With fresh spring rain, the Forest of Troia came alive. Birds sang lustily, filling the trees with a chaotic song of spring; mischievous Stingrat cubs dashed through branches, showering droplets of rain on their pursing littermates; and the air was filled with the rich scent of blooming flowers and soil.
It surprised Kain to realize it was spring already. It had been autumn when he visited Highwind Manor with Rosa and Cecil, feeling like it happened both yesterday and so long ago. His memory of it felt dreamlike and ethereal, like Kain had imagined how his life used to be, romanticized by nostalgia. How else could have so much have changed so quickly? He must have imagined his remembered happiness, Kain reasoned; he had never been content, after all.
With Barbariccia's winds whispering in his ear, Kain directed the airship over the vast forest. The wind brought rumors of a strange creature passing through, clutching a shining jewel in its grip; it was wounded, trailing blood behind it. Barbariccia guided him along the wind's memory of the coppery smell.
They followed it northeast, over a small channel to a large island northeast of the mainland. It was mostly mountains, but cradled protectively within the mountain range was more forest. With no open plains, it would make landing especially difficult, so Kain opted to go down and investigate, solo.
With the airship hovering as low as it could, Kain Jumped the rest of the way down, guided easily by Barbariccia's gentle currents. Landing soundly, Kain made his way north, to the large cave nestled neatly in the mountain.
At Barbariccia's urging, Kain approached the cave cautiously, sensing something uneasy, like he was being watched.
"Stay back!" someone hissed from the shadows of the cave's mouth.
Kain paused, trying to peer inside but unable to make out anything in the black. "Who's there?" A cold breath blew down his back, the small hairs on the nape of his neck pricking up with Barbariccia's voiceless warning. "I'm only here for the Earth Crystal," Kain announced. "If you stand down and surrender the Crystal, I'll leave you alone."
"But it's mine," the creature within the cave protested, sounding closer. Dim within the dark cave, a soft light began to shine, glowing faintly green, throwing careless shadows between them.
In the slices of light, Kain could make out the creature: a long-limbed elf, clutching the Earth Crystal to his chest, scowling deeply. Kain reached over his shoulder for his lance, drawing it free as he moved forward, closer to the cave.
"Not another step!" screeched the elf, scrambling backwards. He caressed the Crystal, interrupting the spill of light with each clawed stroke. "You'll protect me, won't you?"
Kain crossed the threshold into the cave, and at once, the Earth Crystal radiated a riot of different colors, a new magic dense in the air. It made the air seem thicker, Kain thought, then his whole body suddenly felt heavier, and he could not lift his boot for another step.
"Wh…" Kain started to ask, before the immense new weight dragged him to his knees, unable to keep himself upright anymore. He braced against the ground with his arms, trying to keep himself up. Out of the corner of his eye, the dark elf approached.
"You think yourselves so clever, with your poison metal weapons and armor," the elf stroked the Earth Crystal fondly. "You take precious ores from the ground and shape them into tools of bloodshed. But you forget that the Earth Crystal has dominion over its bounty and knows best how to protect its wielder."
Could the Earth Crystal truly manipulate its element, including the iron of his armor? Kain wondered, his lungs struggling under the pressure of the oppressive weight.
"You live only for one reason," the elf said, as he turned away, now blocking the Crystal's light with his body, throwing the cave back into darkness. "Tell the others: this cave is impassable, and the Earth Crystal is lost."
Kain tried to watch the dark elf, but he could no longer lift his head. Defeated, he sagged back to the ground, held in place by the weight of the world.
Embarrassingly, it took several hours for Kain to painstakingly remove each piece of armor, then, once free, to drag each piece of armor back out of the cave and its magnetic field. He was exhausted by the time he finished, and then began the arduous task of re-armoring himself, then finding the airship.
Back on the airship, Kain stewed in his failure, unsure of how he would face Golbez now.
Inside Zot, Barbariccia's teary wailing filled its rooms. The sorrowful sound followed Kain as he climbed the tower to its top, where Golbez and Rosa awaited him in the war room.
