The sudden retirement of both the Dragoon Commander and the Red Wings Captain sent ripples of rumor throughout Baron, military and civilian alike. All wondered what had prompted Odin to replace them in the middle of their successful careers. There was no doubt both Cecil and Kain were talented soldiers, but it seemed hasty to promote them now, just as they were cutting their teeth on complex missions. Many speculated a disagreement had initiated the dismissals, but no loose-lipped guard could confirm any specific gossip, so the theories varied wildly.
Not even Albert or the Red Wings Captain spoke about it, despite how Kain and Cecil pushed on their former superiors.
"There is nothing to say," Albert said with a resigned sigh. They stood together in the Dragoon Commander's small office, as Albert packed up his personal belongings into a small box. He paused to look up at Kain. "And I'm not being secretive or coy. King Odin gave me no reason, only to say that it was time to step aside."
"But that doesn't make sense," Kain protested. "There has to be a reason."
"If there is one, it lies with Odin and not with me," Albert told him with a shrug. "But you, Kain, you must be cautious moving forward. I fear Odin's ambition may prompt him to… push you and Cecil. Remember your honor as a dragoon and keep them on the right path."
"I will," Kain promised.
There were abrupt changes with the mages, as well.
Rosa came bursting into Albert's office – no, it was Kain's office, now - one afternoon, demanding, "Did you know about this?" Behind her, the door swung wildly on its hinges, but did not quite close.
"Know about what?" Kain asked, genuinely not knowing. He sat at his desk, sorting through Albert's meticulous notes, and wondering if he'd ever get through it all.
"The Mysidian mages?" Rosa answered impatiently, as if it were obvious. When Kain did not respond she added, "And their contracts being cancelled?" Kain shook his head and Rosa sighed. "All Mysidian mages are being sent back, effective immediately. They're being escorted to the Devil's Road, right now."
"Why?" Kain asked, setting aside his paperwork.
"I don't know," Rosa admitted quietly, letting go of her impatient tone. "I was hoping you would. Some are saying it is in the name of patriotism, to keep the military strictly on Baron's own interests and not Mysidia's. Others claim that Mysidian mages can't be trusted anymore, and the only reason why Mysidia has so many talented mages is because of their greedy possession of the Water Crystal." Rosa paused, looking over Kain carefully. "They say more than that, but it frightens me."
Kain saw the fear in her eyes and knew she wasn't exaggerating. "And what does Cecil say?" he asked, suspecting that she had first gone to Cecil.
The question made Rosa obviously uncomfortable; she quickly looked aside. "Not much," she said, confirming his suspicions. "Only that we must trust His Majesty's judgment and that he has Baron's best interest in mind."
"Do you?" Kain asked, lowering his voice. "Trust King Odin?" It had been a question lurking in the corners of his mind since his youth when Odin first manipulated Cecil into dark knight training. Then it was made only worse when Kain discovered Odin's machinations reached all the way to Elena. He hadn't put oxygen to the words – hadn't dared – but if he couldn't trust Rosa, then who could he trust? Who else knew him better?
Rosa met his eyes again, serious and somber. "You're asking a dangerous question, Kain," she said, the words heavy with warning; he knew he was treading on precarious grounds. He stood from his seat and circled the desk. Rosa took a sudden step to the side as he passed her to the door, as if startled by his proximity. Kain tried to ignore her reaction and how it made his pulse spike in response.
"It's a question you'll have to answer eventually," Kain warned Rosa as he clicked the office door closed, then turned back to face her. "Soon, we may all have to ask if His Majesty is doing the best for Baron."
"You speak of treason," Rosa whispered, her eyes wide. She backed away from him again, but her hip bumped into his desk, stopping her. She glanced quickly over her shoulder, then back to him, and Kain was surprised to see a new fear in her eyes.
"King Odin is preparing for a war," Kain countered, sterner than he intended, also surprised by the sudden anger he felt. He moved toward her, closing the small distance between them. "It's a matter of time before he finds a reason he thinks is good enough to finally wage one." He softened his tone as he continued, "I'm not afraid of warfare, but who is our enemy?"
"What do we do?" Rosa asked with a sharp inhale. "What can we do? Even with your high rank, we are just soldiers following orders. How do we say no?"
Kain sighed, then reached to take her hand in his, and she allowed the familiar gesture of their childhood. "I don't know," he admitted quietly. "Perhaps we do nothing. I could be wrong about all of this. But as King Odin told me, we are but tools in his hand, and must do as we are ordered."
Rosa looked down at their joined hands and said nothing. Kain was acutely aware of the soft sound of her slow, deliberate breathing, the uncertainty coloring her eyes a deeper blue and the squeeze of her fingers on his. The combination of it all made his heart pick up in an erratic rhythm against his ribs.
