Chapter Four

Cecil stood upon the western battlement of the castle of Baron, gazing with fascination at the sun setting into the horizon…the sunset from the castle of Baron was by far the most beautiful sunset in the world…Cecil could truthfully make that observation because he had been to nearly every country of the earth and none had compared to the magnificence of the nation of Baron.

The people of Mysidia…do they see the sunset the same as I’m seeing it? Cecil wondered and the guilt struck him again…of course not, he told himself angrily. They can’t see the beauty of it now…not after what happened to them…they probably shared such sights as this with loved ones, but some of them don’t have those loved ones anymore…

While he stared at the setting sun, he heard quiet footsteps approaching…he thought it to be only a guard; a familiar voice called to him:

"Cecil!"

"He looked around quickly to see the arrival of a woman, her long golden hair bouncing with each step she took.

"Rosa…" he managed to say. I can’t let her know what happened…I can’t let her know how I feel about what happened in Mysidia…

Rosa’s white robes swished at her feet as she made her way toward Cecil…the look on his face must have discouraged her saying very much, but she gave him a concerned look then flung her arms around his neck.

"Cecil, you’re not hurt, are you?" she asked, studying his face. "I worried about you…"

Cecil loosened his arms from around her waist…God, he felt so emotionless…he didn’t even feel anything now that he stood with Rosa…he didn’t reply…and he lowered his gaze to the floor as if he were ashamed to stand in the presence of the white robe…

"How…could I be hurt?" he spoke at last, angrily; he hadn’t intended to sound so angry but he was nearly shouting.

"The wizards didn’t stand a chance!"

Rosa was silent…Cecil could almost read her thoughts…she probably wondered why he even agreed to such a vague order in the first place …the Crystal of Mysidia? But, what does it mean, Cecil?

I don’t know, he would have shrugged nonchalantly, just an order from his Majesty…as Captain of the Red Wings I’m expected to follow his orders without questioning them…

And Rosa would accept his answer…she always accepted his answers…especially if the question pertained to his position as a Dark Knight of Baron or Captain of the Red Wings…she realized how important it was to him…

"It was like…stealing food from a baby…"

Cecil broke free of Rosa’s embrace…she stared into his eyes, concerned at how upset he seemed…without another word, Cecil turned and started toward his room…why am I treating her like this?

"Cecil?"

Rosa’s voice called out behind him. He paused.

"Can we talk later?"

He nodded…he didn’t really feel like talking now or later or anytime…

"I can tell that something’s bothering you…"

No response…Cecil stared at the horned helmet in his hand…

"Good bye…"

Rosa finally sighed and turned to leave; Cecil almost called after her to come back, I didn’t mean to be so passive…but he said nothing…

After Rosa disappeared, Cecil slowly made his way across the battlement, focusing on the sun setting in the mountains in the west. He wondered if those were the Misty Mountains or the mountains beyond the Misty Mountains…I should know…I must’ve flown over them a hundred times when I used to fly with the Red Wings…

While he was imagining soaring high over the Northern Continent again, he heard something strike his shoulder with a sharp metallic clang. With a frown, Cecil gazed upward…there was no one on the northwest tower. He shook his head and started walking again. Momentarily two more thuds were heard on his armor, and this time he watched as a small irregular object skittered across the stone ground. Cecil scanned the ground and finally stooped over to retrieve the object, studying it carefully.

It was a bolt used by the mechanics.

As he scowled in confusion, a handful of nuts and bolts pelted his back and neck; Cecil reached back, slapping at his shoulders and back, cursing softly…then he drew the horned helmet over his silverish hair.

Just as he adjusted the helmet perfectly, a bucketful of nuts and bolts rained down on him from above, the clanging and clattering and dinging echoed throughout his body, sending a vibration through every limb to the tips of his fingers. After the hail of tools, Cecil’s ears were ringing and the headache that he had previously was worse. He swore quietly again and lifted his eyes toward the tower to find the culprit. The only thing he saw was a wrench careening with deadly accuracy toward his face, and he had no choice but to jerk his head swiftly aside, sending the wrench ricocheting harmlessly but noisily off his helmet.

Cecil thought he heard a soft chuckle from the tower, and as he turned to look, he glimpsed a flash of red moving hastily upon the tower.

A smile appeared on Cecil’s face as he realized who it was.

"Cid!"

Cecil cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted loudly.

No answer…

"Cid, what in God’s name are you doing up there?"

Again there came no reply…the red color flashed by again…

"Come down, Cid!" Cecil persisted. "Do you think you can hide your fat dwarven ass?"

This time a fierce dark face appeared over the edge of the tower. The dwarf’s beard was quivering angrily, and Cecil noticed his lips curled into a scowl beneath the fiery red whiskers. A pair of goggles was perched upon his shiny bald head, and his eyes, nearly hidden by the thick red eyebrows, glared down at the Dark Knight.

Cecil looked up, a rare smile on his lips. He lifted his hand to his brow in salute.

The sagacious dwarf was undaunted by Cecil’s mocking gesture. He threw one plump hand into the air with the stubby middle finger extended.

"Heh heh! Here’s my salute to you, ya damn Dark Knight!"

Cecil heard laughter drift down, threatening to wake anyone sleeping nearby. The boisterous voice started again:

"Go take ya a bath, Captain! I can smell ya all the way up here!"

Roaring laughter followed the outcry. Cecil smiled in spite of himself, cupping his hands to his lips once again:

"It’s just your mother, Pollendina!"

The laughter became deafening, and Cecil feared that Cid would awaken everyone in the castle and everyone in the neighboring town.

