Chapter 11: Back to Baron
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As Tellah and Mira strolled along the street they looked around for Cecil and the twins, hoping to see them. Though she couldn't understand why, Mira was excited to tell her children that they were free to go along on the adventure.
"You know," Tellah mentioned, "if I'm going to be writing to you, I ought to buy some nice stationary and some ink. Perhaps I'll find some I like while we walk."
"It will be comforting to hear from you, now that I know what you're walking into. I'd like to know what you're up to for a change," Mira added.
"I truly am sorry to have worried you. Sammy and I should have come for a visit; you and Rai could have met Anna, and maybe even Edward. I couldn't stand the guy, but he certainly seemed nice. I wish that I could have gotten over myself enough to know him better."
"That's a shame, brother. You say that he was lost in the same shipwreck that Cecil was in?"
"Yes." Tellah was silent for a moment. "You know, I was thinking of teaching Palom the spell Break; and perhaps I will teach Porom the same spell while I'm at it. The Break spell can be a bit difficult to cast and even harder to make it work, but if they used it as a Twin-Cast, perhaps they can make it work efficiently enough."
"The Break spell? That's the one that turns an opponent into stone and heals a person who's been petrified, isn't it?" Mira asked. Tellah nodded his head.
"It's not worth much on the battle field, unless you want a new statue for your garden, but those who master it earn quite a bit of respect since it's so hard to bend."
"That makes sense," Mira agreed. "I think that's a great idea. I look forward to hearing their progress in your letters."
"I can't wait to begin," Tellah added.
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Sheila's sparkly makeup earned more than one flirtatious glance from passersby. One bold red mage who passed her had the audacity to whistle at her, and then got a sound kick in the shin from the young woman beside him. Sheila blushed and looked away from him, hoping that the woman was his sister, not his girlfriend.
"You sure are popular," Palom noted as the red mage and his companion got farther and farther away. "Does this always happen when you put on makeup?"
"Is that why you almost never wear it?" Porom added. Sheila blushed harder and kept her eyes fixed on her feet.
"Stop pestering her, kids. Can't you see that it's making her uncomfortable?" Cecil pointed out.
Sheila smiled shyly at him and brushed a few stray hairs behind her ear.
He truly does know how to handle small children. I hope he isn't engaged to anyone.
She considered dropping her little coin-purse on the ground and asking Cecil to get it for her. It was a bit flirtatious for her style, but she had no idea how to talk to him. She let the embroidered coin-purse slip to the ground and it hit the sidewalk with a jingling clank.
"Oops. My bad," she said, trying to sound casual. Cecil eyed her suspiciously, seeming to know exactly what was going on. Nonetheless, he stepped forward to pick up the purse. But Palom jumped to the rescue first.
"Here you go," he said cheerily as he snatched up the purse and handed it back to Sheila. "You should be more careful; someone could try to steal it. It's so pretty and full of gil," he warned needlessly. Sheila smiled back weakly, feeling utterly foiled.
"Thank you, Palom. You're a big help," she said stiffly. Palom didn't seem to pay attention to her tone; he just smiled sweetly, happy to be of help.
She glanced back at Cecil, who was still watching her, his pale eyebrow arched.
I guess everything shows on my face, she thought, feeling even more defeated than before. What's he going to say?
Cecil cleared his throat. "Where should we stop for lunch? Do you guys know a good place?" he asked the twins, trying to focus on them again.
"There's a good place a block away," Porom informed. "They sell muffins and dumplings and stuff. Palom and I go there all the time, so they know us really well."
"It's take-out only, though. No tables or chairs," Palom added.
"Sounds good. Let's go there," Cecil decided. "Lead the way," he said to the twins with a flourish. The twins both ran ahead of Cecil and Sheila laughing and disappeared around the corner.
"He should hurry after them, or we'll lose them," Sheila noted and hurried after them. Cecil hesitated and she turned back to face him.
I hope I haven't offended him.
"Aren't you coming?" she asked.
"Oh, yes," Cecil agreed and walked after her, staying just behind her.
They walked on in silence around the bend to find Palom and Porom waiting somewhat impatiently for them.
"Where were you?" Palom demanded.
"We're hungry!" Porom added.
"It's nothing," Cecil insisted. "Now, where's this take-out place of yours?"
