The Melody of a Silenced Harp
			      Chapter Seven: Kain's Power



	Tellah had been fighting and travelling all his life. He had fought demons, ghosts, basilisks, Octomammoth, and a host of others. He had gone through the very trail he was on several times. He was after his daughter Anna, and ready for anything. Anything, from imps jumping out at him to weepers materializing and trying to eat his soul.

	He was not, however, ready for Randy to suddenly tap him on the shoulder.
	"GAAAAAAAAHH!!" Tellah cried, wildly swinging his staff around and bopping the creature behind him with it. 
	"Ow-oww-oowww--stop----Master Tellah--oww!!" a boy's voice came. Tellah stopped, and looked closely at his attacker, which was not a fiendish demon after all.
	"Eh? I've seen you before.....what's your name?" Tellah asked.
	"It's Randy, sir, and that really hurt..." Randy said, rubbing his forehead. 
	"Err....well, I'm sorry, then. Never can be too careful, you know." Tellah said quietly, embarrassed that he had overreacted.
	"What are you doing here, young Randy?" the old man asked him, adjusting his spectacles.
	"I'm following you, sir. I was told to." explained Randy. 
	"Following me? The whole time?" Tellah gasped. Randy nodded, sitting down on a rock. There was an awkward silence.
	"You're REALLY fast for your age, you know that?" Randy said sourly. 
	"Eh? Well, um, of course.....Couldn't keep up with old Tellah that easy, could you? Hah!" Tellah said, his confidence regained.
	"So where are you going, Tellah?" Randy asked him, by now very curious.
	"The Kingdom of Baron. She's surely gone there to dispose of Golbez." Tellah said darkly, his face wrinkling up into a frown.
	"Golbez! ......Wow, I didn't know your family was in this deep. I thought you were just..."
	"Crazy?" Tellah said with a wink. "Well, I'm not. My daughter was going to marry the Prince of Damcyan, that dratted bard, before Golbez killed them all off. Now she's got the ridiculous idea of going to avenge him!"
	"I think that's a sort of romantic idea, avenging a lost love...." Randy said softly. Tellah scowled.
	"Well, it isn't. Now, if you excuse me, I must continue to Baron. Mist is just over this ridge." the old sage explained.
	"Wait. Do you think I could tag along? Then I could tell my friends back in Kaipo what this war's really about!" suggested Randy.
	"Well, war is a fickle thing. You may not come back alive depending on its mood. But, if you insist........and if can keep up with me," Tellah grinned. "I suppose." Randy hopped up, and they continued toward Mist.


	In the kingdom of Baron, Ben and his partner were a very bitter duo. You see, their little catch of the day, "Tucker", had indeed remembered his Karate skills and now he had been promoted higher than Ben himself.
	"So, Gregory?" Ben said to his partner. "What do you say to the idea of bumping off our little friend Tucker? We could do it on a raid so it looks accidental..." 
	"Sounds good to me. I can't believe that little bastard outranks us!" Gregory said bitterly.
	"Are you two paying attention?!!!" demanded the Captain, Baigan from the front of the room, "I don't want to reach the battlefield and then find out that you two didn't listen to anything I said! There can be no mistakes!!"
	Baigan turned back to the rest of the assembled men.
	"We heard reports of some sort of uprising in Mysidia. Maybe we can use this to our advantage, and finally bring down those blasted wizards!" There were several loud cheers at this. 
	"As you all know, the Serpent Road to Mysidia has been sealed at their end. I have a job that I need done. Tucker!"
	"Yes, sir!" 'Tucker' responded obediantly.
	"Tucker," Baigan continued. "I need you to take a legion of troops into town, and wait at the Serpent Road. Look for any indiscrepancies that will allow us to break through. Heck, even try to break the seal if you like. So, who wants to go with Tucker?" 
	No one did. They wanted glorifying battles, not watching some magic field.
	"Fine then, since you're all so ambitious....I'll just pick who I want to go." Baigan said sarcastically. "Ben, Gregory, Higgins, Biggs, Rolley, Wedge, Kirke! Go to the Serpent Road!" Baigan chose. There were several groans, but no one was going to argue with their superior. They all followed 'Tucker' outside.

