The next few days were uneventful; Tellah was overjoyed to hear the anchor finally drop into the harbor and the ship come to a standstill. A child tripped as he came down the walkway; he began crying as he raised his broken wrist to his mother. Tellah approached them and with a swift sweep of hand cast Cure, its glow spreading around the injury. A look of wonder crossed the child's illuminated face, and Tellah went on his way after a profuse thank you from the pair.
"I take it you could always cast without having to speak?" He heard the captain ask behind him. Tellah turn around, feeling a bit of blood rush to his face.
"I used to be able to cast without doing any talking or gestures, but people tend to find that disconcerting," Tellah said as he reached down to his coin purse. The captain tossed his head back and laughed.
"Well…thanks for not destroying my ship."
Tellah handed over money for the fare, his beard twitching as he smiled. "It's the least I could do."
The captain shoved the gil into his pocket.
"What's your plan from here?" he asked.
"I'll resupply, then make my way to Mount Ordeals." Tellah pointed his staff at the distant mountain still obfuscating the rising sun. The captain whistled.
"That's far. I don't know when you were last here, but I've heard there's a clearing south of Mysidia where chocobos have started to gather. Give them their favorite meal, and I heard they would travel with you anywhere you'd like.
"It's not right, Lydia!" Tellah shouted after her. She stomped back to him, puffs of fog escaping her lips.
"Stay out of it."
Her eyes shone with a fury that convinced Tellah she'd summon her dragon on him if he pushed. Tellah bit his tongue. Lydia spun on her heel and approached the chocobo again, feeding it gyshal greens from her winter cloak.
"I know you won't understand, but I hope you forgive me one day," she said, wiping her hand on her clothes as the last of the bunch slipped down the bird's gullet. He could hardly hear her through the animal's loud chewing. "It's better like this, for everyone."
"I'm not the one you'd need to ask forgiveness from. If you won't tell him, I will," Tellah said.
Lydia froze. The trees rustled their naked branches like rattlesnakes from the biting wind.
"He deserves to know," Tellah added.
"If you tell him, I'll tell Claire it's yours," she said. She didn't look at him as she said this, her voice cold and monotonous. Tellah's mouth dropped open. She leapt on the bird and stroked its feathers gently from head to collar. Her hair fell over her face as she tilted her head sideways. "How many years have you been trying for one? I think you and I both know how that'll go."
"Thanks again, for everything," Tellah said.
The captain grunted and pointed at a sign mounted to a post further down the docks. "Anything for the person whose parents saved this hamlet - and my family in turn."
He waved down the passengers stepping off of the boat to give him their fare. Tellah raised a brow.
"When your glasses fell, I knew. You've your father's eyes," he said. Tellah barely heard him as he walked away.
Tellah approached the plaque, a simple sign with rust spreading from years of exposure to the sea breeze, especially around the etching of the following script:
In Memoriam
Through purest compassion of Man
two mages offered their gentle sacrifice.
O Moons! Shine your holy light unto the soil
where last flesh anchored their souls
Mettle met Death and did smile.
How many times did I walk through here and miss this epitaph? Tellah asked himself.
"Mother…Father…"
He couldn't finish his sentence. He didn't know what he wanted to ask them, or what he could tell them. He traced a crooked finger across the fading letters.
"Take care of Anna and Claire for me, just a little longer," he whispered, lingering another moment. He swallowed, breathing out slowly. "I'll be there soon."
Tellah enjoyed the stretch he felt on his thighs as he walked, appreciating the small amount of time left before he'd have to rely on a staff full time. As he made his way to the edge of town, he saw a small chocobo cart riding service that offered to take him to the capital of Mysidia, and the rest of his day was spent shoulder to shoulder with a few of the wealthier passengers unwilling to make the travel by foot. He tapped his staff on the tip of his shoe, watching the magical marble embedded in his staff jolt up and down in resistance.
Every time his mind threatened to bring up thoughts of Anna, he tapped it harder, focusing on the sound the gem would make. He did this in the hopes that he could keep the pain at bay. It only worked superficially, as he felt a hollowness in his chest threatening to drown him in grief as soon as he let his guard down. Time passed by much more quickly than he expected, and before he knew it, the road turned from compacted soil to cobblestone. They began passing more frequent travelers on foot.
