The light of the moons shimmered brilliantly across the dark water; each ripple in the strangely calm sea seemed to grab its own ray of light and toss it gently back and forth. A countless number of stars twinkled in the endless sky; and somewhere, someone might have been wishing on one of the stars or gazing intently at them in hopes of observing one as it fell or crying as he or she stared at a star, hoping that a dear friend far far away was at the same moment looking at the same star…

As Edward von Muir stared across the open sea and leaned against the railing of the ship, he should have noticed what a beautiful night it was…all he felt was a cool misty night…and a sharp pain that lingered in his shoulder and would never completely disappear…

He stared at the stars and felt like saying something…it was too quiet with just the gentle lapping of the waves against the ship…the waves even seemed to crash with less enthusiasm…as if even they were weary of what responsibility the heavens had laid upon them…

…He didn’t know what to say or to whom he should say it…Edward dismissed the idea and continued to gaze at the stars…

(whom he should say it)

He knew exactly to whom he wanted to speak…but he was reluctant to say anything aloud…he feared that someone would hear him and think he was crazy…

(crazy)

He nearly laughed…they would not really be far from the truth…

Edward turned his gaze into the sea…it was very dark but he felt like he could see forever into the depths of the ocean…the water was crystal clear…

(crystal)

…And he strained his eyes…Was that a sea creature he could see, winding in and out of the waves? It might have been…it might have been his imagination…or lack of, perhaps…

Edward stood stiffly…he hadn’t noticed that he was leaning over the railing of the ship…

(don’t worry your mother, dear…go home…that’s not safe, you know…)

He probably resembled a small child trying to watch a starfish as it disappeared beneath the ship…he stepped back but didn’t release his grip on the railing…something was strangely comforting about watching the ocean…he had done it for so many hours in the night that it somehow seemed necessary…he knew he should have been trying to sleep…useless…that was also something he had tried over and over and he could not do it…

(don’t make your mother worry about you, son…she worries about you…)

As if on cue, Edward yawned…perhaps that was a sign that rest was not far away…if he returned to his room he might finally sleep…

When he at last turned to leave, he froze…

…Was that a shadow lurking in the darkness, waiting beside the mast of the ship?

Edward’s blood ran cold…sweat beaded on his forehead…he rubbed his eyes hastily…lack of sleep might have cause him to hallucinate…

"Edward…?"

He nearly screamed in fright as someone spoke…he instantly recognized the voice…

"—Rydia…?"

His voice trembled much more than he wished…maybe the little girl didn’t notice…

"—Did I scare you?"

He sighed in relief and didn’t answer; instead he demanded in a low voice:

"Rydia, what are you doing out here so late?"

"I couldn’t sleep, Edward –" she continued, stepping into the moonlight. Her hair was disheveled and her thin gown hung from one shoulder…her eyes seemed a little unused to the moonlight, contrary to what she said about not being able to sleep…

"You will catch cold –" Edward declared, staring once again into the sea. "—You should go back to bed…"

She ignored his suggestion and leaped beside him, snatching the railing.

"What are you doing here?"

He looked at his hands and hesitated…

"I…don’t…know –" he stated, and immediately he hated himself for lying…I know what I’m doing here…but it doesn’t mean that she needs to know. "—It seems…that I always find some comfort in thinking about…the ocean…"

Untrue, a voice taunted him…liar…hypocrite…he had only come out there because he could not sleep like so many other nights…comforting? It was hardly true to say that it was comforting…

Rydia seemed satisfied by his answer…Edward sighed inwardly with relief…A warm gentle breeze stirred again and brushed through Rydia’s hair as she pointed at the starry sky…

"The stars are real pretty, aren’t they?"

He looked up and finally realized that the stars were pretty…there were billions and billions of them scattered across the black sky…they shined brightly like thousands of pairs of eyes staring down at them from the heavens…like angel eyes...watching over the earth and sea…Edward nodded but remained silent…

"Do you think all the stars are worlds like the one we live on?" Rydia asked excitedly. Edward thought for a moment…

"I suppose they are…"

"It looks like if you jump –"

She emphasized the word by leaping into the air.

