Chapter 16: Tellah's Letters to Mira
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The following are the letters that Tellah wrote to Mira while they were in Troia and in the Tower of Zot:
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Dear Mira,
I really must apologize for not being able to write you the letter abut Palom and Porom myself. At the time, I was so shaken that I could barely see straight; even so, I feel like it was my responsibility to tell you, and I feel that I should have been strong enough to tell you. I'm grateful that Yang was noble enough to write for me; he's an incredibly noble soul.
Now, about Troia. That traitor, Kain, came and made a deal with us. Golbez has offered to trade Rosa for the earth crystal. Now don't freak out yet; we're planning to protect the crystal for the time being. If we don't get it, Golbez will probably come and get it himself and we can't allow that to happen. That aside, he could be hanging around that area and we might find him there. It will also provide us with a good place to plan how we will deal with this new problem.
This is certainly turning out to be more complicated than we had expected. I'm beginning to fear for Cecil's health again; I don't know how much more stress he can take. An interesting turn, though: when we left Baron, someone on the wall yelled something about Cecil being the new king. (Oh yes; about that, an elemental lord called Cagnazzo has been posing as Odin of Baron for the past year or so, and the real king is most likely at rest now. This leaves the throne open for the taking, you see.)
We'll just have to see what awaits us in Troia. Remember, don't go to Baron yet; I know it must kill you, but it is simply a risk that isn't worth taking.
Your Brother,
Tellah.
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Dear Mira,
I'm in a tizzy! You won't believe who we've found here! That spoony prince who stole my Anna! He's alive, if not battered beyond repair, and here, in Troia!
Let me explain all this to you. We overheard one of the doctors mention his name, and at first we were unable to believe it; surely, with his ill constitution, he should have died in the shipwreck. In fact, he washed up unconscious on the Troian coast last week, with most of his bones broken, and they brought him back to the castle for treatment. He hasn't been awake for very long, only a few days the doctor said, and he's still very weak. However, the doctor also said that he will survive; whether he'll be able to travel or walk without a cane again is still to be determined.
Cecil felt the need to ask about Rydia again, though I don't know why; the child is gone, and that's that. Of course, Edward didn't have any better news than Yang did, but Cecil still seems to believe that Rydia is alive somewhere. This is just the sort of thing that's going to eat his health before he realizes it, but he won't listen to me.
Well, naturally Edward asked what brought us to Troia and we explained our latest stretch of the mission. He had more bad news to deliver to us: the earth crystal has already been stolen, by a dark elf residing to the north-east of the kingdom. This is probably why Golbez sent us to get it: he just didn't want to step off his pedestal to get it himself. Plus there's a chance that it will kill us.
So now we have to figure out how to get there and get the crystal back. We did come to protect the thing, after all. We'll be in Troia for a while yet.
Your Brother,
Tellah.
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Dear Mira,
I have to tell you about this place. The whole kingdom is run by women; instead of a king they have a collective of eight women who rule together. The people believe that women are gentler rulers than men, and it certainly shows. Edward is going to be right at home here, if he isn't able to travel back to Damcyan to clean it up and take his place as the king. It is an excellent city, full of great artists and amazing thinkers.
Plus the women here are very strong warriors. They have men and women in their military, and I think it enhances the whole city. Cecil seems very fascinated by this; if he does become the new king of Baron, I wouldn't be surprised if he opened the military to women.
There's also a chocobo forest to the east, where we can find black chocobos to take us to the dark elf's cave. Go and look at a map for this one: the sea to the west of the city is fed by a river that flows from the north. If you follow it to its source, you'll find a northern sea with a small inlet that feeds the river. In the inlet, there's a cave, and that is where the dark elf is hiding.
We're going to spend the next day finding out what we'll need to take with us and stocking up on basic supplies. (Potions, tents, and the like.) You know where we are if you want to write before tomorrow afternoon, when we set out.
Your Brother,
Tellah.
