18.

Lovers revisited

The next day they broke up early, leaving Cid once more behind to take care of the airship. This time, though, Baron's engineer had requested that another person should stay behind as an assistant. Normally, Kain would have been a good choice, as he could need rest due to his wound, but both he and Cid would not have been too happy about this solution. To everyone's stupefaction, Edge had declared his willingness to stay and help in Kain's stead. Cecil smiled at the decision of his friend; it seemed that in these hard times, even the most irresponsible one tried to help as much as he could. Rydia seemed to be impressed, as well, and was so generous to give Edge a little kiss on the cheek as they left.

"Hey Cid - can I become your official assistant? That might impress Rydia even more!" the ninja laughed as he waved goodbye tohis friends.

The day was an unusual sunny one, the sky not grey, but azure blue and although it was cold, it was more like a day in early spring than at the end of autumn. It seemed strange to Cecil that such a peaceful and serene seeming day should be the day of their possible final confrontation with Mallack. Still, not getting deceived by the peacefulness of their surroundings, the friends moved with care, in fear that the Dark Paladins might still be searching for them. After some time they finally reached the path along the coast which led directly to Mysidia - the street, normally bustling with traders and travellers, was unusuallyquiet.

"I don't like this at all…" Kain surveyed their surroundings suspiciously -- there was not much place to hide for anyone: to their left only being some stony salt hills, and to their right a cliff with the roaring sea beneath.

As they rounded the corner of the hills, a traveler in a typical Mysidian white wizard's garb approached them, the person's face veiled by the hood of a wide, white cape.

Cecil exchanged glances with Dawn, but none of them were able to decide whether the stranger was hostile or not.

"If it is a normal person under a spell by Mallack we can't discern his or her motives…" The Paladin mused. It was a difficult and unpleasant situation not to know one's enemy.

The group moved forward, cautiously, but the person did not seem to take much interest in them and passed them, only nodding a short greeting as it was a habit of travelers meeting each other.

"Maybe we are too suspicious by now…" Rosa wondered, though sighed in reliefas they had left the white wizard behind them.

"Good people!" a male voice suddenly shouted.

The friends turned around abruptly - the white wizard was standing some distance away from them.

"What do you want?" Cecil asked, uneasiness creeping over him - Golbez and Kain seemed to feel the same way, and waited for the next reaction of the stranger with tension.

"I believe that you possess something which is mine…" Slowly, the man released his left hand from under his cloak and removed his hood, revealing…the face of Sir Samon.

"You again?" Kain wanted to rush forward, but was held back by Dawn's cry:

"NO...please don't!"

Kain looked surprised at the silver-haired woman, who did not take for one moment her gaze from off Samon; her expression unreadable.

"Dawn… He's only one and we're many! There's no way we could loose this fight!" Kain wanted to storm forward, again. This time, Dawn did not leave it at words, but stepped in his way.

Sir Samon smiled cruelly. "You're very observant, Lady Dawn... I knew that you were a bright girl. And now I would like to have the crystal. I'll even say please…" he teased.

"You do not think that we--" Yang started, but was interrupted by Dawn.

"Cecil, please give me the crystal…" She approached the Paladin.

"But Dawn... Why?" Cecil looked at her with big eyes.

Dawn's expression was filled with despair, and she stretched out her hand with a nearly pleading gesture. "Please trust me…" Her words were more breathed than spoken.

"Always…" Cecil nodded, all doubt disappearing from his face, and without a moment of hesitation he took out the crystal shard from his cloak and gave it to Dawn, although all of the companions-- particularly Golbez--werewatching this action with skepticism.

Nearly surprised,Dawn regarded the open face of her friend and a faint smile appeared on her face.

"You will not regret this…"

She turned around, her voice all calm and strong again, and held the crystal high up. "Here it is! Catch!" She prepared to throw the stone, but was stopped by Samon's orders:

"Do you really think that I'm that stupid? No... You'll bring me the crystal, Lady Dawn. You and no one else."

