Chapter 1: A Huge Annoyance

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As soon as Palom saw him stagger into the city he got a horrible feeling. He had never seen him before, but there was just something about him that made him uneasy. The strange man with long, stringy white hair noticed the boy's nervous gaze and stared back. Even at a distance, Palom could see a face full of sorrow—no, not sorrow: despair.

Nonetheless, Palom ran back inside to tell his mother and sister.

"Mom, Porom, there's someone outside," he yelled into the house.

Mira came out of the kitchen, her hands covered in flour and dough. "Who is it, son?" she asked.

Palom shrugged. "I don't know. I've never seen him before."

Mira came to the door and looked out. Porom came running from her room to see what was going on.

"What have we told you about yelling in the house?" she scolded.

"There's someone out there. There's something about him that's… it's just weird," Palom explained.

The twins crowded around Mira on the doorstep, looking for the stranger. He had disappeared.

"I don't see anyone," Mira said, sounding a bit peeved.

"But he was just here!" Palom insisted.

Suddenly someone started shouting. The sound of rock hitting metal followed.

"Get him! Drive him away!"

"You have some nerve to come back here, you monster!"

"Wait, please! I just need some help!"

"We'll never help you! You hurt us more than you'll ever know!"

The man Palom had seen ran by the house, followed by several angry people. They were all armed with large rocks, and the man's black and purple armor was dented and scratched in many places.

Mira pulled her children defensively against her hips, which was as high as they stood. The twins, now six years old, had no real idea of what all this was about, but they got the feeling that it meant this strange man in dark armor wasn't well liked.

"Serves that man right," she growled.

"Why? Who is he?" Porom asked, clinging unsurely to her mother's long dress.

"That, my sweet, is the dark knight who took our crystal several months ago. I believe he is called Cecil."

Palom felt his face getting hot with rage. "Do you want me to go hit him with my fire spell for you, mom? It's really good now," he offered.

"No, dear. I think those people have him under control," Mira said coolly, watching three angry mages herding Cecil back to the city wall.

Porom, however, felt pretty bad for him.

"Why do you suppose he's here?" she wondered.

"Who knows?" Mira answered. "What more do we have that could be of value to him?"

"What if the Elder knew he was here?" Porom asked. "Maybe the Elder could help him."

"The Elder has more important things to worry about than him."

"That's kinda mean," Porom countered.

"Who cares? It's more than he deserves," Mira said stubbornly and went back into the house. "Palom, Porom, come on in. I don't like the idea of you playing outside with a creature like him on the loose."

Palom turned to Porom and sighed. "I think mom's right. That guy nearly killed us. He scared everyone, broke a lot of stuff, killed some people, and took our crystal away."

"I know. I should hate him, like everyone else does, but I just can't. There's this overwhelming feeling that he's not evil. I think he could be… good."

"Porom, that's crazy…"

"You sound doubtful."

"No I don't."

Porom gave him an incredulous look and smacked Palom upside the head. (A newly developing habit)

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it right now. Let's go." She walked back in the house to see what Mira was doing. Palom grudgingly followed her inside.

A little bit later, the Elder paid a visit to the house.

"I don't suppose you could come back at another time?" Mira asked. "It's baking day, you know."

"I can see that," Rai agreed, noting her dough-covered hands, "but I have something important that I wish to discuss with you. Are Palom and Porom around?"

"Yes; they're playing in the back, I think. Why?"

"Could you call for them, please?"

Mira sighed, exasperated, and hollered for her children.

"Come on in," she said flatly, gesturing for her brother to come inside. "Can I get you anything? We have milk and water, or I can brew some tea," she offered.

"No, I'm fine," Rai declined. "The twins have come quite a ways since they started their training," he praised. "I've never encountered such advanced students."

"Well, I suppose that it's thick in their blood to be talented in magic," Mira answered, going back to her ball of dough on the counter.

"Once he grows up and settles down a bit, Palom could have the makings of a promising elder. I'm getting too old for this."

Mira scoffed. "What would Tellah say if he heard you talking like that? He'd knock you off your block."

"He could certainly try."

Mira paused and sighed. "Where could those rapscallions be?" she muttered. "Palom! Porom! Get in here now!! Don't make me call you again!"