"He defeated Cagnazzo as well. His power continues to grow," Golbez announced as Kain entered. There was no mistaking which he Golbez meant. "The man has become a force to be reckoned with," Golbez admitted reluctantly. He frowned at the map on the table; its pieces were noticeably dwindled.
Kain looked over at Rosa, tied to the cross. However, now she held her chin at a defiant angle, and Kain knew that Cecil's victory over Cagnazzo had heartened her. He was both relieved and dismayed by the change.
Trying to ignore Rosa, Kain turned back to Golbez. "With regards to the final Crystal, my lord—" Kain started to say.
"I am aware of the situation," Golbez interrupted. "The complications are most troublesome." Golbez picked up one of the ship figures that had been on Baron's spot on the map. He started to place the ship near Eblan, then hesitated. It was strange to see Golbez indecisive about anything; it was somehow unnerving to think of Golbez not in control.
"What if you were to have Cecil retrieve it for you?" Kain asked, a germ of idea beginning to form.
"Cecil?" Golbez asked, curious.
"He cannot refuse. We hold Rosa. We could offer an exchange - the Crystal for her life," Kain suggested. It would be so much easier to be here without Rosa and her damning expectations, Kain thought. And then Rosa and Cecil, together, could figure out how to…
"Indeed..." Golbez interrupted Kain's train of thought. "And when he brings it to us, we can finish him then."
Kain swallowed hard. The casual mention of Cecil's death made his brief hope die. "I will go and deliver the terms." He tried to ignore the flutter of his heart at the idea of seeing Cecil again, and what that might mean. Would Cecil know how to save Kain? Would Kain let him? Or would one finally defeat the other, ultimately ending their long-standing rivalry?
"Kain!" Rosa called out unexpectedly.
Kain hesitated, his shoulders sagging. Then, he drew in a deep breath and straightened to his full height. Unwillingly, Kain met Rosa's intense blue stare. "I am more than Cecil will ever be," he declared, not knowing what he was going to say until he said it, the words feeling right and justified. "You'll see that soon enough."
Rosa opened her mouth to say something else, but Kain was out the door before she could speak.
Meanwhile, Golbez turned back to the map. He reached inside his cloak, and pulled out a new figure: a dragon, rearing back on its haunches, claws bared. He placed it on the Tower of Zot illustration and smiled.
On the deck of the Scarlet Prelude, Kain stood, anxiously waiting to spot Cid's new ship. They flew high above Baron, masked by surrounding clouds, prepared to descend once the Cid's ship was sighted. Barbariccia told Kain that the townsfolk of Baron whispered the new ship's name to one another, Enterprise, all relieved that it wasn't stamped with Baron's bloody color of war.
How would Baron fare now, Kain wondered, and who would step into the power vacuum left by Cagnazzo's death and Golbez's abandonment? Kain looked around the deck and saw the remaining Red Wings marines – were these monsters or men? Kain did not know and wasn't sure if he wanted to know, ignoring the guilt that lurked just beneath the surface of his thoughts, letting a new apathy take over.
Kain also ignored the horrible knowledge that he could never return to Baron ever again, his betrayal a still bleeding wound for its people. Now, more than ever, Kain's fate was tied to Golbez and his designs for the world. Only by Golbez's victory could Kain be redeemed, and then would everyone realize how right Kain had been all along.
Until then, Cecil would be hailed as a hero in Baron. It burned Kain to think of it, how everyone would compare them as they always had, and decide Cecil had finally won. Worse, Kain's downfall only highlighted Cecil's rise, making it seem so much more heroic.
Golbez was right; it was only by Cecil's death that this would all finally end.
Kain's thoughts swam in dangerous circles, brutal and pessimistic, animated vividly by the growing hatred that nursed itself fat on his darkest and yet most honest feelings. Kain hated Cecil as intensely as he loved Cecil, the depth of both terrifyingly powerful.
There, Barbariccia breathed, interrupting Kain's chaotic thoughts, her winds tugging at him insistently, as if she knew what roared through his mind. There is the Enterprise.
Kain looked and saw the airship ascending from Baron. He gestured to the Prelude's helmsman, who quickly set the ship in pursuit. A white flag had been tied to the ship's flagpole, in place of Baron's crest, whipping violently in the moving wind. A second ship followed, the Dragon's Maw, and together, they slowly descended to the Enterprise.
