Scene 4: Moonlit (K)night
Could this mountain truly wash away his bloodstained past?
That single thought crashed into Cecil's mind over and over. It was there when he bartered for some provisions for the journey. It was there when he bought a few arrows for Porom and a knife for Palom. It was even there when he glanced over a map, lips in a straight line as he finger moved in a not so straight line along the path they were to take. That thought, and occasionally one other, of whether if, and that was a big if, he could survive the mountain, would the light deem him worthy?
Rolling that thought up and pushing it aside as he did to the map, Cecil suited up, his sword making a satisfying clink as it settled into his sheath. He carried the helm and a backpack, meeting the twins in the hallway. Palom chatted up some young woman while his sister checked her potions. It still bemused and bewildered the dark knight that they'd been assigned to assist him. No matter how mature they were he constantly feared they'd only get in the way.
Still when called out to them they snapped to attention (well, Porom did, and shook her brother into doing the same). The white mage asked again if he rather wait at least another day for his wound to fully heal. Lukhan had offered Cecil up to a week to rest in the city but the dark knight opted to leave the next day. He didn't relish the idea of remaining in this city any longer than strictly necessary.
As they approached the gates, the dark knight's mind fluttered back to Rosa, the largest reason for his leaving immediately. He didn't know of her fate; she could already be dead and he might soon join her. His heart constricted at the thought and he shook it away. Thinking like that would only depress him, and going on this journey could give him the tools to rescue her. He had to believe her still alive. He had to.
Although that was clearly the main reason, it was not the only one. While Lukhan had ordered the city not to lay a finger on him, the glares and comments didn't decrease. If anything, after somehow discovering that he was set to scale Mount. Ordeals, the jeers and ridicule intensified, some deriding the decision and others merely mocking it.
"You, a paladin?" That was the white mage he'd bumped into. "Don't make me laugh!"
"You actually believe that you can become a paladin?" That was the black mage that had pursued him. "That's so rich!"
"Palom, Porom! Don't trust that man for a moment!" And that was the elderly storekeeper. Apparently his ability to be accepted by the light wasn't the only thing the mages doubted about him. His very honor was in question, but considering everything the dark knight had put them through he could hardly blame them.
And so it was a relief to find himself at the gate, soon to be away from this city who's rainclouds seemed to follow him whereever they went. Lukhan awaited them there, his expression wavering between wonder and worry and every other shade of emotion in between. His hug nearly crushed the twins. Clearly they were dear to them, and it gave Cecil pause that the Elder would part with them for his assistance.
Despite their age, Porom and Palom seemed calm, Porom assuring the Elder they'd return safe and sound while Palom waving away the worry with an upturned palm spewing ice. A show-off if there ever was one. Their own good humor heartened the dark knight but when Lukhan turned his attention to him, it made Cecil uncomfortable again. Those gray eyes verily shone.
Did the Elder not understand that he was a simple, lesser man?
But then he was not the only one. Rosa thought him special. The King and Queen of Baron claimed he was no ordinary boy, taking him in as one of their own. His friends always made him the defacto leader, even though Cecil never so much as asked or indicated an interest, his own voice always hushed and hesitant. Everyone always placed such unrealistic expectations on his shoulders.
With a sigh Cecil put the helm on his head, lowering his visor. Then, with the twins in tow, he exited Mysidia.
*
They travelled for hours across plains and through forests. Palom's mouth never ceased, expounding on his many vaulted arcane skills. His twin occasionally cut in, cutting down his tall tales to be more believable and Cecil guessed, more truthful. The black mage would pout, feigning hurt and go on teasing his twin for spoiling his fun. Meanwhile Porom queried Cecil about his health, and received an affirmative grunt each time.
When they took a break, the dark knight scanned the map. Judging by their pace and by the terrian Cecil estimated they'd arrive by the base of the mountain by noon tomorrow. He crumpled it up and stuffed it back into his pack, telling the twins it was time to move on. They all had a drink of water and shuffled on.
