It was relentless. The heat, the blowing wind, the sharp sand against his face. They were all unavoidable as he, Edward and Rydia cruised along the sand with incredible speed. They had long left Damcyan and were travelling towards the Antlion’s cave in the royal hovercraft. He had readily allowed Edward to drive, for he had never even seen such a mode of travel before. As he sat in the passenger seat, the Dark Knight allowed his arm to hang over the side. His mass of thick white hair blew around his face but he in too much of a daze to notice. He stared blankly out at the barren desert, deep in thought. The events that had just gone down in Damcyan were fresh in his mind.

You were such a noble king, King Odin, he contemplated angrily. Why are you doing this? I just don’t understand! The Crystals of the Earth are far too powerful for you to get any real productive use out of them. Their magic is just too strong…

He clenched his fist the pressed it into his forehead.

How could I have been part of such a heartless crime? First the Mysidians…now Damcyan…

The stench of fresh blood and the sound of soldiers in agony filled his mind.

Even I didn’t even kill one person in Mysidia though…I had the decency to spare their lives.

He laughed bitterly, yet quietly.

Decency my ass. I followed through with that heinous order. That’s bad enough…and then Mist…

He glanced over to his side and looked at Rydia. She was curled up against him, but talking to Edward about something.

I stole the Crystal of Water without taking one human life. Not one! Why was it necessary to slaughter practically everyone in Damcyan’s castle? The Mysidians could barely defend themselves…

He remembered the thunder and lightening of that night.

The worst storm ever recorded in their history. Damn you, Cecil. You are such a coward. You can’t even steal a Crystal on fair territory…always when the other man is down.

The sun beat down upon his forehead as he pondered the unnecessary death of Damcyan.

And who is this ruthless bastard, Golbez? I see how it is, King Odin. Replace me like I am nothing. After all the years of loyal service, you throw me away like nothing.

Cecil opened his eyes suddenly and stared out at the horizon.

What am I talking about?! It doesn’t matter how much of my life… my soul… my essence… I put into that nation. I can’t not sit back and support such robbery and murder. I can barely live with what I have already done…I can’t imagine what it would be like to have Anna’s death be no other’s fault but my own…

He suppressed another bitter laugh.

It might as well be my fault. I should have taken more steps to stop King Odin…what am I thinking? I am no match for a person like the King. He and his damn assistant, Baigan. Shiva, I can’t stand him. Ever since I beat him out for the position as Captain of the Red Wings he has always acted like a no good piece of brown nosing trash. He and the King sit in their little throne room, deliberating on what evil deed Baron should next be responsible for…what evil deed I have to carry out for them.

He remembered the look on Baigan’s face when the King had he and Kain thrown out of the room with the package. The dreaded package…

Kain…

An overwhelming sadness crashed over him. He lowered his head against his clenched fist.

My friend…Kain, I miss your laugh already. You’re smile. You’re ability to always make the best out of things. Why did you insist on coming with me to Mist? Why? Shiva, you were always such a stubborn bastard. No one could order you around, whether what you wanted to do was right or what you wanted to do was wrong. Now I’m never going to see you again. My comrade…the one that befriended me the very day that the King took me into Baron. Damn you! Why did you have to leave me here all alone? Why?! This just isn’t fair! You and I were going to be each other’s godfathers! Not anymore…not ever…all I have left is Rosa…

The unforgiving heat continued to beat down upon him.

Rosa…I can barely sit here in this hovercraft. I feel like I am doing nothing. She is laying in Kaipo on the brink of death…hell…she might already be dead. Damn the Sand Fever…

He lifted his head towards the sky and looked to the heavens. Wounds that had long been stitched were now ripped apart at the bloody seams. The Sand Fever. The words themselves felt like an acid bubbling against the ancient abrasions in his broken heart.

Mother…dear mother…If only I knew of such a cure when you had fallen ill, maybe I could have saved you. It hurts me so much to know that you were laying in that bed dying while I was off training for this damn rank. I’m so sorry. If only I had known sooner…if only I had been there to take care of you like I should have. You always took the best care of me, I hope you know that. Yes, I buried the memories of your death after it happened, and for that I apologize. I had to to survive my loss of you. Please believe me, though, when I say that I never, ever forgot about you.

He smiled slightly, sadly.

Do you think I don’t know that you sat up every night with me for months in that rocking chair? Just to be with me…to comfort me…to make sure that I was all right after Dad and Ben’s disappearances. You never wanted to admit it to me, but I know they are dead. I saw that bloody tunic the night I followed you into the woods. You were hysterical, and by the Gods, I have never been so scared in my life. To see you act in such devastation really terrified me. Oh, trust me, mother, I haven’t forgotten about Ben or Dad. I never will. I had begun to make a life for myself in Baron though, and I was ready to let go of my past. Never forget it…just let go of it… Now that Rosa, the love of my life, is wasting away from the exact same thing you did, everything is just flooding back to me in huge, unbelievable waves. The pain is fresh…I feel like you are dying all over again…Dad and Ben are dying again…

Rydia shifted against his side and looked up at him. He returned the gaze with a smile, working to hide any sign of emotion he was feeling. She just stared back at him, though, as if she could see right through him. With a comforting swipe of her arm, the little Caller slipped her tiny hand into his own and gripped it with the little strength that she had.