"This way," Palom jerked his thumb down the street. He and Porom took off laughing toward a door halfway down the street. A faded and unreadable sign shaped like a loaf of bread hung over the door. Cecil and Sheila followed at a brisk trot. But the twins stopped suddenly mid-step and the two adults nearly tripped over them.
"What's the matter?" Sheila asked.
"It's mom and Uncle Tellah," Porom informed, pointing ahead. Indeed, Mira and Tellah stood beside the door, munching on bagels and chatting happily. Tellah noticed them first and pointed them out to Mira. She looked up and waved to them cheerily. The others all ran up to them.
"Good afternoon," Tellah greeted, his mouth still half full of bagel. "Haven't seen any of you since this morning. Having a good day?"
"Yup; a really good day," Palom agreed, nodding his head. "Check out what Cecil got us!" he added, showing off his new red coat. "Porom's got one in green, see?" In response, Porom twirled around, being careful not to let her hat fall off.
Mira and Tellah laughed, amused. "I don't seem to recall your Gaia gear, son, or Porom's lovely hat," Mira noted. "You look really good."
The twins grinned.
"Your mother said that you come here a lot," Tellah said. "She figured that we'd find you here to give you some important news."
Sheila wondered if it had anything to do with the twins going to Baron.
I certainly hope not.
"What's the news?" Cecil asked.
"Don't be so nosey, paladin-boy," Tellah reprimanded. Cecil blushed slightly and withdrew from the conversation.
"We wanted to let you know," Mira explained, "that we're having dinner at the tower tonight, and that I'm giving you leave to go with Cecil and Tellah in the morning."
The twin's eyes got so big that they nearly exploded.
"Are you serious? We can really go?" Porom asked, jumping up and down like a jumping bean.
"I'm perfectly serious," Mira assured her, smiling back.
The twins began squealing with glee, and Sheila noticed Cecil's surreptitious sigh of relief.
Now he doesn't have to sneak round anyone; he doesn't have to make a plea to anyone for anything. He's almost quaking with joy because he won't have to leave without them.
"You lot are hungry, yes?" Tellah supposed. "Stopping for a lunch break?"
"And then it's on to grocery shopping," Cecil finished. "They way Porom eats, we need to get started as fast as we can."
"Haha! That is most true," the sage agreed. "Need help?"
"If you'd like to, you're certainly welcome."
Mira and Tellah exchanged glances and smiled understandingly.
"The pleasure would be ours," Tellah agreed.
Sheila shrank back invisibly. I can't tell him anything with all these guys around! Will I ever get a chance to tell him how much I care for him?
But then, maybe it's just as well. Maybe he won't come back from Baron...
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Cecil sat back in his chair, feeling almost undeservedly content and accomplished. All the supplies had been purchased and packed, and there was enough food to feed them for a week and a half or so. (But with the way that Porom mowed her food down and asked for second helpings, he'd be happy if it lasted a few days.)
What was more, the twins were outfitted for comfortable winter travel and had upgraded their magical staffs. They would be zipping around the airways on Cid's new ship, and the October winds were sure to be like icicles pelting the face and body.
Rai had been surprised and highly pleased that Mira was giving her consent for the twins to go along. He had also been pleased to have her and the twins at the tower for dinner that night. Cecil would have felt the same way if his twin brother had been missing for so long, and he wondered vaguely if he actually had a long-lost twin himself.
He hasn't had this much of his family in one room, sharing a meal, in so long. It must be the best feeling in the world, he thought.
He watched with detached interested as Palom reached across the long table in another, larger room for a bowl of peas and Porom smacked him sharply for being so rude. When they turned their faces the right way, they really were the spitting images of their mother and uncles. When they turned their faces another way, they looked totally different. The way the shadows fell on their childish, undeveloped noses and cheekbones, they looked totally unlike the rest of their family.
Traces of Jackie, their father, I'll bet.
Cecil sighed and rose from his chair, feeling duly tired.
"Turning in?" Dharma asked.
Cecil stifled a yawn. "I'm exhausted."
"And rightly so. You've been everywhere. The twins will sleep well this night, I'll wager."
"I certainly hope so; the trip across the Devil's Road will be an adventure. I still need to talk with Tellah bout it before I go to sleep."
"Tellah will be an amazing help with the crossing," Dharma agreed. "But do give it to him in a nutshell; you need your rest. Try not to feel guilty for enjoying yourself; I'm certain your friends wouldn't want you to suffer in their account."
