After roughly half an hour of walking they finally reach the mountain side. Cecil was right there was a stream. Cecil cupped his hands and dipped them into the cool, clear water. He raised his hands to his mouth, and the taste was unexpectantly fresh.
"Kain have some." Cecil urged his friend. Kain hadn't had any water yet. His flask was still full. When he did have a taste he emptied the water in his flask.
"When I grow old, and retire from the Dragoon force of Baron, I want to live here. Waters fresh. The shade of the trees is cool." Kain said, looking at the nature around him. He removed his helmet and moistened the interior of it with water, placed it on his head and refilled his flask with the river water. Cecil did the same, only Cecil dunked his whole head in instead.
"As nice of a place this is, we need to move on. We'll never complete the mission if we stay here..." A few rocks moved down the side of the mountain. Kain was too busy drinking to notice the Imp that pouncing on him. It landed on Kain's chest. The creature was strangling Kain with one hand and holding a short blade above the Dragoon with the other.
"Lookshee watt wee foundsh" The green menace said to himself. Cecil grabbed the Imp by it's neck, lifted his arm a little, leaving a spot in the creatures throat open, slid the blade under his arm and cut the Imps throat. Kain watched the menace bleeding to death slowly.
"We're even now." Said Cecil. It was odd that they were attcked in the same way. Cecil pointed his blade in the direction of where the Imp had come from. "DarkWave!" Cecil yelled and another Imp ran from behind a rock, scurrying away into the overgrowth.
"I think we should hurry now." Said Kain. He wasn't used to being attacked, and while Cecil had many near-death experiences in his life, this was Kain's first. He climbed up from the ground, collected his flask, his shield and his spear and walked quickly westwards. He wanted to get to the Chocobo forest quicker than even Cecil did.
"Still want to retire here?" Cecil asked jokingly.
"Shut up Cecil." Cecil laughed. It was rather uncharacteristical of Kain to be scared, but he was shitting himself when he saw the Imp's dirty blade being held above him. Kain would have joked with Cecil, if they had been in each others shoes. Kain had more important things on his mind. "Where shall we spend the night? somewhere where we won't get slaughtered as we sleep."
"Well, I don't think Imp's can climb trees very well. Better there than on the ground."
"That won't stop Floateye's or Eagles though."
"Floateye's live in thick forests, all we are looking for is a couple of trees, and Eagles hunt during the day in wide open areas, that's why I was attacked. Imps can't climb trees and a Swordrat would have to have perfect aiming to hit us with it's needles. Besides, Swordrats needles couldn't kill us with the armour we wear."
"Alright, so when shall we sleep then, o knowledgable master? When can I buy your Bestiary?" The Kain that Cecil had known was back. Same as he ever was.
"Well, one: Swordrat's are the only noctournals in the area, but I say after sundown should do it. We won't be able to see where we're going if we leave any later." Cecil couldn't believe how much wisdom was in his words. He couldn't believe how much he new about the local wildlife either. "Two, good friends can have my bestiary for free, should it ever be started." Kain laughed.
"O.K then o knowledgable master"
"And three, don't call me 'o knowledgable master' ever again. Imp's can't climb trees, but I certainly can." Kain laughed even harder. Any predators would run scared due to how hard Kain was laughing.
After a few more hours of walking, talking, and jokingly threatening each other, Cecil pointed ahead.
"Kain, Kain, LOOK KAIN!" Cecil yelled.
"What is it Cecil?" Kain couldn't see what was so magnificent. The sun was starting to set. YIPPEEKIYIYAY!
"Is that the Chocobo forest?" Cecil asked Kain, refering to the Oval forest to the east.
"I think so. It looks like a Chocobo Forest." Kain stated.
"How can you tell?" Cecil asked
"Well, Chocobo forests are usually round. I could be wrong, but if there is any Chocobo forest in the area, that'd be it."
"O knowledgable one! When can I buy your work on Chocobos?" Cecil mocked Kain.