Even as the sun was setting did he see the bustle of city life seemingly explode as they passed a forest clearing, and the cart came to a stop at a makeshift stable held up by misshapen planks of wood, hopes, and a dream. The driver helped them all down, wishing them safe travels on the last leg of their journeys. The travelers dispersed, and Tellah made his way to the Mysidian Inn to rest on an actual bed: one that didn't rock to the mercy of ocean waves. He didn't bother removing his shoes; he threw himself onto the bed and despite the throbbing in his legs, Tellah felt the pull of restful sleep finally take hold. Surprisingly enough, Tellah did not dream throughout the night.
'I knew you'd come back for me,' a voice rasped into his ear. Tellah awoke with a jolt and a spell on his lips. He sat up, his heart pounding in his ears. There was no one in sight, and Tellah, unnerved, checked under his bed and even the cabinet for added measure. He searched for his glasses amongst the folds of the bed sheets, finally finding them near the foot of the bed. With a grunt, Tellah bent to pick up the staff that at some point throughout the night rolled onto the ground.
The door creaked as it latched back into place, and the Innkeeper, a now much older man than when Tellah last saw him, poked his head in at the noise.
"Sir Tellah! There's breakfast if you wanted. Free of charge for the Elder's confidant, of course!"
"Thanks, David," Tellah said. It was a little jarring to see that Mysidia still considered him one of their own, especially since he hadn't been there in forever.
Once Tellah was full, he took to walking around town. In the time Tellah had not been here, Mysidia had boomed in growth. What used to be a small town with only scant students of magic and fishermen appeared to have turned into a city rivaling that of Baron. Tellah must have walked past quite a few street musicians and dancers in the first few minutes alone.
Still, even here at the outskirts of the capital, away from the Tower of Prayers that used to house Mysidia's crystal, did Tellah notice the damage done by Baron. There were several construction workers and masons relaxing in the patchy lawn in front of one of the larger residences at the end of the road, taking a break from rebuilding. The lawn had new sprouts of life amongst the ashes where the terrain had been burnt.
Merchants were on the streets announcing deals on wares, and instead of the usual jewels and trinkets, they were advertising construction materials and household décor. There was one man, whose description could only be described by Tellah as slimy despite his clean cut appearance, who was advertising property insurance for future war crimes. He tried to stop Tellah a few times to give him his spiel before Tellah threatened to scorch his eyebrows clean off.
Tellah, now irritated, made his way to the town square. To the right, he saw the pub he and Minwu used to frequent after long examinations or travels, having miraculously survived the onslaught. Minwu would usually read a book if more mages joined them, watching Tellah and the others slowly devolve into blubbering messes or dozing mages as the bartender kicked them out at closing. Looking back, he wondered why Minwu always joined if he was going to sip slowly at the one mug of ale he ordered and read amongst the noise.
The sun was still rising in the sky when Tellah thought, Oh-for old time's sake!, and stepped into the pub. Everything looked as he remembered it, and he felt like he had been teleported back to his twenties. He caught himself mindlessly walking to the table he and Minwu always claimed in the back corner.
"Minwu, for once can you get more than one drink? Hell, I'll buy it for you," Tellah said, flagging a waitress down to their table, signaling another round for the two of them. It usually meant Tellah was getting two more drinks for himself, but he wouldn't stop trying to convince his friend to drink more. Minwu had been quieter today, so there was a chance he'd convince him this time. Minwu sighed, placing his ribbon placeholder into the crevice of his book and shutting it.
"Fine," he said.
Tellah slapped him on the shoulder.
"Finally! I knew one day I'd see you drunk," Tellah said, smiling.
Minwu didn't react, instead gently caressing the book he just set down. Tellah raised his brows.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Minwu shrugged, muttered something that sounded like 'nothing' and drank the remaining half of his first ale. The waitress came up to the table with two new tankards and took the two empty ones off their table. Tellah watched Minwu pick up that one and take a large swig of it, too.
"Slow down," Tellah warned. "It'll still be there in a few, but you won't if you keep drinking like this."
Tellah's triumph turned to concern. They'd just returned from Mist, and though it wasn't as successful as Gale would have liked, they did manage to get in and out of the village with a response. Others had not been so lucky. They sat in silence as Minwu appeared to gather his nerves. He suddenly spoke.
"What Gale wants…I don't like it," Minwu said. He faced Tellah, his eyes already losing focus. Despite his size, Tellah realized that Minwu was very much a lightweight. Great for his coin purse, not so great for staying alert for long.
"A trade of knowledge between Mysidia and Mist? I'm not surprised at Mist's apprehension, but I understand why Gale wanted to try," Tellah said.
"It's not that," Minwu said. He drank more of the golden liquid in front of him, his eyes now glassy and his face flushing. "She wants more."
"More…?" Tellah prompted when Minwu went silent again.
