Chapter 2: Stigma

Edea Kramer stood in a vast flower field, a bouquet of white chrysanthemums in her hands. She felt the sting of her tears beneath her eyelids as her olive green eyes welled up with liquid. The clouds were dark gray. The gentle breeze pulled her long black dress in its direction. A couple of petals followed. All of nature, it seems, were sympathizing with the weeping sorceress. A bun fixed her silky black hair elegantly. She was beautiful – the gift of youth given to her by the Sorceress Power.

The sorceress in black stood in front of a gravestone in the middle of the field of flowers in bloom. She knelt and read the inscriptions upon the granite:

Cid Kramer

died at the age of 60

a SeeD. a Knight. a Leader

Garden will never be the same.

Painful memories filled her thoughts. Moments of happiness with her husband are to remain memories, fragile, fleeting and full of pain. A tear fell from her eye. That fateful day came rushing through her mind once more as her vision blurred. She was there when it all happened.

It was in the city of Esthar. She knew how their people looked down upon her and her being a sorceress. It was dangerous to even visit.

It was the Sorceress Commemoration Day, a day wherein Estharians celebrate their success against Sorceress Adel. Cid Kramer was President Laguna Loire's special guest, and naturally, Edea came with him. In front of the Presidential Palace was a big stadium, set-up annually for the event. During this, the President and some of his guests would speak, celebrating with the Estharians on this glorious day. The President had asked Cid Kramer to speak.

He got up and slowly walked to the podium. The eyes of the crowd are locked upon him, waiting for him to open his mouth. He did. He talked about how he admired the Estharians for being a united nation, showing that there is reason to celebrate their success against the cruelty of Sorceress Adel. He told them how they were united by their common hatred towards Adel. Their unity was indeed admirable. Then, he started talking about sorceresses and about the prejudice against them. The eyes were still focused on him. He started talking about Esthar's pushing for legislation of rules against sorceresses. Whispers and murmurs were heard among the audience. That was until Edea Kramer stood up. A shot was heard from a distance and pierced Cid's heart. The crowd panicked.

The sorceress in black rushed towards her husband. He lay there on the floor, his vest drenched in his blood. Despite the commotion offstage, they can clearly hear each other. She tried to save him, told him that it would be alright. He smiled and told her he loved her. She told him to hold on. He closed his eyes.

She held him for a moment, lifeless.

Edea couldn't save Cid.

The black figure sat on the flowers and started to sob. She can't help but remember the pain of her husband's death. His death was too tragic for an innocent man. She can't help but feel responsible, even if she knows she has nothing to do with his death. She wept and the clouds rumbled. A single drop of rain darkened the stone in front of her. Soon, more drops fell. The sky wept with the sorceress, yet she remained dry.

"Matron?"

A voice from behind startled the sorceress. She looked back, tears staining her face. It was Ellone. She held a white umbrella for her matron. Ellone knelt with her and wrapped a black silk cloth around Edea.

"Let's go inside. It's raining."

Edea nodded. They walked side-by-side to the cold stone house in Centra. Both ladies stepped in and closed the door. Ellone sat Edea down on her couch in the living room and went to the kitchen to get her some water. When she came back, Edea has calmed down. She sat on the couch, bearing a small smile.

"Here's some water, Matron." said a concerned Ellone. "Are you alright?"

"Oh I'm fine, dear. Just got a little bit too emotional back there. Thank you." Edea replied as she took the glass and drank from it.

"How are you, Matron?" Ellone sat beside her adoptive mother, deeply concerned.

"Getting by, dear. It's nice to see another friendly face here. Are the others coming?"

"Tomorrow. They'll fly here as soon as the SeeD exams are through."

"Good." Edea smiled weakly, her eyes still red from the tears.

Ellone reciprocated her matron's smile. The two rested safely on the couch, thinking about the harsh world out there, a darker place for sorceresses, especially a few years after President Laguna's term as Esthar's president. Esthar became the most powerful and influential country due to their advancements in technology. They also started slating rules about the banishment and containment of any woman whose sorcery has been proven by scientists in the Sorceress Memorial. Now, a law has been passed that states that any woman who is found to be a sorceress within the limits of the great country of Eshtar would be contained in the Sorceress Memorial Chamber. Of course, pardon has been granted to Sorceresses Edea and Rinoa.

Edea found it ridiculous that she had to be pardoned for being herself.

The past 17 years has been awful for sorceresses. Lamia Brasque, an Estharian member of the International Council has been convincing the other members of the council to adapt Esthar's laws for safety against the sorceresses. Now, Galbadia and Trabia are thinking about slating new laws like Esthar's.

"Oh, Matron. Have you heard the news from Galbadia?" Ellone asked as she sat down and placed her shades in the coffee table in front of them. Galbadia has just passed a law that states that:

"...any sorceress that is found in Galbadian land, this includes the city-state of Timber, the mountains of Dollet and the town of Winhill, shall be tried and, if proven to have natural abilities that pertain to sorcery, sentenced to confinement in the D-district Prison..."

"Oh I have dear and it's a shame, really. I thought Galbadians were open-minded people. It turns out they are just as dim-witted and narrow-minded as those Eshtarians." Edea responded. She was upset at them, yet she remained calm.

Edea was always calm, even when she was possessed. She was simple, motherly, and almost innocent. This is regarded as sophistication by the people around her. She never intended to act with sophistication. But in this world, you are not defined by how you know yourself. You are defined by how others see you.

"It is difficult to change people." Ellone realized.

"I agree, dear, which is why we must work harder. This is dangerous. Innocent sorceresses around the world are persecuted for no reason. Imagine if you were a sorceress and you were born and created in this era. Wouldn't you want to be in power just to remove the negative view that people of your kind are receiving from these… these.. close-minded stupid people?!"

Ellone started to think for a second, then smiled. "Was Uncle Cid this passionate about the rights of Sorceresses too?"

"Maybe even more so, dear." Edea sadly answered.

"I don't understand how someone as warm and caring as Uncle Cid could be assassinated during a speech that was not even that hostile to begin with?" Ellone wondered.

"Passionate people do stupid things, Ellone. Some people were just too passionate that they are willing to kill because of ideas. Ideas are very powerful, dear." Edea stated.

"Passion is the root of evil, dear. Passion is the root of evil."