Cecil smiled tiredly, wondering if Dharma had used some ancient trick to read his mind. But he welcomed a tangible reinforcement for what his battered body insisted: he needed a small break, even as small as diner with his new mage friends. Even so, he wished sorely that Rosa and Rydia, Edward and Yang, and even Kain could all be here too.
Wait for me, guys. All I have to do is make it to Baron and find Cid. Once I do that and get an airship, I'll find all of you... Even if some of you really are dead. I swear it.
"We should go," Mira was saying when he came out of his thought. "It's getting late." Indeed, the twins actually looked like they would drop on the floor and sleep like rocks for at least a full day. The three slipped out the door with quick and hushed goodbyes.
"Tellah, we need to talk," Cecil said once they were gone. "About Devil's Road."
"Ah." Tellah sounded like he had been expecting the topic to come up. "Rai mentioned this earlier. Shall we retire to the library?"
"Okay; sounds good," Cecil agreed wearily.
Tellah nodded and rose from the table and headed for the door, taking his plate with him. "Library, two minutes," he instructed briskly.
Cecil followed him back to the kitchen, intent on a glass of water; maybe even something a bit stronger, to keep him awake. Tellah stopped him at the kitchen doorway.
"I'll be up in a few minutes with some rum. This could take a while..." the sage informed, walking around the kitchen, opening all the cabinets, and mumbling "Where's the rum?" repeatedly.
Cecil took the hint and turned to go to the library, located on the veranda. He nearly ran into Sheila, who had materialized behind him.
"I'm sorry, Sheila; I didn't hear you behind me," he apologized. He rubbed his eyes, wishing he could just lie down and go to sleep.
"I, uh, I just wanted to say..." she stammered. Cecil felt his senses jump to life, remembering that Sheila was up to something.
"Is there something I can do for you?" he asked.
Sheila looked at him longingly, almost begging for something. She stared at her feet and sighed. Then she inhaled a long, deep breath and turned to him once more. Without warning, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Cecil nearly fell backwards, and caught hold of the doorframe to keep his balance.
She drew back just enough to tilt her head back and press her lip against his own, stifling his cry of shock.
What am I doing! Why don't I fight back?! He tried to move, but he was frozen in place as if a paralysis spell had been cast on him.
"Sheila!" he heard Tellah say sharply behind him, but the white mage didn't respond.
Cecil tried to channel his thoughts into Sheila. I can't be with you. I have a mission to complete. Don't do this to yourself.
I don't love you. I love Rosa!
It seemed an eternity before she released him. She stared hard into his bright blue eyes, as if searching for something.
"Good luck in Baron. I hope you find what you are looking for," Sheila said finally. She stepped back slowly, reluctantly, and retreated to her room on top of the veranda.
Cecil stood paralyzed in the doorway, still not quite sure how it had happened. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand and it came away smeared with Sheila's red lipstick. His paled skin finally flushed, and he prayed that no one would ever mention this kiss again.
Just to be safe, since Dharma and Rai had also seen what had happened, he cleared his throat. "Can we please never talk about this again?" he requested.
The tree mages nodded eagerly, as frazzled by what had just happened as Cecil was.
The paladin looked behind him at Tellah, who now had an elaborate decanter of dark rum and three glasses in hand. He pointed at the decanter.
"Rum. Now."
"Maybe you should just go to bed," Tellah advised, setting a glass on the counter and pouring Cecil a glass. "Rai can fill me in on the details, and I'll tell you what you missed. You're a mess."
"That would be great," Cecil agreed, taking the glass and taking a gulp of the firry liquid. The burn woke his blurry mind and eased a small amount of the weight form his eyelids. But still, all he wanted was a bed and a long night.
"I'm going to bed," the knight announced, finishing off his rum and walking back to his room. He was profusely thankful that Sheila's room was on the veranda and his was a little guest room on the bottom floor.
"Goodnight, everyone," he said wearily and disappeared into his room.
"Goodnight," Rai, Tellah and Dharma chorused.
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"It's really quite simple," Tellah insisted. "Just keep contact with me, and you'll be fine."
"Are you sure?" Porom asked for the third time. "I've heard some pretty scary stuff lately about Devil's Road."
"It just takes a lot of skill and a great deal of concentration. We'll be fine, so long as you and your brother cooperate with us. All you guys have to do is hold our hands and not say anything for a while."
"...You're sure that you can do it?"
"You think I'm too old?"
"Oh, no! Not that at all! It's just..."