"Just remember, I can climb trees too." The two laughed. "It's getting dark. We should find a tree now." About half an hour later, they found the perfect trees.
"Alright. We leave at Sunrise." Cecil said to Kain. as the two climbed up seperate trees. "Goodnight Kain." Cecil said.
"Goodnight Cec." Kain said. The two began to wonder where they be without one another.
Despite sleeping in a tree, they slept well. Sunrise came on them quickly, and almost immediately they were off. Even though they were waking up so early, they still felt refreshed. However, they were hungry. Kain still had some food left, but Cecil had none. No sooner, he thought that, he saw a Swordrat sniffing the ground. Cecil lept from his tree and buried the Dark Sword into the mammals back. The Swordrat let out a shrill squeal before croaking on Cecils blade. Cecil took a chunk of meat out from the creatures chest and cooked it. Kain took some for later, and so did Cecil, however Kain wasn't hungry at the moment. Cecil ate the salty meat quitely, so as not to attract to much attention. The left the rest of the beast where it was, the Imps could finish it off for all they cared, and the two set off towards the Chocobo Forest.
Cecil felt he was learning something from this trip. He was actually enjoying it, he thought that he would be dead by this point in time, and if it weren't for Kain, he would have been. The two walked, and by the afternoon, they reached the Chocobo Forest.
The forest itself was smaller than Kain had remembered, but was still rather large. The trees were thick, with a small clearing in the middle. Kain tried his hand at catching a chocobo. He stalked it... stalked it... pounced on it. He missed, the large yellow bird ran away into the overgrowth.
"Damn it." Kain was dissapointed. The last time he entered the Chocobo forest, he caught chocobo's for him AND his two friends.
"Kain, my mother used to have a saying. I can't quite remember it, but it has something to do with honey and vinegar. Watch me." Cecil grabbed a juicy looking plant and held it in front of the chocobo. The bird crawled out from it's hole to take the veggie. Cecil scratched the chocobo's ear and the bird nuzzled it's beak into Cecil's chest. It lowered it's head, it had approved Cecil. Cecil jumped onto the chocobo's back and rode up to Kain.
"Say 'I told ya so' and I'll fucking cut you Cecil." Cecil laughed. Kain did exactly as Cecil had done, muttering the words "Stupid bird," quite frequently. Eventually, Kain catched a chocobo and the two set off again, this time for the Mist Cave. Afterall, the mist cave had to be passed before the could get into the villiage of Mist. Cecil started thinking about the ring. I don't see how a ring is important enough to send two soldiers out. Why was Cid acting so strange though? And why does the ring warm up, the more I think about it. A sudden noise broke Cecils concentration.
Two Floateyes had appeared from the nearby forests. Kain threw his spear at one of the bat-like creatures, peircing it's one, gigantic, cycloptic eye. Cecil blocked the Floateyes attack with his darksword, it was a heat beam attack, and it refected off the blade and hit the Floateyes left wing. In no time at all, the creature was in flames. It screeched as it fell to the ground. Kain arced his Chocobo's course and retrieved his spear. The night was falling, but the two in a valley and were almost at the Mist Cave, thanks to their Chocobos. After a half an hour of riding the Dark Knight, Cecil, and his good firend, and Dragoon Knight, Kain where outside the mist cave. They, however, decided to camp, recover some strength and enter than cave in the moining. They were already a day ahead of schedule, what the harm in resting? They finished their Swordrat meat and went to sleep, nestled in between a couple of rocks, Tomorrow, thier mission would be complete.
Wow, this was a fun chapter to write. SOO fun I did all of this in one day! Amazing huh?, yeah, well most of this stuff is added. What's so exciting about Cecil and Kain silently killing stuff? OK, It does work in some cases, mindless slaughter where the main character is mute (Grand Theft Auto III, Chrono Trigger ect.) However, that doesn't work for me. Really, this chapter would suck balls if there was no talking in it.