"And there I was up against a dragon--"
"He means a wyvern."
"It was a dragon!"
"It was too small to be a dragon."
"It was a small dragon then."
"A small dragon IS a wyvern."
"Na-uh!" Palom became animated now, arms tossed in the air. But as he prepared to launch into another off-the-wall justification for his assessment, Cecil's hand flipped up.
"Quiet."
Had he heard correctly? The bushes rustled, branches snapped and heavy breathing stank in the air. Speaking softly Cecil instructed the mages to draw their weapons. His visor flew up, affording him a better view of the trees around them. His body fell into a rigid, pre-battle stance. While battle could be quite arbitrary and deadly, it was a relief to him. Here he was in his element, away from acccusing stares and harsh words; here, immersed in blood and screams and death, was a place he belonged.
Out they came from the bush letting out guttural curses and tossing knives. Cecil batted them back with his own blade, sending one into the heart of its wielder. Imps, and a score or more of them. Perhaps they thought a single knight and two young mages as easy pickings.
How wrong they were.
Cecil sliced and diced dispatching half a dozen within minutes. The imps quickly realized the power in the dark knight and attempted to give him a wide berth and focus on the physically weaker mages. But they would find no quarter as the Cecil took them down. Monsters were at one time peaceful creatures as Edward explained, but the evil that flooded Baron perverted them also and turned them wild and murderous.
And so while his weapon struck to end life, he did so with no shame, aware that every swing of his sword likely saved the life of some unwary traveller.
A shadow the size of a wyvern (or small dragon!) engulfed Cecil's form. He glanced up, blue eyes shadowed by his visor. His sword swung up, but had to spin back down to block a strike of a spear from another Imp. Though possessing Deathbringer and trained for decades as Baron's fiercest warrior even he must break when facing an assault from the ground and the sky.
What he wouldn't kill to have Kain's dragoon skills, Yang's marital arts techniques or one of Tellah's spells or any of his friends right about now. He was without support of any kind.
Or so he thought.
A cone of flames sprang up from the ground, spinning around the Zu. A horrible scream issued from its maw, and it plunged to its death a few feet away. Dust floated up and distracted the imps giving Cecil the chance to behead one of them. Capitalizing on the distraction further, Cecil went to town on the rest of the imps, slaying them easily.
After the last imp perished, the dark knight rushed over to the twins. Though beads of sweat graced their foreheads they appeared in good health and even better spirits. They sustained not a single injury. Not only had they not needed his protection but they were actually what rescued him when he was in dire danger!
Cecil coughed. "That was..."
"Amazing?" Palom grinned from ear to ear. "Oh, don't tell me you thought me some sort of grade one apprentice mage! Have you not heard any of the stories I've told you?" The black mage bounded around, back to chattering about his endless arcane arsenal.
The admonishment drew a blush out of the dark knight. "Well, I..."
"Don't mind him." Porom fussed around him, white robe making slight swishing sounds. "Are you injuried? Looks like your wound reopened. Here, hold still, I'll heal it again." Her hands lifted and a green light circled Cecil. The wound closed, yet somehow he knew it wasn't gone. He'd not given it enough time to properly heal before setting out, and he was always one to heal slowly.
"We should rest."
At first, the former Lord Captain thought to press on further. If they travelled for another few hours they could possibly cut their trip the next day short and reach the mountain by mid-morning. The faster to the mountain and the sooner this quest was over, the sooner he could go after Rosa. And on some level he knew he wanted to get this over with, because he feared a part of him would balk and he'd run away, too afraid to challenge the mountain and the power within it.
The pack slumped to the ground, the bedroll falling out of it.
"Here we rest."
*
Hues of gold, orange and red danced upon Cecil's face, etching the thoughts upon it into prominence. His mind drifted back to Rosa as it often wont to these days. Days of long walks, long talks, dining and dancing or just spending time together on his bed with not a word spoken and yet everything shared.
"Who is she?"