"It's okay to be nervous. But we'll be okay. Don't worry."
Porom wished that she could calm down, but she was still nervous. Palom seemed confident enough, but she was scared.
"Are you ready to go?" Cecil called from the courtyard outside, where he and Palom were waiting.
"We don't have all day, guys! Rosa's in trouble now!" Palom added, as if he genuinely cared.
"We're coming," Tellah yelled back. He turned back to nervous Porom, decked out in her new dark green coat and leather cap, and a pair of flame gloves that Mira had found for her. She was looking doubtfully at her boots as if they offered her some kind of solution.
"It's time to go, Porom," Tellah pressed, stooping a little to take her little hand and lead her outside. The sun was shining merrily, and a chilly breeze was blowing.
"Hey, Porom, did you hear what Uncle Rai said about Cecil's awesome sword?" Palom asked, attempting to take his sister's mind off the perilous trip ahead.
Porom looked up, interested. "I didn't know he'd said anything about it."
"It's got a legend carved on it. But we're not sure what it means just yet," Palom explained.
"He said that it's an old prayer said by Mysidian scholars," Cecil added.
"I know what it means," Palom retorted, "I meant that we don't know what it means by being there," he corrected matter-of-factly.
"I'll tell you more about it when we get to Baron; right now I have to focus."
The way to Devil's Road was underground, secured in a large vault-like one-story building near the city's north-western corner. The sight of the building sent a few chills up Tellah's spine; whether from intimidation or from bad memories, he decided not to decide. The sage took the job of pushing the decaying wooden door open, and though it was big it opened easily with a loud creaking of hinges.
They ought to get a new door; this one was here even before I was born, he thought to himself.
Before them was a square wall, perfectly 20 feet on each side and reaching up to the low ceiling. The only disruption to it was a five foot gap in the side they were facing, and the space was filled with a flowing iridescent white field. To the right of the gap was a switch, turned to its "on" setting.
"We have switches like that in Baron," Cecil noted.
"Only instead of secret doors, we have magical barriers," Tellah added. He stepped forward and pulled the switch down to the "off" setting. The swirling field slowly faded away, revealing the space beyond; the pen-like enclosure's only decoration was an open trap door with some stone stairs leading down into the darkness below.
Tellah turned to face his three companions.
"Now remember: as soon as you've stepped onto the sixth step, the teleportation spell will begin to work. You'll begin to feel a little dizzy, kids, but don't worry; just keep contact with either Cecil or myself and there won't be anything to worry about. Is everything clear so far?"
The twins nodded uneasily and Tellah continued.
"After the tenth step, the spell will completely activate and we'll all be swept off by the spell. At this point, it is imperative that you don't let go of our hands at any cost. If you do, you could be lost forever. The spell could try to tug you away, and if it does, just hold on tighter."
The twins both gulped nervously and nodded.
They're realizing once again just how much danger they've volunteered for. Still, I'm sure that they can withstand the crossing.
"Let us go then." He led the way into the open space and hesitated before the stairs. Porom stepped forward and took hold of his hand; her palm was clammy and her fingers cold.
"All we have to do is hold on, right?" she asked.
"Yes; that's all you have to do."
Porom took a deep breath and followed Tellah down into the shadowy staircase. Cecil and Palom came silently after them. Tellah concentrated on the steps.
Three, four, five...
"This is number six," he announced, feeling the spell humming around him. He felt Porom's grip loosen and he squeezed her hand. "Don't let go, lass." Porom nodded dutifully and strengthened her grip.
Eight, nine, ten...!
Tellah felt like he was standing on a merry-go-round rotating at super-speed. A thousand invisible hands grabbed at him, pulling him in all directions; strong wind hit him full in the face, but never from the same direction for more than a few seconds, as if he was speeding along in every direction at once. He gripped Porom's hand so hard he realized that he might break the tiny bones. Even if he had broken her hand, she didn't make much noise past several gasps of surprise and confusion.
He glanced to his side, relived that Cecil and Palom were still there and caught in the same gale-like turbulence.
It didn't used to be like this, Tellah recalled desperately, trying to establish dominance over the warp spell. It used to be just a few minutes of dizzying darkness, and then you arrived safely, if not a little nauseous, in Baron. What the hell could be causing the spell to act this way?!
Tellah thrust these complaints out of the way and concentrated on wrapping his mind around the spell, attempting to bend the unruly spell to his will. As he gained more control over it, the groping hands released him, and the harsh wind began to slow as he established which way he needed the spell to take him. He looked to see how Cecil was doing, and was pleased to see that he had also been successful in controlling the spell.
