For millions of years, mankind lived just like animals.
Then something happened, which unleashed the power of our imagination...
We learned to talk.
January 22nd, 1800
The Kingdom Of Lindblum
...
Well, you see my son
Don't be shy you learn to fly
See the sun when day is done
The days slipped by and I asked why
Why? Where were you when heavens cried
When the old and young burmecian have died
Outside the rain fell dark and slow
The streets were I was born, where I was raised
Where I was broken and hopeless
The seeds have sprout out of trees fallen in a row
Silence comes by the wings of night
No one to hold, everybody's in fright
Where were you, my Majesty?
Fled like a coward buried on the sand
Our brave men fought to the end
They all perished against a force they could not withstand
As their wives cried in agony
You, my Lord, became a travesty
Oh, my son, when I think I saw everything
This burning world has more strife to bring
When will this suffering reach an end?
Can man and rodent even be friends?
Am I dreaming too much? Am I being stupid?
I speak for the children who have been muted
For families drowned in despair
Things will be better, I swear
...
— Man, those lyrics are awkward – Redwind heard a fellow burmecian sing on the park, surrounded by a small crowd.
— Embarrassing. You mean embarrassing – it was not a very good first impression for Kain.
— Gary is good at playing guitar, you can't deny that – Redwind tried to find a good side.
— His girlfriend's who's been doing most the stuff – Kain heard the cleyran maiden playing a sitar.
— Look at her soft lips, drowsy eyes and fallen ears... she feels devastated – so did Redwind, who felt moved by the melancholy of the girl's notes.
— Had I wrote lyrics like these, I too would feel devastated – Kain felt sad in its own way. He proceeded to call out the singer – excuse me... I have a question.
— Yes. Whose question? – Gary asked, checking the money who has been dropped inside its hat by passerby.
— In what way does this stupid excuse for charity benefit benefits Burmecia? – Kain's glasses blurred with the heat – how exactly do you pretend to help us deal with all those unnecessary deaths? Is singing all you can do to make a difference that stays?
— Do you have a point? – the cleyran girl asked, outraged by Kain's attitude.
— I don't know. Have you any idea what happens inside someone who doesn't know who he is or what he's supposed to be? Someone who doesn't feel like same as they used to be? Well, I do.
— What's with you, Kain? – Redwind intervened. He knew his friend was not feeling alright, but to reach this point was something else – let them sing if they want.
— Sure. As if you two are of great help by singing while the world crumbles before us – Kain said, before he got pulled on arms by Redwind.
— Was that necessary? It seems so out of you to humiliate someone.
— Humiliate? I was putting some sense in his head. Gary... he thinks he's so cool wearing those leather pants and playing guitar. He even got laid!
— Listen, I know Gary is a kind of pain, but no one got hurt, how's that? – Redwind began to explain – it took a long time for him to overcome his shyness by building up an illusory self-image. Remember how he did at home, by hiding from everyone else? You want to take that away from Gary, what he has achieved with time and dedication?
— You mean that spoony bard? You say it as if he did all by himself. Like I should feel proud of him for being this cool and strong guy he is. Guess some things never change... – said Kain, taking a wooden pipe out of his pocket.
— I didn't knew you smoked.
— It helps me calm my nerves.
— I heard it's bad for health – Redwind could not stand the tobacco's smell.
— So does drinking, gambling, prostitution... anything good life has to offer is either bad, or fattens you, or kills you – while Kain got used to it.
— Just saying. If you're on smoking because it's fun, keep in mind that it ain't easy to throw it away.
— Like I give a shit – Kain sat on a bank, feeling his lungs rottening inside – cough, cough!... I'm sorry, Red. I'm really upset with all that's been going on. I can't see Lindblum as a new home, or even get that 'rats fled at the sign of an eartquake' talk that's been spread to everyone of these folks. Who do they think we are, mere rats? Well, had we been, we would not be crying for seeing our kingdom in ruins. We would not be shedding tears for the ones we lost in the way. Like mom and dad...
Kain's stare is the one of a soldier who saw lots of things to make one drop their jaws. The amusement he felt by witnessed explosions at the desert, as the higher ups told him they were trying to make holes in the sky... so Kain believed in them. His stay on burmecian army was short and memorable before resigment, yet, to this day his hands can't feel the touch. Everything he holds gets away, gets scrapped and destroyed, just like life. To think he's just a kid...
— ...Well, have I told you, Red? – but Kain's innocence has died a long ago. The world didn't let him have it – today I sent flowers throught mail. I got a letter, and I read it, to find out something unbearable. That my parents... they were not my parents.
— What do you mean? – Redwind asked, feeling a shiver travel his whole skin.
— I discovered that I was adopted. That I cried for someone's else demise – Kain stood quiet, alone on its own thoughts.
— My... I didn't knew – Redwind felt the pipe's smoke coming inside his body. It was disgusting for his senses, but he felt Kain needed him.
— Neither I. You know, by hearing my parents, the ones who took care of me, taught me lessons, fed me and told me stories before sleeping were not the real ones, that made me think about things differently.