Jolted out of his memories, the dark knight glanced at Porom who taken a seat on the log next to him. She and her brother set up their bedrolls swiftly, the latter flopping over to snore almost instantly. Overexertion, Cecil supposed. It still amazed him how powerful these young folk were, and yet still how innocent and cheerful they could at the same time be. Porom stayed up even though Cecil told her it was unnecessary; he'd keep his promise to watch over them til dawn. Perhaps she wasn't entirely trusting of him, and he couldn't say he blamed her.
Yet, seeing her unassuming face he didn't believe that for a second. Nor could fathom how she'd known. "I--How?"
She chuckled. "You have that look on your face that guys get when they think of a special girl."
A smile graced his lips. "Her name is Rosa. She is....dear to me. After we scale the mountain I must go find her and protect her." That smile ghosted away. "I failed to before. She deserved better." Then he lowered his gaze, embarrassed. "Nevermind. I shouldn't have bothered you with that."
Another chuckle. "Don't be silly. You just care about her and miss her. You're a good guy, Cecil."
Why did everyone always say that?
She poked the fire with a stick sending sparks to stirring. "I hope a guy one day looks like that when he thinks about me."
Now it was his turn to laugh a little. "Don't you doubt it."
Her cherubic face turned back to him, brightened. "You are a good guy, you just don't know it yet."
Standing up, the white mage bid him goodnight, descending upon her bedroll eagerly. By the sounds of her soft breathing, the dark knight realized she'd fallen asleep. The twins looked like two little angels, framed by bright firelight and moonlight. The sight made him wonder if one day he'd be father and silently swore to himself to protect them, were it even to cost his life.
He might not be stellar at protecting those he cared about, but it wouldn't stop him from trying all the same.
That gaze then flew up to the moons, like silver coins sewn into ebony velvet. Twin moons. A lot of things came in twos. Twins. Best friends. Lovers. Lovers...his mind returned to Rosa, finding its place before Porom had interupted. Rosa was an amazing woman. He treasured every part of her, even the parts that weren't angelic or idolizing. She was not a fantasy to be obsessed over, but a woman to appreciated for her own strength.
His eyes closed and the images burned behind the lids. It had been many long months since any of them had heard from Kain. Rosa and Cecil missed their friend dearly and longed to know he was alive. The wait to hear any sort of news was killing them. And though he'd much rather have him here than not, the one benefit of Kain's absence was that it postponed having to deal with his reaction towards the two of them.
The day came. While Cecil trained and Rosa kept him company word circulated that the prodigal son returned. But something about the dragoon had changed. The moment Kain came into view Cecil felt it, a coldness, a darkness in his eyes that was not there before. And those shadows only deepened as they passed over Cecil and Rosa, and the very little distance between them.
His fist met Cecil squarely in the jaw.
Kain knew. He'd apparently known for some time now, as word reached him through means Cecil had no way of figuring out, and the dragoon certainly wasn't telling. Kain said that the how he knew didn't matter, but rather that he did, and how disgusted he was with Cecil over it. He hurled a number of obscentities at his former friend, yet spared not one harsh word at Rosa. The dark knight took it all with barely a complaint, yet Rosa was not so subdued.
Out came her anger, hurt and frustration. For one so gentle, her words were not gentle now. She berated Kain for acting without asking, for even thinking he had the right to question it. She spewed back his words of "setting her free" and that he had no right to harp on them.
Things were never the same among the three of them again after that. Of course they'd all made nice and hung out and everything went back to normal, sort of. But Kain was aloof now and his presence made both of them uncomfortable at times. They all pretended it it was nothing. That everything would sort itself out.
Cecil lowered his head, the moonlight gracing his white hair. He couldn't see the darkness swallowing Kain's soul until it was too late. Couldn't stop Goblez from subverting Baron, stealing the crystals and kidnapping Rosa. Couldn't protect his friends as Leviathan came crashing down, seperating them all. And now he was expected to do the impossible yet again.
A dark knight become a paladin? When chocobos fly!