With the road too dangerous to navigate in the storm, Kain and Jon did not go straight to Baron. Instead, with Jon leading the way, they came to a neighboring farm, whose modest homestead offered shelter from the rain, a warm meal, and a change of clothing. Jon told them that the manor had been seized for quartering, which wasn't far from the truth, given the Dragoons' occupation of it.
"What did we see?" Kain asked Jon, whispering once they were alone in the guest room.
"I don't know," Jon replied, looking terrified again, his hands shaking.
"You said something about Arch Fiends," Kain prompted, curiosity winning out over fear.
Jon hesitated; his cheeks colored in surprise embarrassment. "A crisis of faith," Jon explained, sounding sheepish. "Growing up, my family was deeply involved in a minor sect of the Crystals' faith. It was believed the end times were near, that the Crystals would call their avatars to action, causing a world-wide war to cleanse the unfaithful. I thought…" he paused, a shudder going through him, and Kain knew it was not from the cold. "I thought we witnessed one of them."
"And now you're not certain?" Kain asked.
"After everything we saw, I'm not even certain of my own sanity," Jon answered in a frightened whisper.
"We have to go back," Kain said, and watched the color drain out of Jon's face. "We must find evidence of what happened. And help anyone left alive who might need it. Those men were – are –under my command, I have to bring them back to Baron before they're accused of desertion." Most importantly, Kain had to find something that made yesterday make sense, both for Jon's sanity and his own.
Jon nodded grimly but said nothing more.
The storm lasted through the rest of the day, into the small hours of the night. Kain tried to sleep, but found himself too restless, grappling with too many questions about what had happened. He sorted through the images in his mind, of deadly shadows slicing through men, blood splattering the grass, a white figure beckoning, and a silhouette in black stalking the edges of the trees. Jon had it right – if he thought too deeply about it, Kain was not certain of his own sanity.
Kain's dreams, too, were a terrifying place he did not dare to go. Golbez lurked at the corners, plucking at exposed threads, urging Kain's return. I'm coming, Kain told the insistent tugging, then aside to himself, After I get answers… Kain was not sure if it was the distance from Baron, his own new mental fortitude, or Golbez graciously granting him autonomy. Regardless of the reason, Kain found himself grateful.
At first light, Jon and Kain were up and ready to leave, their chocobos as restless to go as they were. The storm had been a much-needed thorough soaking of the countryside, with the new buds peeking out overnight, lightly scenting the air with their faint fragrance. The beauty of the morning sun glittering on the glistening branches seemed to somehow mock them and their worries, contrasting too deeply with the gory violence of the day before.
Finally, Highwind Manor came into view, standing silent and still as a grave; no birds flew overhead or chirped nearby. The two chocobos came to a stop, their riders gawking at the manor ahead.
"What happened to all the people?" Kain asked, realizing he had seen no serving folk or groundkeepers, unlike his first visit.
"I sent them away when the Dragoons arrived," Jon said, his chocobo shifting nervously beneath him. Jon leaned forward and pet the back of the chocobo's neck in a reassuring gesture, and it seemed to settle. "Everyone wanted to go back to their homes to be with their families – the possibility of war with Damcyan has everyone fearing a counterattack." Jon paused, looking aside from Kain suddenly. "I'm sorry I let them take you. They told me they wanted to help you, but…" Jon peered back up at him, guilt in his eyes. "Did they hurt you?"
"I'm fine," Kain said, the words tight through his clenched jaw. He did not actually answer Jon's question, but Jon did not push, only nodding mutely.
They rode on, more slowly, approaching the manor from the front. They left the chocobos in the stables, with fresh water and feed, and entered through the servants' entrance. The house was eerily silent as they moved through the halls.
Kain could smell the blood before he saw it, as they approached the first floor's large foyer, the copper tang of it filling his nose and mouth. Kain, feeling overwhelmed, fought back a gag, swallowing down the urge to vomit.