I told them all not to worry.
Porom shrieked in what sounded like horror.
"Porom, what's wrong?" Tellah asked, trying to keep his control.
"Palom slipped! He's fading away! Do something!"
Tellah's eyes darted around, looking for his nephew. He finally spotted the boy's almost transparent figure, fading into the darkness, and he was trying to run back to them. Try as he might, he didn't seem to be making much ground.
Palom!" Cecil yelled and caught hold of the boy's fading hand. He pulled him back from the darkness and clung to him, trying to keep him from slipping away. "You have to concentrate; bend the spell to your will!" He explained. "I know it's hard, but you must! Don't let yourself slip away!"
"It's so hard!" Palom protested into Cecil's shoulder.
"But you have to do it! If you let go, you could die!"
The spinning stopped abruptly, with out any kind of warning, and flung all four of them into something jagged and hard. Still frightened by all that had happened, Tellah felt the surface they had landed on: it was stone, smooth and cool. He moved his hand around, feeling a layer or two of dust under his fingers and then his hand bumped something. He ran his fingers up the blockage, which ended after two inches and was flat on top.
Tellah sighed with relief. They were on another staircase.
"Are we all here?" he called to his groaning, coughing companions. They all mumbled assurances that yes, they were all there. They seemed to be: he could feel Porom's shaking body beside him, and he could hear Palom whimpering softly somewhere above him, accompanied by Cecil's hard breathing.
"Is Palom alright?" he asked.
"I think so," Cecil answered. "I can't tell, though; it's way too dark. I can barely see him or anyone else."
Feeling pretty beaten up and very drained, Tellah struggled to sit up; he attempted to stand, but he was still too dizzy and fell back beside Porom.
"Porom, do you think you can get up?" he asked.
Porom sniffled. "I, I don't think so," she squeaked.
"How about you, Cecil? Can you get up?"
"Probably not."
"We have to get out of this stairwell," Tellah insisted, mostly to himself. "If we can't stand, we'll have to crawl; all we need to do is find the door out of here, and it's likely at the top of the stairs." He reached out beside him and found Porom's hand again.
"Do you think you can at least keep up with me if we crawled to the top?" he asked.
"I think so."
So the four of them carefully made their way up the staircase. As the went, Tellah made sure to keep count of the steps.
Five, six, seven...
The dizziness suddenly lessened and he began to feel lighter. There was also a light before them. They were coming out of the spell.
"Tellah, I think I can get up now," Cecil announced. The small light ahead gave just enough light for them to see Cecil pick himself off the ground and stand steady for a moment. His legs buckled when he tried to take a step, and he caught himself on the wall.
"Are you okay?" Palom asked in an uncharacteristically tiny voice.
"I'm fine," Cecil answered. "Just unsteady. I'll be fine." He pushed himself off the wall and succeeded in taking a step, and then another. He reached the top step, and felt for a doorknob.
"Is there no doorknob?" Porom asked nervously.
"No, there isn't," Cecil answered, sounding relieved. He ran his hand against the wall and something clicked. The tiny light suddenly grew so big and bright that it blinded them all.
"Secret passages in Baron all have switches," Cecil reminded.
"So, we have made it Baron after all," Tellah concluded, pushing himself off the stairs and helping the twins to their feet. They all walked out of the dark and into the bright light of early afternoon, spilling into an enclosed space much like the one in Mysidia.
"I remember coming here as a kid when Kain and Rosa and I played hide and seek," Cecil said vaguely, moving toward a shimmering magical barrier like the one from before. "This place always gave me the willies, even when I was 12," he added, flipping yet another switch and watching the barrier disappear.
They walked out the front door and into full sunlight. The light gave little warmth in comparison to the bitter wind that whipped across the deserted street.
"Are the two of you alright?" Tellah asked the twins. "Is anything broken? O you need a heal spell?"
"I think I'm alright," Porom insisted, gazing around. Palom stared blankly at the grass.
"...I'm okay, I guess," he added. "I'm sorry I didn't hold on like you guys said. I tried, but the spell pulled me so hard... Am I in trouble?"
"I think we're all too relieved that you're okay to snap at you," Tellah informed.
Comforted by this prospect, Palom looked around. "It wasn't this late when we left," he said, noting the position of the sun.