"—Real high, you can grab a pile of ‘em and hold ‘em…"

Edward gave a small laugh…

"You would have to jump very high…"

She clutched the railing and stretched her hand toward the star-filled sky…

"—They’re so bright and pretty, like a bunch of pearls --"

Edward nodded and watched her lean precariously over the railing; after a moment she swung her feet back onto the deck and stood thoughtfully, still staring into the sky…

"—Do you ever wish you could fly to one of ‘em, Edward?" she asked suddenly, turning to him with her own eyes sparkling merrily.

The prince almost laughed and told her it was a silly idea but something stopped him…did he ever feel like flying to one of the stars? Leaving everything on this world behind to see a new world in another place? Of course he dreamed of that…Didn’t everyone long to do that once in awhile?

"Certainly –" he answered at last. "--But I would have to find a perfect one before I –"

"You mean all the stars aren’t perfect?"

The little girl was crestfallen.

"They’re so white and sparkly…How can there be bad ones?"

Edward looked at the night sky again before replying…

"Well, I suppose there are good and bad ones –"

He glanced at Rydia with a faint smile.

"—That’s why I would like to choose a good world before I flew to it…"

He hoped that his answer would satisfy her curiosity…it was so difficult to satisfy the curiosity of a child…it was so easy to dishearten them or discourage them…Rydia said nothing for several moments as she looked down, her forehead scrunched in deep thought…

"Did we land on a bad world, Edward?"

He looked at her quickly as if he didn’t hear her…

"Is that why bad things happen?" she repeated, gazing up at Edward. "—Cause we landed on one of the bad ones?"

Edward could say nothing…he felt a lump in his throat and it wouldn’t go away…it prevented him from saying what he wanted to say…and for God’s sake there was so much he could tell her…the lump in his throat and the sudden rush of tears to his eyes stopped him…

He silently and fervently thanked God when she didn’t repeat her question…she finally just turned away from him and for a fleeting moment Edward felt as if she understood…

...Then he remembered that she was only a child…she would not understand…

"Edward…?"

Her voice startled him…his tears disappeared as soon as they had come, so he lowered his eyes to her…

"—Are you sick…?"

Her hazel eyes stared at his hands as they clutched the railing tightly…

"—You’re shivering…"

Edward looked at his hands. They were trembling…it was strange…he had not noticed it…

Then again, he also didn't know why they were trembling…

"--Are you okay?"

Rydia stared at him in concern.

"--You might have a fever, Edward…"

Suddenly the warm sea breeze chilled him and he felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle…but…

"--I feel…well…"

He realized now it was the greatest lie he had ever told…he was ashamed of himself…ashamed of his weakness…

Did he not feel well…?

What did she mean by 'feel well'?

…It must have meant that his heart did not ache anymore for all of the pain he had been through and all of the sorrow he had seen and all of the times he wanted to say something or confess something but the moment passed and he never spoke a word…

…It must have meant that he did not fear the darkness anymore and that the night always brought him comfort and that he was no longer afraid to sleep because his dreams did not frighten him the way they used to…the way he was accustomed to…sleeping had become a burden…dreaming had become torture…sometimes he did not mind the dreaming as a means of self-inflicted pain…a means of self-torture…he hated himself for his weakness but he submitted to the pain and sorrow and grief and fear…it made him feel strong because he could deal with it…

…Did he not feel well…?

"…No --"

Edward suddenly spoke aloud without realizing it and Rydia turned to him quickly.

"--Rydia…I don't…feel…well…"

Despite his words he managed a weak smile, but the little girl watched him anxiously.

"Edward…you really might have a fever…"

He shook his head slowly as she stepped closer.