Here, a battle had ensued, bloody puddles on the floor starting to thicken and dry, crusting over; a spray of blood on one wall; a mess of smeared handprints on another. Despite this evidence, Kain was surprised to realize there were no bodies; the only clue left behind were boot prints in red, tracking through the various bloody spots on the floor, then finally leading out, through a hall to the back of the house. Someone had stood beside each of these bodies and, what - carried them out?
Jon stood by the door as Kain looked around, murmuring prayers to himself.
"Where does this lead?" Kain asked, gesturing down the hallway with bloody tracks.
"The backyard," Jon said, then swallowed hard and added, "We should check the cellar while we're out there. To see if anything's missing or changed." He found a lantern hanging on a nearby wall and took it down, looking just a bit more confident with its light in hand.
There was nothing Kain wanted to do least, but he said nothing and only nodded.
They followed the tracks, coming across a few more signs of struggle – more footprints moving around erratically, handprints on the walls, and various discarded weapons. One particularly gruesome scene had a severed hand still clutching a sword's hilt, the only body part present so far; Kain was dismayed to recognize Albert's blade. He shuddered and hurried past, trying not to dwell on it.
They followed the prints outside to the yard, where they disappeared into the wet grass, washed away in last night's rain. Jon, timid and hesitant, approached the cellar door, peering uncertainly in. He held the lantern up, as if he feared something lurking close by, waiting to jump out at them.
"I'll go," Kain said, taking the lantern from Jon. "Stand watch up here."
Looking relieved, Jon nodded eagerly.
Kain was less enthused but didn't hesitate as he descended the cellar stairs. What had the shadow been doing in here? What artifact might be missing? He asked himself these questions as if he didn't already know, and what he had suspected since finding Cecil's dark knight tome missing – King Odin had obviously recruited a new dark knight and was sending them to collect their inheritance. The light of the day and distance from the yesterday's events made it easier to view them with a calm, objective eye.
Kain entered the armory, lifted his lantern high, and found the display bust in the middle of the room empty, missing Cecil's careful assembly of Elena's dark knight armor. He sighed, wondering who this dark knight might be, and if they were a woman, to want Elena's old armor. It explained what he saw, too, someone using Darkness, cloaked by the storm, looking like a moving shadow. They were skilled at the blade, too, evidenced by their quick and deadly attacks, effectively cutting down the dragoons in a single lethal stroke.
Just as Kain turned to exit, he heard Jon's surprised scream of terror. Sprinting through the dark, swinging lantern in hand, Kain ran back up the cellar stairs. He found Jon stumbling back from the willow trees, pointing in horror at something ahead.
Kain ran to Jon, standing ahead, to protect Jon from whatever enemy threatened him. But there was no man or beast ahead, only Elena's grave. "What's wrong…" Kain started to ask, but his eyes adjusted to the bright sun overhead and he saw what had scared Jon – Elena's grave was freshly dug, overturned earth surrounding the new hole. Kain did not dare look into the open grave, he did not want to know if –
"Her casket is open!" Jon howled, answering the question Kain didn't want answered. "The Earth Arch Fiend has called her to duty! She stalks the earth again, purging the unworthy, drowning them in their own blood-"
"Stop it!" Kain shouted over Jon, unable to bear any more. "That is not what happened here!" He turned around to face Jon, resolutely putting the grave and its blasphemy behind him. Kain remembered Rosa's joke about sleeping on Elena's grave and shuddered, suddenly missing Rosa with an intensity that scared him. Kain took a deep breath to steady himself, then spoke, "Was my mother buried with her sword? Some knights are."
Jon, who had fallen to his knees, arms raised in prayer, blinked in surprise, lowering his hands. "Yes," he answered, looking confused. "Why?"
"Someone is taking dark knight artifacts," Kain said, trying to sound calm. "Cecil's dark knight tome was gone from his room, and my mother's armor is missing from the cellar." Kain gestured absently behind him, indicating Elena's grave but refusing to face it again. "I'm guessing they wanted her weapon as well."
Jon considered that, slowly getting up from his knees. "You think so?" he asked, sounding uncertain. "If you check the casket, and her body is still there, we would know…."
