Cecil.

His name skittered in the mind of Kain. No longer did he speak this name with fear, shame and guilt. Now only with this simple name came what he longed to feel since the Crystal Wars: pride. Pride that he could gain back a man that had once been his brother, a man he had once fought besides, years ago. Valzer walked along silently with Kain as they made way to Serpent Road. Long past were the days since it had been sealed off from Baron. The Dragoon couldn’t help but muse over this, wondering if any of the wizards regretted the alliance again with Baron.

A few times Kain found Valzer about to speak, but he fell silent before the words were ever spoken. What was it that he tried so desperately to put to voice? Was he too frightened to speak, as if saying it would make it true? Valzer was not acting like himself since the young wizard had spoken of Decca’s destiny and the odd feeling that still held onto him; a profound clutch within that grasped his very soul and refused to show any signs of release. Was it truly that bad? Kain wanted to ask, but the answer might make the air around them denser.

No need for that now.

Whether or not the Dragoon meant to speak, Valzer beat him to it. “Kain, what do you think Valqua is like?”

What? Where did that come from? Valzer looked unsure as he now glanced to Kain, waiting for his input. “Uh, well...” Kain stumbled over his own answer. Damnit, Valz... Why are you asking me that? Just tell me what’s wrong! “If it is indeed home of the Light Crystal, then I suppose it is better than here.” Kain grimaced inwardly at how fake he sounded. His worries for his friend seeped through in his words.

Valzer didn’t seem to notice, or perhaps he just pretended not to. “I guess so. But then again, that Akin guy did take over.” The wizard dragged his feet--one of his bad habits--as he walked along, submerged in his own thoughts. “If it really is Decca’s home, then she has a right to see it... Right?”

“Valz, don’t ask me that.” Kain’s voice had a bitter edge to it, though his expression was impassive.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to. Just slipped out.” Valzer sighed, despondently. “I just have this feeling, Kain. And it’s not going to go away by sheer will. Maybe one day I will be great enough to will things away, but not now.”

“What are you talking about?” Kain stopped walking in sudden surprise, his dark brows arched upward. “You are a great wizard.” Kain knew of how Valzer was at the top of his class in the art of combat magic. His potential was great, but for one reason or another, he never truly became one with his power as other wizards did.

Valzer smiled timidly. “Yeah... I am great, aren't I?”

Kain laughed and began walking again. There you are, Valzer. Thought I lost you for a moment. “Your head grows ever bigger.”

“So, what are we telling that kingly friend of yours?”

“Hmm.” Kain shrugged, for he hadn’t thought of it since Valzer gave the idea to speak with Cecil about five minutes or so ago. “Well, he did want to know when Decca returned. Cecil has a right to know, since he did help us out. Maybe he has found something too. After all, Cecil told us he would search Baron’s library for anything.”

“We’re swapping info? Then perhaps we should go back for the books? Or at least Decca.”

Kain held up his hand as they reached the doors of Serpent Road. “No, we’ll just tell him what we know, that’s all.” Kain didn’t feel much like walking back to the inn, then to the Road again. Lazy as it sounded, he didn’t wish to walk much this morning.

Every now and then, there would be Rubin--one of Valzer’s father’s closest friends--by the doors, telling tales to anyone who wished to hear them. Though, this morning, the old wizard was nowhere to be found. Kain didn't think anything of it, since he was most likely sleeping late this day.

Kain had met Rubin at least nine months ago, whereas Valzer and Decca had grew up around him. He always had something to say about the current state of the world, magic, what the Elder of the town was doing to Mysidia and what weapons Kain and Valzer should be fighting with. Rubin’s comments came off as somewhat exasperating, but to anyone who knew him well, it was simply an old man trying to pass knowledge onto a younger world before he left it.

“Ruby isn’t here.” Valzer smiled faintly. “Damn old man. Probably couldn’t get out of bed this morning.” The wizard chuckled, but there was some worry behind those words. Finally, showing this, “you think he’s okay?”

“I’m sure he is.” Kain grunted as he and Valzer pulled back the large, chestnut doors, revealing the room behind them. “He’s a tough old man.” He grinned and stood tall within the little corridor-like area that lied before yet another door. Kain opened the second, smaller door and wandered into the room. Everything including the walls and pillars within the little space were white, showing bright the ancient innocence the building held. In the center was the round circle of pearl, as wide as two grown men standing back to back. Before them it shimmered under the faint light of torches.

Kain never liked taking Serpent Road, for it always drained your energy to use the warp, even if it was only across sea to another town. But Valzer so joyfully reminded his Dragoon friend that it was either the Road or walking down to the docks, trying to find a boat, take a voyage then that would last a day or so and waste a good amount of money in the process. Kain full heartedly agreed to the Serpent Road.

***

“Decca, what if they come back here?” A large eyed, brown haired little boy asked the elf, standing now besides her and tugging on her hand.