The Enterprise did not retreat, although it could have easily. Kain saw the sleek body of Cid's new ship and was genuinely impressed. Cid had been clever in hiding its creation from Odin, and by extension, Golbez.
The two Red Wings ships came up on either side of the Enterprise. One of the marines lowered the gangway between the decks of both the Enterprise and the Scarlet Prelude, and as Kain stepped onto it, he finally saw Cecil standing on the opposite side. Beside Cecil was Cid and an old man. Yang was behind them, and the sight of the calm monk, freed from his bewitchment, was frustrating. How had Yang escaped when Kain still could not?
Kain knew Cecil had climbed Mount Ordeals but did not realize what that had meant until now, finally seeing Cecil in his shining paladin armor. Cecil wore no helmet, and Kain saw the grim determination on Cecil's face; it made his stomach drop with dismay. What else had Kain expected?
Cecil had always been beautiful, but out here in the open sky, with sunshine on his face and wind in his hair, Cecil's radiance seemed somehow unfair. Would Kain always be standing in the shadow cast by Cecil's brilliant light?
"Kain," Cecil said, his jaw clenched with tightly controlled anger. It wasn't a greeting but an accusation.
"So, you did survive, impressive," Kain said, his smirk belied his sincerity – Kain knew more than most how dangerous Mount Ordeals was. But Kain found he could not help the smug expression and tone.
"Kain, you little maggot!" Cid shouted and started toward Kain, waving his wrench wildly. But Cecil stopped him with no more than an outstretched hand.
"Where's Rosa?" Cecil asked, infuriatingly calm and perfect. "She's safe, I trust," he added, not a question but an assumed expectation, as if Cecil had never released Kain from his promise to keep Rosa safe, so long ago, despite all that had since happened.
"If you want Rosa back, bring me the Earth Crystal," Kain said. The wind tugged at his ponytail, streaming the blond strands behind him as Barbariccia whispered her encouragement.
"What?" Cecil asked, hopelessly naïve; he looked like his childhood self, confused by a sudden change of rules in what should have been a familiar game.
"You shameless dog," the old man spat out.
Realization slowly dawned on Cecil, but instead of anger, he looked only hurt. Can you do this? Cecil's sad eyes asked the old refrain, this time in accusation.
"I will come to you once you have the Crystal in your possession," Kain said abruptly, swallowing away the tightness in his throat. "And if Rosa means anything to you," Kain continued; his lance was suddenly in his hand, swinging forward, "….you'll get that Crystal," Kain finished, his lance pointed directly at Cecil in emphasis, a direct threat. He meant it, Kain told himself, ignoring how his hand shook, making the lance's tip tremble.
"How dare you?" Yang cried out; his fists raised.
Kain ignored Yang, turning to go. The message had been delivered, and he had no more to say. Kain could not linger, fearing what it would do to his conflicting impulses to both kill Cecil and to beg Cecil for help. Follow orders, Kain told himself sternly.
"Open your eyes to what you're doing, Kain," Cecil said, nearly choking on the last, fresh tears in his voice.
Kain paused, head turned just slightly over his shoulder, but refusing to look at Cecil again. Kain knew if he did, he risked his remaining resolve, and still did not know which of his warring desires would win.
"I have nothing else to say to you," Kain said, stiffly, turning back, knowing himself for a liar; he had so many things he wished he could say.
Kain's shame, still tucked away inside of him, cried out. Cecil will help us, it implored Kain. He can put to right all that is wrong. He can save you—
No one can save me, Kain told himself as he walked back onto the deck of the Scarlet Prelude. Uncomfortable with its presence, Kain pushed his shame back into its prison, willing it to bound silence once more.
"Where to?" the captain asked, interrupting Kain's intense thoughts.
"Back to the Tower of Zot," Kain answered, gruffly.
The Scarlet Prelude's engines roared to life, the ship shuddering as it moved forward. Kain dared to glance back, just briefly, to see Cecil standing on the Enterprise's deck, watching as Kain's ship departed.
