33.
The Loyal Dark Messenger
"Aeria Palmira."
That is what was posted on the sign hanging on the door of the wooden building, located at the far end of Meo Oneller.
Cid stood behind Melbourne, who was seated in a wooden chair, staring at the man in front of her. He sat behind a small desk, scribbling something in a book. He was dressed in a plain, green lab coat with green buttons going down the middle. His hair was auburn, and was cut short. Cid fidgeted from time to time, his hand resting on Melbourne's shoulder.
The front "receptionist's" room was pretty bare, save for a few potted plants situated in each corner of the room. A sphere, crafted into what seemed to be a light fixture, hung on a thin rod from the center of the ceiling. It continuously made a low buzzing noise and flickered a bit. The floor was made of polished wood and the walls were painted brown.
"I need your name." the man said without looking up.
"…Melbourne," she said.
"Your full name please."
"Melbourne Arlissa Intera."
"Good, good. And the name of the man behind you?"
"Cid Crayment." replied Cid.
"Uhh…huh. All right. Relations to one another?" asked the man behind the desk.
"Er….ahhh…" Melbourne scratched her right cheek.
"I would say…party." Cid chimed in.
"Mmm…good." The man finally looked up. His eyes were blue. "You can call me Frederick."
"…Um, what about 'Dr. Frederick'?" Melbourne asked.
"Oh, no. Frederick will be just fine." Frederick leaned back and chuckled.
"Oh."
"Well then…a few more questions and you can stay here for the time being." Frederick returned to his original position. "The name of the man you brought in?"
"Auron."
"Full name?"
"Don't know…" Melbourne looked up at Cid. He shrugged.
"Your relations to him?"
"Party. We're all in the same party." said Cid.
"Okay…yes. Auron's being looked over as we speak. Has he had any previous episodes of collapse?"
Melbourne nodded her head yes. "It was….maybe a week ago….that I found Auron while I was heading home. Was it a week? Sigh, I've lost track of time…"
"And he was unconscious, yes?"
"Yes. I…well…."
"How did you manage to treat him?"
"I was lucky. I used a Soma."
"Very lucky indeed. Elena's elixir…never even had the chance to see one. Sells for a hell of a lot of Gil, I hear."
"Huh."
"So, he was fine for a while, and…?"
"Auron collapsed on the way to Delphinium; Cid wasn't with us yet. I managed to brew up something to help ease the pain he was having. Not sure if it worked properly…he passed out again during our stay at Delphinium's inn…at night, while I was asleep. I found him on the floor of my room. The last time was when we arrived here. Auron apparently had a large headache and just collapsed. So, we carried him here."
"Anything else?"
"…We had a few run-ins with the Crimson Knights on the way here."
"Yes. They're becoming a problem…I don't know how much longer the dragoons can hold them off; quite a few have fled back to the citadel."
"…Uh-huh."
"We oversee any injured and sick that is admitted here, and we take care of them the best we can, sadly three of them passed away last night…" Frederick sighed.
"So, what now?" asked Cid.
"Well, everything is recorded in this, and I can see that you care for your friend's life, we'll do what we can to diagnose Auron's condition. Until then, you both may stay in the non-patient quarters. Go up that staircase and make two left turns. Rest and gather your thoughts or you can go check out the town if you like." Frederick closed the book and smiled.
"…When can I see him…?" Melbourne asked.
"In a while, maybe, but please don't fret too much, Auron is in good hands, madam."
"Thank you kindly," said Cid. He tapped Melbourne on the arm, signaling her to get up and go. She slowly raised herself out of the chair, and followed behind Cid, making their way to the staircase.
Cid went upstairs first. Melbourne stood there at the bottom step, her back to Frederick, and one hand on the banister. "Frederick…"
"Yes?" answered Frederick.
"Please help him."
"Yes, we will try our best, however—"
"Do anything…anything at all. Just help him…"
"This must be it." Cid pushed the door open.
The guest quarters was a simple white room, with small round windows, two beds parallel to each other, a cabinet, and an oversized blue armchair with stuffing poking out the side. The same sphere light fixture was in here as well. Oddly enough, it made the same buzzing noise as the one downstairs. Cid sat on the edge of one of the beds, while Melbourne claimed the armchair for herself.
Cid smiled. "Finally, it is possible to rest."
"…Sure…" Melbourne took out her pocket watch and fingered it, without looking up.
"I'm sure you'll see him soon. This sort of thing takes time…"
"…Sure…."
"There isn't much we can do right now. Don't be in such a rush, Miss."
"I can't just sit here while they're doing who knows what to Auron…I'm pretty good at healing arts…maybe not the BEST, but—"
"Yes, yes, you do have skill in that. However, sometimes magic isn't good for ALL injuries. Sometimes it can make things worse for the recipient of said curative abilities."