We’ll find the Sand Ruby...we will save you.

* * *

Click, click, click.

The dark man stared intently into the spherical ball that he held in his hands. His long armored fingers tapped sinisterly against the glass. The image of Cecil, the Caller and the Prince of Damcyan reflected hazily within the ball. He watched as they sped across the sand en route to the Antlion.

"Dear, sweet, Cecil," the man hissed, his voice echoing through the crystalline room. The dank sound seemed to vibrate the walls as it traveled through the air.

He stood up and stepped down from his chair. Heavy boots clicking, he slowly paced through the room, his eyes never wavering from the ball. The room was dark, it’s shadows lacing the floor with their lack of warmth. They fell upon the man with an ominous dusk. It revived him to be swallowed in their menacing dismal cast.

"How close you are to saving you precious Rosa…" He tossed the ball between his hands as if it were nothing more than a toy. "You’re friend…you’re lover…" He stopped and looked up, slightly amused with himself. His gangly lips sneered evilly from behind his heavy helmet. "Oh wait, I forgot…she’s not your lover…only your dream."

Click, click, click.

The vibration of a mocking laugh rumbled deep in his throat. "So noble a man you are, Dark Knight Cecil. I can sense the pain you feel for what you’ve done…taking the Crystal of Water…disobeying the power of the Blue Planet." His voice dropped into a sickeningly soft tone as he took one of his long fingers and stroked it against the cool glass. "Well some people just aren’t cut out to be leaders, are they? The only thing I regret is that I wasn’t able to have the liberty of stealing it myself."

Click, click, click.

The hovercraft continued over the sandy desert. The dark man watched them intently as a hazy mist swirled around the image in the ball.

"You are so dumb to the world, Cecil. So clueless…so oblivious…" He laughed again. "I would never wish to be in the position that you are in right now nor the position that you are about to take. Do you think that getting the Sand Ruby is what really matters? Okay, okay. So it seems like it matters right now, but soon it will not."

A shadow in the corner shifted. The man continued.

"In fact, I don’t like the idea of having Rosa around. She is too powerful of a White Wizard. We can’t have that, can we? What kind of a person would I be to allow you such an advantage? I would be a coward. A coward just like you, Cecil."

The air stirred with the presence of another.

The image of the hovercraft suddenly shifted to the Antlion. The great beast slept peacefully upon it’s nest. The Sand Ruby lay safely underneath it.

"You think that wimp of a Prince is going to get you that Ruby, eh?" the dark man hissed, his voice dropping to a deadly low. His eyes narrowed upon the image of the Antlion. "Not if I have anything to do with it. Good luck, Cecil, you will need it." He spread out his long fingers laid his palm against the glass. A dark smoke slowly began to seep from the cracks of his shackled hands. It diffused through the spherical lens and settled around the Antlion. The beast’s skin absorbed it readily. It’s red skin brightened with the acceptance of the man’s spell. It continued to sleep though, undisturbed in it’s slumber.

"Peaceful with Damcyan royalty?" The man sneered. "We’ll just see about that."

The shadows shifted again. This time, he noticed and turned to face the corner. Another wicked smile formed on his lips.

"Ah yes, my new minion."

The figure in the dark took a step forward. The little light that was in the room reflected off his menacing blue armor. The man with the ball looked upon him like a child would upon a brand new toy.

The person stepped forward again, his chain mail clanging softly. A disheveled face stared back at his master. The iris’s of his two big blue eyes swam readily around his enlarged pupils. His skin was pale and littered with exhaustion. Flecks of dried blood hovered around the numerous cuts and bruises that covered his face.

"Cecil…" His voice was low and laced with a sinister tone that made the master shiver with delight. The minion stepped forward again and placed his hand upon the

lance that was strapped into his sheath. Strands of unkempt blonde hair fell against his face, straggled and dusty.

The master stared greedily at the man who was now under his control. It was nearly impossible to contain his excitement about the new advantage he had over Cecil. His hands tightened around the ball as he looked at the shadowed Dragoon. A sneer of jealousy, rage and betrayal fell upon the minion’s lips as he finally stepped out of the darkness. He joined his master in looking down at the ball. The image had shifted back to the hovercraft.

"It is my time to shine, Cecil…my time."

* * *

"There it is."

