Forceful barking interrupted the group and their rather peculiar conversation. In through the wet animal skinned door, sagging with the extremity of the rainwater outside, came the speeded movement of silver colored animal. At first it was merely a blur of shinning gray, but as the animal came to a stop before the heel of its master, it was obvious to the eyes of everyone else that the animal was a wolf.

"Aeolos*!" Jorhan spun on his heels away from Decca, his hands slipping from her slender shoulders almost as fast as the wolf had came in through the doorway. "Where have you been?" The monk bent down to Aeolos and scratched him behind his ears. The wolf made a noise that sounded nearly like a yelp and licked his master's hand before trotting off to one of the corners of the room.

Decca's attention shifted pensively between Aeolos and Jorhan. Finally feeling her gaze break free from the man, she quickly turned away from him. She could still feel his touch crawling on her skin. It seemed odd how frightfully strange he became in only a few moments' time. Still, it was not in a harmful way and she could sense that he was indeed trustworthy. Perhaps his erratic behavior was due to his illness--or better, curse.

"How can I get home?" Decca asked quietly.

Everyone else in the room remained silent, as if her speaking those very words actually made them believe she would be transported there. When Decca glanced to Kain, he only watched back with blank eyes. She didn't wish to see Valzer expression, so she simply looked once again upon Jorhan.

The monk nodded. "Home..." He smiled, like that word brought back fond memories for him. "I will show you how, Decca. On one condition..."

Rubin made a noise deep within his throat. To anyone else it could have been simply overlooked as an old man clearing his throat, but to the people close to him it was obvious that he did not approve of Jorhan.

"Take me with you."

Kain raised an eyebrow but remained still. Valzer, however, found that a difficult task. "Why would you want to come with us?"

Jorhan smiled again, eyeing the beautiful wolf in the corner, who now came to stand besides Decca, sniffing at her boots. Aeolos sat next to the elf's feet, facing his pointed nose up towards her and making whining noises. "I, too, would like to see my home again," Jorhan said.

Decca didn't seem shocked by his words, as the others did; she merely closed her eyes and smiled. "So that's how you know me. We've met before then." Decca bent down to Aeolos, scratching the wolf as he licked her hands.

"That...is another story for another time, my dear." Jorhan sighed, watching Decca stroke Aeolos. "Hmm. He likes you." The monk pulled down his hood, revealing longish brown hair and pointed ears. They weren't entirely like Decca's ears, being nearly the same size as a human's. "We have many things in common, besides our world."

Rydia shifted awkwardly in her place, not quite wanting to sit down, but not sure if she could stand. "Is...every elf from Valqua?"

"Many, yes. You must understand, there were once countless numbers of elves upon Earth as well, but as time went on...they became a very rare race." Jorhan sat next to Rubin, upon the table with his journal by his side. "Sickness, war, who knows what made them so scarce. All I know is that there are no more elves on Earth anymore. What little were left traveled to Valqua a long time ago."

"Valqua is home for all the elves?" Decca asked.

"Valqua is a world of elves, but there are many kinds of elves, Decca, many different kinds. I am from the tribe of Timogi elves--composed of mainly scholars and monks. Timogis are more human in appearance than others. From first glance, you would not think us much different. You, Decca, are from the Kescon elves--Wood Elves with different colored flesh and longer ears." The monk sighed, once again seeming paler than usual. "There are many more."

Decca allowed the silver wolf to lay his head upon her lap as she stayed in a sitting position on the floor of the hut. "Kescon." She tried the word over and over again in her mind. It didn't sound familiar to her, only different. "So, why did you leave Valqua? Why did I leave?"

Jorhan watched her for some time, as if he was mentally struggling with something. And from the expression upon his face, he looked as if he made up his mind. "Because I brought you here, Decca."

"Brought her here?" There was something strange in Valzer's tone. It was panic. He could feel it with each passing moment, with every breath of the monk; he was losing Decca to that...world. "No, when I found Decca she was by herself."

"She wasn't supposed to be." Jorhan returned, watching the wizard regretfully. "I wasn't supposed to leave her by herself, but I did." He turned back to Decca. "Forgive me. It was a mistake. I brought you here through the Shrine of Amyl. I went to look for the nearest town, but I didn't bring you with me. You didn't look as human as I; I didn't want to risk a panic with the humans. I told you to stay put until I came back, but you wandered off. Then that wizard child found you."

"That wizard," Valzer began, his tone acidic, "saved her."

"Saving a Wood Elf from a forest? Do you know how foolish that sounds?"