Decca smiled and knelt down to the child’s level. She had just finished the story of where she had been--deliberately lacking in a few areas--to the small crowd of warriors, maidens, wizards and children, who so curiously asked. “Don’t worry, I’m back now. As long as I’m here,” she glanced back to Rydia, who grinned shyly, “and as long as my friends are, you needn’t worry. We’ll protect the village.” She tapped the boy’s nose with her finger and he in turn laughed, running back to clutch his mother’s leg playfully.

“Where’s Valzer at? He owes me money from four months back.” An older man asked as the crowd began to thin out. The voice was intentionally lowered and coming from behind the elf and the green-haired girl. “I guess it’s back to good old corporal punishment.”

Decca laughed as she immediately recognized the voice, and swung around to embrace the man. “Ruby...” She buried her head in his shoulder, which was draped in tan and scarlet colored robes. “I’ve missed you.”

Rubin chuckled--a laugh she had waited to hear ever since she and Rydia had scouted the town this morning--and pulled back from the elf. He nodded back to the people, indicating the story Decca had just told. “So that’s where you’ve been and gone, child? I had at first thought you ran off again on some journey with Valzer and that thickheaded boyfriend of yours.” Rubin paused, his smile fading. “Then Valzer, Kain, and this young lady here came back without you. They said you had left...”

“It’s okay, Ruby. I’m back.”

“Are you?” His warm red eyes searched hers. And for a moment, Decca appeared stunned. “There is obviously a connection between you and--whatever that place was. Is that where you came from?”

Decca scoffed at the old man’s words. “Rubin, you know Mysidia will always be my home.”

The old man’s solemn face was gone, and now a smile replaced the frown. “I know, child. I just wanted to here it from you.” He whispered as he winked, the sparkle in his eyes causing another grin to light up Decca’s face. “Have you seen your father yet?”

The elf’s smile weakened slightly, but before she could speak, Rydia answered him. “No, not yet. But we were on our way, if you would like to accompany us.”

“Well, Rydia my girl, I just came from that old man’s house and I don’t look to be going back twice this morning.” He chuckled again and stood in-between Decca and the Caller, his arms around their shoulders. Rubin’s voice lowered, warmer now and so much like Decca’s father that it sent a chill of remembrance down her spine. “But I think he would be most happy to see you, Decca. He has been waiting for you.”

He could plainly tell how the elf had been avoiding her father all this new day. And Decca could no longer hide from it or deny it. She sighed, brushing pink strands away from forest green eyes. “I know. I’ll go to him then, if you are going to make such a big fuss over it.”

Rubin smiled in victory. “Good then. I’ll see you ladies later on, for I’m again on my way to Serpent Road to share my wisdom to those who so desperately seek it.” He nodded to the maidens before departing from them, and following the path Kain and Valzer had taken only a few moments prior.

Decca glanced to Rydia. “Did you already meet my father?”

The girl merely shook her head, combing light green hair behind her ears and walking slowly besides the elf. “I wanted to, though. Valzer had once told me of how he loves to read old magic books.”

“Ah, yes. He has volumes that the Mysidian Library could only dream of holding on their dusty shelves. I don’t know where he finds them. I guess back then he searched more often...” Decca took lead to her old house. It had been a while. A long while. Only three months? If felt much longer since the last time her eyes fell upon the bricks and wood of her home.

As a child, she longed for the forest, for it formed a strong clutch upon her very soul and she gave into it, spending as much time as she could within its beauty. Now she could think of nowhere else she would rather be than in her own bed...but then why could she not find it in herself to even touch her front door? Decca sighed once they reached her house.

“Reminds me of mine.” Rydia said, a bit of unforgotten pain in her voice.

Decca placed an arm around the girl, walking her to the entrance. “Come on.”

***

Arriving on the other side of Serpent Road, and onto the dusty streets of Baron City, both Kain and Valzer had to stop in awe. It was large, not as large as Mysidia, but nevertheless vast. Valzer scoffed at the lack of wizards; Kain only smiled. Didn’t change a bit. He thought, though some part of him knew it had. Perhaps not to the people that lived there, but to him. And as out of place as he felt, the lingering of lifetimes spent in peril and misery not quite yet healed, the odd feeling of home embraced him, as a mother would her child who had just awaken from a bad dream.

A bad dream.

That’s what it had been, the Crystal Wars. But now, finally awaking from his seemingly never-ending nightmare, long forgotten happiness was there waiting for him once more. Kain breathed in a long breath of sweet scented air. “It’s been a while.”

“I never saw Baron before, but it could use more wizards.” Valzer searched the town with brown eyes. Nice markets, a pub, a library in the castle was it? “Not bad.”

Kain laughed again. “Many of Baron’s Black and White wizards are within the castle walls, in there own private teaching rooms.”