Cecil exited the constricting tunnel and came up beside Edward. They had come upon a large cavern. The floor sloped downward towards the middle of the cave, forming a huge crater in the floor. The Dark Knight looked down to where the Prince was pointing. Sure enough, there was the Antlion sleeping in a nest of dirt and rocks.

"This place is weird," Rydia stuttered, looking around in wonder. Cecil had to agree with her. The atmosphere glowed a soft red and was cluttered with dusty red sand. He took a careful step forward into the sandy embankment and began to make his way down. Edward followed behind but uttered words of warning.

"Don’t rush, Cecil," he said, his voice weak. The Dark Knight looked over his shoulder and stopped. The Prince’s eyes were red and strained as he spoke, a lingering result of the loss he had endured only hours before. "The Antlion is partial to Damcyan royalty, as you obviously already know, and if you were to get too close, it might upset it."

"You’re right, sorry." The Dark Knight bit his lip in frustration. As he allowed Edward to take the lead, he felt the urge to just run up to the beast and snatch the Sand Ruby before it even knew what was going on. It seemed like they had been away from Rosa for weeks, when in fact, it had only been a few days. Time was of the essence. An essence that they didn’t have.

"Crap!" he cried suddenly as he felt his foot hit something hard within the sand. His ankle failed him and he fell hard into the dusty sand. Rydia giggled and jumped to his side. Edward opened his mouth to tell them to be quiet but when he saw that the Antlion had not been disturbed, he kept silent.

"Are you okay?" Rydia whispered, making no attempt to hide her amusement. Cecil looked up at her and laughed softly. What a fool. He had always had weak ankles, ever since he was a child.

"Yea, I’m fine Rydia." She giggled again as he got up slowly. He brushed himself off and smiled at the little girl.

So easily amused! The Dark Knight wiggled his foot a few times and cursed at it playfully. Rydia giggled yet again.

"You had better watch those ankles," she whispered as they once again began to follow Edward down the embankment.

"Yea, yea, yea, you just laugh it up, little girl," he replied with a mock tone of sarcasm. He made a mental note to get some ankle braces next time he was near an armor shop. She stifled another laugh and carefully walked through the sand. When they finally got closer, the Prince stopped and turned around.

"You need to stay here," he ordered, looking from Cecil to Rydia, and then back to Cecil. "I will get the Sand Ruby. I don’t want to take a chance in having you guys upset it."

The Dark Knight nodded. The Prince turned and began to walk towards the giant beast. Cecil watched him intently as Rydia plopped herself down in the sand. She brushed a lock of green hair from her eyes and crossed her arms.

The Prince made his way over the sand with little difficulty, as the ground was now more firm than the sandy embankment they had just come down. Rocks littered the ground, dust covered everything. The redness was so odd to him. There were no candles, no lanterns, no flames. Just red light. A musty smell filled his nose as he stared at the sleeping beast. It made him nervous to see Edward approach the animal. It had to be at least five times the size of the Prince and it looked menacing, even in it’s slumber.

"Be careful…" he muttered, not taking his eyes off the Antlion. Edward stood by it’s head and took a deep breath. As he reached out his hand to wake the animal, Cecil’s heart began to pound. Two sharply curved tusks extended outward from it’s mouth, opening and closing ever so slightly with each sleeping breath that it took. It’s body was encased in a bright red shell that was covered by a wave of tiny spines. It’s legs were folded underneath it’s massive body.

Something isn’t right here. Cecil’s mind began to race. How can something so menacing be so peaceful? With each inch closer to the Antlion’s head Edward got, Cecil’s heart pounded a little harder. A familiar sick and twisted feeling churned in his gut. There was something about the glow that the Antlion’s skin was giving off that made him nervous. It was very faint but eerie enough for him to pick up on it. Something wasn’t right.

But it was too late. Edward’s hand touched the beast’s head gently. The beast jerked violently and opened it’s massive eyes. Cecil’s heart jumped into his throat. Rydia leapt to her feet. The Antlion swung it’s massive head around and stared right at Edward. A loud growl rumbled from deep within it’s throat. The Prince stumbled backwards in horror, looking up at the beast as it pulled itself to it’s feet.

"What…?!" he stammered, backing away from the animal. He shook his head in disbelief and held his hands up. The Antlion hissed angrily and took a step towards him. Edward tried to back away but stumbled over a rock. He was sent sprawling to the ground.

"Oh my God!" Cecil cried in disbelief. He grabbed his sword and stumbled the rest of the way down the embankment. The Antlion was towering over the fallen Prince, saliva dripping from it’s sharp tusks.

"Help!" Edward cried, trying to back away from the beast. It’s heaving, stinking breath flowed down upon him.

Go, Cecil! the Dark Knight screamed at himself, pumping his legs furiously. With a quick swipe of his arms, Cecil brought the sword down upon the Antlion’s side. It’s tough skin split.