"When I found her she barely knew her name!" Valzer made a move to approach Jorhan, but Kain's hand, gripping his upper arm, stopped him. "Is that how you take care of someone?"

Jorhan simply shook his head. "I saw you take her to Mysidia, Valzer. I came back from speaking with the Elder that day. When you returned to your village why do you think your Elder had no problems with your family taking her in? I had already talked to him. I was planning on raising her there myself!" The monk lowered his voice, not intending on it growing so loud. "But then I saw you take her. Decca wasn't afraid of you, only interested and she went with you without trying to fight you or get away. I realized...it would be better that way." He smiled slightly, looking back upon Decca now. Her calm eyes studied his face, but she said nothing. "I stayed here on Earth to watch over you. Why do you think you were so drawn to the Mysidian Forest?"

"Why did you bring me here?" Decca finally said, her voice sounding nearly as harsh as Valzer had been before. Such a tone from her so suddenly made many of the people within the room look to her in wonderment. "Why did you take me away?"

"Decca, our world was at war. Asana gave you to me with the order that I was to smuggle you to Earth, to safety. I was supposed to keep you here until she sent word to bring you back." Jorhan fingered his journal almost attentively. "It's been fourteen years...and still no word."

Asana? That strange name again. Olvin had spoke of her... Who is she? But for some reason, Decca could not speak that question aloud. Her shoulders sagged and she lowered her head until her chin touched the soft fur of the wolf. Aeolos' head raised upward and he licked her face in some sort of comfort attempt. That made Decca smile slightly, but it only faded again shortly after.

"Aeolos is my pet. I brought him here from Valqua." Jorhan held himself as if he suddenly felt a chill and was trying in vain to warm up again. "Some guardian I turned out to be," he mumbled. "I want to take you home again, Decca. Not just for you and for me, but for Valqua. I need to see with my own eyes that it is okay there now."

Decca rose up from off the dirt covered ground; Aeolos barked at her sudden movement, for he was comfortable in his spot on her lap and didn't appreciate being moved. "Earth is my home." Her tone was chilling and as soon as she rose Rydia began to walk towards her, but Decca's next words came before the Caller had a chance to speak. "I don't care what happens to Valqua. It is not my home...not my concern. Why should I care?" She grimaced inside with how bitter her words sounded. She wished she didn't care about Valqua, Asana, Jorhan, or whoever the hell those people and things were. But she did; more than she wanted to.

"Decca," Rydia began, "Earth is your home. But...so is Valqua." The girl didn't want to say it, for it would be acknowledging what she didn't wish to acknowledge. She will leave us then... Rydia could feel tears swell up within her eyes, but for what little it was worth she did not let them fall down her face.

"No, it isn't. You said so yourself, Rydia. Home is where you feel safe, where you feel nothing can harm you. Home is where the people you love are always with you..." with the rest of those words her voice fell to a whisper, barely audible to her companions in the room, and she turned away from them and left the hut, Aeolos following closely behind.

"Decca--" Rydia started after her, but Kain's hand upon her shoulder halted her. She didn't need ask what was wrong or why he stopped her, for she already knew. Instead, Rydia stayed and allowed Kain to follow after Decca.

***

It was no longer cool outside. The air was thick and sticky, and the clouds above made it difficult to see the stars and moon. As Kain trudged along through the thick foliage in the direction he could only guess Decca went in, he sorely wished he had borrowed a lantern from that monk. Kain unbuttoned his armored shirt and folded it carefully over his arm; he didn't noticed how his shirt beneath was still plastered to his body from the rain and his sweat. That's when he realized that he left his sword and his lance in the hut.

"Damn..." He swore. "The one time I lay it down and it has to be tonight." Though it hadn't occurred to him just why he had the sudden urge to keep his weapon with him. Kain merely passed it off as a warrior's habit; after all, he always had his weapons, no matter the situation.

"Damn that Jorhan..." he mumbled. Kain found the monk's words hard to believe. He didn't wish to be ignorant, but he always thought there was only one kind of elf, not a whole variety. He smiled slightly with that thought. Then Decca won't be alone anymore. Once we get to Valqua there will be plenty of elves. Perhaps they can even teach us things that are unknown to the people of Earth. Kain had no intention of asking anyone about magic, for he was one to rely on weapons rather than sorcery, but he knew everyone else in his group would find it interesting. Kain fiddled with the shirt over his arm. He felt so bare without his weapon.