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Dear Mira,
I just realized that I haven't really thought about Anna in a while. It's unfair of me not to think about her a lot; she's my whole reason for being. It's my need for vengeance which drives me so. But try telling that to Rai, who abhors revenge. Doesn't he feel any need for vengeance, after what happened to Palom and Porom? They, too, deserve to be avenged. And if it's up to me to do it, so be it.
We're setting out for the dark elf's cave tomorrow. If you're going to write something, do it now.
Your brother,
Tellah.
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Tellah,
To answer your question about Rai, no, he feels no need for vengeance. The elemental lord is dead and gone, unable to hurt another person again, and the twins completely foiled his final plan, or so I understand. Both of us think that that was vengeance enough. (In a way, it's comforting to know that they gave themselves away and got the last laugh; neither of them has ever gotten the last laugh before.)
I showed your previous letter to Rai, and he could but laugh at you. You make yourself out to be some kind of crusader of lost souls. And I agree with him; if you only live to take out revenge on someone, your hate is going to eat you alive. Didn't you say, in a letter, that you're afraid that stress is going to kill Cecil if he takes anymore of it? Stress, hate, lust, whatever name you may call it, it does the same basic thing. I'd forgotten about your need for revenge and hadn't thought that you would take it upon yourself to avenge the twins. Please be careful. If one of your comrades doesn't make it back form the cave, Rai and I expressly forbid you from avenging them too; don't you already have enough people on your list?
Mira.
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Gee, thanks for showing that letter to Rai. (Said sarcastically.)
For one, I'm a lot older than Cecil is and can handle pressure like that with far more grace. For another thing, it doesn't matter if they got the last laugh because they aren't alive now to enjoy it. And lastly, I'm going to ignore you two and avenge whoever I want.
Tellah. :p
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Dear Mira,
This will be my last letter for right now; we're departing in half an hour.
You won't believe what Edward did. We went to say goodbye to him, and he handed us his harp. I told you that he had disguised himself as a minstrel, and that he played several instruments, yes? Well, he had managed to hold onto one and it washed up with him. He told us to bring it along, and that it might come in handy. We don't understand it, but we're taking it anyway; that kid is pretty full of surprises, himself.
Oh, another thing we found out earlier. The dark elf has a magnetic field set up inside the cave. This means that Cecil can't use his sword, and Yang can't use the steel fighting claws he fights with. Luckily, Cid is a demon with giant hammers, and I still have a staff and my magic. But Cecil and Yang have been reduced to using bows and arrows; Yang is okay with his, but Cecil is hopeless. This is going to be an interesting fight, to say the very least.
I'll try to write from within the cave.
Your Brother,
Tellah.
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Well, we're here.
And what a here it is. This elf is clever; he has these eight-foot towers set up at regular intervals around each floor. All of the metal we have is drawn to these towers. The darned things keep stealing things like my glasses, Cid's dog- tags, our belts, what little metal armor we've risked taking, and Cecil's sword. (He insisted on bringing it, just incase we could figure out a way to get around the magnetic shield.)
We also found out that Cid has a prosthetic finger from a childhood injury. The bone of his left middle finger is made of a steel alloy, so he can't keep his left hand at his side. It's a bit comic, but he'd pound me if he knew I was poking fun at him. As loud and oafish as he is, Cid is a rather friendly man. If we ever come out of this, (the relay big mess, not just the cave) I hope that we can be better friends.
Cecil and Yang are still puzzling over Edward's harp. From the salt water, the paint is peeling and the wood is warping. The strings are still strong and tight, and miraculously tuned; they might be made of horsehair, for they are turning a dingy green. I wonder what it's for?
We're getting closer to the dark elf; we can all feel it. I'm increasingly nervous about how the battle will fare. We weren't able to bring a lot of good armor; most of what we have is either wooden or leather. And then there's still the fact that Cecil is hopeless wit his bow and Yang isn't as good with his in the darkness. Granted there's still Cid's hammer and I have my magic, but it would have been a lot faster with metal weapons. I think we can still make it, but it could take a while.