"Don't…" Rosa said, the plea barely audible despite their closeness. She looked aside from him, a new color high in her cheeks. "You cannot keep looking at me like that." When Kain did not move or react, she added, "Cecil will start to notice."
Her words were like stepping out into a cold winter night in the middle of a blizzard, his hot blood immediately cooling. He stepped back from her and dropped his hand from hers, and he heard her relieved exhale. How could he forget Cecil?
"Promise me something," Rosa said, now that Kain was subdued, and she had proper air in her lungs. "No matter what happens, with the Red Wings, or Odin, or Baron, we'll protect and look out for Cecil." She knew him too well, how to redirect Kain and bring his focus back.
Kain knew then by the vulnerability in her voice, trembling as she spoke, how much she truly loved Cecil – it reminded him of their time together on Mount Ordeals. Had it been so easy for her, to turn her strong affection for Kain to Cecil, or did she still just love them both?
Haven't we always looked out for Cecil? Isn't that all I've ever done? Kain wondered but saw the intensity in Rosa's eyes and could not deny her or himself; he never could. "I promise," Kain said solemnly, not knowing how utterly he'd break it, or how soon.
In the weeks that followed, Kain was busier than ever before. King Odin demanded the Dragoon troops be available and deployment ready at a moment's notice, so Kain spent countless hours going through equipment lists, rosters, and organizing practice drills to keep the Dragoons ready for any possibility.
At first, Kain wondered what Odin feared or wanted so much to whip the entire military into a frenzy, but Kain soon found himself too busy to even wonder that. Every night he'd drag himself to his quarters to drop off half dead into bed, rising only hours later to do it all again.
Cecil was similarly busy with the Red Wings, trying to meet the demands of both the King and Cid, who had recently outfitted the fleet with upgraded engines, making the Red Wings the fastest ships in the sky.
Cecil was not too busy for Rosa, however, Kain hearing her light footsteps on the stairs up to Cecil's room, sometimes late at night or early before dawn. He thought about purposefully running into her on the stairs or cornering her in the hallway, but wondered what such a confrontation would accomplish besides confusing them both. Rosa and Cecil were a couple now, even if they hadn't said anything yet and Kain could not bring himself to ask, knowing that it would ignite a jealousy in him he did not think he could withstand. Their unspoken agreement to not acknowledge it made it easier to smile and pretend his heart had moved on.
King Odin's new lofty ambitions turned Cecil more serious, with less joy and cheer in him than he had in his youth. Kain did not know if the King pushed Cecil further in his dark knight training or if it was the weight of responsibility that had dimmed the light in Cecil. Either way, Kain hated it.
Kain tried to turn to Marion for both comfort and as a distraction, but Marion hadn't escaped King Odin's demands either – she and her father were working night and day in the smithy to create new weapons for the influx of new recruits. She saw Kain infrequently in those days, usually in passing in the castle. Sometimes she'd show up at Kain's room, and he liked those nights the best, because for a few short hours, he could forget himself and his worries. His encounters with Marion lacked the magic of his night with Rosa on Mount Ordeals, but they were a wonder in of themselves. He briefly wondered if Marion and Rosa ever encountered each other in the morning, and he found the thought so uncomfortable he tried not to consider it again.
Since the Mysidian mages' dismissal and the Crown offering a sizeable sign-on bonus, there had been a wave of new recruits, eager to step in and fill the potential gaps throughout the ranks. New recruits showing any bit of combat training were promoted quickly and soon found themselves field ready.
Religious services, also, had increased in Baron, with more crying divinity over the Crystals and their blessings, and how Baron was entitled to share in the Crystals' bounty. The street preachers that had set up in the town square frightened Kain with the intensity of their beliefs as they desperately tried to share their messages of the world's ending. Apparently, man's greed and darkness were to blame, but Kain found it equally plausible that people would just destroy themselves in the end.
Albert moved to the country, wanting to be closer to his daughter and new grandson. With Albert gone, Marion busy with the smithy and Rosa distracted by Cecil while he was caught up in the King's agenda, Kain had never felt so alone. His new pessimism thrived in the shadow of his loneliness, nourishing itself on Kain's growing bitterness. He had always wanted to be Commander of the Dragoons, had lived and breathed that ambition every moment of every day since he could remember. But now that he had it, he felt robbed; the joy had drained out of the achievement by Odin just handing it to him before it was fully earned.
Kain knew how the other soldiers whispered about him now, speculating exactly how Kain had come to be in Odin's good graces. He tried to ignore the gossip, but it needled at his pride; he wallowed in the unfairness of it all.