	
	"Don't you realize that starting this fight could mean exile from Mysidia?" Fiana pleaded.
	"That's a load of dung! We'll be heroes for killing the spy!" Pegid proclaimed. Triwold and Garlio were already chanting spells. Porom began casting as well.
	"Porom..?" Fiana gasped.
	"There's no stopping them, Fiana! We HAVE to fight back!!" Porom cried. Kain swung his lance into a ready position. Fiana closed her eyes and began saying the ancient words of White Magic.
	Triwold finished his spell first.
	"Venom!!" he hissed. Putrid gas clouds surrounded Kain and poisoned him. He stabbed through Triwold's cloak and drew blood.
	"Ack! You see, Fiana?" Triwold gasped, cluthcing his gut. "He attacks our own! If you join him you must die as well!"
	"Then I shall." Fiana cried, and the faded image of a clock went around Pegid. The spell of Slow.
	"Sleep!" Garlio cast on Porom. She became drowsy for a moment, but to his surprise, she fought away the spell. Kain jumped high in the air. Fiana gasped, she hadn't seen him use his Dragoon skills yet. Moments later he came down on Pegid. Pegid blasted a low level fire spell from his staff at Kain. Swirling golden threads surrounded Kain; Fiana's heal spell. Palom looked extremely nervous. He could barely hold onto his firerod. He stuttered, softly casting a spell, holding up his firerod.
	"Palom! Don't---"
	"Lightning." he said emotionlessly. A blue bolt of energy shot out of the sky and struck Porom. She collapsed on the ground. Palom stumbled backwards, amazed at what he'd just done.
	Blood is thicker than water.
	Palom looked dazedly at Garlio, Pegid and Triwold, who were zapping Kain with spells.
	Water.
	He looked at Porom, and saw a trickle of something red coming from her lips. His eyes widened.
	Blood.
	Blood is thicker than water.
	There was only one way to get rid of water.
	A silver thread of thought shot from Palom to Porom. Even if she was unconscious she would know what to do. 
	"FLARE!!" Palom cast at Pegid, taking him by surprise. Fire seared his flesh and robes, and he was killed instantly, even before he fell over the edge.
	"Palom!" Porom cried, sitting up. Tears streamed down her face.
	"We did it, sis. Let's keep going!" he said, helping her up. They began chanting in unison.
	"Traitor! You will be destroyed for this!!" Garlio raged, gearing up for a powerful spell. "How dare you kill one of your own kind!"
	"Own kind!!" Palom cried, seething. "Own kind! We are all wizards! And more importantly, we are all HUMAN!!! COMET!!!" 
	White hot stars rained down on Triwold, knocking him over the side as he cast his final spell.
	"WEAK!----AAAAAHHH!!" he screamed as he toppled over the cliff. A sickly yellow whirlwind surrounded the twins and weakened them almost to the point of death.
	"You treacherous fiends." Garlio said, seething with rage at being so put upon. "You--will--all---perish---and---burn--in---the Dark--World!!" 
	"Garlio! Don't continue this bloodshed!!" Fiana cried, whispering words she did not know, as tears fell from her emerald eyes. Bizzare words flew from her lips, words of power. Words of the great white magic.
	"Bitch! You will never speak this way again!!!" Garlio said as they both finished their spells.
	"Kain! He's distracted! Go!! Into the chamber over there! GO!!" Fiana said, shoving him through the door.
	"WHITE!!!" she cast. Particles of holy energy gathered in the sky, seeking their target. They zeroed in on Garlio, and flew onto his enraged body. He cast his spell just as he was ripped apart by White. The wind carried his final words.
	"Stone."
	Fiana's lovely features turned to rock. Her bright eyes turned gray, her expression was frozen into one of relief and shock. Fiana was a statue.