Then he heard Aeolos' howling. Following the sound, along with the chirping of that white ball of fluff Will, and he was where Decca was in no time. The elf's ears twitched slightly; she obviously was aware that Kain was standing near her, but she didn't bother to look up.

"I didn't mean to rush off like that. I just couldn't stand it in that hut any longer. I felt as if I couldn't breathe." Will's head laid gently upon Decca's shoulder, his eyes closed, while Aeolos pressed his nose in Decca's side, demanding her attention.

Kain sat down next to her on the forest floor. "I didn't want to listen to it either, but for a whole other reason." He sighed softly. "Maybe it is for the best." When Decca cast a curious look in his direction, Kain continued, "this way you will get to know more about your people, especially the...Keshcone elves. Besides, you said yourself that you didn't know much about elves and..." Kain looked over to Decca, who was laughing quietly. "What's so funny?"

"It's Kescon elves, Kain."

"Oh," the Dragoon smiled sheepishly. "Well, you know what I mean."

Decca leaned her head against Kain's shoulder, while her chocobo chirped softly and nuzzled her neck again. His soft feathers tickled her and she grinned widely, laying a hand upon the bird's fluffy cheek, her other hand calmly stroking Aeolos, who was now laying his head across her lap.

"Hmm..." Kain hummed softly, "you shouldn't keep your weapons like that." His gaze fell to her assortment of weaponry, propped up against a tree stump only a few feet away.

Decca blew strands of her hair from out her emerald eyes and reached for one of her long-bladed daggers. She handed it to Kain, who seemed to show interest in the carvings upon the silvery blade.

Kain's fingers traced each foreign letter, each painstakingly forged design, as if it would help him to better understand. "Elvish..." He spoke the word gingerly, almost as if the dagger held some sort of enchantment over him.

"Yes and very beautiful." Decca smiled sadly at the weapon. It was a silvery key to a world she never knew. Her thin fingers covered Kain's and traced the words along with him.

While the blade itself was crafted splendidly, it was obvious to Kain's eyes that the elvish symbols had been carved by a completely different person, though equally as skillful. The metal shimmered in the pale light of the sky and he found it odd how magical the weapon felt to the touch. "But who carved the symbols?" He suspected either Decca, for she knew the language, or Arkane, for he had at one time attempted to learn it.

Decca shrugged, which disturbed Will. The chocobo chirped, ruffled his feathers and laid his head back upon the elf's shoulder. "It was with me when Valzer found me. Then again, this supposedly was as well." Decca reached into her shirt and pulled out her necklace. I wonder why it wasn't with me when Valzer found me. Did it fall off all those years ago?

Kain had almost forgotten about the blue stone. "You should show that to Jorhan. Maybe he knows something about it."

Decca looked at the stone within her hands; now that she thought about it, it was closer to a crystal than a mere stone. It glowed slightly whenever she touched, unlike before when she first received it. It was almost as if, back in that day in Amyl, opening the seal upon the door also opened up something within the sapphire stone. She stuffed it back down her armored shirt. "Maybe later."

Kain went back to studying the words upon the dagger. "What does it say?" The blade felt chilling to the touch.

Decca reached for Kain's hand again and with her own fingers made Kain's trace the first few symbols. "Nalic..." The elf moved Kain's fingers to the neighboring words, "Talen."

"Nalic Talen." Kain echoed her with a smile. "Your sword's name?"

She placed her dagger back in its leather bounded sheathe. Across the tight leather were more carefully crafted elvish words and symbols. "I suppose." She fastened her daggers and bow in the straps upon the quiver. Anyone could easily tell that Decca's second dagger paled in comparison to her elvish one. There must have been a story behind that one as well, but Kain did not ask, he only watched her as she slipped her quiver over her shoulder, disturbing Will once again.

The white bird chirped and padded off in another direction, but it wasn't because of Decca's sudden movement. Before the elf had a chance to stand, Aeolos raised his head up from off her lap. The wolf tilted his head to the side, his yellow eyes fixed upon something unseen. Then he sniffed the air. Aeolos made a soft noise that sounded nearly like purring, but as the hairs on his back and his neck began to rise, the soft purring became a rather frightening growl.

"Aeolos? What's wrong?" Decca knelt down next to the silver wolf. But he didn't seem to hear her, for his eyes stayed fixed on that certain stop. His snarling deepened and his ears laid flat upon his head. "Kain?" Decca stood again, this time her eyes searching in-between the darkness of night for whatever it was that Aeolos seemed so displeased with.