"You mean I might put more stress on Auron's body than relieve it, if they let me use my magic. Huh. I see your point."
"You see? You understand clearly!" Cid then chuckled. His face grew more serious afterwards. "May I ask you a question?"
"…What is it?"
"….Do you care for him?"
"Wh-wh-whaaat?" Melbourne felt her face grow hot. She nearly dropped her pocket watch.
"You care for Auron a great deal, do you not?"
"I'm sure that's really none of your business…But…He did stop me….and never asked for anything in return. So, no comment."
He's really the one last bright spot left in my life…Just when I thought I had shut my heart away, when I had almost been able to feel nothing at all…
"Yes, the whole Luther…incident…"
"…No one's ever done that for me before…Not even the people of Eicale would consider doing that for me…and now they're disappeared without a trace…"
What did I feel that day when Auron slapped some sense into me?
"You're looking for your people, no?"
Hope? Or could it…be…?
"Yeah…all the while being hounded by them..."
"Tell me, Miss. Since I hadn't met you until Kiera, can you tell me what happened up to that point?"
Melbourne looked up and spoke of her situation. She told Cid the story of how she was the proprietor of the Cross Hinder, the recurring dreams and visions of Arleinne, the cloaked woman with her cryptic sayings. She spoke of the events with Spell Edge. She recalled the rainy day when she found Auron unconscious outside the item shop, of carrying him back and trying to nurse him back to health. She told of how she procured the Soma, only to be confronted by Ulysses the lance-wielding Crimson Knight, and her race to get the Soma to Auron, which she did. She went on to tell Cid of her battle with Ulysses and the "awakening" of the Prominence, and of being saved from near death and meeting Auron, who she's been journeying with from that point on. She told him of the book in Delphinium, which she took with her (but clearly left out the parts where she encountered the 'bloody apparition' of herself), the battle with Helena and of what she called 'frightening, otherworldly power', Auron's Maelstrom Sphere. She concluded with recalling the time she went into the underground room in Kiera, and being accosted by Ceil before she passed out.
Cid leaned back and nodded. "Hmm…perhaps if we make it to my ship, we can make plans to investigate Geis."
"What IS on Geis anyways?" Melbourne asked. "And…why didn't Luther recognize you? You knew him?"
"On Geis," Cid began to say, "Is the derelict castle once owned by the Intera family, Melbourne. In the castle, there is a strong mystic barrier, or so I've heard. You have no prior knowledge of this?"
"Not really, no…I do remember being on a ship bound for this continent….but that's about it."
"How old were you?"
"Five or six years old, I think. It's pretty much almost a complete blur to me."
"Your last name is Intera, yes?"
"What's it to you?"
"…All those years ago…Miss, you were on my ship. I had forgotten until now…You were with someone, weren't you?"
"Crocell…he's gone now. He disappeared the day we went to the festival. The day when…."
"He vanished?"
"He did. Now, I can't decide whether he's dead or still out there…I waited, and waited for him in Eicale….Eighteen years and he never called or came to visit."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I named my bar in his honor. 'The Cross Hinder'."
"Interesting name."
"It was the name of his weapon. He wasn't a Sacred Knight as far as I knew…yet he still took the time to try and train me. I don't even think it was worth his time now. I never asked for these powers, and I was given them anyway." Melbourne tucked away her pocket watch.
Melbourne looked away in disgust. "I hate it. I hate what I'm capable of. I feel as if I have very little control over the Prominence…so I locked it all away…in the hope that it would stay that way until the time comes for me to die, but look at me now!" She kicked the bottom of the armchair.
"…You despise your own innate abilities?"
"You saw what happened back there. I tackled a grown man and beat the shit out of him, killed him….I…lost control, just like last time…and I was this close to harming you…and Auron…"
"Last time? Oh and about Luther, he and I were comrades long ago…but I can never forgive him for selling his soul like that."
"I asked Auron to help me…maybe find a way to control my power. But I still think I'm just a lost cause…I think there's no hope for someone like me…"
"Miss, what makes you think that way? Can you please stand up?" Cid asked.
Melbourne stood up. Cid slid off the bed and lowered himself to one knee. He took Melbourne's hand and lowered his head.
"I do not know what happened in your past to make you feel like this, but please…I don't mind your faults. I only wish to lend you my strength…if anything happens, Auron and I…will defend you with our lives. Call on and trust in Auron and I, whenever you are in need of aid."
Melbourne just stood there, dumbstruck. "...I usually would get pissed if someone addressed me like I was some High Priestess…but…your words…they're warm…"
"You understand?"
I want to understand…I don't think it will let me. The scars on my body which I keep hidden even to myself…and that word…they'll never go away…
'B.e.l.i.a.l'…
Melbourne turned her head to the side, and out of the corner of her eye, she could see that the bloody apparition of herself now seated in the armchair, mute, but watching the two with great intent.