"It isn't a --"

"Let me feel your forehead --"

Rydia sprang beside him with her palm extended toward his head. With a sigh he knelt beside her and let her place her small hand onto his forehead…

"--Hmmm --" She analyzed the feeling with her head cocked inquisitively to one side. "--It's a little warm…"

Edward gave a small laugh as she laid her cheek on his forehead.

"I'm afraid the only way to feel any fever --" he started sadly, taking her little hand and squeezing it tightly. "--Is if you take our hand and place it here --" He pressed her hand over the right side of his chest…his heart. "--But even then it still burns so deep that you can't feel it…"

Rydia stared into his eyes intently…he had to turn away, so his own gaze shifted to the dark waters…it seemed as though Rydia was going to speak again, but she just breathed deeply in a half-sigh, half-yawn, and clutched the railing of the ship. It was the prince of Damcyan who spoke instead:

"--Sometimes, Rydia, I think of what it would be like if none of this ever happened --"

She didn't respond…for some reason he knew she wouldn't…for some reason he hoped she wouldn't…

"--I wonder if this would be someone else here…Would this be happening to someone besides us?"

He glanced at her; she looked into the ocean thoughtfully.

"Sometimes…I see her, Rydia --"

(in you)

"--Sometimes…I close my eyes…and --"

Edward lowered his head…

"--I see more now than I have ever seen, Rydia…"

She nodded but said nothing…Edward watched her then tuned toward the sea wordlessly…

Why was he telling her everything he felt? Did he believe that it really mattered? Or that she actually cared?

...She was only a child…she would not understand…

They stood against the railing for awhile in silence…Rydia peered thoughtfully at the stars overhead…Edward imagined with some amusement that she were counting them…

…Or choosing a perfect one…

"I like that moon better than the other one!" Rydia claimed defensively as though Edward had just raised a severe conviction against the huge white gleaming orb suspended in the black sky…

Edward turned to look at the moon she indicated…the other moon really didn’t compare to its perfect counterpart…instead its light seemed to filter through a coat of

(blood)

reddish dust and never make it to the earth’s atmosphere…it was dingy and dirty and did not belong with the glittering stars and full shining moon and the bright early morning sun and fading rays of the twilight sun…

"I think I like it better too…"

Edward couldn’t ear his eyes away from the

(bleeding)

reddish moon…it seemed to draw his attention silently…forcefully…

"Mommy said it didn’t used to look like that –"

Edward shifted his gaze to the little girl quickly…had she just mentioned her mother?

"—She said it used to look like the pretty one!"

Edward listened intently…

"—She thinks it means something bad’s gonna happen –"

Each statement she made became quieter than the last and Edward was about to ask her to tell him more about her mother…her abrupt silence stopped him…

…He remembered that she was not unlike him…death must be a frightening idea to children…

…God knows it drove him nearly insane…

"A curse –" the prince suggested innocently enough. "—It’s laying a curse on us –"

"Edward!"

Rydia shouted fiercely without warning and turned to him, her eyes wide.

"What –"

He stepped back and was unable to finish the question as she continued:

"—Mommy said you aren’t supposed to say bad things like that!"

Edward stared at her, baffled.

"—Mommy said if you say something bad, a faerie hears it and tattles on you –"

Edward almost laughed…he turned his head for a moment so Rydia wouldn’t notice…faeries…it was a clever idea…Rydia’s mother knew how to keep children out of trouble…

"—They’ll make something bad happen to you…"

Rydia was speaking when Edward looked at her again. He was on the verge of explaining that there were no such things as faeries…they were just created by her mother…children’s stories told to her with such seriousness that she was forced to believe in them and forced to believe that they were always watching her…

…Something stopped him…she was, after all, a child…

Wasn’t imagination the greatest part of being a child? Isn’t imagination what separates the innocent and vulnerable children from the horrors and pains and emotions of growing old?

Edward wanted Rydia to toss a pebble into a well and believe that her wish would come true…he wanted her to point with excitement at a shooting star and believe that when she wished upon it, her wish would come true…he wanted her to see the elusive unicorns in the forest…the huge powerful dragons in her nightmares…the gorgeous and glittering angels in her dreams…

Edward wanted her to always be a sweet little girl on account of the faeries that were at her side and would remain there forever…

"Be careful what you say, Edward!" Rydia reminded him fiercely, gazing at him.