Kain moved around in a semicircle before he answered. "What is it?" He suddenly remembered his rather frustrating situation. I only have daggers... And though daggers would have been a fine weapon for Decca, Kain preferred much larger weaponry. "Decca, whatever it is, it will have to wait. I have to go back for my--"

"Get down!" Decca commanded, unlatching both her long-bladed daggers. Something sharp flew down from overhead, narrowly missing the elf. She jumped away, landing in a crouching position, daggers still in hand. "Whatever it is, there are a lot of them..." She frowned. Decca spared a glance towards Kain and suddenly remembered Will. "Kain, get Will out of here!"

"Are you insane?" The Dragoon shot back. "I'm not leaving you here with...with whatever the hell they are!" Despite his words, Kain's eyes searched for the white bird. Will was padding around, screeching and fluttering his wings.

"Kain, you can go back for your weapons and bring Will back to Jorhan's hut!" Decca leapt aside, missing another sharp piece of metal. From this distance, Decca would have guessed it to be an arrow. But what arrow was made of metal? "Hurry up!" She called to him.

As fast as she was, Kain knew she couldn't keep dodging those missiles from seemingly invisible enemies. "Fine..." he mumbled. "Be careful." He looked back once more before disappearing into the shrubs and trees around him.

Kain pumped his legs as fast as they would go, demanding them to move and overcome the exhaustion. Will was besides him and despite the bird's lack of bridle, he stayed obediently close. Of course Will had no problem keeping pace with the knight and sometimes Kain had to struggle to keep up with the large bird. He would have rode the chocobo, but Kain couldn't be positive that the bird would go as fast--after all, Will was used to Decca's light body.

By the time Kain made it back to Jorhan's hut, everyone else was outside. Will automatically padded to where the other birds were, tied to low hanging braches. Rydia soon made way to the bird in order to tie him to one as well.

"What's wrong?" Cecil unsheathed his crystal sword before Kain responded, familiar with what exactly that look upon Kain's face meant. "Where's Decca?"

Kain didn't wish to waste time explaining what was going on. He ran into the hut, grabbed his Lance of White and his sword and rushed back out calling, "Ready your weapons!"

They flooded from the sky in masses; ugly, deformed creatures, which oddly resembled dragons, though significantly smaller. In the pitch-black of night, the now overcast sky doing nothing to help their sight, Kain could only make out the shape of the creatures from his distance. Cecil and Valzer were close behind him, followed by Rydia, Rubin and Jorhan, his book tucked tightly under his arm.

Decca could see the creatures quite well. Her keen elvin vision cut through the dense, hot air, penetrating the seemingly endless sky and made out the number of monster. "Seven! There's seven!" She called to her companions now coming up through the shrubs to where she was.

Decca, in one swift motion, sheathed her daggers and grabbed hold of her bow, matching it with an arrow. Letting go the slender object, it split through tree leaves and opaque clouds, coming to a stop within the its desired target's shoulder. The winged creature let out a bone-chilling scream before it pulled out the arrow and crumbled it within its hands. Deep, red blood trickled down its muscular arm.

Rubin stopped running, allowing the younger generations to spread out near Decca. A little ways behind the lot, the old man closed his eyes and concentrated hard on something no one else could see. And for the longest time, he did nothing else. His brow wrinkled whenever one of his companions would strike the limb of the creatures, causing the monsters to emit a most unpleasant sound. Concentrating would prove to be a difficult challenge. It had been a long time since Rubin engaged in battle.

"This is no time to sleep!" Valzer glanced at Rubin's still figure and realized the old wizard's intentions. Unsheathing his white blade, Valzer stood before Rubin. "Whatever you're doing, Ruby, do it faster!"

Almost as soon as Valzer spoke those words, Rubin raised his hands into the sticky air, the cream and scarlet sleeves of his robe bunching together at his elbow, light pouring from out his fingertips. "Perhaps now we can see our targets, eh?" Rubin smiled wryly at Valzer.

The young wizard laughed, "Why, you smart old bastard!"

Decca's hands were mere blurs as she sent arrow after arrow in every direction. When her quiver held but a few of the slender darts, the elf switched to her daggers. Against the light of Rubin's newly cast spell, the blades of her weapons seemed to sparkle. The first of the seven sky creatures charged Decca--the one she had previously wounded with an arrow--its sharp talons glistening in the manmade light. But she was ready. She could hear its breathing and the soft swooping sounds of its wings as it glided downward. Twirling one blade and holding out the second, Decca swung one in an arc above her head.