"No," Kain said, the word clipped and short. "No," he said, more gently, shaking his head. "This was a graverobber, not a necromancer. We saw a formidable dark knight yesterday, slaughtering their enemies in the name of the King's justice. And we were very, very lucky to not be counted as an enemy of the Crown." Kain looked past Jon, up at the manor. "Do you think this place will ever be as it once was?"
"It will always carry the wicked stains of yesterday," Jon said, the words solemn as he, too, looked up to consider Highwind Manor. "Perhaps, in time, we can appreciate its beauty again. But…" Jon looked uncertainly over his shoulder at Elena's grave. "But not today."
"Not today," Kain grimly agreed.
Together, Jon and Kain rode through the afternoon to Baron, stopping occasionally to let their chocobos breathe. Kain was both relieved and filled with dread at the sight of it cresting the horizon. Instead of taking Jon to the Inn, as was the original plan, Kain rode past it, Jon's chocobo following out of habit and instinct. Kain drew up to the house beside the Inn – Rosa's house.
"I have an idea," Kain said, feeling suddenly inspired. He dismounted his chocobo. Jon did the same, looking confused as he followed Kain to the door.
"Where are we?" Jon asked.
Before Kain could answer or even knock on the door, it opened, Joanna standing on the other side. At first, she looked angry, eyes narrowed at Kain. But once she looked past him to Jon, recognition softened her manner immediately. "Jon!" she cried, pushing past Kain, to embrace the older man.
Jon looked at first surprised, then smiled, tears pooling in his eyes. He hugged Joanna back. "It's good to see you too, Mistress Farrell."
"He needs a place to stay," Kain said, feeling uncomfortable at the emotional reunion and wanting to look away. "Could you help him? Highwind Manor is…" Kain hesitated, unsure of what to say.
"No longer hospitable," Jon finished for Kain.
Joanna smiled, though it was strained. "Of course, you can stay. As long as you need," she said. She took Jon by the arm and began leading him inside. "Come in," she said encouragingly. She paused at the door, gesturing for Jon to continue inside. Once he was through, she closed the door, shutting Jon inside. She whirled around on Kain. "I will take him on one condition," she said, voice losing all softness.
"What?" Kain asked.
"You get Marion's father and Cid's daughter permission for a visit in the dungeons," Joanna said, crossing her arms over her chest, leveling a stare, full of judgment, on Kain. "They've both been at the castle every day, trying to beg Odin for entry, but he refuses to see them. You can argue that Cid and Marion were rightly arrested for treason, but it is cruel to keep their families away."
"Cid's in the dungeons now?" Kain asked, then shook his head at his own question – if Odin had sent his new dark knight to save Kain, then he must have also figured out that Cid was involved in the kidnapping. "What can I do?" he asked instead.
"You obviously walk in high esteem with King Odin," Joanna said, frowning deeper. "Find a way to convince him." She hesitated, then asked, eyes suddenly full of tears, "Did Rosa really get away? She wasn't secretly executed and left in a ditch somewhere?"
"She got away, determined to find Cecil," Kain answered gruffly. "It would be best if you simply acted if she were away on a mission, so no one suspects you of treason by association."
Joanna swiped at her eyes, blinking away her tears. "And if you find her? I beg you, do not drag her back in. Seek your glory in warfare if you must, but must Rosa be witness for it to have meaning for you?"
Feeling ashamed, Kain looked aside, Joanna's words cutting too close to the truth, her accuracy making him uncomfortable.
"I see," Joanna said – and she did, her green gaze too penetrating to allow Kain to successfully lie. "Rosa's more resourceful and clever than you give her credit for, she'll stay one step ahead of you." Joanna did not wait for a reply, opening the door, stepping inside, then slamming it closed behind her.
Deep down, for Rosa's sake, Kain hoped Joanna was right.
Kain stopped briefly in his room to change clothing and was surprised to find his armor returned, set up on its bust in his room. He wondered if that were a message, to stay content with his current accommodation and not reach for more, or simply a coincidence, some servant recognizing his armor and returning it to his room. Either way, Kain hurried to change his clothing, then put on his armor; each piece felt heavier than he remembered, his limbs already protesting the extra weight. He shrugged aside his reluctance and hurried to exit.