"-Bad faeries…?"

The prince opened his eyes wide in surprise and glanced around anxiously; then he made a motion like he was sealing his lips and whispered:

"I will keep my mouth shut…"

Rydia nodded as if she had succeeded in preventing Edward from throwing himself over the railing of the ship with the intention of drowning helplessly in the dark waters below…He stared into the ocean as the white glow of the moon’s rays were tossed gently in the waves…

After entertaining herself by grasping the railing of the ship and springing high into the air over and over, Rydia suddenly gave a loud yawn. Edward watched her while she brushed her shiny hair from her face and snatched strands away from her mouth…

"I’m sleepy…"

"You should go back to bed…"

Edward was also weary, but he knew he wouldn’t sleep if he returned to his cabin…he was accustomed to the lack of sleep…

"I will…"

Surprisingly enough the little girl turned and skipped happily across the deck.

"Good night –" Edward called, though not too loudly for fear that his voice might carry too far.

"Good night, Edward!" Rydia’s voice rang out over the lapping of the waves against the ship. She spun around abruptly and waved a finger at him:

"—Don’t stay out here too long!"

He nodded and didn’t reply…the little girl started on her way again…Edward watched her disappear into the shadows near the mast of the ship…he could picture her leaping down the ladder into the lower quarters in the dark…for some reason he knew she wasn’t afraid of the dark…

As Edward propped against the railing, a sudden chill coursed through his spine…the warm breeze drifting over the ocean didn’t feel too warm anymore…it seemed like the icy winds of the northern region betrayed the balance of nature and directed their anger toward the winds of the ocean to overpower the warmer counterpart…Edward had the strangest feeling that he was being watched…he glanced back into the shadows where Rydia disappeared but if someone were there, he wouldn’t have been able to see them…

The hair on his arms began to prickle as his stomach knotted…the stars winked at him from the heavens and the full moon radiated brightly but he couldn’t force himself to look at the reddish

(blood)

moon…

(it was watching him)

His hands trembled

(you might have a fever Edward don’t make us worry about you)

as the faeries watched him…

(because they make bad things happen)

Edward hastily folded his arms across his chest and, shivering, hurried across the deck of the ship and into the darkness where he could see nothing and where he could not be seen…

The waves of the ocean proceeded to lap gently against the ship and it appeared as if they might remain that way forever…never to be disturbed by even the most violent winds…never to be disturbed even though the entire earth flooded by some strong and jealous act of God…they might never be disturbed even though the burning stars were suddenly thrust into the ocean and the heavens collapsed in one final catastrophic holocaust…

Both of the moons hanging in the eternal blackness of the sky continued their nightly vigil, but as a lonely cloud shrouded the reddish moon, it was as if the cast-out had finally seen enough and had paused a moment to dream…

* * * * * * *

None of the sailors aboard the ship Kingfisher trusted Cecil Harvey.

At least, that was the only thought in the mind of the dark Knight as he patiently but anxiously waited for the ship to reach the harbor in Baron. But, after all, he didn't expect the men to trust him. He wasn't even sure that he trusted himself sometimes.

Like now, he thought glumly…isn't this a foolish idea? Once we reach Baron we'll be caught, questioned, and finally imprisoned then executed…

But everything is worth a try, right? What's life without a little excitement and adventure anyway?

Despite everything his rational mind told him not to do, Cecil requested from the first mate that he have the opportunity to discuss the plans with the captain of the ship. At the captain's convenience, of course…His message was promised to be delivered and then that was it. No turning back. No second thoughts.

Cecil waited for the chance to convey his plans and insure the shipmen of Fabul that they would not in any way be put in danger in Baron…How did he know? Well, it was like Rydia always said…I just know…

At last an arrangement was made: by order of the captain, Cecil would meet in the "room downstairs" where they would "speak of the situation" over a smoke and a drink...