Minwu downed the second drink, and flagged the waitress for a third round. Tellah chugged his own to keep up with his now sloshed friend, afraid if he hadn't Minwu would take Tellah's drink as well.
"I like blue," Minwu said, sighing once more. Tellah blinked.
"Blue?" Tellah asked. He had no idea where this conversation was headed. Each second grew more alarming.
"Like…like the Mysidian sea. So deep and bold…and calming, like the water crystal. Like Lydia's hair. It's beautiful," Minwu said. His face relaxed as he reminisced. Tellah opened his mouth, but found himself without words.
Minwu reached for Tellah's arm, grabbing it tightly. Tellah was still in the middle of processing the change of subject. He looked at his arm, then at Minwu. Minwu had a desperate look in his eye.
"Have you been with her? Are you…?" Minwu trailed off. His brows were furrowed together.
"Who-Lydia? No, we're just friends," Tellah said. Minwu let go, letting his hand fall on the table with a thunk.
"Oh," Minwu said. He closed his eyes and leaned back, letting his head touch the wall behind him.
"Maybe…if we get through this. If Gale is kind…maybe I can ask Lydia for a chance…," Minwu said.
"I don't see why not," Tellah said, amused. He never thought Minwu would be interested in-well, anyone. Tellah thought, up until now, that Minwu's true love was studying magic. He paused and sat upright. "Wait, what do you mean 'if we get through this' and 'if Gale is kind'? What's happening?"
Minwu tilted his head towards Tellah and opened his mouth. Tellah leaned forward to hear him. Minwu let out a loud snore.
Tellah sat at the table, reliving memories long forgotten. The place even smelled the same, though it was empty of other customers; it was as if decades of excitement and sorrow and all the other reasons men found it in themselves to seek solace in a pub had bled into the very walls of the place and made it their own. A waiter stopped by his table to ask for his order, and unlike all of those other times, Tellah simply ordered a glass of water. When the waiter came back, Tellah offered the man a chance to sit and talk about what had happened since Tellah left all of those decades ago.
It was rather bittersweet. Under Minwu, Mysidia prospered and grew its population. The mages now followed a more pacifist method to channel their magic, unlike the rage induced fervor introduced by Gale. It seems Minwu never strayed from the methods he'd learned from Gale's predecessor and was more than happy to bring back the ways of old mages.
The repercussions of such changes were that Mysidia could not defend itself from the slaughter caused by the soldiers of Baron as they pillaged their way to the crystal. Mages who tried to protect themselves and the tower were the first to die brutally. It deterred the rest of the mages from retaliation. The general consensus was anger at Baron, and dignified hatred towards the captain of the Red Wings.
Tellah thanked the man for his time, tipped him generously, and set off to buy gyshal greens from a vendor outside. He briefly thought about visiting Minwu, but what could he say to him now? Lydia and her daughter were dead. The secret Lydia forced him to keep had kept him away from his friend all of these long years. How could he face him now, knowing there was no chance Minwu would ever be able to meet his child, that Tellah had taken the opportunity away from him? Perhaps if he came back with Rydia, he could apologize and help make things right.
With heavy heart, Tellah left Mysidia, and headed for the chocobo forest. There isn't time anyways, he told himself. He needed Meteor.
It took Tellah three days from leaving Mysidia to finding the chocobo hideout before he finally made it to Mount Ordeals. He released the chocobo at the base of the mountain a mere few hours later, grateful that the creature had gotten him as far as it did: it refused to move any closer, as if it sensed something dangerous from the mountain.
Tellah watched the zombies growl and hiss as they dragged themselves closer to him. Their decomposing eyes searched for the originator of noise: Tellah felt his feet crunch the gravel beneath, welcoming the challenge. They seemed delighted to breathe in Tellah's scent - the scent of life, of that rare nourishment that dared to enter their fortress and offer itself to them freely.
Spirits moaned behind him, and he felt a chill like fingers crawl down his neck to his shoulder blades. Even though he couldn't see anything, Tellah swore even the ghosts were tasting him, relishing what they no longer recognized as nigh on cannibalism. Tellah felt goosebumps spread across his body, from his arms down to his feet and up his back; he noticed that the zombie in front had long chestnut hair, and before he could stop himself he thought, how long until Anna looks like her?
The repressive dam Tellah meticulously built around his grief collapsed.
He raised his staff high in the air and screamed for Fire to descend around him. The zombies cried out in pain at the flames, aimlessly sprinting for cover, their backs arching and twisting in pain as they collapsed. The ghosts wailed as they were ignited like dry kindling, fueling the flames wider and taller around him.