Your Brother,
Tellah.
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Dear Mira,
The battle is done, and we are on our way back to Troia!
Now then, let me tell you about our battle. It started out like a lot of other really hard battles we've faced in the past, with the villain rambling about how powerless we are against him. However, this time he was rather right: no metal weapons, remember? Well, yes he trashed us quickly. I distinctly remember him KOing me early on, because my magic was our most reliable resource, and then I don't remember much for several minutes.
Then, in the distance, we all heard this hauntingly beautiful harp-song playing. My first thought was Edward, but it was impossible; he was bedridden in a city more almost a day's flight away. And then, we all heard his voice calling to us, telling us to get up and fight, and that the song was disabling the magnetic field. It also seemed to be hurting the dark elf, who had his hands clapped over his ears and was screeching in pain.
Yes, Cecil and yang whipped out their sword and cat-claws and we all began pummeling the monster once again.
In a last-ditch effort, I suppose, it transformed into a worm-like dragon. It didn't fare much better in its new form; we made short work of it, retrieved the crystal, and I teleported us out. We're now camped outside of the cave, resting from our adventure, and will be returning to Troia tomorrow morning.
Your Brother,
Tellah.
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Dear Mira,
We're on a new mission, one that promises to be even more interesting than the dark elf's cave. I'm writing to you form a safe spot inside the mysterious tower that Golbez addressed as Zot.
We had very little time between our return to Troia and our latest race. Upon returning, we went to see Edward and ask about the stunt he managed to pull in the cave. The harp he had given us was magical, and he had played another harp from afar to affect the elf. As much as I hate to admit it, Edward is a rather clever and resourceful kid; I feel a little silly for resenting him so much.
But, almost as soon as we had returned, Kain showed up again, demanding the crystal. We didn't want to give it up, having only required it yesterday, but the people begged us to hand it over lest he destroy the city. (After Mysidia, Damcyan and Fabul, I guess I don't really blame them; Troia is officially the only host to a crystal and lose it without being raided and destroyed.)
So we met with Kain again, and we gave him the crystal. As he had said, he would take us to the place where Golbez was keeping Rosa. The place has turned out to be a tower, hidden on a mountain in the sky: Zot tower. However, Kain had never said that it would be easy. Now we have to climb to the top and rescue Rosa before something happens to her.
There are about ten or 12 levels, all patrolled by monsters. (Meant only to stall us.) We're traveling as fast as we can, but we're on floor seven and already tired. Cecil and yang maybe strong and fit, but Cid and I can't take much more pounding up stairs and blasting monsters. We're leaving the safe spot in a half an hour. Please, write to me in that time, if you can.
Your Brother,
Tellah.
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Tellah,
I'm on pins and needles; you're really going to rescue Rosa! I can't wait to see you all, and finally get to meet this enchanting young lady. Pace yourself; if it's Golbez you'll be facing, you'll be needing your strength.
Speaking of which, I have two questions. One: when you encounter Golbez, do you intend on unleashing your revenge on him now? If so, please reconsider! I have a bad feeling about this! Two: is it safe for Rai and I to head over to Baron yet? We're all packed, ready to go there on your signal.
Good luck to you all. Give everyone a hug for me; especially Cecil.
Mira.
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To Mrs. Mira Faraxhae,
It is with an even heavier heart that I write to you once more, from Baron castle once again. So soon after losing the twins, it's my duty to inform you that your brother, Tellah, has been killed.
The cloaked monster came to greet us. Tellah rushed forward and engaged him in battle. He was holding his own, and then he decided that the time had come to unveil his Meteor spell. (Which we all knew would probably kill him.) We all begged him to use a different spell, but he said no; he said that he would avenge all of the family he had lost to the monster, and that none of us were going to talk him out of it when he was so close to his goal. We were all crushed to be reduced so, but we were forced to stand by and watch him destroy himself, unable to stop him.