"That ought to get even Palom's attention," Rai chuckled. "He seems resigned lately. He used to order Porom around all the time; now he just stands there and lets her push him around. I wonder what happened?" he wondered as the twins came clattering down the hall and into the kitchen.

"Hey there, kids," he greeted cheerily. "How are the two of you this morning?"

"Good morning, sir," the twins greeted in unison.

"What's going on? Did we do something wrong?" Porom asked.

"Hey, Elder, did you hear? That rotten dark knight came back earlier!" Palom interrupted, climbing in to a chair and sitting back on his knees. "What do you think we should do about him? I can go shoot some of my awesome fire at him, if you want. I told mom that I would, if she wanted, but she said—ow!"

"You'll talk his ears off," Porom scolded, rubbing her hand from another smack to her brother's head.

"What?" Palom demanded. "I was just telling him what happened."

"I certainly heard about it; from the people who drove him away. They claimed he was trying to steal their things and that he was breaking things when they found him. They also said that he drew his sword and tried to attack them," Rai recounted.

"What? No he wasn't," Palom protested. "He was just walking around, minding his own business. Actually, he seemed like he was looking for something."

"You saw him?"

"Yeah; he didn't try to hurt me or anything. I didn't even know who it was. But if I had…"

"I felt sorry for him," Porom stated. "He looked lost when he ran by before."

"An interesting mix of feelings. Palom, Porom, I need to ask something of you both," Rai announced.

Palom set his elbows on the table and propped his chin up on his fists; a stance that said that was intrigued. "Do tell," he said uncharacteristically sweetly.

"It's about the dark knight," Rai informed.

"Really??" Palom sounded like he was going to jump out of his skin from excitement. "You've got it, sir! Just name the spell and I'm on him, I swear!"

Rai chuckled again. "That's not exactly what I had in mind."

"What do you mean, sir?" Porom asked.

"If this man is determined enough, and I sense that he is, he will find a way to come and see me. And when he does—"

"You need us to help protect you," Palom guessed. "I attack him and Porom heals any damage he does. I like that idea!"

"Let me finish," Rai instructed. "I have a task I wish him to complete, when he comes. If he's willing, I am going to send him to the top of Mount Ordeals."

"Now there's a plan, brother," Mira said proudly. "Send him off and let the mountain have its fun with him."

"It is true; no one has gone up that mountain alone and survived," Porom added.

"Yes, not alone," Rai stressed.

Mira stopped kneading her dough and looked suspiciously at Rai. "What are you getting at? What favor do want from my children?" she demanded.

"Should the dark knight accept the challenge and go to scale the mountain, I would have Palom and Porom lend him their magic."

"What?!" screamed an outraged Palom.

"No! You're mad!" Mira cried, spinning around and knocking her bread pan on the floor.

Porom was silent.

Palom's face was turning red again. A few tears dripped down his burning cheeks. "I'm not helping that man! He nearly killed me and a whole bunch of other people! He stole our crystal and destroyed half the city! I'll never help him!" He rapidly chanted the only white spell that he knew: sight.

His spell was completed in a few seconds. When it was done, he vanished into thin air. Even though no one could see him, they all heard him leap to the floor and run out of the room wailing.

"I won't be your student anymore if you make me help him!" he threatened.

"I won't allow this," Mira informed savagely. "What are you thinking, you maniac?! Going up the mountain with that murderer: they'll both be dead within an hour!" She grabbed a frying pan from the stove and made like she was going to hit Rai over the head with it.

"I don't think so," Rai said coolly. "At any rate, it's not so much to lend him support but to keep an eye on him."

"What do you mean?" Mira inquired, not lowering her frying pan.

"If he accepts the challenge and goes up there, he will have two capable guides with him: if he cannot stand up to it, they'll bring him back down and he'll go on his way. If he succeeds…"

"Yes??"

"I told you so."

Mira slammed the frying pan down on the table. Porom thought for sure that the table was going to split in two and was surprised that it didn't.

"I can't stand you sometimes!" she yelled.

"Mom?"

Mira and Rai looked over at Porom and realized that she was still in the kitchen with them.

"Yes, honey? What is it?" Mira asked, lowering her voice.