"And where is everybody?" Porom asked, clinging protectively to her brother. "It looks like a ghost-town."
"Baron and Mysidia have different time zones," Cecil explained. "It's about three hours later here than where we came from. And about the people... I don't know why there's no one around." He sounded worried about this last point.
"Perhaps we should try speaking to the people at the inn," Tellah suggested. "They always know what's going on."
"That's a good idea," Cecil agreed. He led the way down the street to the nearest inn he could think of.
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Palom's first impression of the inn's interior was that everyone inside was nervous about something. The mood of the place screamed, "I'm scared!".
He tugged at Cecil's sleeve and whispered, "I don't like this place. Let's try another inn."
"Wait a minute," the paladin said quietly, making it a point not to draw attention. "There's something I need to see." He walked towards a group of soldiers, laughing uproariously and clanking glasses of ale.
"What is he doing?" Porom hissed to Palom.
Cecil had set his sights on one particular member of the group. The man seemed out of place; even though he was dressed in the same uniform coat and scarf as the others, he seemed built on a different frame. He wasn't shorter than the others, and he wasn't really wider than them either, but rather more stocky than them. He looked more muscular as well. What really set him apart was his hair style: he was bald, say for a patch of long brown hair on the back of his head, which he wore in a braid decorated with colorful thread and tiny charms.
"Look at his braid," Porom pointed out. "It looks like yours, Palom."
"It does not; I have way more hair than that guy." Palom wound his braid, twice the length of the rest of his hair, proudly around his index finger.
Cecil tapped the strange man on the shoulder. The man turned to face him and a look of surprise came over his face. It was a fine, slightly aged face. His skin was light, and his eyes were dark. He had a moustache on his lip and dark stubble on his chin.
"Cecil? Could it be?" the man asked, calling the attention of the others.
Cecil stared back in disbelief. "Yang! You survived!"
Yang's brow furrowed seriously. He cast a finger in Cecil's direction.
"Seize him!" he commanded the loitering guards. "Seize the traitor; take the others for questioning!"
The men all snapped to attention "Sir, Yessir!" the chorused and drew their blades. The few customers all yelped in fear and ducked beneath tables, chair, and anything else they could possibly hide under.
Cecil stepped back, a look of fear and dismay on his face. "Yang, what are you doing? It's me, Cecil! Don't you remember me?"
"You're a wanted man in these parts," Yang informed bluntly.
In the meantime, one soldier disengaged himself from the mob coming after Cecil and went after the mages at the door. He whipped out a long sword with a shink! and advanced on them. The twins yelped in surprise and began chanting their highest level spells.
"Ha! You little kiddies don't scare me with you puny starter spells," the guard sneered.
"FIRA!"
"CURA!"
The ball of glowing energy grew big between them and the startled guard. It struck him in the chest and he collapsed on the floor, his breath coming in struggled gasps.
The other men all looked on in disbelief, slightly intimidated. But they regained their focus and aimed their swords at Cecil.
"This isn't good; this isn't good at all," Cecil muttered, and plunged into the advancing guards.
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My Dearest Mira,
Our trip across the Devil's Road was a success; we all made it to Baron in one piece, tired and a bit bruised, but all alive and well. Let Rai know as soon as you can.
The real action began when we arrived. We found the streets deserted, and decided to find an inn and get some solid information. (After all, Cecil hasn't heard anything of the city's condition since he departed several months ago.) We went to the nearest inn, and we ran into the most unlikely person imaginable: Yang Fang Leiden, Cecil's Fabulian friend whom he thought had perished in the shipwreck!
However, the meeting wasn't a joyful one. Yang commanded a group of guards to attack us. The four of us promptly laid waste to them. And, after a few deft blows to Yang's head (Compliments of yours truly.) he seemed to regain several memories that he had apparently lost in the shipwreck.
It seems that Yang washed up on Baronian shores a few days ago, and was given a place in the Baronian guard because he knew so much about our dear paladin. He had been hypnotized and was being used to terrorize the locals.
Once all confusion was cleared, much came from this chance encounter. For starters, Yang has told us that Cid Pollendina, the airship engineer, is being held prisoner, and that he will show us a secret way into the castle so that we may rescue him. It seems a suspiciously straight shot to our goal, and this disturbs me to no end. I'm certain that there is another shoe, waiting to drop. I've cautioned all of our party to be wary.