The Meteor spell didn't even work the way it was supposed to. It fazed Golbez long enough for Tellah to give us his final words. Of course, he asked us to avenge him and the others; Cecil said yes, yes he would, but I don't know if he intends to go through with it. When he was a dark knight, it may have been his next priority. But now that he is a paladin, I don't think he has any interest in exacting revenge. Golbez must be stopped because he is evil, bottom line; revenge is just one of the many reasons that many people have for wishing him dead.
Miraculously, something has happened to Kain, whom we had thought had betrayed us. Golbez has had him brainwashed for the past several months and he was powerless against his mind-control. It makes sense, I suppose; who in their right mind could have willingly joined that man? Back to his senses, Kain helped us rescue Rosa from a giant axe, rigged to fall on her if we walked into the room. She's with us now; our mission is finally complete.
But enough about us. Before he died, Tellah left a message for you and Elder Raidon. He said that, if we rescued Rosa and got rid of Golbez, that it would be safe for you to come and revive the twins. Golbez is on his way to the underworld now; he's most certainly done with Baron for a while. Come as quickly as you are able! Bring back Palom and Porom!
With utmost respect,
Yang Fang Leiden.
Mira didn't faint as she read the letter this time, though she did read it through tears. First her husband, then her children, now her brother…
Tellah had thrown his life away; great, moody sage he was; and now he was gone forever.
But now that he had given his permission for them to leave, she and Rai would travel the Devil's Road to Baron, meet with the white mage Georgette Farrell, and revive the twins. They had had two weeks to prepare everything they needed; everything had been checked, packed, unpacked and double checked, and then packed again. The rite needed to revive someone who had willingly turned themselves to stone was tricky and time consuming; it may take several weeks, up to a few months, to get it to work properly. Mira didn't understand it as deeply as Rai, but she did know that it involved about 5000 dollars worth of gold needles and several pints of blood from two direct family members. Rai had said that blood from the mother and father was the most potent, but that his blood would still work.
Knowing all of that made Mira wilt, and she longed even more for her wayward Jackie to reappear on the shore.
She pushed all the sad thoughts out of her head, filling herself with conviction. She clutched the letter into a crumpled wad in her fist and ran out the door, headed for the tower.
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Oh, this has been an incredibly fun chapter to write! Please tell me if you like the way this was written; I've been planning this since August!
Now, how about some previews?
In the next chapter…
Reunited with her mother at long last, will Rosa be able to say goodbye again to follow her beloved and her friends into the unknown of the Underworld?
"Mama, I have to go with them," Rosa insisted.
"You only just got back!" Georgette protested. "Last time you left, you were supposed to come right back; you were gone for five months! I'm not losing you like that again!"
"I have to do this," Rosa repeated, beginning to wonder if she would be locked in another tower for this. "Without a strong white mage, how will they get by?"
Mira and Rai arrive, at long last, in Baron, ready and raring to go!
Mira wanted badly to shed at least one tear at the sight of her children, stone statues braced against the walls. She felt like she was going to cry, but she simply couldn't; she had already cried so much that her eyes were like sand.
Rai cleared his throat. "Help me get this cauldron set up," he said soberly, hauling the large iron pot into the musty hallway on its wheeled platform. "The sooner we set up, the sooner we get them back."
And Rydia leads the party to a very important person, in the most unlikely place imaginable!
"It's good to see you back, Rydi," the man called out from the gate, waving cheerily. "We were afraid you wouldn't be back for a good long time!"
Rydia laughed as she ran up to the man and gave him a friendly hug. While Rosa watched, looking very touched, Cecil and Yang could but stare at the man. If they didn't know any better, they would have said that he looked vaguely familiar. There as something about his little nose, his big smile, and the color of his hair that made him look a lot like…
Rydia turned back to the others, her arm still around her friend's shoulder. "Everyone," she said, "this is Jackie; he's one of my best friends."
Stay tuned! The Faraxhae Family Circus will return after this short break! (Very short, I think!)
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