Cid’s laughter finally subsided, giving him a chance to speak:

"Cecil, boy, I’m comin’ down there! I’m a-comin’ down there!"

Cecil saw his head disappear then heard the pounding of heavy feet crashing down the stairs. At last the jolly dwarf emerged, his pudgy cheeks red from exertion, and his rotund belly heaving as he gasped for breath. He stared around as if he didn’t see Cecil.

"Cid," Cecil stepped toward him, extending a hand warmly, "How are you?"

Cid jumped a foot, startled, blubbering into his beard.

"Eh..?" He gaped at the dark knight in concern. "I couldn’t see ya for that black armor!" He began chuckling at his own joke.

Cecil lowered his head and grasped the helmet with both hands, pulling it off. His silverish hair cascaded from the dark mask, and he ran a hand through it lazily to keep it away from his face.

"How’s this?"

Cid pondered the change for a moment then: "Man! Put the helmet back on, for God’s sake!" He guffawed loudly. "I can’t stand to see your face!"

He bellowed with laughter again and balled up his fat fists, taking a few playful swings at the knight. Cecil stepped away and tucked the helmet under one arm.

"Cid, you should take it easy before you have a heart attack…"

Smirking, Cid rubbed a hand across his fat stomach

"You’re right, Cap! I reckon I should get rid of some of this gut!"

He stood on his tiptoes, close to Cecil’s head.

"How bout a mug of ale, man? It’s on me!"

Cecil hated to miss being in the company of the happy-go-lucky dwarf, but he was already feeling a bit light-headed from the wine he drank earlier; also, he was not in a drinking mood since he was feeling so dejected. He mentioned the latter to the dwarf (he dared not mention the light-headedness), and Cid immediately turned to him, showing genuine concern for the Dark Knight.

"Ya havin’ troubles, eh?" He frowned thoughtfully. "Women troubles, I don’t doubt!"

Cid snorted before leaning closer to Cecil, motioning for him to lower his head.

"I reckon your women finally found out what a dirty rotten camel ass you are, and now she’s off drinkin’ with another feller!"

He nudged Cecil in the ribs, chuckling to himself.

Cecil drooped his head, shaking it gloomily:

"Honestly, Cid…I just came from your wife’s room, and she wasn’t all I expected her to be!"

Cid threw his bald head back and cackled uproariously until tears streamed down his cheeks. He grasped his sides with his plump hands and wheezed so loudly that Cecil thought he might have to heave the dwarf off the ground. He slapped Cecil on the back several times with a stumpy hand; and Cecil even managed a half-hearted laugh…

"Eh heh heh!" Cid finally gasped between his laborious breathing: "I’m serious, Cap! H-how are ya?"

He began hacking and coughing violently.

"Are you sure you’re okay, Cid?"

Cecil looked at the dwarf anxiously. At last the coughing fit passed and Cid grabbed Cecil’s arm.

"Yeah…eh…I never felt better, boy!" he insisted. "Now what in Hades was I sayin?"

He stood mumbling to himself.

"I was sayin’ how are ya, man? Honestly!"

Cecil lowered his head…honestly? Well, he couldn’t tell Cid everything…I couldn’t even tell Rosa everything, Cecil thought in dismay…how can I tell Cid anything?

After a brief pause Cecil explained everything that had happened in the past week…of course, there were some things he left out…for my sake, he reminded himself…Cid only stared at him, sometimes uttering a curse, sometimes clenching his fist and smashing it into his palm, and sometimes dropping his jaw open wide. Cecil ended the story with his sudden dismissal from the Red Wings.

Cid just gawked at the knight, his eyes bulging. A shaky whistle escaped his lips.

"Good Holy God, man! Who’s gonna take over?" he demanded in disbelief. "I mean, what confounded fool is gonna take over now?!"

Baigan, Cecil thought bitterly…if all goes as he planned…he shrugged…

Cid erupted again:

"What in the name of all that’s sacred was that idiot king thinkin'? He even ordered my fellers to build more airships!"

His fat hands fell to his hips.

"I don’t want my girls to be used as weapons!"

Cecil shifted his helmet from arm to arm, unable to respond. Cid gazed at him for a long moment before heaving a long-winded sigh and ruffling the beard on his face.

"I don’t know, Cap…" he admitted. "I just don’t know…That news has done busted my drinkin' spell!"

He hung his head in disappointment.

"I reckon I’ll just go on home now…I shoulda went home a while ago. My little girl’s prob’ly yankin’ her hair out worryin’ bout me!"

He rested a brawny hand on Cecil’s shoulder before departing.

"Cecil, I know bein’ the captain of them Red Wings meant a lot to you," he stated sympathetically. "Cripes, it meant a lot to me and I ain’t even the captain! But, I’m gonna get to the bottom of this, man…"

Cecil shook his head vigorously.

"Cid, don’t get into trouble…"

…for my sake, he wanted to add…

Cid clenched his fist and pounded his considerably sized chest.

"Heh! I ain’t goin’ down without a fight!"

He threw his hand up and proceeded to leave…Cecil started to protest again but he knew it would be useless…nothing could change Cid’s mind once he had set it…Cecil watched him bobble away…

"Cid?"

The dwarf whirled around.

"Take it easy, okay?"

Cid swiped his hand into the air, brushing aside Cecil’s reasonable advice as he usually did…Cecil watched the dwarf leave then he stared numbly at the horned helmet in his hands…it gazed back but had nothing to say…like me, Cecil thought with amusement…he turned at last with a yawn and started toward the West tower, hoping to redeem the sleep he had missed after the mission to Mysidia.