Chapter Eleven
Cecil strode toward the north part of the small desert town with Rydia close at his heels. As they waded through the unusually crowded streets, Cecil felt Rydia slip her tiny hand into his own. He glanced down at her, and she smiled bashfully. She skipped merrily beside him, her quiver of arrows bouncing up and down on her back. Cecil thought for a moment that he would be forced to skip to keep up with her…he almost laughed as he thought of what a sight that would have been…
"Cecil --"
The sound of the little girl's voice was startling.
"--Is Rosa your girlfriend?"
He blushed…he was relieved that Rydia couldn't see his face…As he stuttered a hopelessly absurd answer, Rydia suddenly hopped too enthusiastically over Cecil's feet and sprawled to the ground.
"Watch out --"
Cecil awkwardly leaned over to take her hand and help her to her feet.
"I'm okay!" she declared breathlessly, her face flushed. She tightened her grip on his fingers, and he was thankful for the interruption so he wouldn't have to answer her question...
They continued toward the Cappodocian Mountains, which loomed over the northern part of the Kaipo Desert and masked the remainder of the Northern Continent. The sun was weakening in the sky, and Cecil hoped they would at least find the caves of the mountains before sunset…he squinted and frowned…the old man had mentioned caves in the mountains, hadn't he..?
"Cecil --"
Rydia spoke thoughtfully…Cecil turned around, wondering if she were frightened of the thought of caves and mountains…
"--Rosa's real pretty…" she continued seriously…Cecil blushed again…he nodded, feeling quite foolish…sweat dripped from his brow…
"Is she gonna die?"
Cecil froze…it was an innocent question…she didn't mean anything by it…Cecil closed his eyes; suddenly it seemed like a possibility, a god-awful possibility…He couldn't speak…something was in his throat…
"Is she, Cecil?"
He swallowed…shut up, he wanted to say…just shut up…quit talking…I don't want to hear you…He knew he couldn't say such awful things to the little girl…She was about to persist when his voice returned:
"No!" he snapped viciously…"She's not going to die!"
Rydia looked hurt by his tone…God I'm horrible, Cecil thought…when he spoke again his voice was soft:
"We're going to save her…"
His answer satisfied her for a moment and she resumed skipping through the sand. The fine powdery sand drifted up with each hop she made, and she soon found her little boots filled with sand. Cecil waited patiently as she stopped to empty the sand from her boots.
As they at last approached the cave, the sun was disappearing over the jagged mountaintops. Cecil scanned the surroundings…just in time, he thought…He sighed with relief but didn't remain relieved for long when he heard Rydia's voice speak suddenly:
"What's that?"
Cecil looked down quickly…he thought she might have been pointing to a small insect or something else that had the tendency to fascinate children…
She was staring intently at the dark opening in the side of the mountains.
"Something's over there, Cecil!"
Cecil instantly dropped to his knees and gestured for her to do the same…If she were just joking, he would have probably been quite angry…Of course he wouldn't have scolded her or anything…she appeared serious…and Cecil squinted into the orange rays of sun and saw what she was talking about.
There were figures…three human-like figures…scurrying toward the cave…they wore dark cloaks which flapped vigorously as they made their way across the sand…
What the…
They were moving swiftly…low to the ground…they were very intent on something…Cecil had no time to imagine what it was…
"Keep quiet and let's follow them!" he instructed the girl at his side. She nodded, biting her lower lip fearfully.