More moans and wails sprung up in the distance, approaching rapidly. It seemed all the creatures stepped over themselves to beg for death. Tellah would not leave them wanting. As they rounded blind mountain corners, Tellah cast again, relishing the feel of magic leaving his body and becoming the flurry of chaos around him.
Hours passed like this - Tellah casting fire over and over until he nearly fell with exhaustion. Until then, he hadn't realized that he'd been screaming Why?! over and over, and his voice was raw from doing so. The upper layer of gravel had melted into glass around him, and it shattered as he passed by. He walked back to the entrance to gain reprieve, but caught sight of the flames around the pass. He tried to step through, but the flames snapped at him. He cast Blizzard; the exertion he'd just put his body through made his spell render only the thinnest of snow. He only succeeded in creating steam, and the flames grew larger, as if the spell somehow fed it instead. He could've sworn he heard it laugh.
The mountain is angry with me, Tellah realized. In its defense, Tellah had shown up and wreaked havoc around its base. Perhaps it was asking him to see things through, or die trying. He groaned.
Tellah was drained - he needed a break, but there wasn't anywhere safe to rest. I'll have to make my own encampment, he thought. He backtracked up the mountain and found a crevice he could hide in. He crawled in, set his pack against the wall to rest his back on, and curled up as best he could. He didn't risk lighting a fire - with the undead acutely searching for noise and smell, it wasn't beneficial enough to risk bringing more of them to him, especially where he couldn't escape. Tellah felt exhaustion pull his eyelids down, and when he felt confident he would not be found, he fell asleep.
Tellah snapped awake in surprise. He was alarmed to find himself standing, leaning against his staff as if he was taking a quick break from a long walk with throbbing feet. He checked his belongings, relieved to see he had everything with him. His heart was pounding; he'd never sleepwalked before. Why now? Was it his deteriorating mind? Worse, was it the powers of the mountain pulling him to a painful death? If so, he was perturbed that it wouldn't offer him a fair fight. He assessed his surroundings, unsure of what roused him now, and not when he was in his makeshift camping space.
He was facing the steep side of the mountain, and he noticed the area he was at was far from the one he'd fallen asleep in. He was focused on recalling how long it might take to get here from there, when something caught his eye. He could've sworn the sheetrock blurred - as if the entire wall were vibrating quickly. Tellah stepped closer, his hand reaching out to touch it. The hairs on his arm stood outright, and his heart beat faster as his fingertips neared the stone-
"Tellah!"
Tellah turned around, surprised there was someone else on the desolate mountain, and more surprised that they knew his name. He readjusted his glasses.
"Cecil?" he asked. That was a face he wasn't expecting to see so soon.
Cecil walked up to him with two kids-twins-in tow. The girl's eyes lit up when she saw him, and the boy's had too, but he quickly feigned indifference the way growing children did when they deemed outward excitement as too childish - youthful ego's folly.
"Are you here for Meteor as well?" Tellah asked.
"Meteor? W-" interrupted the girl.
"You're that old sage Tellah, aren't ya?" interrupted the boy.
Tellah bit his tongue. The preteens might've been his least favorite age for Anna, and here he was dealing with two ten year old's. The girl must've noticed his irritation: she turned on her twin and reprimanded him.
"Palom! Do not disrespect the Great Sage of Mysidia like that!"
The girl curtseyed. Tellah cringed inwardly at the inane title Mysidians gave him so long ago. He was reminded again of why he avoided coming back whenever he could.
"It's an honor to meet you, sir. We came here from Mysidia under orders of our elder. We-"
"Yeah! We're spying-" interrupted the boy again. The girl lost her patience and gave the boy a swift thwack on the head with her staff. Tellah glanced at Cecil. Cecil shrugged, undisturbed by the events unfolding in front of him. Porom cleared her throat, demurely holding her staff behind her back.
"As I was saying," the girl said, speaking pointedly over her brother's pathetic whimpers. "We're serving as guides for Sir Cecil. My name is Porom, and that's-"
"Palom, a progeny-as claimed by the elder himself! I am the best black mage in Mysidia! And I'll be better than you at your peak in a few years!" Palom said, standing proudly.
"A progeny...of Minwu's? At his age?" Tellah asked, looking to Cecil for clarification. Cecil's eyebrows were raised so high they were nearly hidden by the raised visor.
"The elder didn't mention that," Cecil said.
"A pro-di-gy, Palom! Not a progeny!" Porom chided, hitting him again. Palom hunched over, hiding his head from his sister underneath a raised arm. "Honestly! I'm glad you remembered the word in front of the elder. To humiliate him in front of his longtime friend like this..."