I could Jump it, the dangerous thought surfaced. Kain gripped the ship's railing, trying to estimate the distance. I could escape now, and together, Cecil and I could save Rosa, we could—
Well done, Golbez made his presence suddenly known, radiating approval. I have something for you.
What is it? Kain asked, already knowing but not daring to believe, his inner turmoil forgotten or ignored.
You know. Golbez recognized Kain's thoughts and feelings better than Kain did.
The image of dragon, long and serpent-like, came to Kain's mind, white scales glittering across its body, red fins fluttering as he cut through the large ocean waves. The dragon brought his large head around, deep blue with a bright red fringe, his open mouth lined with terrifyingly sharp teeth. He inhaled, drawing the wind into his lungs, then exhaled. Leviathan, he named himself proudly.
Leviathan? Kain repeated, dumbly, wondering if the old stories about dragons were true, that those who breathed a dragon's breath were enthralled by its magic, and Kain now bound to a new master.
Leviathan will be yours, Golbez corrected the mental image for Kain, offering a new one: Kain astride Leviathan, sitting proudly as Leviathan sliced through the air. The world will finally recognize you and your greatness.
Yes, Kain agreed, forgetting Cecil and the hurt in his eyes. Kain's jealous desire for everything and everyone had won over his hidden shame once more, as it always would.
At the top of the Tower of Zot, Golbez waited. Overhead, the sky was a brilliant blue, with puffy white clouds surrounding the tower. Kain sensed Barbariccia's presence in the playful tug of his ponytail, but she did not offer any insight or wisdom as to what Golbez wanted, remaining suspiciously silent.
Distantly, Kain heard Val's greeting roared into the wind. If only for a second, it made him smile.
The tower's top had been designed to focus a caster's power, with amplifying runes etched into the stone floor. Kain had only ever seen Barbariccia use it, while channeling the Wind Crystal to listen anywhere and everywhere. But now Golbez stood in the center of the runes, an open book in his hands.
Beside Golbez was Dr. Lugae, who held a strange device; it vaguely resembled a large bellows, with an attached bag, full of something that did not weigh it down. Next to Lugae was an older man bound in chains, on his knees, head lowered, his gray hair hiding his face; he did not look up as Kain approached. A fourth person stood next to the prisoner, a Red Wings marine, his sword drawn and at the ready.
"What's going on?" Kain asked, tentatively.
"Forgive my rudeness," Golbez said, dryly. "I'll introduce you two. Kain, this is the Elder of Mist. He was on the way to meet with King Odin about the increased monster activity when the earthquake struck, and he's been enjoying our hospitality ever since."
The Elder did not respond or even look up, his head still hanging between his shoulders.
"Elder," Golbez said, although he still watched Kain, not sparing a glance at the prisoner despite the address. "This is Kain Highwind." Golbez took a deliberate pause, then continued, "He's responsible for Mist's destruction."
At this, the Elder suddenly looked up. If there had been fear in him before, it was gone now, a cold hatred now radiating in palpable waves as he glared at Kain. "You," he spat in accusation. "You're a monster."
"We didn't know," Kain protested, taking half a step back. "We didn't know what would happen when we delivered the ring."
Dragoons don't make excuses, childhood Rosa scolded him from his memories, her disappointed eyes still haunting him.
"The little girl," Golbez injected, now turning his attention to the Elder, "Rydia, is her name? You should know she survived but was lost at sea not long afterward. It's rumored Leviathan rescued her, and she dwells with them in the Feymarch," Golbez paused, to let the information settle, then added, "You could ask an Eidolon, yourself."
"Rydia…" the Elder echoed, looking pained. "She lives?" Then, he abruptly shook his head. "No. You will not bait me into summoning for you," he declared, though his voice trembled.
"But if you summoned, you could both seek justice for Mist and confirm if the girl is alive," Golbez suggested, his tone casual despite the weight of his words. He circled behind the Elder, then knelt. Metal clinked noisily as Golbez fussed with the manacles. "Show me your power. Make us all regret ever crossing your path."
"I cannot," the Elder gasped as he pulled his hands free from the chains. He scrambled back from Golbez, away from Kain and Lugae, until a short distance was between them. He had no weapon but didn't need one, Kain reasoned, watching the Elder's hands with growing trepidation. "Stay back," the Elder warned.