Yang joined Cecil as he made his way hastily down the stairs. The warrior insisted that he should be there to speak with the captain since he was a native of Fabul and he knew, which he admitted a bit reluctantly, that the other men shunned anyone outside of the nation of Fabul. The words disturbed Cecil only slightly…as long as he insured the safety of the sailors he didn't mind if they didn't trust him for the rest of their lives…they could change their minds…but somehow he didn't believe that would happen.

After stumbling through the darkness of a cramped tunnel in the lower quarters, Cecil pushed the door of what Yang identified as the "room downstairs" open and instantly he smelled smoke and strong wine and ale. There were a few lanterns dangling in the small room, and their light even seemed to be obscured by the heavy fog of smoke. Crude wooden tables and chairs were scattered throughout the room and on one wall there was a shelf with a meager supply of wine bottles and mugs and goblets. A grizzled old bartender stood poised nearby, wiping his gnarled hands with a greasy rag, his wrinkled eyes squinted merrily as he spoke to another man. Cecil assumed the man he was speaking to was the captain of the ship, although his clothes betrayed his position. His tunic appeared lacking in quality…it was tattered in several places and ragged at the wrists…his brown leather belt was worn nearly black, and it was pulled tight around the waist of cheap brown pants that seemed several sizes too la ge for the slight man…one heavy black boot tapped the floor rhythmically…nervously, Cecil noticed…

The captain was finishing a mug of ale as he turned around and regarded Cecil. Pulling the mug away from his lips, he opened his eyes wide as if recognizing an old friend whom he hadn’t seen in nearly a lifetime (and in the man’s drunken state Cecil imagined that the man did think he recognized Cecil)…

"Hehe heh hehe!!"

The captain guffawed loudly and extended a calloused hand to the dark Knight.

"How ya been, my boy?!"

He clasped Cecil’s hand warmly.

"…Fine, sir…" Cecil stammered, eyeing the fellow a bit suspiciously.

"You must be Sir Cecil that I heard so damn much about –" the captain indicated a chair directly behind Cecil. Cecil nodded and mumbled a thanks as he sat reluctantly in the crude wooden chair.

"How ya been, my boy?!" The captain repeated, snapping his fingers at the bartender then saying:

"—Bring my boy some drink sir! He –"

"No thanks, I’m fine –" Cecil insisted that the bartender refrain from bringing the drink but the captain would hear none of it.

"—My boy! Drink makes ya talk better! –" he winked and fell into his chair heavily. "—Clears ya mind, kid –"

"It has cleared his mind, I must admit –" Yang whispered with a questioning glance at the captain. Cecil hid a faint smile as he waved the bartender away.

"—I don’t…drink…much –" He admitted…the smoke in the room made him feel light-headed as if he had been drinking for hours…

"—Eh?" the captain raised an eyebrow and stared at Cecil with one bloodshot eye. "—Make it two then!" he cackled to the bartender. Cecil declined once more but the mugs were soon crashed down on the table and he felt that it would be rude to leave his drink untouched. He was saved because the instant he reached for the handle of the mug, the drunken man across the scanned him through his hazy vision and declared:

"—Eh…how the hell ya been, boy?!"

Cecil shook his head.

"Sir…I can’t really say…I –"

"Well then, tell me, my boy –" the man interrupted, leaning forward. Cecil could smell his rank breath and he could even identify the source…smoke…and alcohol…

"—What is the ‘business at hand’?!" he guffawed loudly and Yang watched him with an obvious look of doubt. Cecil had no choice but to speak…

"—Sir…when we arrive in Baron –"

"—And we will do just that, don’t ya doubt it for a minute –" The captain peered at Cecil with one eyebrow raised. He pointed matter-of-factly at Cecil. "—We got the best sailors in the world, boy; don’t ya doubt it!"

Cecil raised his hands defensively.