What had started as a faint but insistent tug in the back of his mind, had evolved in pressure, becoming more present as Kain entered Baron and made his way through the castle. Now, Kain could feel Golbez's urgency, the sorcerer bellowing his summoning of Kain into his mind, crowding out all other thoughts. With his pulse battering against his skull, loud and throbbing, Kain stumbled his way through the castle. He stopped, once, falling to his knees, desperate for relief, but the pain instead magnified, an indescribable pin prick of searing, white-hot pain; it needled at his tenderest parts, precise and intentional. When it finally subsided, Kain staggered to his feet, finding himself grateful to Golbez for the reprieve. As he hurried along the castle corridors, Kain had no other thoughts of disobedience, no matter how small.
Kain thought he was going to the throne room, but instead, he found himself instead going further into the Royal Wing. No guards stopped Kain or questioned his presence, which Kain found odd, but the thought was vague and distant, swept away by Golbez's impatience, urging Kain to hurry. The pressure in his mind continued to build as Kain went further into Odin's quarters, then, as he approached one set of closed double doors, the feeling immediately evaporated. Kain blinked hard, as if coming out of a daze, and blankly stared at the closed doors for a long moment.
Only, the door wasn't closed, Kain realized, peering closer. The door was slightly ajar, muffled voices coming from within. Kain leaned in closer, peeking in through the crack. He saw and recognized Barbariccia first, who stood beside a tall figure in a dark red cloak, their features shadowed within the hood. Across the room, seated at a table that dominated the room, was a strange turtle-like creature, blue scales lining its strange, elongated face. Pacing the room was a ghost – the thing in the white grave shroud, who had commanded the new dark knight to protect Kain – Scarmiglione, Kain remembered.
What's going on? Kain wondered, expecting something from Golbez to prompt him, but getting nothing.
Instead, Barbariccia looked up suddenly, looking over her shoulder at the door. She caught Kain's eyes, winked, then looked back at the red figure. "So, when do move into your fancy tower, Rubicant?"
"As soon as I can take Eblan," the figure in red – Rubicant, apparently – responded, sounding male. "I'm here to request more troops for a siege."
The turtle-creature perked up; its odd face twisted in a scowl. "With the upcoming attack on Fabul, there are no troops to spare."
"Cagnazzo," Rubicant said, impatiently stressing the name. "If I am to take the Tower of Babil, then Eblan must be wiped from the map. They are too close and could report on our activities. Not all of us were handed our kingdom takeovers by a greedy monarch falling into our hands and thus, must meticulously plan."
"Eblan would report nothing! They've had no correspondence with Baron in the last two years! And furthermore," Cagnazzo said, abruptly standing from his seat. "I've worked very hard in that stinking flesh prison to—" Cagnazzo started, standing abruptly up from his seat, his voice rising.
"Ssssstop…" Scarmiglione interrupted with a hissing stutter. "I've been recruiting."
"What do you mean?" Rubicant asked, interest piqued.
"There'ssss plenty of bodiesssss for your war machine, now," Scarmiglione replied; Kain could not see his face within the shroud but heard a smile in his words. "Plenty of souls willing to spill the blood of othersssss."
"Have a new pet?" Barbariccia asked with an arched eyebrow. "A new minion? A devotee of grave magic come to worship you?"
"You talk of pets," Cagnazzo said with a scoff. "You have not one but two dragoons dangling after you."
"I am their goddess," Barbariccia corrected him, never breaking her smile. "Are you mad that there's no one to serve you?"
"I have an entire army at my disposal," Cagnazzo said, flinging his arms wide in gesture. "These folk will do anything in the name of patriotism. I order them to take the Crystals, and religious nationalism springs up, justifying Baron's actions to themselves. How much more devoted could a people be?"
