Prelude to Battle

The sun rose bright in the morning sky. Its brilliant rays reflected off the walls of Doma Castle. Knights stood posted at every corner, nervousness consuming their morale. They all knew what awaited them. They knew of the coming of Vargas's forces. Every since Cyan had come back to Doma after the fall of Kefka, he had single-handedly rebuilt the army and reconstructed the castle itself. The army was not as powerful as it once had been, but the knights knew well how to handle themselves.

"Is everything set for the attack?" Cyan asked his commanding knight.

"Yes sir," the man replied, uneasy.

"Do not fear the coming darkness," said Cyan. "They will not shatter the walls of Doma castle."

The man seemed to relax a bit. Cyan smiled on the outside, but he did not smile on the inside. Fear crept up on him like a thief in the night. He knew that Vargas's forces were powerful…too powerful.

Kain and Terra had made their way to the town of Nikeah. The harbor town was booming with the influx of people from across the seas. Citizens from all other towns were being shipped in, their hometowns having been overtaken by Vargas's forces.

Kain and Terra walked side by side down the crowded streets. With all the mean looks they were getting, Terra wrapped her arm comfortably around Kain's. Everyone seemed so tense. Maybe it was the fact that they all knew what was coming. They knew that Vargas was making his conquest, and that he only strived to rule the world. They knew Vargas craved power and would do anything to have it. They were only but pawns in his conquest to rule.

Looking over her shoulder, Terra saw the solemn look on Kain's face. The Dragoon Knight was in deep thought. She knew what troubled him though. Terra knew that he had a lot to bare on his shoulders. Kain alone had to bare the survival of her world on his shoulders.

Whispers came from a nearby pub. Talk of Vargas massing his force to attack Doma Castle filled their ears. People were frightened by this news. Doma and Figaro were the last two strongholds that could possibly defend against Vargas. And now they come to find out that Vargas is already preparing to attack one.

"Where is this Doma they speak of? Kain asked.

"It's across the sea. Why do you ask?" Terra replied.

"I overheard them say that Doma is one of the last two strongholds. If this is true, then I must go there. I must help them fend off Vargas's forces."

"What about Vector?" Asked Terra.

"We can leave it for now. First, we must protect the people of this land. For if we do not protect the people, then who will be left to inhabit the world?" Kain lowered his head and let out a sigh. "But how am I supposed to make a difference. I am but one man."

"Cause you have the power. You control the one power that Vargas does not, and that is magic." Terra smiled brightly. "With your magic, you hold the key to victory."

"I'm not as powerful in the ways of magic as you think I am. Before I ended up in that desert by some turn of events, my friends Cecil and Rydia had only begun to teach me magic."

"What do you mean your friends taught you magic? You didn't learn your spells from the Espers?" Terra puzzled.

"What is an Esper?" Was Kain's reply.

Terra stood dumbfounded. If Kain had not learnt magic from an Esper, then how could he have learnt it at all? Terra saw the local Inn in the distance. She tugged at Kain's arm. "Come on, let's get a room and we can talk about this more in private."

Kain nodded in agreement.

"So tell me who you really are and where you're really from," said Terra, sitting down at the small wooden table beside the fire. The room they had rented was quite big for a normal Inn room, and also included a lovely fireplace.

"I can't remember exactly how I got here…to your world that is. But this world, I know, is not the same as my world. The people are different, the towns are different, and the land is different. Everything around me is new. "

"So you're telling me you come from another world?" Terra pondered.

"I'm not sure myself, but I know that I am not from here."

"What all do you remember before you arrived here…in my world?"

Placing his hand on his forehead, Kain tried to recall what had happened. He looked into the deepest part of his mind, pulling from the darkness a fragment of a memory. Someone had been with him. Someone was there when he was transported to this plain of existence. But who, Kain thought. Sharp pains pulsed in his head. Terra shot up from her seat and grabbed him by the waist before he toppled over. She gently laid him on the bed.

"Just relax now. Don't try to think anymore," she said softly.

Kain's body tensed up, and then relaxed. Sweat beaded on his brow. Terra saw that he was having hot flashes, so she unlatched and removed his armor. She then placed the dragon armor in a neat stack on a nearby chair. Kain's body suddenly tensed up again. Terra went to the bed to lie down beside him. She slowly placed he hands around his dragoon helmet. Kain reached up and started to stop her, but after a brief look into those vibrant green eyes, he rested his hands back on the bed. Terra lifted off the helmet and looked into his pain stricken eyes. She gently wiped away the sweat from his forehead. Kain's eyes slid shut as he drifted off to sleep. Terra felt overwhelmingly tired from the long journey, and she to fell off into the world of dreams.