"Noisy brats," Tellah muttered under his breath. Leave it to Minwu to find creative punishments for the man who razed Mysidia. Sending him to the peak of Mount Ordeals isn't enough; he has to shepherd children there as well?
He turned to Cecil, ignoring the hurt look on the twins' faces.
"Where's Rydia and Edward?" Tellah asked. He didn't see anyone else beside Cecil and the twins. He hoped it meant they were out of harm's way. Guilt washed over Cecil once more: a constant companion to the young man in the short time Tellah had come to know him.
"They're…gone. Our ship sank, and I lost them to the sea," Cecil said. He kept his eyes fixed to the ground. Tellah felt a pang of sympathy for Cecil. It seemed that misfortune followed the young man around, good though his intentions were.
"I see. That's a damn shame," Tellah said, and he meant it. More for Rydia than for Edward, but…Anna did care for the young man. He knew she'd be heartbroken, and in turn he felt a bit of pain knowing one of the few people she genuinely loved was gone.
Cecil nodded. He turned his attention back to the mountain trail.
"Golbez also kidnapped Rosa. I mean to save her," Cecil said.
The corner of his mouth twisting in pain was not lost to Tellah. Beside Cecil, Palom nudged Porom.
"Ten gil that's his girlfriend," he muttered to his sister.
Porom hushed him. Tellah thought he might agree with the young boy. Cecil ignored them.
"Now I'm here. The elder said I'll shed my darkness here, and the hallowed light would make me a paladin," Cecil continued.
Tellah nearly snorted. Minwu became pious rather quickly after gaining his title. He shouldn't have been too surprised; Minwu had always put his faith in destiny and daft legends of prophecy, written down and shared through the ages. It made sense that he would reignite the flames of religion in Mysidia under his guidance.
"Weren't you planning to go after Golbez?" Cecil asked.
Tellah nodded.
"I still am. My magic can't do anything against someone like him, if the rapid fall of Damcyan was any indication. I will only get one opportunity to-" Tellah paused and took a deep breath. "I need Meteor. I need to be sure I can kill him."
"Forgive me, Sir Tellah, but a man of your age casting a spell like that-" Porom began.
"I'm aware of that! I have made my peace with it!" Tellah snapped.
Palom rolled his eyes, muttering something about grownups.
"Since you're not in danger of growing up anytime soon, why don't you shut it?" Porom hissed at her brother.
Tellah changed the subject, facing Cecil once more.
"A paladin, huh? It appears there's more to this mountain than I expected. And it sounds like our goals align once more in the long run. I shall accompany you to Baron after to confront Golbez. Shall we?" Tellah said, taking the lead.
He shepherded them through the entire base of the mountain in silence. Cecil was always on the look-out, but Tellah had done a meticulous job of clearing out the undead up to the incline. Once they started hearing the groans, wails, and shuffles of creatures on elevated ground, Cecil took the lead and Tellah fell behind, letting the twins keep an eye out for flanking creatures as the unit moved up.
The girl was patient as she worked - any injuries were healed swiftly and calmly under her care. She appeared to be accustomed to the pace and needs of battle. She did, however, struggle with supporting a swordsman. Tellah understood: sword wielding fighters were few and far between in Mysidia. He helped her take advantage of her skill repertoire for Cecil by pointing out the optimal times to alternate healing with support. As a result, Cecil used less of his dark knight ability to cut through enemies.
Palom, on the other hand, appeared resistant to verbal pointers. He deliberately ignored Tellah's suggestions, often doing the opposite, and Tellah quickly learned to keep his mouth shut around him. Despite this, Tellah knew Palom was watching him carefully to learn how to cast faster. It didn't take long to see notable improvement in his abilities - and unfortunately, his bravado.
All it did was make him appreciate Rydia even more. Though younger and inexperienced in battle, by the end of their travels together she was able to autonomously alternate between white and black magic to help Tellah and Cecil. If needed, she listened right away to any direction from them. Like her grandmother, she came from quiet and unassuming power and she wasn't afraid to use it.
A damn shame, Tellah repeated to himself in his head. He couldn't help but feel that he also let Lydia down. He could have done more to help the child. Perhaps if he'd taken her with him, she'd have survived. No, he thought. He couldn't have. She had lost so much in such a short amount of time, and he, too, was set on a dangerous mission. If asked, she would have preferred to stay with Cecil anyways.
Another casualty of war. How many innocent girls have to die?