Rubicant shook his head, the hood coming off with the gesture. He was as alien as the others, his skin was stretched tight over his horned skull, a vibrant red color, highlighted in blue in a few spots. The rest of his body remained covered by the cloak. "Have you all forgotten where we started? Lord Golbez lifted us all from ruin and death. And now, when we are so close to victory, you three are too distracted by your own egos and vanity to realize how close we are to losing everything."
A chastened hush fell over the room.
Barbariccia looked over at the door again, this time, minutely shaking her head at Kain. Taking the hint, Kain backed away from the door. He turned, intent on exiting, to see Golbez standing there, clad in his dark armor, his impassive helmet watching Kain as he eavesdropped.
"Master, I—"
"Ready yourself for deployment to Fabul," Golbez spoke over Kain, not forcefully, but he didn't need to be. "You'll be in command again."
"Of the Dragoons?" Kain asked, suddenly hopeful. "Did any remain loyal?"
"Some did, but they'll be on another mission," Golbez said, a strange hint of amusement in his words. "You'll be commanding soldiers for the ground assault on Fabul Castle."
Kain felt suddenly overwhelmed by emotion, his gratitude and relief at being offered a second chance. "Thank you," he said, then belatedly added, "Master."
"One more thing, Kain," Golbez said, summoning Kain's attention again. "Cagnazzo is wrong. You're not Barbariccia's, even if Richard is." Golbez paused and Kain felt a possessive hook in his mind as Golbez then added, "You're mine."
The words sent a terrified shiver through Kain, followed by immediate shame, for he knew Golbez saw the shape of his fear inside him, there was nothing he could hide where Golbez could not reach.
"You are like a Flamehound trained to sniff out vermin," Golbez continued without mercy, "Everywhere you go, enemies reveal themselves." Golbez moved past Kain, pulling the door fully open. Before he went inside, he paused to look back at Kain. "Now, you will go to Fabul and see who might be there to meet you."
"Yes, Master," Kain answered as he knew he must.
Over the next few days, the castle was in a frenzied buzz of pre-war preparation. No one had any illusions about the military's activity this time. For Mysidia and even Damcyan, they had the excuse of ignorance. Now, there was no misunderstanding that the airships were being loaded up with bombs to destroy homes and lives, all in the name of a Crystal.
Kain tried to go to Odin to ask for clemency for both Cid and Marion, but his traitorous feet turned him away each time, finding a new important task to do, his mind pressing with the sudden urgency of it. It also seemed strange to Kain, hearing Cagnazzo brag about his control of Baron, but Kain had never seen Cagnazzo before that encounter. Where was the turtle hiding? Was he one of Odin's new war advisors?
Kain also attempted, once, to go to the dungeons himself. He got through the door and down the stairs, but the sound of Marion's soft sobbing stopped him abruptly.
"It'll be all right," Cid whispered hoarsely to her as Kain fled back up the stairs. "We'll get through this together…"
Kain saw Jon, briefly, passing him on the streets. A preacher had set up in the main square, his hands lifted to the sky, crying loud about the divinity of Baron's role in the world, how a prosperous utopia would follow once all the Crystals had been gathered. Jon stood in the crowd of others, listening with rapt fascination, his eyes wide and full of fear. Kain said nothing, trying to sidestep the crowd. He wondered if it had been Golbez who prompted him to bring Jon to Joanna's house, knowing that Jon would feel compelled to report any unusual activity in the Farrell home that might link Joanna to her rebel daughter. How could Kain possibly fight the kind of insidious mind control that felt like his own thoughts?
A man in the crowd saw Kain, and recognizing him, grabbed Kain by the arm. "Bless you, Commander Highwind, on your mission to take back Baron's rightful inheritance." Kain tried to yank his arm away, but the man held on tighter. "May the Light of the Crystals always shine on you and your bravery in defending our realm—"
Kain, feeling a spike of panic, pushed hard, sending the man stumbling back into the crowd. A concerned murmur rippled through the crowd, and before any more could turn and recognize him, Kain Jumped away, safe on the roof of a nearby house.
The next morning, the call to arms for the Fabul Siege was finally issued, and Kain was grateful, at last, to answer it.