Baron seemed to hold its breath, waiting for a command from their King. Kain went to Cid, thinking that any first step would be taken by the Red Wings, and as the Chief Engineer, Cid would be involved in their movement. Kain found Cid in his workshop, looking despondent over a set of blueprints.
"I know as little as you do," Cid told Kain, sounding tired. "The King only bids our readiness but does not say who we might be fighting." It was interesting, Kain thought, that Cid assumed that it was a who they might attacking, not a what, such as monsters, as they had in the last years of peace between the nations and communities of the world. "I don't know what King Odin is up to, which is unusual for us," Cid continued, lowering his voice. "We haven't always agreed on everything, but we did talk things out. He doesn't talk with me anymore."
"Someone stole your bomb to use for destruction and it killed my father," Kain said, his deep voice solemn and heavy with weight of his words. "But that wasn't your fault. But this will be if you let Odin use your ships for unnecessary warfare."
"You watch your mouth," Cid countered, shaking his wrench at Kain, his bushy brows knitted together in anger. "I've been managing King Odin long before you came along."
"Then surely you know how odd this all is," Kain said, taking a cautious step backward from Cid and his wrench. "In all the years you've served, has the King ever behaved like this?"
Cid lowered his wrench, looking thoughtful as he considered Kain's question, his harsh expression softening. "What do you want me to do?" he asked.
"Just let me know if the airships are called for any unscheduled missions," Kain asked, casting a look around to make sure no one was close enough to hear him. "If anything happens, it'll start with the Red Wings." He paused a moment before adding, "With Cecil. I think this is going to start with Cecil."
Cid looked briefly stricken but was soon nodding. "You're right," he admitted easily.
"So, you'll tell me?" Kain asked.
Cid closed his eyes, thinking intensely for a long moment. Then, he sighed, his shoulders sinking down. "I'll tell you,"
"Thank you," Kain said, his heart swelling with gratitude.
After meeting with Cid, Kain went to the airship bay, looking for Cecil, but could not find him. There seemed to be no more traffic than usual, but there was a strange tension in the air, with a salty aftertaste that lingered in Kain's nostrils long after he gave up and left.
Instead, Kain left the castle, going into the town. He went first to Rosa's house, but she did not answer his tapping on her window, and he wasn't feeling brave enough to try her front door. He did not trust his tongue around Joanna, unsure of what he might say in the face of her usual coldness.
Instead, he found himself at the door of the Weapon Shop but was surprised to find it locked. He tried the Armor shop next door, but found it similarly locked. Kain puzzled over this, wondering why both shops would be closed, and had a nagging feeling that Odin was involved.
Unsatisfied with his trip into town, Kain made his way back to the castle. In the courtyard, he spotted Baigan, Captain of the Guard, talking with several assembled guards. As the Captain of all the domestic forces, both in the castle and in town, Baigan might know why the shops might be closed, and if it had been by royal decree.
Kain approached, offering Baigan a nod when the Captain looked his way. "A word, Captain?"
"Of course, Commander," Baigan said formally; the other guards stepped away, making space for the two to speak. Baigan was a neat, meticulous man, dressed immaculately in his red and gold uniform, with his short blonde hair severely parted on the side. He wore wide silver shoulder pads and silver boots, which boasted of Baron's great wealth to attire their officers so decadently.
"Do you know why the Weapon and Armor Shops are closed?" Kain asked once the guards were gone.
Baigan raised an eyebrow. "Because they are busy with the Crown's needs."
"But to be closed to civilians?" Kain was surprised; Baron had a long, bloody history of defending itself from encroachers, fiercely fighting off any who came to their shores with conquest in mind. One of the core tenets of Baron citizenship was the right to defend both self and country – and that meant unfettered access to weapons and armor, and the education and training to use them.
Baigan shrugged, seeming indifferent. "A temporary measure, in these uncertain times. Not every peasant needs to have a sword in hand."
Kain wanted to push more, but he knew Baigan well – the Captain had the ear of the King and would not hesitate to whisper into it. The recent atmosphere made any criticism seem suddenly dangerous.
"Of course," Kain said tightly, through a clenched jaw. "His Majesty knows best."
"Do not worry, Commander Highwind," Baigan said, sounding unusually friendly. "Sometimes, the left and right hand must move without knowing what the other is doing. But remember that the head, your king, knows what he is doing." Baigan smiled then; there was something eerie about it, like a smile performed by someone that had never tried the expression before and was only imitating what they had seen.
"I understand, sir," Kain replied, forcing himself to smile back.
Cecil was avoiding him, Kain realized eventually, after a day and a half of trying to chase Cecil down. It only convinced him further that Cecil knew more of Odin's plans than any of them, and that Cecil would be directly involved in their execution.
