Scene 6: Precipice
The grey pre-dawn covered the skies, leaving a melancholy feeling in the cold mountain air. He'd barely slept a wink all night. He supposed now was the perfect time to get sucked into the time vortex of his memories even though the dark knight was hardly wanting and willing. His mind had a...mind of its own, dragging him into the past.
He had kept it hidden in his pocket. A grin wove its way across his face. When Rosa arrived at his behest he'd pulled her aside, his eyes shining. Out came the ring. He was proposing to his long-term girlfriend, Nina.
There was a flash of surprise on Rosa's face, followed by something Cecil hadn't expected--sadness. He'd frowned, disappointed. At one point he'd had a crush on Rosa herself, but that was in the past now. It was time to commit to Nina. Yet the next few words the white wizardess said crushed his whole world.
Nina had been unfaithful. Kain had caught her writing a letter to her lover, a man she'd once been involved with. She had wanted out, but instead of simply saying so she'd played the field with Cecil's heart as the ball, bounced and beaten around. And now she'd dropped the ball.
Cecil hadn't cried even though he'd wanted to. His heart had felt like a cold stone in his chest. Rosa had hugged him, encouraging him to confront Nina. It was a terrifying thought, but the dark knight knew she was right. He was so numb from having his future as he knew it ruined Cecil wondered if he'd ever feel again.
Standing before Nina he realized he could feel again--anger and despair. Anger at the betrayal; despair at the loss. When she took his hands in hers, they felt foreign. Like she'd plunged a blade into his body her words cut through him. She didn't love him, though he was a "great guy". With a kiss to his cheek, Nina walked out of Baron and out of his life forever. And they were to be engaged that very night.
After returning to his quarters he'd stayed there for a day and a half. Rosa and Kain constantly came around to coax him out. It was only when Kain left for Troia in search of his father, ending things with the white wizardess around that time that the dark knight finally broke free of his cloud of misery. He'd trained for the position of Lord Captain, focused his negative energy into productivity on the battlefield and was awarded the highest acolades but it was only when someone shared his pain did he realize how much he was needed.
Rosa needed him. His pain helped him to relate to hers. They both lost something precious through no real fault of their own. They swore together not wallow in their grief, but rather focus on helping others, he as a protector of Baron, she as a healer of the ill and infirm. And it was after a few more months that the dark knight realized that his heart reeled in turmoil once again.
He was falling for her again, harder and faster this time. And he was never more terrified.
Cecil blinked, realizing he'd been lost in the storm of memories so long he hadn't seen his companions rise. Tellah was busily studying a mage-book, muttering words the dark knight could only guess as arcanic. Porom and Palom cooked something greasy and smokey, the white wizardess complaining about how messy it was while her brother intentionally made it even messier.
Standing at the edge, Cecil crossed his arms, observing the shimmering lakes below. Tellah strode over to him, mumbling in his snow-white beard. "There is an evil on this mountain, but also a strong force of light." He shot the dark knight a sideways glance. "Which do you suppose we'll encounter?"
Before Cecil could answer his attention was drawn to a sharp hissing sound. Hauling off his helm he listened carefully and was rewarded with it twice more. It appeared in the direction they were headed which was the bridge on the summit that stood between them and their destination, a beautiful cystalline tomb at its highest peak.
What did that tomb house? Somehow as they neared the edifice the more Cecil became convinced that this all was not mere chance. The Elder insisted his presence was destiny somehow, something ordained by the fates decades or more before. The dark knight was not a spiritual sort, but there was no denying the powerful aura of the mountain and especially that tomb.
Porom bonked her brother on the head. "Stop that!"
"I'm not doing anything!" he protested, rubbing his head.
Frowning Cecil said, "Let's move on. We'll figure it out soon enough."
In less than ten minutes the four were on the move again, trekking towards the bridge. More of the undead stood in their path, but even while the dark knight was little more than a distraction between the magics of Tellah and the twins nothing could stand against it. In short order they stood before the bridge but stopped short of crossing it.
There it was again. That hiss.
The white mage waved her fist meancingly at her twin. "I told you to stop that!"
"And I told you that wasn't me!"
Tellah clenched a fist. "An evil presence is drawing near." The white-haired sage's eyes pierced the fog.
A voice emanted in the air, like rusted nails scrapping against bricks. "Such pleasure I will take in delivering you to the Gates of Hell!"
"Who's there?" demanded the dark knight as drew his sword out of habit; it made him feel better to bear it, even though he realized the futility of it. "Be on your guard!" he uttered to the others.
Tellah and the twins braced, energy snapping at their fingertips. Again there was that harsh hiss, this time extending into creul laughter. In a flash of perverted light a creature appeared before them. It was entirely cloaked in a rotting robe, skeletal hands seeming as if it had not known flesh or warmth in centuries. Inside the hood only two dark globes could be seen.
"I am the oarsman who will ferry you beyond the veil. The Blighted Despot, Scarmiglione--archfiend of earth, and the first of Golbez's circle of four!"