"Hssss…"
The hiss broke Tellah from his train of thought. It sounded everywhere and nowhere, both close and far. They all turned to glare at Palom. He took a step back. Porom swatted his shoulder.
"It wasn't me!" he said indignantly.
They climbed higher up the mountain, where the wind whipped their hair and clothes incessantly. They came across a rickety bridge. As the most agile and likely to survive a fall, Cecil crossed first, followed by Porom and Tellah. As another gust blew the bridge into a dangerous swing, Porom whimpered and clutched a fistful of Tellah's sleeve. Cecil held the ropes taut on the other end, stabilizing the bridge as best as he could.
"Hsss..."
Tellah snapped his attention back to Palom.
"It wasn't me! Seriously!" Palom said. Tellah opened his mouth to reprimand him after catching the terrified, angry look on Porom's face as she tried to stay upright. Her eyes squeezed shut to avoid looking at the depths below.
"It wasn't him," Cecil said.
Tellah turned back to Cecil. Cecil raised his visor, his eyes serious and wary.
"I was watching him. He didn't say a thing," he finished.
"You see?!" Palom said, relaxing as he was vindicated.
Tensions built amongst the group as they realized the implication. Porom took a tiny step forward again, and Tellah hurried to help her pass. With a sudden pop, Palom appeared next to his sister, avoiding the bridge entirely. She was taking slow, deep breaths as she whipped her collar open and closed, fanning herself to calm down.
"Let's keep moving," Cecil said. He met Tellah's eyes.
Stay alert, he seemed to say. Tellah nodded in silent acknowledgement.
Cecil walked ahead of them with his hand perpetually on his blade, his steps small and ready for battle at any given moment. Palom and Porom held their staff and rod upright in a similar, tense fashion, shoulders brushing together on every step. Tellah kept turning to watch their rear, afraid that one of the times he'd look there'd be something there. Each time there was only the breeze and dead leaves rolling along the ground.
They came to a narrow fork in the road. One beckoned to the right, and the other continued further ahead. Tellah tried to look further ahead on both roads, but the path to the right curved left and out of sight, and the other was blocked by steep elevation as the stairs obscured the view further ahead.
"Which way do we go?" Porom asked. She wrapped her cape around her shoulders with one hand, her free fingers enveloping the fabric around herself like a blanket to keep her warm.
"Forward! Duh, Porom!" Palom said, shoving past Cecil towards the path ahead.
"Palom, wait!" Cecil called out, chasing after him.
Porom gasped and Tellah stiffened as they felt disgust brush over them. It was putrefaction, corruption of every good facet of magic to its core. He abhorred the feel on his skin, but it remained like a layer of tar and he nearly believed it would seep into his soul.
Palom came to a stop a second later, and he shivered.
"What the hell was that?" he asked as he turned around.
"Palom, get back here!" Tellah bellowed, raising his staff to the air and summoning purifying flames behind Palom, at arms outstretched around him.
Palom leapt off of the stairs. Cecil was on his way up to him when he caught Palom with his left arm, letting his momentum swing the child behind him as his blade flew out of its scabbard with his right. The sound was deafened by the loud hissing coming from the creature; it swung its decomposing claws through the space where Palom had just been, delayed as the flames subsided not a moment too soon.
The hooded creature laughed, its body dancing to a deteriorated cadence, a rhythm like a music box with rotted mechanisms. Tellah felt dread grow in the pit of his stomach.
"I will enjoy feeding on your flesh. I, Scarmiglione, archfiend of earth, sssservant of Lord Golbez, and I will dispose of you. Relish the feel of air in your lungs and the pulse thrumming through your chest, for they will be gone when I'm through with you!"
Several ghouls stumbled towards them from the left and right. Tellah pulled Porom towards the center, waving his staff threateningly at them. They continued forward, ready to consume.
"Feassssst, my children!" Scarmiglione said.
"Cross the bridge! We'll be cornered if we hold our ground here!" Cecil called, keeping Scarmiglione off of the mages as they rushed back and across.
The fight was…surprisingly easy?
With Palom and Tellah focused on cooking the undead, and Porom accidentally hitting Scarmiglione with a Cure meant for Cecil, they took and kept the upper hand. Cecil pierced the distracted archfiend with his blade. Scarmiglione let out a dying breath, and collapsed to the ground. He lay unmoving in front of them.
The party stared at the corpse, surprised as they were at the creature that came to greet them. Finally, Cecil spoke.
"Golbez knew we were here, and sent Scarmiglione to stop us," Cecil said. He put away his sword and crossed his arms, facing the stairs where they first met him. "There's something here, there must be."
"Cecil, a safety ward!" Porom said.