Cecil remained low to the ground as he moved toward the cave…it was nearly impossible to remain stooped in his armor, but he gritted his teeth and at last they were in the entrance…Cecil dropped to the ground again…
The cloaked figures were very close…he heard muttered voices…one carried a flaring torch…another motioned for them to hurry, glancing back…God please don't let them see me, Cecil begged…Please…
Silence…
Cecil sat up at last, peering into the darkness…the fire of the torch moved away…he breathed a sigh of relief…
"Come on!" he hissed fiercely to Rydia, who seemed to not be absorbing what was going on. He climbed to his feet and dashed into the darkness…he paused…how stupid…dashing into the darkness into God knows what with this little girl…he paused to let his eyes adjust to the semi-darkness…the sound of dripping water echoed through the tunnels…several torches lined the walls and provided enough light for them to stay away from the stray puddles across the ground…
After his eyes adjusted to the darkness Cecil noticed that the flaring torch was steadily moving away from them and gradually made its way up a narrow cliff…As the light flared Cecil realized in horror that there was another figure kneeling near the edge of the cliff…his back was turned to the dark shadows creeping behind him…
Is that what they're intent on finding? Cecil wondered…the kneeling figure's life was definitely in danger…and if I don't do something now…
Cecil shouted a warning to the stranger kneeling on the ground, his voice echoing through the tunnels and causing the cloaked figures to whirl around in alarm. The person by the cliff stood stiffly, and Cecil noticed that it was an old man…he gazed around, his bright eyes shining, startled as the robed figures paused, torn between going after the old man or heading for the interloper…the heavily armed Dark Knight…
Yellow eyes glittered in the fire of the torch…Cecil fell back a pace…what in God's name…the familiar sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath followed a surprised gasp from the old man…
"Stay away!"
The dark shadows turned their attention on Cecil…he drew his own dark sword and without fear started toward them...
"You'll be hurt, you fool!"
Cecil continued toward the figures carefully. Despite his steady voice he was sweating profusely…
"It's better for me to be hurt than this old man!" Cecil returned boldly…he was determined not to show weakness…
"You don't hear well, do you?!" the raspy voice scoffed beneath the hood…a sword flashed in the torchlight…Cecil shifted his own sword coolly in his hand…his palms were sweaty now…
"I said stay away!"
The mysterious figure started toward the surprised old man…With a shout Cecil leaped toward them, lifting the black blade above his head; as he clashed blades with one of the figures, he felt strong arms clutch his neck from behind…the sound of guttural laughter drifted into his ears and he fought desperately to loosen the grip on his throat…can't…breathe…his mind screamed at him to hurry and Cecil reached back blindly, wrapping an arm around the body behind him; they both lurched left and right…and after a moment Cecil's boot slipped on the wet rocks, losing his footing and finding himself toppling head over heels through the air…down…God…where am I falling…His scream was cut short as he plunged into cold water…the grip on him loosened and he burst to the surface, sputtering and yelling at Rydia to get away…dammit…just start running…
Suddenly a hand grasped the top of his head and he dropped underwater again, thrashing violently to break free…he lashed out with his foot and struck another body with all of his might, breaking free again…Cecil shot to the surface, sucking in breaths of air. He saw the embankment in front of him but as he reached for it, the strong hand snatched his shoulder and forced him back…Cecil kicked viciously backwards and felt his heel smash something hard and bony…once again he was free and he clutched the jagged stones, hoisting himself from the water.
As he stood he noticed with horror that Rydia stood a few yards from him, bow in hand, the string pulled back to her ear, an arrow aimed directly at him…Cecil flailed his arms wildly and yelled at her not to shoot for God's sake it's me…then his words fell into a surprised shout as she released the arrow anyway…
Cecil winced as the arrow whistled past his ear, striking something behind him with a solid whump…he looked back in alarm to see a dark figure sinking in the water, bubbles boiling to the surface, then blood mingling with the bubbles…
He could have cried with joy when he realized he was still alive…the little girl's shrill voice called to him:
"Hurry Cecil!"
He nodded and scooped his sword from the ground as she dashed to his side in concern.
"I told you I can shoot!" she scolded, pointing a tiny finger at him…Cecil had no time to make a reply as he strained into the dim cavern and saw one of the dark figures near the cliff…
"Watch out!"
He snatched her around the waist and tumbled across the ground, as an arrow whistled harmlessly by them…a muttered curse came from the darkness, and Cecil watched as the bow-wielding figure tossed the bow aside and reached into its belt for a cruel curved dagger…
Rydia untangled herself from Cecil and started to leap to her feet…Cecil grabbed her arm and was in the process of warning her when she snatched her own bow from the ground, declaring in a loud voice:
"I'll get him!"
"Rydia!"
Too late…she slipped from Cecil's hand and scampered toward the dark figure, drawing an arrow from her quiver and nocking it in the bow…Cecil almost closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to se the tragic outcome, but before the mysterious cloaked figure hurled the dagger at the girl, she let the arrow fly…it buried into the mid-section of the shadowy figure, which doubled over and toppled to the ground, tumbling head over heels toward the little girl. She giggled as it careened toward her; with a bound she leaped over it gleefully.