	Inside the chamber, Kain heard horrible screams from outside, but the door was sealed and he could not exit. He turned around, to see a shining mirror cover the entire wall. Light seemed to emanate from within the mirror. The form of a man appeared in it, made purely of Light. Also, a very colorful sleeping bird appeared within the smooth glass. The light took the form of a glowing young man. He looked familiar, but Kain couldn't place it.
	"Kain Highwind....this is unexpected..." he murmured. Kain jumped backward. The mirror had just spoken to him.
	"Don't be alarmed, Kain. You're safe here." the man of light said.
	"Who are you?" Kain asked, breathless.
	"I have many names. I suppose it's only fitting I use my real one. I am KluYa." the light said.
	"KluYa........were you the last one to climb Ordeals?" Kain asked, making the connection.
	"No. I was merely the last to succeed in completing the trial." KluYa said honestly.
	"Did you...." Kain stuttered.
	"Yes, I died." KluYa's spirit said in his airy voice. "My time was over, Kain Highwind."
	"How do you know my-"
	"Your name? I've been watching you, and everyone else. Sorrow overwhelms me. It is time to pass on a great power, Kain. Since it is you that arrived, it will be yours." KluYa said.
	"Mine.......??" Kain gasped. He looked at the floor, and saw his reflection. His green eyes, his matted blond hair beneath the dragon helm. The helm he didn't deserve to wear.
	"I...can't. I can't take your power. I have disgraced the Dragoons, and my father." Kain said.	"Look at me, Kain." KluYa said in such a stern voice that Kain dared not disobey. He looked up.
	"Yes, it is true that you disgraced those things. However, did you not come here to repent? You have proved yourself. Your father wishes you to recieve this power." the light said.
	"My father?" Kain gasped.
	"I'm sorry, but you cannot see him. He can't enter the world of the living. And you would never leave if he did. Too many unanswered questions." KluYa said sorrowfully. A golden sword materialized in the mirror, in between the sleeping bird and the man of light.
	"Kain, after you get the power, you must leave. Your quest awaits. Your friends await. And," KluYa paused as the sword came through the mirror and Kain grabbed the hilt. 
	"You must take this sword to my son. He must become a Paladin Knight." 
	"But.......I have no idea who your son is!" Kain protested. KluYa smiled.
	"When the time comes, you will know." KluYa said sagely. He gestured to the sleeping bird.
	"This bird is waiting for my son. When my son realizes his true calling, this bird will make him a Paladin." KluYa said.
	"I have never seen such a bird..." Kain said, awestruck by its glory and beauty, even as it slept.
	"Palidor, the great bird, is not from this universe. He is only here for my son. After that he will return to his dimension to assist the Broken-Hearted Girl. But do not worry about these details." KluYa said with a wave of his brilliant hand.
	"Girl...?" Kain asked.
	"I said do not worry. She is not of this universe." He gave Kain a stern look. "Here are your instructions. When you recieve the power, you must leave immediately for Mysidia. Take the twins with you. No matter what you see outside, you must flee or the fire of Ordeals will consume you. Also, when you leave, you will forget my name. It is imperative, for there is one with an evil heart who knows it as well. He must not know we have spoken." KluYa ordered.
	"Is...that all, sir?" Kain asked.
	"One more thing," KluYa said, a worried look on his face. "My son may need help to realize his calling. As soon as you figure out who my son is, shout the name of Palidor. But not before." KluYa said. "I have faith in you, Kain."
	"Are you sure I deserve this power?" Kain asked again. 
	"If you did not take it, you would be furthest disgraced. A woman has made the ultimate sacrifice for your benefit. You MUST take the light." KluYa said. "One last thing: Reverse the identity of the man who raised you, give it to a girl engulfed by ocean's master, and you will know how to douse the flame..."
	What's that? Kain thought. A riddle??? 
	Golden light, laced with every other color imaginable, swirled around Kain. His armor turned pearly white, lined with gold. His lance gained more power. He felt spiritually enhanced. 
	He looked to the mirror. The man of light-----what was his name?----and the bird were gone. The light's voice remained.
	"You are now a higher order of Dragoon than has ever been. Kain, the Holy Dragoon. Your father would be proud........"
	Kain picked up the golden sword and turned toward the exit with new determination.
	His father would have been proud.....
	He went outside, with a smile on his face.