An ear-piercing cry was proof enough that her weapon came in contact with some part of the creature's body. Its wing to be exact, for the dragon-like thing hovered but a few feet before falling to the ground, where Decca ran it through with her other blade.

Aeolos was growling and biting at another of the creatures. The wolf had managed to catch the thing off guard and scratched and clawed at its wings, rendering it useless for flying. The creature hissed and reached out in an attempt to grab Aeolos, but the wolf was too fast, dodging to the right and swirling around the flying monster's legs as if he were the air.

Valzer had little time to prepare spells, so he and Cecil took the liberty of protecting Rubin and Rydia while they readied their own. The Caller refused to close her eyes, for she wished to be aware of what was going on around her, and because of this her summoning took longer than usual. She wouldn't summon a monster to come to their aid until she was certain of what she and her friends were fighting. So Rydia settled for a lightning spell, something she knew would hit whatever was flying around in that sky.

Shimmering light surrounded Rydia for a brief moment, then the light crawled up to her hands and shot out towards one of the sky monster hovering about. The creature dodged the spell at the last minute, getting away with only a few charred marks upon its flesh. It turned its ugly head towards Rydia and hissed, swooping around once more before flying towards her again. This time it was Rubin's turn. Opening his eyes, the old wizard began humming and swaying. Soon the creature was swaying as well, as if it was hypnotized by Rubin's hands and swirling magic.

"Now, Rydia!" Rubin said.

Rydia quickly summoned her lightening spell again; this time the spell hit the creature full force, piercing its neck. The monster let out a shrill cry and slumped over before it fell upon the earth, scorched and smoldering.

Valzer, seeing that Rubin and Rydia were taking care of themselves quite well, ran over to where Kain was, battling a larger sky creature. The monster's broad shoulders and muscle knotted arms cast a large and deformed shadow over Kain. Still, the Dragoon Knight held up his sword, his lance positioned downward in his left hand's strong grip. Swinging his sword violently, Kain managed to cleave through the thing's left arm. The creature looked at the bloody stump with mild interest and bared its powerful jaws at Kain. Snapping his head back to avoid the thing's sharp teeth, the Dragoon Knight brought up his sword again to protect his front. But the creature was too fast, knocking Kain's weapon from out his hand.

Kain's sword went flying in the opposite direction, nearly striking Valzer on the other side of him. "Jeez! Watch it, Kain!" Valzer swung around to two smaller winged creatures. The one flew back up into the trees, but the second looked as if it was sneering snidely at him. The wizard quickly sheathed his sword and steepled his fingers. Whispering incantations, Valzer knelt down and pointed to the ground beneath the creature. From Valzer's finger came a small line of red, which continuously grew upon the ground as it headed towards the monster.

The creature noticed Valzer's action too late and soon was surrounded by a seemingly harmless red ring. But before it could leave Valzer's scarlet circle, a small spark started from where the wizard's finger lied, still touching the soft, mossy ground. Along the line of red grew rich flames and they followed the manmade circle until the fire surrounded the creature completely. Valzer didn't bother to watch it burn; he merely turned his head away and back towards Kain.

Valzer fingered the pommel of his sword. But before he could unsheathe it and help his Dragoon friend, Kain slashed the creature across the chest with his lance, jumped to the side to his sword--handle in the air, blade sunk deep into the earthen floor--yanked it loose and lopped off the creature's ugly head. It landed with a plop upon the squishy, mud coated ground.

"Ugh." Valzer grimaced slightly. He kicked at the head, as if he was afraid the thing would suddenly jump up and bite at them. "What do you think it is?"

"I have no idea..." Kain shouldered his sword with one hand and held tightly onto his lance with the other. Kneeling down and slightly over the thing's head, Kain tried to get a better look at its unsightly, blood-splattered face. The creature's snout was long like a dragon's, its eyes a golden color, but set further in like a human's. "I've never seen anything like it." Kain whispered, thinking that maybe Rubin would know. He had many more years of experience compared to anyone else here.

"Wait a minute. Didn't Decca say seven?" Valzer's head craned upward, then back down again, then over towards Cecil, who was beheading another of the sky creatures. "I've counted five dead." Aeolos howled and stood atop another of the smaller creature's bodies, the monster's blood sprayed across the wolf's silver coat. "Make that six. Six dead."

Kain looked around at his slightly injured group, starting to gather together now off to his right. "I guess she miscounted."

Valzer watched Kain as he padded over to their comrades. "Somehow I doubt that."