Cecil charged after Rydia, too frightened of her well-being to utter a word; he was unaware of the body rolling toward him, so he yelped with surprise when it bowled over him. After the impact he sat up groggily, adjusting his helmet…when the eyeholes were in the proper position he was paralyzed with fear when he saw the figure wielding the torch closing in on the helpless old man…a hand reached out greedily from the robes…Cecil couldn't turn away…
The instant the fingers touched the old man the torch flared higher, its flames licking out and consuming the dark robes of the figure…the figure stepped back with a cry, and the old man touched the torch…flames burst around the robed figure, which thrashed wildly then slipped from the cliff, falling to the dark water below.
Cecil finally breathed…it seemed that he held his breath forever…his chest heaved as he glanced around and his eyes fell on the body beside him…
His breath instantly caught in his throat again…
The hood had fallen back to reveal the most ghastly sight that Cecil had ever seen…the face of the figure…it was like nothing Cecil had ever seen…or ever will see, he thought with a shudder…the face was twisted into horrible scales not unlike those of a dragon or lizard…yellowish reptilian eyes, impressed into the face above an elongated snout, glittered brightly even in death…the narrow black irises gazed coldly at Cecil…a thick red forked tongue lolled from the creature's mouth between jagged teeth…God how disgusting, Cecil thought incoherently as he scrambled to his feet…His eyes remained fixed on the creature for a moment longer and he watched as a red bubble slowly, slowly formed in the corner of the open mouth…
It burst…sending a reddish spray over the ground…
Cecil tore his gaze from the grim sight and started hastily toward the little girl and the old man.
"Sir --"
Cecil gasped breathlessly as he approached the elderly man, who had one thin hand around the torch and one hand resting upon his chest.
"--Are you alright?"
The Knight gazed at the old man anxiously…he didn't appear injured…
"Oh yes, young man!" the stranger gasped, fighting the coughs that threatened to steal each breath he took.
"--But is that the Dark sword you wear upon your back?"
Cecil halted…what should I tell him? What does he want to hear? He lowered his head with a regretful nod…the truth would be the best choice, he told himself ruefully…
"Help me, please!" the old man clutched Cecil's arm earnestly. "I beg you!"
Cecil frowned…who is this old man? Why is he so eager for me to join him with the…dark...sword?
The look on his face must have conveyed his suspicion because the old man continued:
"A wicked bard lied to my daughter and forced her to leave with him to Damcyan!"
His wispy gray beard quivered angrily.
"I fear that nothing good will come of it!"
Cecil surveyed the old man thoughtfully…something about him was familiar…but I know I've never seen him before…
The crest on his robes…that was it…the eagle…the golden eagle with the arrow and the olive branch…
The crest of Mysidia…
Cecil stepped away from the old man as if he had been struck physically…would he remember me? Cecil's heart pounded heavily…
"I am Tellah LeStrata --" the old man claimed, with no indication that he had ever seen Cecil…Cecil breathed a sigh of relief as the man continued after stooping down to retrieve his staff:
"--I am on my way to the Castle Damcyan, but a monster lurks in the water of these caves!"
Rydia looked up quickly…Cecil wasn't sure if it were in fear or eagerness…He hoped to God it wasn't the latter…
"--I am afraid that I alone am too weak to face the creature," Tellah was saying bitterly. "--But with your dark sword we might have the strength to defeat it!"
He gazed at Cecil over the spectacles perched upon his hawk-like nose, adding:
"--I hate to burden you with the whims of an old man, but --"
"We're on our way to Damcyan," Cecil stated hastily…why should I let the old man down? He thought…he might know where to find the cave of the ant-lion…
Besides, Cecil felt that he owed something to anyone who lived in Mysidia…
Tellah's beard shook with excitement as he spoke again:
"Then let us go there together!"
Cecil nodded…
"As quickly as possible!"
The old sage of Mysidia started rapidly through the dark tunnels, the torch clutched in one hand, the wooden staff in the other…Cecil had no choice but to half-heartedly follow him, with Rydia tagging along behind …