On a sad note, Yang recalls a few moments in the water, with sweet little Rydia, and says that there was a giant serpent. Then he suddenly lost consciousness and doesn't remember anything further. It most certainly was Leviathan, the great lord of the sea. I fear that there is no hope that Rydia survived. Cecil, on the other hand, still seems to hold out a feeble hope for her.
As for Edward, Yang has no last minute news. Sad as I am to admit it, there is probably no hope for him either. Say a prayer for both of them, and ask that Rai, Dharma and Sheila pray as well. They deserve remembrance from us all.
This grieving aside, we must move ahead with our plans. Tomorrow morning, Yang is going to escort us through a maze-like entrance below the castle; it is a giant underground spring that fuels the moat surrounding the castle. He warned us that the trip may take a few days, for the waterway runs several miles below the castle before sloping back upward toward the moat's entrance. In addition, he says that it will be dark and filled with monsters.
Continue to think of us, Mira. I will write to you again as soon as I can. Perhaps, I may even be able to manage a letter or two in the bowls of the waterway. I'll conclude by saying that the twins are in fine condition, and I have already begun teaching them the Break spell. They've been practicing all afternoon, and I dare say that they are close to memorizing the spell completely.
Your brother,
Tellah.
Tellah sat back against the backboard of his bed in the inn and re-read his letter. He seemed to have covered everything that had happened, and he felt very accomplished. He wondered how big a crime it was that he hadn't told Mira about Palom's accident with the warp spell. He decided that it would be fine; the less she worried, the better. Besides, he'd worked pretty hard and thought it would be a shame to re-write the whole thing.
He folded the letter in half and scribbled his name and the paper's destination on the front. After sealing the fold closed with a metallic gold tab that had come with the stationary set, he started mumbling a spell over the letter
"TELEPORT!"
He released the letter and it began spinning in the air, propelling it up in the air all on its own. With a small flash of light, it vanished.
On the other side of the room, his four companions watched with interest.
"I wasn't aware that you could do that with a Teleport spell," Yang stated. "I always thought that its only real use was in caves and dungeons."
"It is very useful in cave and the like, there's no doubt about that," Tellah agreed. "Teleport can work in one of two ways: either to transport big things a short distance, or to transport small things a very great distance. It all depends on the size of what you are trying to move," he explained. "The letter, for instance, has probably materialized on my sister's desk, all the way in Mysidia. All I had to do was make sure that the destination was on the letter, and there it went."
Yang nodded his head understandingly. "Astounding," he breathed, sounding fascinated. He turned to watch the twins, drilling each other on the words for the Break spell.
"They certainly seem advanced," the monk noted. "Are they your grandchildren, Tellah?"
"No, no, they're my little sister's children, my niece and nephew. And they are advanced; they're hailed as prodigies in Mysidia."
"Ah. They seemed a bit dysfunctional when I first met them, but now that they've calmed down, they're rather cute."
"They are only six," Cecil pointed out.
"Six?" Yang said. "Not even Rydia was that young."
"She was only a year older."
"True, but still. Aren't you worried for them? Even you seem to like them very much, Cecil."
"Trust me, Yang. They can take care of themselves. At the very least, they've got each other; which is more than a lot of people we've traveled with could say."
"Hm... That is true: Rydia lost her mother, Tellah and Edward both lost Anna, and you lost Rosa and that traitor, Kain," Yang agreed.
"A few days of sneaking around in the waterway..." Cecil said vaguely, tapping his index finger against his chin thoughtfully. "How many days are we talking, here?"
"Maybe... two, three tops," Yang said with a shrug.
Cecil made a doubtful noise. "It still seems like so long. I feel like I've already wasted so much time in Mysidia. Not that I'm not happy with what I found there, but I feel like if I take a second longer than I absolutely must, I'll have failed Rosa and everyone else. Are you sure there isn't a faster way?"
"Not unless you want to try storming the castle, and I wouldn't recommend it," Yang advised, shaking his head.
"Damn," Cecil muttered, setting one fist on his hip and massaging his forehead with his other hand.
"Don't stress yourself so, lad," Tellah cautioned nonchalantly. He rested his hands behind his head and crossed his legs, like he was reclining on a chez. "Better to do a job slowly the right way than do it quickly the wrong way. And in this case, the wrong way may result in death."
"I know," Cecil insisted. "I just feel so frustrated."
Tellah flipped his purple-tinted glassed down his nose and stared at Cecil with a penetrating gaze, as if, for once, he could see things more clearly without the lenses.