They turned to look at Porom, who had moved ahead towards curve in the righthand path and was waving them over. A relieved smile lit up her tired features.
"Sweet!" Palom said, running after his sister. "I told you guys we should've gone right instead of forward."
Cecil rolled his eyes and followed. Tellah felt his blood pressure rise. He's only ten, he's only ten, he repeated to himself. They set up a tent on the sparkling lines, finally relaxing as they sat to eat an evening meal.
In what he felt was a stroke of rare genius, Tellah started a conversation with Cecil on the perils of overconfidence and arrogance. Cecil, catching on right away, agreed with Tellah's thoughts and added a few stories of his own. He told him of soldiers he commanded who ended up in the infirmary after foolish acts of would-be heroism, who ended up needing to be rescued themselves. Palom listened quietly but said nothing. Porom sat with her back towards the flames, oblivious to the conversation and holding a book at shoulder level to catch the firelight.
After an hour or so, the twins pulled out their sleeping bags and went to sleep. Cecil and Tellah stayed up a while longer, and Cecil caught Tellah up on everything, from the attack on Fabul and the subsequent loss of the wind crystal and Rosa to Leviathan destroying the ship headed to Baron and the subsequent loss of the ship's passengers, including Rydia, Edward, and a Fabulian monk by the name of Yang.
Cecil eventually rolled out his own sleeping bag and went to sleep. Though Tellah caught himself yawning repeatedly, he hesitated to fall asleep, afraid that he'd sleepwalk himself into becoming a gourmet dinner for summit zombies. He didn't know when he finally lost the fight to exhaustion, but he awoke to Cecil's rousing at light break. Relieved to find himself still in the camp, Tellah stood and helped put away the used tent.
They came across the same stairs, and at the top of those they could see a longer bridge extending to the peak of the mountain. At the peak they saw a small, marble mausoleum with shattered pillars adorning the surrounding area.
"What do you think we'll find?" Tellah asked Cecil.
It looked nothing like he remembered when he'd met Gale there so long ago. Cecil turned to him.
"There's only one way to find out," he said.
Cecil took a few tentative steps onto the boards of the bridge. He shook them gently, and when he felt confident they would hold, he gestured for the mages to follow. They had just crossed the bridge when Porom screamed, running forward and clinging to Cecil's waist, pointing behind him.
Cecil turned around and drew his sword, immediately slicing at his body for his powers. Tellah turned too late, and felt a heavy limb slam into his side, throwing him to the ground. He scrambled to stand, wincing at his bruised rib when he heard the dreaded cackle. It was Scarmiglione once again.
"Impressive. But my true sssstrength lies in death! I will sssmite your ruin upon this mountainside!"
Tellah heard Palom gasp as Scarmiglione stood upright, no longer hidden by his cloak.
"Those who see this face must die," Scarmiglione finished, his decayed teeth bared as he laughed again. The movement shook loose flesh and hair off of his forehead and scalp, exposing his skull as the piece hit the ground with a disgusting squelch. Two enormous tusks the size of tree trunks grew out of Scarmiglione's back and sides.
The smell of rot overwhelmed Tellah's senses, his eyes watering from the strength of it. Porom retched, her face turning green as she tried to keep her composure. Tellah felt a gentle pull on his side where he was hit, and to his horror saw another dislodged piece of sinew unpeel slowly from his cloak. Underneath that was a stab wound from where the overgrown tusk had pierced him. It was too much for Tellah, and he emptied the contents of his stomach then and there. There was blood in his vomit, and he cursed at the poison the archfiend must have inflicted on him when he hit him. Tellah clutched his twisting stomach with one arm, and raised his staff to cast Fire with the other.
Cecil wasted no time drawing attention from the creature, his blade swinging at Scarligmione relentlessly. Scarmiglione leaned back, and Cecil found his sword cleaved into one of the tusks. Scarmiglione took advantage of the situation, swinging his body violently sideways. The sword, and in turn Cecil, who hadn't let go of his weapon, went flying towards the mountainside with a loud crash and clatter. He turned his hungry gaze towards Porom, and drool dribbled out from the exposed portions of his lower jaw.
Porom fell to the ground and bawled, covering her eyes with her hands. Whatever Scarmiglione was expecting, it certainly wasn't that. He paused in surprise, or perhaps...hesitation?
"Hmph. Looks like dying didn't make you lose your cowardice. Going after the smallest one of us? You're only doing that because you're afraid of what I could do to you in two seconds!" Palom said, sneering.