The twins gasped simultaneously and Tellah growled. Cecil's eyes glazed, in shock. What had they evoked? This one of the elemental archfiends---one of the four strongest forces on all the Blue Planet! The stench that billowed from Scarmiglione could fell a horse and the very miasma of evil felt like it burnt his bones to dust.
Still Cecil stood his ground, swordhand shaking. A glance at his companions told the story of their fear and they looked to him to lead them, to somehow deliver them from this disaster. The dark knight gazed back at them devoid of fear, investing his expression with a bravey he did not feel. Willing not, wanting not, still he was their leader and his duty was to fear nothing.
"My undead children hunger to feast on your flesh!"
A horde of undead crawled out of the very ground to the archfiend's feet, that hunger clearly in their soulless eyes. With no other warning they attacked.
It all felt like a soundless succulent dance as the dark knight dashed in, sword held high. It barely scored a scratch, yet that did not deter him. Hands gropped his arms and legs, sending a stinging coldness through his blood, but neither did that stop him. Cecil felt like a lamb to the slaughter as he was distinctly aware that his sole purpose was to be the bait before the quarry.
A bolt of searing blindness struck the ground inches from the dark knight. He let out a cry, stumbling backwards. Then his sword came out mindlessly, sought any sort of contact to acknowledge his efforts. It bounced off rotting flesh, but did manage to turn the undead's attention to him. They circled him now, tightening until they could tear the very skin from his bones.
And he wasn't even up against the archfiend himself.
Bright flames cycloned the undead rending them ash. Cecil choked momentarily, staggering back. As the smoke cleared he could see the white mage and black mage let out deep breaths, their magical exertions tiring them. A smile fought its way onto his face. He'd served his purpose well enough. Keep the enemy busy with him long enough to give the wizards a chance to eliminate them.
Then the dark knight's vision vanished. A blinding spell of sorts. His mind sketched the image he'd had mere moments before. His sword swung out, even more useless now that he knew naught where to direct it. Something came into contact with his shoulder, sending Cecil flying back, crashing into the hard stone ground.
The air vanished from his lungs upon impact. Choking, Cecil slid his hand along the ground for his sword. Blessedly his vision cleared after he heard a magical chime. Tellah stood by his side, face white as the undead themselves. The twins were just a few feet ahead, both looking entirely spent. The undead had all perished but their master remained.
Like a demon straight from the depths of hell Scarmiglione leapt toward them, talon-like hands reaching for them. Without thinking Cecil pushed Tellah back and ran in front of the twins. His sword tore into the fleshless body of the archfiend. It halted him, but the monster gave no indication of pain, merely pulling back and with a claw snatched up the dark knight by the neck.
"Look into the eyes of Death's keeper!"
Sword slipping out of his grasp, the former Lord Captain dug his hands into that which gripped him, but he might as well been trying to tear away chains. He could feel his body growing weaker and weaker as the air was forcibly kept from his lungs. Again his vision blurred, much more rapidly this time and for a much graver reason.
How could he die here and now? Rosa needed him. He still needed to redeem his soul. This could not be the end...could it?
A flash of light burst into his eyelids. That which held him released, and the dark knight fell to the ground. He hit the stone, shattering a rib and uttered a deep cry of pain. Again his vision came back and it now he cried with joy to see the archfiend of earth stumbling back, having taken a bolt to his chest. Smoke wafted from the charred bones, giving off an even worse stench.
Then he vaporized completely.
"You are the craziest man I've ever met!" exclaimed Tellah as he helped the dark knight to his feet. "Risking your life to give us the time to restore our magic."
Blushing at the praise, Cecil muttered, "I'm simply trying to help somehow." His head lowered, shamed. "I know I'm probably more of a hinderance than a help."
"I should smack you upside the head too."
Sage and dark knight both glanced over as Porom and Palom strode over to them. Palom wore his characteristically smug expression, no doubt gloating over what carnage his magic wrought. Meanwhile his sister had her eyes trained on Cecil, an admonish clearly in them. In her eyes he saw admiration and appreciation gleam.
"You nearly died keeping him at bay." She punched him playfully on the arm. "Give yourself credit."
Yawning, her brother agreed. "I got to hand it to you, dark knight, that's some guts you got."
His jaw slackened. His sword barely dented those monsters and yet they still smiled, impressed, at him. Smiled like Rosa when restored her health with the sand pearl. Smiled like Rydia when he defended her from the guards come to take her away. Smiled like Edward as he took a blow to keep the bard-prince from singing his swan song in Fabul.
But...it was nothing. He was just doing his duty, protecting them to the best of ability, managing barely a recognizable effort.
And they admired him for it.
Maybe there was something to what Rosa said, that he was special in some way.
He swallowed twice before clearing his throat enough to say, "We should take a break." A hand gestured towards a small copse of trees. "There. Then we regroup to pass over the bridge and into the tomb to find out what exactly the archfiend was defending."
As the twins and Tellah followed his orders wordlessly Cecil could only stare, mouth agape. Like the time when he'd gone after the twins or any other act of....well, bravery, he'd not considered it heroism or anything remotely of that nature. But the more he thought of it the more the dark knight had to wonder if actually a mote of light did breathe somewhere in his soul.
And he'd be damned if it was lost to the darkness.