"—I’ve noticed, sir…I’ve noticed…they are the best sailors in the world…"

The captain nodded in agreement. "—It’s nice to see ya think that, my boy!"

"When we arrive at Baron –" Cecil started again. "—What I’m expecting…or hoping –"

"—Expecting…hehe…I like the sound of it –" he winked. Cecil nodded and leaned back. The smell of ale was overpowering.

"—I’m expecting with all of the confusion and everything, there won’t be many soldiers just hanging around;" Cecil shrugged. "You know, checking the ships coming in…they usually don’t inspect the merchant ships…"

"But," Yang pointed out. "—Things have changed…"

Cecil immediately remembered Kain. The dragoons would be in Baron…the dragoons would remain loyal to the nation of Baron and now after what happened to Kain, Cecil knew they would encounter the once-passive dragoon…Kain would know that Cecil might attempt to reach Baron…

"Now now, my boy," the captain mumbled with a flash of sobriety in his eyes. "—Back to the business –" He leaned far back into the chair. "How can ya be so damn sure my fellows won’t take nuthin’ from them –"

"Think about it, sir –" Cecil leaned forward secretively. He cocked his head to one side and lowered his voice. "—Imagine if you were hell-bent on getting something and you knew you controlled the most powerful nation on earth –"

The man nodded with a blank stare on his face.

"—You would send the most powerful soldiers you had, wouldn’t you?"

Another nod.

"—And that –" Cecil declared. "—Is exactly what the king of Baron would do too –"

"Sir –" Yang said, looking at the captain. "—I know very little about the nation of Baron but from what I have seen, I can almost assure –"

"Aw…now –" the captain burst out abruptly. "—That might very well be true…but me and my fellows don’t wanna sit around in that hell-hole –"

Cecil shook his head vigorously.

"—I assure you, sir, that if anyone runs into any kind of trouble, it’ll be us –" He indicated himself and Yang. "—And then it won’t even concern you or the sailors…"

The captain watched him closely with raised eyebrows. He seemed to have sobered at the mention of the nation of Baron.

"So, by your word, boy, me and my fellows won’t take no flack?"

Cecil shook his head again.

"None whatsoever – we –" he indicated himself and Yang. "—Won’t even take any flack from the soldiers of Baron –" he looked down thoughtfully. His eyes burned from the smoke hanging in the room. "—There won’t be anyone left who would recognize me if I just throw on a cloak…"

"We may not have to go as far as that –" Yang intoned in a slow, deliberate voice. Cecil shrugged.

"—The only soldiers who will be there are the new recruits or soldiers-in-training, maybe a handful of shift-guards…and probably a couple of the airship commanders –"

Cecil’s voice trailed off, and Yang looked at him in concern…

…airships…

"—Are you all right?"

…how could he forget…?

Cecil stood quickly and his chair skidded back from the table. The captain stared at him uncertainly.

"How could I forget?!"

The captain shrugged as if Cecil were speaking to him.

"How in God’s name could I have forgotten?"

…Cid…Cid Pollendina…

"Don’t keep nuthin’ from us, boy!" the captain announced with a grin. "—This ain’t no place for secrets!"

"I know the chief airship engineer!" Cecil shoved his chair under the small table. "—And –" He leaned close to the captain and Yang. "—What’s more important, the king knows and trusts him –"

The captain’s glassy eyes peered back at Cecil.

"See –" Cecil stood again. "—The chief…Cid…Cid Pollendina…he knows more about airships than anyone in Baron –" He snatched the chair back out. "—He and the airship mechanics can do anything with airship they want to do –"

"I understand what you are saying, Sir Cecil –" Yang commented with a nod. Cecil pointed to Yang and looked at the captain excitedly.

"Cid would never do something the king tells the citizens to do!" Cecil laughed incredulously. He laughed mainly with relief…here’s our answer…right here…and I forgot about it…about him. "—And King Odin knows it but he can’t do anything about it!"

Cecil raised a finger to his lips thoughtfully.