"Have faith, son. Love can do anything, so long as you believe in it. That boy, Kain, is with her, yes? And old friend of yours and hers, am I correct?"
"Yeah, he is. Why?" Cecil asked, sounding irked that Tellah had brought it up.
"Would he really allow the monster to just up and destroy her without a fight?"
"Um..."
"Would he let him kill Rosa without a fight?" Tellah demanded.
"No, he wouldn't," Cecil admitted. "Even if he has been brainwashed, I'm sure that he'll take care of her as best he can."
"Rest for a bit," Tellah advised. "You need to get your nerves in order for tomorrow and the days ahead."
Cecil nodded and walked off to his bed across the room.
Tellah turned his attention to the twins, who were still studying. "The tow of you should be turning in yourselves."
They looked over their shoulders at him stubbornly.
"But we've gotten so far on the Break!" Palom protested. "Just give us a few more minutes, please!"
"I don't think so. Both of you get in bed now."
Palom was about to argue again, but Porom smacked his upside the head and stared him down. They seemed to silently exchange a few words, and Palom let his sister lead him to his bed, pouting all the way.
That's my boy, Tellah thought, feeling like he was looking in the mirror at a younger version of himself.
"And I don't want you two staying up when the rest of us are sleeping, understand? If you do, I'll know about it," he warned.
"Yessir," the twins chorused.
"Good. Sleep well then, my dears."
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Yikes! 14 pages! And I thought that 10 pages was long!
I've got nothing to say today, so let's get right to next chapter's trailer...
In the next chapter...
The deep dark waterway is long and dangerous, but with a full party of five, they just might make it out in one piece!
Porom suddenly felt someone pull her out of the deep water. As her head came over the surface, she inhaled deeply, coughing and trying to spit the coppery, dirty taste of the water out of her mouth. With a start, she began looking franticly for her brother, but all she could see in the dark was muscular tan skin and a bright green sash.
It was Yang, who also had Palom in his other arm.
"You two have to be more careful," Yang scolded playfully, setting the dripping twins in water that only came up to their knees. "The water can suddenly get very deep in places.
Porom wrapped her soaking green coat tighter around herself, feeling a little silly.
"We'll be more careful, won't we, Porom?" Palom said, nudging her in the ribs.
"Uh-hu," she said quietly.
Tellah's second letter to Mira: an attempt to comfort and assure not only his sister, but himself as well!
I must admit, Mira, I'm a little scared. We didn't spend this long even in the Kaipo waterway; it wasn't this deep or dark, and it wasn't a twisting, turning labyrinth. What's more, I'm afraid that we're all catching something; whether from the damp and chill or from some mold or bacteria, I'm not sure.
This safe-spot was a Godsend, and I wish that we could stay here for a while longer, but we'll have to haul out in a few hours...
If that isn't enough, even the moat isn't safe!
Even though the water was rushing past him at a deafening speed, he could still hear his friend shouting in surprise and fear. He tried to steer himself, but couldn't seem to get control over his large body.
"Where are the twins!" he heard Cecil yell over the crash of the water.
"I don't know!" he heard Tellah holler back before gasping for breath and disappearing below the surface.
A half-recovered memory flashed before Yang's eyes: he was in the cold, salty water, pulling Rydia back to the surface. There was the serpent that Tellah had confirmed was Leviathan. He heard Rydia scream in terror, and he heard the monster roar savagely in answer. He was spiraling into blackness once more, and Rydia was slipping our of his arms—
No! Not this time! He dove under the water, hoping to find the twins before they drowned.
And, at last, the castle!
"I'm so glad that you're okay!" the man exclaimed, running to Cecil. "We all for sure that you were dead!"
"I had wondered what had become of you, Baigan," Cecil answered, clasping the stranger's hand in greeting. Palom glanced at Porom, passing an unspoken message to her.
Something's not right about that guy, he was thinking.
I know, was her unspoken answer. He didn't read her mind or hear her thoughts, but rather felt her response as a sort of vibe and read it on her face.
What should we do? He wondered.
Let's watch him, he felt her answer. It could be a trap!
Stay tuned! The Faraxhae Family Circus will return after this sort break!
Brought to you in part by...
Flunky Flakes, Multigrain Cereal! Just add sugar and milk, and get ready to take on the world! "Flunky Flakes: number one in our stomachs, number one in our hearts!"