Kain thought about just going to Cecil's door in the evening and knocking on his door, but the possibility of finding Rosa there in Cecil's bedroom paralyzed him into inaction. And so, Kain waited, drowning in his anxiety about what might happen for days. Finally, before dawn one morning, he woke after a fitful night of sleep to a loud round of knocking on his door, abruptly waking him from another strange dream about distant towers.
It was one of Cid's assistants, excitedly telling him that the Red Wings were getting their ships ready to launch, and that the big something was finally happening. Kain thanked him and sent the assistant back to Engineering, while Kain hurriedly dressed himself. He practically ran out the door and down the tower stairs, trying to get to the airship bay before anything began. He wasn't sure what he thought he would do once he was there, only knowing he needed to watch firsthand what was going to unfold, hoping he wouldn't see Cecil there.
Kain's heart sank when he entered the airship bay and saw Cecil walking along the docks, looking over the sleek, red-hulled airships all in a neat line, ready to launch. Cecil wore his black armor, the helm's visor lowered, making him look savage and cruel. The effect was almost enough to keep Kain away, and Kain thought of his long-ago words when Cecil first showed him the armor.
Your enemies will flee at the sight of you, Kain had told Cecil, and now Kain wondered who Cecil was trying to make run away. Who would dare to stand against him?
"Cecil," Kain said as he approached, then added more formally, "Captain Harvey."
"You shouldn't be here, Kain," Cecil replied stiffly, not breaking his stride.
Kain sprinted to catch up to Cecil, then matched his pace, walking beside him on the dock.
"This is a Red Wings mission alone," Cecil said, his voice muffled through his helm. He did not glance Kain's way, still looking straight ahead. "No dragoons are needed."
"What's the mission?" Kain asked, fighting to keep his tone mild.
The question made finally made Cecil pause, turning to face Kain as he also stopped. Cecil's dark helmet betrayed nothing, no sense of what Cecil might be thinking or feeling; Kain found it infuriating. "For once, this doesn't involve you," Cecil said, and even through the helm, Kain could hear the bitterness in Cecil's voice.
"If King Odin is—" Kain tried to protest.
"Why are you trying to take this from me?" Cecil interrupted, flinging the question as an accusation. "Just because you can't have it doesn't mean you get to ruin it for me. Be jealous if you want but I am tired of this one-sided rivalry," Cecil paused, to inhale deeply, his shoulders rising and making him look taller. "King Odin picked me, not you," he said, his voice now cold.
"Cecil…" Kain started but left it unfinished; he had no defense against the truth of Cecil's words and that made them cut even deeper. "You're right," Kain said quietly. "Good luck on your mission."
Cecil said nothing, only stood there in silence, his helmet never changing.
Kain turned to leave, got a few steps away, then paused. He looked back over his shoulder at Cecil, and he seemed somehow smaller in the armor now, like it was too big for him, his vitality dwindling away. "If you ever want to tell him no," Kain said. "I want you to know that I'll still support you."
"I have to do this," Cecil said so quietly Kain almost did not hear him. "I do not have a choice."
"But you do," Kain protested.
"Kain, please," Cecil pleaded; it sounded strange coming from his terrifying helmet. "His Majesty has commanded – what else can I do but obey? Do not make this harder than it must be. Please just go."
What else can I do but obey? Kain thought bitterly. Hadn't he always done what Cecil wanted? Wasn't everything always for Cecil? Kain turned away and started walking back down the dock, leaving Cecil behind.
"Kain!" Cecil called out after him; Kain heard Cecil's heavily booted tread as he took a few uncertain steps toward Kain.
But Kain did not stop, his long-legged stride carrying him quicky off the dock, out of the airship bay, and away from Cecil. For the first time in his life, Kain considered prayer – for Cecil to change his mind about whatever horrible thing he was going to do, and, failing that, for the mission to go well and be over quicky.
Kain found Rosa in the training yard, shooting arrows into a nearby target. He watched her for a moment, as she took aim, her brow furrowed and worried, then fired off several quick consecutive shots, loading each arrow with a speed and efficiency that always surprised Kain.
"Did he tell you?" Rosa asked when Kain finally approached. He shook his head and she sighed. "Me neither," she admitted quietly.
"Now what?" Kain asked, but before she could answer, wind picked up into a wild flurry around them as the airships started to take off.
Rosa turned to watch them ascend, her hand shielding her eyes as she peered up into the sky. The group of airships expertly maneuvered into position, the ships aligned like a flock of birds flying V formation. Cid's new engines roared with enthusiasm as the ships took off, streaking off toward the ocean.
"Southeast," Rosa said as she looked to Kain, her expression grave and serious. "You don't think they're going to…" she hesitated, perhaps not wanting to say it out loud.
"Mysidia," Kain finished for her. "He's going to Mysidia."