Seeing Dawn turning pale, Cecil took a step forward. "Let me do it."

"No…" The female Paladin whispered, her gaze still fixated on Samon. Nearly roughlyshe pushed Cecil back, and approached their enemy, holding the crystal tightly in her hand. The others watched her, some anxiously, some with looks of doubton their faces, although no one dared to interfere.

"Good girl..." the man smiled and stretched out his left hand. "And now give it to me."

"But surely!" With an astounding speed, Dawn suddenly stormed forward and darted with her hand through under Samon's cloak, grabbing the wrist of his right hand and twisting it around with all the strength she possessed.

"You little bitch!" Samon uttered a cry of pain and something fell clattering to the floor - the friends gasped as they saw what it was: a little crossbow, aimed with three bolts at once.

"So that was what Dawn saw... One of these bolts would surely have hit…" Cecil realized.

"You won't get away like this!" Driven by rage, Samon grabbed Dawn's arm and tried to wring out the crystal.

"Dawn! We'll help you!" Cecil shouted and drew his sword, but the female Paladin had already succeeded in freeing herself from Samon's grasp:

"Here, catch!" She shouted and threw the crystal towards the group. It landed directly before Rosa's feet and the young queen picked it up, quickly.

"That was a mistake!" Samon hissed -- before the young woman could escape his grasp, he had pulled her against him, one arm swung around her neck.

"One move more and she is dead!" He grunted, pulling Dawn with him towards the cliff, in order to guard his back.

The others froze as they realized that Samon had pressed a long dagger into Dawn' back…

"How… how could he draw it so quickly?" Kain murmured – as if Samon had heard his words, the blond man started to chuckle:

"You see, Dragoon, the weapon of a coward is a very practical thing indeed…" He said, referring to their former encounter in Tororia.

Kain could no longer conceal his anger. "Let her go at once!"

"Don't worry. I will not kill her... Not if it isn't necessary. Mallack wants her alive, as well as he wants the crystal, which is much more important, though. So if you want her unharmed, the wizard there has to bring the stone to me..." Samon pointed at Golbez.

"Why me?" Golbez asked, seemingly calm.

"Because Lord Mallack wants to harvest what we have sowed -- well not exactly sowed, but after all the trouble we had with getting you to the Blue Planet…"

"It was you who brought Golbez here?" Dawn gasped in Samon's grip, her teeth clenched, but still no sign of fear in her features.

"Of course... A man who 'appreciates' the dark powers can prove very useful for our organization. Besides he was the perfect bait to make some people uneasy. You know what I mean, fallen king?" Samon grinned at Cecil.

"You…" Before Cecil could say anything, Samon stopped him by tightening his grip around Dawn's neck. "I'm not here to talk… I want the crystal. Now!" He stroked roughly with his thumb along Dawn's chin. "Or I cannot guarantee for her safety."

"No... Don't give him the crystal!" Dawn shouted, trying desperately to get out of Samon's grasp. "He's lying! He wouldn't hurt me - I'm too precious for Mallack..."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Samon hissed next to her. "He was very upset about your "betrayal", Milady…You know which one I mean…" He grinned at Cecil.

"Where will you go when you have me, Samon?" Golbez's dark voice demanded. "There's nowhere you could run to! And you can't possibly threaten two people at once with your silly toy..."

"That won't be necessary, because soon you'll understand. I do have a lovely present for you: An amulet which makes all your dreams come true! However--" Samon smiled, "maybe this won't even be necessary with your "tendencies"..."

Dawn looked shocked all of a sudden and for the first time her expression was showing signs of fear. "Don't come near here, Golbez! Please, don't give him the crystal! There's no hope for any of us if you do!"

"Shut your mouth!" Samon pressed the dagger deeper into Dawn's flesh, causing the woman to wince in pain.

"Let's give him the crystal…" Rosa urged, her features full of fear. "If we wait any longer he might hurt her!"