— How so?
— Sometimes, all it seems to matter is if you're rich and famous and having influence over people and telling everyone how wonderful our brave new world is. Well, I do live in the brave new world and I can say for sure it's not as perfect and ideal as you'd like to think. You are always with a future in mind, the one which never arrives, and a past so good you can't even feel it for the first time ever again. And when you find that out, you can't anesthetize pain that follows.
— Things take time to change. They don't happen all of sudden – Redwind could barely understand his friend's speech.
— All of sudden, brother... that's how much it took for Alexandria to invade our country by the quiet of night – as for Kain, he didn't understood anything. The world is a crazy and maddening place to live.
...
January 23th, 1800
...
— ...Unnaceptable!
— What is up? – Redwind heard Kain's complain. It came out of nowhere, for someone who has been reading a book quietly
— I've been reading this novel a friend of mine reccomended. It's good, some sort of fantasy with all kinds of characters and jobs. You have archers, monks, scarecrows, knights, faeries and all you can imagine. At first, I was turned off by the artwork. You know how I like books without art, just words and your own view of things, but the art... I won't say it's childish, but it looks like. That's the first impression i had, before I realized how delightful are these watercolors. You think it's a kids book at first, but then you turn a page and oh my God! Someone has died! I think it's called tonal shift, and this tale features a lot of these.
— I see – Kain could not hide his appreciation from writing, as Redwind noticed – if it's so good, why you're upset?
— You won't believe it...
— Come on, tell me – Redwind took a look around Kain's apartment. An improvised shelter with the size of a tent, a filth with no sense of organization and lots of books borrowed from the library spread around the floor – I'm all ears.
— Well, hear me out. So, there's a part in this book were the characters split up. I won't spoil much in case you're interested, but a lot has been going on that caught my interest. A kingdom got invaded by another, a massacre happens, the heroes come in and they fail. They swear to protect the next kingdom from being attacked, but you guessed, they failed again.
— Is that why you're so upset?
— Not really. It's one of a few those moments I felt for a fictional character's struggle to overcome weakness and failure to be stronger in order to earn victory – Kain sighed, flipping the pages until he reached to the one he hated the most. He showed it to Redwind – this is what I mean! Do you see it?
— Hmm... – Redwind read briefly. He didn't felt angry like Kain, but he knew something was off – the characters split up. One goes outside the Palace as the others stay 's wrong?
— Exactly! There's nothing wrong with that decision. It's what comes next that really... really feels wrong. Utterly wrong – Kain holds the book close, pressing its hardcover with strenght – later on the book, and you never get to see what happened with those guys who stayed at the Palace. Nothing! Not even a mention of what exactly happened! Truly disheartening... I really cared about them, but it feels like the author didn't. Maybe he was too lazy to come up with any ideas and let it be. So be it! Nothing happens with these characters, who had charismatic personalities, interesting conflicts, unresolved issues but the writer just threw it away like it didn't even mattered!
— You know it's hard for one to write a book, with all time constrains, pacing, editing... things do get cut before the final product – Redwind stood on the author's side.
— Time constrains? That ain't no excuse! – how much Kain wished he could defend him too – when you create a book, any kind of art, you need to have it be complete, no matter the issues. When something like this happens, when there's a huge gap one could notice by distance, what do you think? People will read this book and be like 'oh, those characters are no more relevant to the story, that's fine'. Was it fine? All I see is a wasted opportunity.
— Wasted opportunity, indeed.
— There's even one character whose country gets invaded by troops and she promises to do better next time, never give up and all that courageous stuff. I haven't saw a female character that 'character' in my life, and just as she fails to accomplish with her promise, I too felt shattered like her. And you know what!? We never get to see how much war has affected her mind. I know this book ain't realistic, but come on! You can't mix with one's feelings and just do that and nothing more.
— I see... – never that Redwind saw Kain so frustated.
— Sometimes I wish I could fill this gap myself, like I had the power to do so... but no, I have no writing experience, I'm no such 'professional' like this dude who simply forgets about his characters, his own creation. He even gets paid for such mistakes!
— So, you're upset because the book disappointed you... I'm sure a lot of people feel this way.
— Do they, Red? Well, if they did, this book would be different. The author would have cared enough for his creation and... – Kain took a deep breath. He felt the air burning his lungs as it did with his skin covered in sweat – what the hell, here I am, all worked out about fictional characters as if they were indeed real enough to care about. My disappointment is immesuarable and my day is ruined. You see, I have spent time of my life on this, I wasted precious time that can't be taken back. Books were my refuge as a kid, now they're a kind of pain. The father who bought these for me was not even mine.
— I understand. How you feel – Redwind watched his friend's decay. It was yesterday that Kain learned the truth about his parents. It shaked with his sense of identity, alongside the feeling everyone is more important and working hard to get what they want.
— I still like this book, with all my heart – Kain took away the dust from the fantasy novel, having care with each page flipped – it made me laugh, it made me cry... it made me feel alive. Even when it comes to play with my expectations, like life itself.