“Private, eh?”

The Dragoon nodded. “Maybe one day you could take a couple of courses here.”

Valzer made a face at the Dragoon‘s lighthearted comment. “I think not, Kain. I‘m quite finished with my courses, thank you. Besides, as nice as it sounds, Mysidia has a whole school dedicated to the art of wizardry and is the best place for it, might I add. Ah yes, the best school in magic lies solely in Mysidia.” The sense of pride was strong within Valzer’s words and Kain couldn’t help but smile at his friend.

The walk wasn’t long before they were at the gates of Baron Castle. The guards weren’t as reluctant as Kain would have thought, and seemed to realized just who he was, not bothering to ask his business with the King and Queen nor what he was doing back after nine months since his abrupt vanishing act. They simply told him that King Cecil was within the basement. Once with the entrance behind them, within the dense, warm air of the castle's stone walls, Kain stopped and surveyed the area.

It was exactly as he had left it all those months ago; the scarlet carpets with their gold embroidered edges and soft, satin-like look; the vast ivory walls covered in an assortment of decorative shields, crisscrossing gilded rimed swords, ancient tapestry (each woven with graceful, skilled hands, telling stories of generations before Cecil, before King Baron) and brightly glowing torches.

Maids, wizards, warriors and guards, all wandering about the corridors, all watching Kain and Valzer with curiosity. Kain, striding along with his usual confidence, brushed black strands aside from icy, cold eyes; each orb of blue probing the persons within the hallways that they passed, giving judgment upon the ones whom he found most worthy to serve their king and others that he knew shouldn't have joined the royal army to begin with. He could see the fear in some of the younger men’s eyes. And Kain frowned at this, for fear was unacceptable.

But as fast as these thoughts came, Kain’s mind corrected them with a slap of reality. What are you saying? You’re no longer in Cecil’s army, or his court. Who are you to pass judgment on these men? It’s Cecil’s kingdom now...it has been for nine months. Let him do as he must. He couldn’t though, for he found his mind constantly roaming, searching everyone who walked by.

Finally when they reached the set of stairs leading to the underground room, Kain felt his own mind sigh. Valzer didn’t seem impressed thus far, still looking only for wizards, though Kain promised his friend that he would take him to the mages’ classrooms later, so Valzer could "teach" his abilities to the novices. That made him somewhat content for the moment.

Kain placed his hands upon the glossy finish of the basement doors, but before this Dragoon had the honor of throwing them back and parading himself into the room below, there came screaming from the other side.

“Put that down! Do you want my father to kill you?” A young girl’s voice scolded. Kain took a few moments in order to recognize who exactly it was. It was Cid’s daughter, Chardane.

“Need any help?” Another voice.

The third party sounded insulted by Cecil's remark. “What? Help? I think a Master Ninja and an engineer’s daughter can handle a little ship.” Kain and Valzer could hear Edge stand up, the creak of the vessel they were working on as he leaned upon the rail, then the snap that followed, causing Edge to lose balance and fall back down again, flat on his face.

“We’re fine...” his muffled voice came. Edge had offered his services to aid Cid--with much persuasion from Rosa and Cecil--with repairing the ships, and while the old engineer took the day as one of rest, his daughter decided to lend a hand as well.

“Idiot.” Chardane’s tone was both riddled with humor and sarcasm, not to mention a little annoyance.

“Think it’s a bad time?” Valzer smiled at Kain behind the other side of the door.

Kain only answered his wizard companion by pushing the doors open; the same doors that, more than a year ago, were thrown apart in a similar fashion when Kain followed Cecil the Dark Knight. Not Cecil the Paladin. Nevertheless, every person in the room turned to stare at the Dragoon and the Black Wizard.

A long, awkward pause ensued as everyone simply looked at one another.

Finally, gaping slightly, Cecil smiled, running over to embrace his friend. “Three months, Kain!” It sounded more apprehensive than any other would greet him. “Any news?”

Kain now looked fully around the basement. The same as always. One of the largest rooms within the castle, housing both the Falcon and the Enterprise. Edge and the newly angered red-haired, freckled face young woman sat by the prow of the Falcon. Kain shifted awkwardly besides Valzer, who only skimmed the room once and frowned towards Edge.

And before Kain could respond, Valzer did the honor with a smile spreading from ear to ear. “Decca’s back. She just...appeared.” A small laugh came with that last word.

“What? When?” Cecil’s jade eyes narrowed with suspicion. He couldn’t help it, even though he knew it would only anger Kain. It didn’t sound right to him. Warriors instincts perhaps. “She just appeared?”

“Yes,” Kain’s voice echoed within the room, showing well his sudden bitterness, which made even Valzer look onto him in surprise under the pale lights’ glow. “Is something wrong with that?”