"—Cid will be there…"

…He remembered his conversation with the dwarf…

…But I’m gonna get to the bottom of this…those were the words of the dwarf…

…Don’t get into trouble, Cid…

…Cid will be there…

(for my sake)

"—Cid will be there –" Cecil repeated softly. "—Baron is the only nation with airships…I can ask him to get one for us –"

"HEH?!" the captain sputtered loudly, nearly tipping over the mugs and the table. "—Boy, that right there is –"

"Cid can get his hands on an airship, no questions asked –" Cecil shook his head quickly, devising a plan as he spoke. "—He can get us out of Baron with no problem at all…"

The captain was about to protest doubtfully, but Cecil continued:

"—And –" he remarked, raising a finger. "—You and your men don’t even have to wait around…you can leave us in Baron, leave your supplies, and get out as soon as possible…"

The captain nodded.

"—It’s as simple as that, sir –" Cecil offered hopefully…almost like he were pleading, he thought…

"—So –" the man eyed Cecil. "—We deliver then we leave?"

Cecil nodded.

"We’ll handle the rest…"

The warrior of Fabul finally seemed convinced, and at last the captain leaned far back in his chair with a pipe clenched in his teeth. Cecil sat in his own chair quietly, awaiting an answer with his stomach quivering nervously…smoke curled around the man’s head as he puffed on his pipe, deep in thought…soon he leaned forward with a hand extended across the table toward the dark Knight…

"—The plans have changed then, my boy!"

Cecil nodded and shook the captain’s hand decisively.

"Thank you, sir…"

The captain began to chuckle drunkenly then he wagged a calloused finger at Cecil, saying:

"Eheh…but don’t ya go and pull no tricks on me, boy!" He indicated the room around him. "—We gotta keep my girl in one piece, eh…?"

Cecil gave a faint smile and Yang sighed with relief. It felt like there would be nothing to stop them when they got an airship…

"You will listen to the words of a dark Knight? One who himself comes from Baron?"

Cecil whirled around, startled. A new voice spoke, and finally he discovered its source. A hooded figure sat alone in the corner of the smoky room…a glass of wine sat on the table in front of him…

…How strange…Cecil had not noticed the man earlier…

"He is the cause of our being here…and now he wants us to return to Baron…"

The hooded man sneered and stared from the darkness at Cecil. Gray hair hung over his ears and part of his face, but he was not an old man; his eyes glittered brightly on his youthful face and a tuft of black hair clung to his chin and terminated in a strict point. Cecil squinted and observed the mysterious man closely…he did not recognize the stranger…

"Sir…why are you hiding in the shadows?" Cecil asked in a strained voice. "If you want to speak, come have a seat and a drink…"

The captain gazed at the strange man blankly. The man smirked at Cecil and stared. His eyes glowed in the light of the lamp nearby.

"I have seen this coming --" he revealed in a low convicting voice. "--For a long time this was said to happen…"

Yang regarded him with a half-smile.

"--You speak in riddles, sir…"

The hooded figure glared at him with no trace of humor.

"--It has been said that there would be one to come --" he started, looking back and forth between them. "--One who would appear when the world was searching for a savior…and he would lead the disillusioned people into destruction when they think --" He nearly spat the words. "--That they are --"

"And what makes you believe these lies?!"

Cecil turned on the man suddenly…angrily…and the man laughed, leaping toward Cecil, one finger poised directly in the dark Knight’s face.

"I have seen you, Cecil Harvey –" the man snarled. "—You did not know but I have seen you as you tried so hard to become a hero…"

"Shut up!"

Cecil stated impatiently, not looking into the man’s eyes…The stranger laughed wickedly…

"—You tried so hard to become a hero but you failed…"

"Shut up!"

"—And the people are too blind to realize it –"

Without warning Cecil sprang from his chair so forcefully that it toppled backward onto the floor…He clutched the collar of the man’s cloak and flung him against the wall.

"Who are you?!"