Cecil nodded wordlessly. Indeed they had no choice in this matter.

"No..." Dawn's eyes filled with tears as she saw that Rosa gave the crystal to Golbez who took it nearly hesitantly, as if he was suspicious about the stone. "Rosa, don't! Trust me!"

"Oh... So you've befriended both of them!" Samon smiled cruelly. "What an interesting plan..."

"That was no plan! Rosa is my friend," Dawn whispered, hoarsely.

"Oh... I wonder what your friend would say if she knew what you and her husband--"

"Shut your dirty mouth!" Golbez's voice thundered. "Your lies will deceive none of us!" He slowly moved into Samon's direction. "Let's end this..."

"Yes... Let's end all this..." Samon stared at the crystal greedily, but took a step even closer to the cliff as if he was afraid of Golbez after all. Still, he loosened his grasp around Dawn's throat and now was holding her tightly at her shoulder, preparing to receive the object of his desire from the dark wizard's hands.

"I beg you..." Dawn whispered. "Don't give him the crystal... It might be the only chance to stop Mallack... Or why do you think he's after it?"

Golbez suddenly stopped in his approach, as he saw by Dawn's expression that her words were meant deadly serious.

"Master Golbez-- do you really want to listen to the prattle of a lovesick girl? As if she would care about the crystal… Don't frown, Paladin Cecil…" Samon's voice was sharp like a knife. "Come on, Lady Dawn - maybe you want to tell our young King of Baron here why you really sought his help?! Surely not only because you wanted to fight Mallack…"

Something in Dawn suddenly seemed to collapse and she went nearly limp into Samon's grasp, as if she did not care aboutthe knife pressed into her back any longer. She bowed her head, strands of her hair which was dampened by the salty moist air from the surf crashing into the cliffs below them falling into her tear-stained eyes.

"I really wanted to help him… To protect him…" she whispered, as if she was about to reveal a terrible truth. "But most of all I hoped that he would--" Dawn's voice trailed off and the little sigh which escaped her lips was not one of bitterness or regret, but seemed to accompany a sad, final acceptance of something. "It.. it doesn't matter now… Just believe me--" She raised her head, once more looking at Cecil and his friends who were watching her; worry and confusion in their faces. "No matter what my goals were -- I vowed never to betray any of you…" Dawn closed her eyes, a tear slowly trickling down her cheek. "And I won't do so… Even now!"

"Dawn! No!" Cecil rushed forward as he saw how the young woman took a violent step back, pushing Samon to the edge of the cliff. The next thing seemed to happen before his eyes in slow motion:

"What--" Samon could not hold his footing any longer and tried to grab at Dawn's cloak, butit was to no avail: with a terrible cry of anger and rage he plunged down the cliff. Dawn's head turned around, looking after him.Asshe turned around again to face the group, she noticed for the first time that there was blood trickling down her white shirt. Slowly, she looked down at herself, eyes filling with a terrible realization as she carefully touched with her finger the wound where Samon's dagger had nearly pierced through her chest.

"No..." Rosa's voice was full of horror. Dawn raised her head and looked first at her with wide eyes, then at Cecil, who was storming towards the edge of the cliff:

"Dawn, hold on!" As he had nearly reached her, the female Paladin suddenly raised a hand.

"I did hold on long enough…" she whispered, her voice pain stricken, but with no fear in it. Terror surged up in the Paladin and he tried to run even faster. Dawn's lips were trembling. "Cecil... I told you that the time with Mallack had been the happiest time of my life...but...I lied…"

And then she smiled, the saddest smile which possibly could exist, though in her eyes something started to flare up like…hope. Having seen it as well, Cecil reached forward, trying to keep hold of her as she started to sway and for a moment it seemed as if she wanted to grab for his hand. But then, the sparkle of hope in her eyes disappeared and under the unbelieving look of the Paladin she fell backwards. As she plunged into the depths, still sadly smiling, her lips formed three words:

"I love you…"

A harsh wind began to blow.