Scarmiglione growled, taking the bait and going after Palom. Palom grinned and held his fire rod high. A powerful explosion of Fira burnt most of the Scarmiglione's face, chest, and back. Porom stood and pretend wiped at her dry eyes, a small smile adorning her face. Scarmiglione screeched, the loud echoes causing a few rocks to roll down the mountainside towards the party. They all managed to dodge the debris.
Scarmiglione stood tall and flexed his upper body. Noxious gas emitted from exposed muscle, expanding towards the group and clinging to the ground. Tellah found himself barely able to move, for if he so much as breathed it in he'd devolve into coughing fits that left him unable to speak.
The others fared the same, and Tellah realized in horror that all of the mages were now incapacitated. Cecil stood up, using his sword as a crutch to get him out of the gas. It appeared to slow him down some, but he was still able to rejoin the fray. Cecil distracted the archfiend with more hand to hand combat while Tellah dug through his pack for echo herbs and remedies.
He handed some herbs to Palom, who was closest to him. He turned towards Porom and stretched to give her some as well. Cecil fell in between their outstretched arms, his metal armor pinching both mages' arms to the ground. Tellah bit back a curse, rolling away from Scarmiglione's incoming fist. Porom crawled behind the archfiend to the mountain's edge where Palom stood, taking a potion from his pack and drinking it. Tellah ingested the echo herbs, the remaining aftereffects enabling him to breath through the dissipating gas.
He stood, casting Cura on Scarmiglione. The spell tried to mend the decaying flesh, instead causing more to fall off inhuman bones like melting chocolate. Cecil, still on his knees, lunged forward and plunged his sword through Scarmiglione's chest. He stood and used his foot to hold back Scarmiglione as he drew his sword out. Palom cast Fira again. The archfiend stumbled back, balancing precariously on the edge.
"Die, loser!" Palom screamed, jabbing Scarmiglione with his rod as though it were a pitchfork. As Scarmiglione tilted back, Palom turned his back to him, laughing triumphantly to the party.
"No!" Tellah shouted, hobbling towards him.
Cecil saw it, too, and threw himself at Palom. Porom, still unable to speak to warn her brother, pushed Palom to the ground and took the full force of Scarmiglione's final swing as he fell off. Tellah watched in slow motion as Cecil caught the end of Porom's cape as she flew off. She swung back towards them, but Cecil was pulled to the ground from the momentum of her fall and she instead hit the mountainside below.
Tellah heard the hollow slam, and Cecil rapidly pulled Porom up the side of the pass, her motionless body dragging along the ground. Blood pooled around her head where she took the brunt of the hit. Palom reached forward and threw a Phoenix Down on his sister, pulling her into his lap. The feathers melded into her chest, and she let out a ragged breath as a warm light exploded in her chest and pulsed outwards towards her head, fingers, and toes.
"You idiot! You almost got your sister killed!" Tellah said, grabbing Palom's collar, his face inches from the boy's.
A tear rolled down Palom's face as he hugged his disoriented sister tighter.
"Tellah, he didn't mean to!" Cecil said, stepping between Tellah and Palom, pressing a hand on Tellah's chest and forcing him back.
"He's a child who thinks he can handle himself like an adult. Do you know what happens to anyone who bites off more than they can chew?"
Tellah glared at Palom around Cecil's shoulder.
"They die, or worse, they get someone else killed," Tellah finished.
Cecil raised his visor and pushed Tellah back further, furious eyes meeting his own.
"Then we're responsible for keeping them alive-" Cecil started.
"I cannot heal the dead, Cecil. As much as I would have loved to have healed my dead daughter-"
"Don't. Don't go there. I lost Rydia," Cecil said, his voice sharp and shaking. "I lost a child, too. I didn't even get to bury her. Why didn't you wait long enough to bury Anna?"
Tellah felt shame amidst his anger. He looked away. Cecil continued.
"I won't take out my pain on these children. You speak of arrogance as though you're above it, but all I've seen from you is just that. None of us knew what would happen. You didn't know Damcyan would be obliterated, I didn't know the ship would sink, and Palom didn't know he was putting his sister at risk. He's fortunate the consequences weren't as dire as ours. We learn from our mistakes, Tellah."
Cecil turned his back on him, instead focusing on Porom. He fed her a potion and helped her stand when she regained her strength. Cecil and the twins walked past him, towards the mausoleum.
"Let's go," Cecil said.
He shoved open the marble doors and went inside, the twins in tow. Tellah sucked his teeth, nodded to no one in particular, and followed them into the building.
A/N: I blinked and the next thing I knew, there were so many words in this chapter...decided to split it after all as a result :)