Neither Golbez nor the Red Wings marine moved to detain the Elder, and Kain's usual indecision paralyzed him into inaction.
"Tell me, Kain," Golbez said, conversationally, "what was it like, in Mist, as it burned to ashes?"
"Wh…" Kain sputtered, unable to put voice to the horror he had witnessed. He remembered it nevertheless: the temperature rising rapidly, sweat dripping off his brow and stinging his eyes; the horrible smell of cooking meat in his nose; watching a woman run out of her house, her hair and clothes blazing, then she stopped abruptly, unable to see any more as her eyeballs had melted and drained out of her sockets; a small child, still burning long after they'd huddled up on the ground and stopped moving; the hot taste of fear in his throat, unsure of what Cecil would do next.
The remembered details poured out of Kain, unwillingly; he vaguely sensed Golbez beside him, wreathed in magic, but Kain was too lost in the graphic memory to know what Golbez was doing.
"No…" moaned the Elder, falling to his knees.
The sound of the Elder's sobs broke Kain's stupor; he blinked hard to refocus, then opened his eyes to see the Elder was standing, his hands cupped over his mouth as he began casting. It was unlike any spell Kain had ever witnessed, black or white, with a more intense pressure as magic rapidly surrounded the Elder.
"What did you do to him?" Kain asked Golbez, looking desperately around for a place to Jump to, but finding no convenient ledges on the tower's top.
"I gave him permission to do what he wants to do, " Golbez replied. He gestured to Lugae, who took up position beside Golbez, the instrument in his hands pointed at the Elder. Despite the Elder's furious casting, Lugae remained still, grinning madly with all his teeth showing.
The summoner lifted his hands to the sky, and before him, a green and yellow shimming portal materialized. Sparks of electricity jumped around the border. "Come, father of the storm!" cried the summoner, "Ramuh, show them justice!"
Before the Eidolon could answer the call, Lugae stepped forward, aimed the nozzle of the bellows at the Elder, and squeezed the handles together. Green smoke streamed out, then collected around the Elder. If it was magic or engineering, Kain could not tell.
"Let's find out if your theory on Reverse Gas and summoning is correct," Golbez said, his voice hungry. He took a tentative step forward, toward the shimmering portal. With a flicker, the colors suddenly inverted, and the portal shifted, like a mirror flip of itself. Curiously, Kain could see into the portal now, glimpsing a stone floor with markings he did not recognize. He heard a rumble of thunder dangerously close by. Somewhere in the sky, Val replied with a shrill cry.
The Elder coughed but did not lower his hands. But instead of Ramuh bursting through the portal, Golbez took another step, then reached with his hand through the portal. "Sending instead of summoning," Golbez murmured in awe. He looked back at Lugae and Kain. "Come. If we find and defeat Leviathan, he'll be bound in servitude, and you'll finally have your dragon."
"No," the Elder protested, his hands poised to cast once again. This time, the Red Wings marine was waiting. He grabbed the Elder by his hair and yanked, pulling the Elder roughly down to the ground.
"You'll stay here and keep the portal to the Feymarch open," Golbez said to the Elder, his voice neutral and cold. "And if you do not, then I'll make sure Rydia has a short but painful existence as Dr. Lugae's new test subject."
Horrified, his eyes wide, the Elder let his hands drop.
Do not go, warned Barbariccia, sounding uncharacteristically scared, There is no wind in the Feymarch. I have no ears there.
"It'll be all right," Kain whispered back, not sure if he believed it.
Golbez went first, stepping confidently through, the blue portal glittering around him. Next was Lugae, with an excited spring in his step. Kain approached the portal, slowly, wondering what horror he'd see next at Golbez's side.
Come, Golbez demanded, pressing firmly on Kain's mind. This is what you wanted.
Kain put one foot through, hesitated, then heard Val's familiar growl. He looked up in time to see her slicing downward through the air, directly for Kain and the portal. "No!" Kain shouted, but could not block her from speeding past him, through the gateway, and into the Feymarch.
"Val!" Kain yelled, his indecision temporarily forgotten as he chased after her.