"I… I want to help him."

Mira just shook her head.

"No. I'm sorry, but that is just completely out of the question. You're staying right here, in Mysidia, where you belong."

"But I—"

"No. You're not going, and that's that. Now run along and find your brother while I have chat with your uncle," Mira instructed.

Porom hung her head sadly and walked away.

Rai shed ad rubbed his temple. He sank into a chair.

"Perhaps I should have broken it a bit more gently," he said.

"You shouldn't have broken it at all," Mira snapped. "Mount Ordeals is no place for children."

"Mira," Rai said in a calm voice, "I know that you can't fathom it at all, but I have a great deal of faith in this boy, this Cecil. I hold to what I said before: he's no monster. And what Porom said was correct as well: no one can get to the top without help. But people have mad it in the past.

"The three of us have seen the top," he reminded.

"I remember," Mira agreed. "the two of us and Tellah escorted that one guy to the top. And then we brought him back down. We all made it back here in one piece."

"The light rejected him, though," Rai lamented.

"I remember that too," Mira said with a dreamy, mystified look in her eyes. "The light engulfed us all for a moment, and then pulled away. And then there was a voice…"

"…Saying, 'You are not my son. My light is not for you'," Rai finished. "And then all was still again. It was like the wind was even afraid to blow."

They were both silent for a minute, reminiscing over the moment.

"But it's not the same!" Mira cried, breaking the reverent silence. "That guy we were with was just a thrill-seeker. Do you realize that you want to send my six-year-old children up a dangerous, monster-covered mountain with a murderer?"

"Can't you trust me, Mira? Have I ever given you a reason to think I don't know what I'm doing?"

"I…"

"We all have darkness and light inside us; this man has been acting on his dark side lately; but I sense that he sorely wishes t change that. And I am willing to help him."

"Why? He deserves no help."

"I've heard disturbing rumors from the rest of the world. Have you heard anything from Troia? Or Damcyan?"

"Not really. Why? Has something happened?"

"The crystals the keep safe—"

"My god! He's stolen other crystals as well?"

"No, no, not Cecil. I've only heard whispers of his name here and there; but what I have heard of him as been good."

"Good?! How could have anything good to do with it?" Mira demanded.

"I'm not sure. But a name that does reoccur with alarming frequency is Golbez."

"Golbez? Never heard a name like that. Where do you get this news?"

"Smugglers on the Devil's Road. They're crafty enough to traverse the warped dimensions without harm. However, they are but from Baron; they have limited knowledge of what is happening in the rest of the world. Baron has fallen on difficult times recently, but I'm not sure what is happening."

"And you think that Cecil has something to do with all this?

"Yes; something deep."

"Well, whatever it is, you just keep Palom and Porom out of it. I nearly lost my son to the raid that man executed; I'm not interested in their paths crossing any further."

Rai stood back up and smugly stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"I understand, Mira."

"So you won't, right?"

"No, I won't. I'll leave them out as best I can. But if they get involved on their own, don't blame me."

"Promise me, Rai."

"…I promise."

"Thank you, Rai. This means more than you can understand."

"I do understand, a little bit. They're son and daughter to you, but they're niece, nephew, and student to me. I should take better care of them than this."

"Hm… I really should get back to work. I probably need to check on the twins. I hope Palom's sight spell has worn off by now."

"Take care of yourself, Mira. Dharma and Sheila are probably wondering where I am by now; they get so lost and nervous if I'm away for too long. For all I know, Dharma's searched the entire tower for his reading glasses."

"They seem like good interns; they're skilled enough," Mira pointed out.

"Yes, but they're like sheep. I really should get back to them."

Mira showed him to the door, thanked him again for changing his mind about involving the twins, and shut the door again.

He hoped that Palom would forgive him.

As he pulled his hands out of his pockets and regarded his crossed fingers, he hoped that Mira would forgive him too.

Please understand, little sister, he prayed, this will be for the best, somehow. All I know is that that boy must become a paladin, and that the twins are fated to help him.

He started out for the tower.

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Yeah, pushiness as well as magical talent run very deep in this family.

Aren't you SO glad that you're not a Faraxhae?! Social tension aside, you have magic to deal with as well!