“Kain, don’t you find that a little odd?” Cecil backed away from Kain; a wave of uneasy air suddenly appeared between both men.

“Hey,” Valzer’s voice cut the dense atmosphere, “who’s the red headed kid?” It was obvious that it was a question only asked in some vain attempt to change the subject, and quickly, before another word was spoken to extend it. The wizard hastily grabbed Kain’s arm, dragging him over besides the Falcon and to Edge and Chardane.

“Valzer, this is Chardane, Cid’s daughter.” Kain’s voice fell to a tone of aloofness and he cocked his head to the side, towards the girl. “Chardane, this is Valzer.”

“Master Black Wizard, ruggedly handsome outdoorsy type and whatnot.” Valzer reached down to the kneeling girl and shook her hand. Chardane’s grip was impressively strong, mainly for ostentatious purposes.

“Good grip, kid.”

Chardane’s face lit up upon the wizard’s noticing. It was quite evident that she wasn’t used to attention from guys, since most regarded her "as one of the boys", and she would blush whenever one did take notice, suddenly losing her tough girl demeanor. This, of course, came to pass as well from Cid’s constant chasing away of men from Chardane.

“Not that I’m not happy you have stopped by, Kain,” Cecil began, turning to the Dragoon once more, “but is there a reason other than Decca’s return that you have come? Did you find anything?”

Kain paused for a moment, such a brief moment of contemplation and uncertain conviction that no one bothered to notice but him, and it felt an eternity. “Yes... We have found something. Nothing concrete though. And you?”

Cecil cast his gaze to the cold, stone floor beneath leather clad feet. “Nothing here. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help, but Baron’s Library is nowhere near as full of information as yours back in Mysidia.”

Yours? Back in Mysidia? Did Cecil just try to pass Mysidia off as his hometown? But it’s not my hometown. Baron is. Of course Kain’s thwarted expression never showed upon his face. “That’s perfectly fine, Cecil.” He did well to hide his expression, but his voice was icy.

“Kain, are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” Kain leaned up against the hull of the Falcon, crossing his arms before his chest. “The question now is what we do next.”

“Do you have any ideas?”

Valzer stood besides the Dragoon, facing Cecil now. “We found out that the name of the world Decca went to, and most likely came from, is called Valqua. We think the next move should be finding a link between the worlds, a portal that will get us there.”

Cecil watched both Kain and Valzer with uncertain eyes. Valqua? The name was upon the tip of his tongue, but for one reason or another, he would not speak it. It was as if he seemed afraid that if he indeed did, he and everyone within the room would be whisked away to that place, to that other world. “The link must be somewhere within the Shrine of Amyl.”

Valzer fiddled with the decorative handle upon the side of the ship. It was cold to the touch, brassy in appearance, and in the shape of a flacon’s head. “That’s what I was thinking. All we need to do is form a party and check it out.”

“Yes...” Cecil turned away from them both, his one hand upon his chin, as if in deep thought. “And we need a desirable time to leave of course, when we’re all ready.

Valzer’s hold upon the handle was a bit too strong and it snapped off upon Kain’s words:

“We?” Kain’s dark brows rose slightly. “You mean...”

“Of course, Kain. I’ve came with you this far. Do you honestly think I would let you four go alone? You may need my help...” Cecil seemed a little offended by Kain’s surprise, a touch of distress in his voice. After all this time, he would have thought Kain to forgive his own crimes, but it was as if Kain didn’t notice Cecil’s past deeds as much as his own. He didn’t seem to mind before... I guess we still have our own demons to face in the end.

Valzer’s back again was pressed to the hull and from behind, he passed the falcon’s head to Kain as Cecil continued to talk. “Here...” his hushed voice came.

Kain, without turning his head, shifted his eyes to Valzer. “What do you want me to do with this?”

“Try to put it back on?” Valzer shrugged sheepishly.

Both the wizard and Kain--as Cecil’s back was turned to them once more, continuing on about why he should accompany them--tried to placed the decorative handle back in its place. Finally, as Cecil concluded, both of them simply jammed it into the hole and turned around fast enough to plant a fake smile upon their faces.

“Of course!” Kain grimaced and Valzer shot him a look at how overly happy he sounded at that particular moment, since just a minute ago he seemed in a darker disposition.

Cecil stared, dumbfounded.

Kain lowered his voice. “Uh... Of course you can come, Cecil. You make...a great point.” The Dragoon jabbed Valzer, who then smiled and nodded. “Tomorrow morning then?”

“For what?”

“We can leave tomorrow morning to Amyl, if that is okay with you?”

Before Cecil could answer, Valzer was shoving Kain towards the exit. “Perfect. Come by Mysidia at dawn!” He called out as both he and the wizard ascended the flight of stairs to the upper part of Baron Castle.

As they closed the door, they heard the bronze handle fall off, clinking as it hit the stone floor.