He slammed the man against the wall again roughly…the lantern on the wall near the man’s head careened left and right…

"Who in God’s name are you?!"

Yang rose quickly behind them to prevent either man from drawing a blade…the gray-haired stranger only leered at the captain with rows of fang-like gleaming white teeth…

"Let it be a warning, sir –" he announced mysteriously, his eyes flickering. "—Let it be a warning…do not allow yourself to fall at the mercy of the one who was born of the darkness!"

He laughed again and thrust his face very close to Cecil’s.

"—He is the one who believes it is better for him to reign in your hell!"

The man laughed maliciously as Cecil shoved him aside and strode to the table where the captain gaped at the stranger stupidly. Cecil shook his head and chuckled softly to himself, pushing his chair under the table.

"That man is crazy –"

He indicated the strange hooded figure with a jerk of his thumb.

"—That man is an absolute lunatic –" he laughed as he started toward the door…the smoke still clung to the air and the candlelight glowed eerily in the room…Yang glanced at the captain with a helpless shrug…they had no choice but to follow the dark knight from the smoky room…The captain stood dizzily and frowned toward the stranger in the corner. The mysterious man said nothing…he stared at the captain, his lips pursed…his eyes seemed to shimmer with their own light, disregarding the light from the lamps in the room. The appearance of the man sobered the captain enough that he managed to find his way through the maze of tables and chairs and hastily stumble out the door behind Cecil.

"God!" the captain wheezed breathlessly as he leaned against the door. Cecil shook his head, scowling.

"What in hell was that about, boy?"

The captain peered at Cecil, his eyes wide. Yang also looked at the knight with a questioning frown.

…What was that about? It was Cecil’s question too…

"Now don’t ya take it to heart, my boy –" the captain clapped Cecil on the back genially. "—That fellow’s mug back there –" He nodded back toward the door. "—It did look like to me that it had been filled one too many times!" He winked and nudged Yang in the ribs. "—If ya know what I mean!"

Yang agreed with a half-smile, but Cecil didn’t appear too amused.

"He's right --"

The captain and Yang turned to Cecil in surprise. Cecil shook his head with a dry laugh.

"--Why should people listen to me?"

He shrugged as if answering his own question.

"I would never trust a stranger from Baron --" he indicated himself. "--Especially a dark Knight of Baron…"

"Aww…come on!" The captain slapped Cecil hard on the back once again. "--Ya know, boy, I see you're quite a trustworthy fellow…and --" he declared with sudden conviction. "--I'll be damned if we don't go to Baron even if I have to tie a rope to my waist and drag my girl the whole way!"

"Now I think it might be the only way we --"

"I ain't hearin' another word of it --" the captain stated finally. He shoved Cecil good-naturedly. "--You get the hell on outta here and we'll be in Baron before ya get sober!" He winked and started to leave.

"--But it's up to you to get in there for the 'real business,' eh…?"

He guffawed loudly as Cecil gave a helpless nod. The man at last turned and disappeared around the dark corner, still chuckling merrily to himself. Yang regarded Cecil expectantly but the knight shrugged.

"I suppose it is final --" the warrior said calmly.

…It's up to us now…the words echoed in Cecil's mind…

"It's up to us now…"

Yang nodded as Cecil spoke aloud before realizing it.

"--And whatever God is on our side…"

Cecil stood solemnly…silently…the warrior might have spoken again but he knew the conversation was over…now there was only time for thinking…at last Yang disappeared into the darkness…Cecil remained where he was, hardly breathing, pondering the words of the warrior…

…it is final…

…it had been final ever since the ex-captain of the Red Wings stepped from the throne room of the king of Baron…

…and whatever God is on our side…

…but it felt like any God that might have cared had already left his side since he looked back at the courtyard of the castle of Baron…

Cecil recalled the words of the mysterious prophet…he wondered how the man had appeared in the hazy corner of the room without anyone noticing…he started to walk away slowly, wondering if the strange man had spoken the truth…

…Cecil paused for a moment, wondering how the strange man knew his name…