	It seemed like days had passed since leaving the dwarf kingdom. Perhaps they had. Cecil couldn't tell, for there was no sun in the underworld. Well, at least it never moved. Darkness was everywhere. They slept when they could and travelled the other half of the time. Monsters ran rampant, especially as they got closer to the tower. No matter where you were in the underground, you could see the ominous Tower of Bab-il, a beacon of death for all that was good down here. They were currently camping near the Tower.
	"So, will you please tell us what you're DOING?" Anna asked Rock. She was extremely annoyed at the fact that he hadn't spoken more than three words since they had left the dwarf city. He looked at her casually over the blazing campfire, looking more demon than dwarf.
	"I'm a bounty hunter." Rock said simply. "I'm looking for a madman."
	"That doesn't tell us much..." Luca said, rubbing her sore joints as she talked.
	"Go on, you can tell us who it is." Kory urged. "We won't know him anyway." Rock eyed Luca eerily.
	"Well, except her..." Kory said sheepishly. Rock nodded.
	"Many years ago, a human stumbled into the underground. He was a man of many talents, and when it came to love he played the field. He met up with a Sylph. The romance was to be short, but unfortunately it bore a child." Rock explained in his rough, gravelly voice.
	"The child, a boy, was half sylph, and terribly intelligent. The man left, and the sylph eventually died, since Summoned Beasts aren't supposed to mingle with men. The child went mad. Eventually, he grew up and became a menace to society."
	"That's who you want? Some mad child?" Anna asked incredulously. Rock shot her an extremely dark look, and she shut her mouth.
	"The crimes against him are many....Arson, burglary, murder, all sorts of horrible deeds. He became---"
	"What's his name?" Kory asked. Rock glared at him.
	"As I was saying, LUGAE became wanted for all these crimes. So he hid himself away. Still showed up occasionally, performing bizarre experiments on dwarfs and sylphs. Calls himself a 'doctor'. I'm out to get him." Rock said.
	"Excuse me, but if he's been wanted all these years, and if you're good how come you still haven't gotten him?" Anna said, but she immediately wished she hadn't.
	Boy, if looks could kill....
	"Only recently has he shown his face again. Once the war started in the Upper Lands, he enlisted under some Golbez overlord. Because of his skills he is actually a high rank." Rock said.
	"Wow..." Luca murmured. "I've heard of Doctor Lugae, but I didn't know it was that horrible..."
	"That's because the dwarven news shields the gruesome details. Some of his crimes scare even me...." Rock said gruffly. Everyone's eyes widened. Before now, scaring the bounty hunter seemed like an impossible chore.
	"How high ranking is he?" Cecil asked. "I sure haven't seen him." Rock's gaze shifted to the dark knight.
	"I had to do a little digging, but that's part of my job. It seems he's some sort of Third Rank. First Rank is Golbez. Second is his Fiends of the Elements. Third belongs to select few. Those usually serve as the fiends' assistants. My sources state that Lugae is the assistant to the Fiend leader, Rubicant."
	"We fought a Fiend..." Anna said.
	"Milon of Earth." Rock said, nodding. "He has no assistant. There are Four Fiends: Milon, Kainazzo, Rubicant, and Valvalis. I know Lugae works under Rubicant, in the Tower of Bab-il. Valvalis' assistants are some sort of witch sisters. I don't know anything about Kainazzo. He is extremely hard to locate."
	"Interesting.......well, time for sleep." Kory decided. Luca had already nodded off. Rock fell asleep almost instantly, but it almost seemed like he kept one eye open just in case. Cecil and Anna were the only ones left awake.
	"Cecil...?" Anna whispered. Cecil sat up in his sleeping bag.
	"Yeah?" he answered.
	"What do you think happened to the others? You know, after the ship sank?" she asked. He felt fear grip his heart for a moment.
	"I........don't know, I just pray that Kain, and Yang, are all right."
	"What about......" Anna blurted. Cecil hung his head.
	"Rydia..." he said. "I wish I could have saved her..." Anna pointed outside of the tent.
	"Cecil, was that fog there before?" she asked.
	"I don't think so....." Cecil said, laying down. "Let's sleep now. We need energy for tomorrow."
	Anna nodded, and lay down. But she couldn't sleep. So she got up and walked outside of the tent. Instead of the usual humid air, she felt cool. The air was misty. She basked in the white fog for a moment, then went on a short walk. The campfire was still burning. She dumped some brown sand on it and looked up.
	"Edward!" she gasped. Her love stood before her, every detail as she had remembered it. The tilted cap with the feather, his apple red cape, his twinkling eyes, every feature was there. But strangely, something was missing that she could quite place.
	"Anna darling, I've come back!" he whispered. The words wrapped warmly around her skin and gave her comfort in the dark night. Then she realized as she dashed toward him what was missing. He wasn't carrying a harp like usual. She ran up and embraced him. Then her heart stopped as she realized two things.
	Edward wouldn't be caught dead without his harp.
	Edward WAS dead. He couldn't be here. This wasn't right.
	Edward's form suddenly melted into a tall man, wrapped in red cloth.
	"What?! No, let me go!!" she cried.
	"Don't you want to meet my master?" Rubicant asked her. 
	"Golbez! You, I'll kill---" she shouted. "Cecil, Kory, help! CECIL!!"

	Two figures, followed by armies, marched toward each other on a field. Cecil knew them both, he tried to stop them from fighting. It didn't work. He saw the harp shattering again, and Rydia drowning horribly.
	Suddenly, a woman's cry woke him from his dream. He grabbed his sword and dashed outside the tent.
	"ROSA! Where are you??" he yelled.
	"CECIL!! Over here, help me!!" the woman cried. Cecil then realized it wasn't Rosa but Anna. 
	"Kory! Rock! Wake up, a monster's got Anna!" Cecil shouted, running over to Anna's voice. She was in the arms of a very tall mutated male. He had blue burns all over his red skin, and he wore a red cloak. 
	"Release her!!" Cecil cried, slashing at the creature with Black.
	"Hmph. You humans are so bent on saving innocents. When I burned Eblan I spared no one that I could catch." Rubicant scoffed. Kory and Rock dashed up behind Cecil. Rock vanished suddenly and reappeared behind Rubicant. He charged into him. Luca came running.
	"Luca, get back! It's a monster!" Cecil warned, waving her away.
	"A monster?" Rubicant scoffed. "I am insulted. I'm Rubicant, Fiend of Fire."
	"Whoa! Rock, it's a fiend! What do we do?" Kory gasped. Rock said nothing and kept attacking Rubicant.
	"Listen, you insect!" Rubicant boomed, throwing Rock aside. "Nothing can penetrate my Cloak of Flame, not even ice!" He shot fire from his fingers, level two without so much as chanting a spell.
	"Gods! That's amazing!" Kory exclaimed. He retreated over to a rock where Luca was hiding behind. She was trembling.
	"You all right?" Kory asked her. She nodded slowly, her widened gaze focused on the battle. Kory looked around frantically as Cecil charged up and was knocked away. He suddenly spotted a rusted pickaxe laying on the ground. He ran to get it.
	Rock pulled a few tack stars out of his robes, and threw them at Rubicant. 
	"Insects, bother me no longer!" Rubicant raged, his eyes glowing brightly. They flashed, and everyone except Kory and Luca were knocked unconscious. Anna looked around desparately, struggling in the fiend's arms.
	"Well? See how pitiful your friends are!" Rubicant laughed heartily.
	
	"Lightning!!" Kory cast on the pickaxe, plunging it into Rubicant's back. He howled in pain and whirled around. Kory let go of the pick, which was still stuck in Rubicant's back. Black blood gushed onto the ground.
	"Aaa..aghh......" Rubicant gasped. He dropped Anna and stepped into a storm of fire, disappearing.
	"Kory!" Anna cried, flying into his arms. 
	"Hey, it was nothing, all right?" he said, turning red. "You'd better cure your boyfriend there...."
	"Okay, just.....boyfriend?!!" Anna said angrily, turning and glaring at Kory. But she cast cure on everyone anyway.
	"Wha......." Cecil groaned.
	"Professor Kory beat up Rubicant," Anna said proudly. Kory was beaming, embarrassed. Luca hopped out from behind her rock.
	"That was SO awesome! The bolt, and then the pickaxe, and you looked so mad, and then---" she squealed.
	"Gods, Kory, what did you pull? Why didn't you tell us about your extra skills??" Cecil said with a wry grin.
	"I just....er...." Kory stammered. 
	"...." Rock mumbled under his breath. 
	They continued on to the Tower the next day.


	
		

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