Edgar remembered that the Empire had been taking over cities in the southern part of the continent, and he was worried about South Figaro. He talked to everyone, hoping to gain any information he could. Perhaps the people had been able to find out something. “Welcome to South Figaro!” a young man welcomed them. Terra smiled and nodded to acknowledge the greeting.

The residents were rather proud of their town as a trade center. “You’ll find lots of excellent weapons, armor, and relics in our shops,” one man boasted.

Even the children were affected by wealth, it seemed. “The house in the northern part of town belongs to our wealthiest citizen,” a youth said.

After these first few people, Edgar began to relax. Perhaps there were no impending Imperial attacks on South Figaro. However, much to his dismay, he soon found out how fast the news of Figaro Castle had reached the town.

With the usual eagerness of a child imparting news on another person, a little boy exclaimed, “Did you hear? Figaro Castle sank into the sand! You couldn’t find it even if you knew where to look!”

The little girl to whom he was speaking made a face. “I can’t believe it! Without the castle, the Empire’ll smash us!”

Edgar was troubled when he overheard this exchange. He turned to the other two. “If those kids know what happened at the castle, that must mean the adults are worried enough to talk about it in the open,” he said.

“Which means they’re expecting the Empire to arrive here any minute and take over,” Locke concluded.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Edgar replied. “We’d better finish our business here fast and get to the Returners’ hideout.”

“Still...it wouldn’t hurt to stay here awhile and get a little more information, now would it?” Locke asked.

Terra, oddly silent throughout, suddenly spoke up. “Let’s go to the cafe,” she said.

The two men looked at her, then at each other. “Hmm...that would be the best place to catch up on any gossip,” Locke said, and Edgar agreed.

They passed through the relic shop to get to the cafe, and they decided to do a little shopping. “ ‘Relics,’” Terra said, reading the sign. “What are relics?”

A man was already at the counter, and he turned to Terra upon hearing her question. “Equip relics to gain a variety of abilities!” he replied. Showing her the unusual pair of shoes he had just bought, he explained, “These Sprint Shoes double my walking speed!” The man slipped them on, took a few steps back, then walked so rapidly he lost control and banged into the opposite wall! Embarrassed, he picked himself up, mumbled something about getting back to work, and ran up the stairs. The three barely managed to contain their laughter as they followed the man’s example and bought a pair of Sprint Shoes.


A subdued atmosphere met the three as they walked into the cafe. Edgar, who had come here before, knew immediately something was wrong. A normally noisy and upbeat place, there was no laughing or buzzing of conversation, and the musicians who normally entertained here were noticably absent. The patrons whispered to each other and gave only perfunctory glances at the newcomers. Most sat silently at their tables, engrossed with their own thoughts at they drank ale and beer.

Terra saw the man in black sitting at the far counter. She moved away from Edgar and Locke and made her way toward him, sitting at a nearby empty table. He appeared to be dressed as a ninja, and he seemed to be unconcerned about anything. The old man working the counter was clearly nervous, keeping himself busy with mundane jobs like polishing each unused glass twice and rearranging the menus on the counter, avoiding having to serve the ninja yet sneaking glances at him.

She didn’t know why her attention had focused on him. Other than his clothing, which completely covered his body, he could actually be described as ordinary. Terra saw the man turn to his right, lean down and do something. She rose out of her chair a little and caught a glimpse of a large Doberman by his side. Its powerful jaws chewed the meat its master proferred from his hands.

Seeing Terra’s slight movement out of the corner of his eye, the ninja turned his head toward her. She saw that his face was covered as well, except for his eyes, which gleamed as they looked at her. Terra was taken aback at the darkness and indifference she beheld in them. When the ninja was done feeding his dog and returned to his sitting position, she felt as if he had seen through her entire soul and knew her inside out, had fathomed all her troubles, all her uncertainties... and yet, he did not seem to care about them, not troubling himself in the least with her emotions. In fact, he apparently had none of his own...He had simply summed her up, then let her be.

Locke and Edgar, who had been quietly speaking together, finally noticed Terra sitting at the other end of the cafe. They walked over to her, but not without overhearing some troubling bits of dialogue.

“The Empire’s been invading one town after the next,” a young woman at one table said. “We’re not safe here!”

Her companion merely nodded slowly, obviously distracted, then gestured in front of him. “Look at the guy at the counter...I noticed him earlier. He’s kind of creepy...”

Another man was slumped in his chair, staring at the mug on his table. He murmured, “Master Duncan...”

Edgar was suddenly alert. Sabin had been training under a man named Duncan, who lived in South Figaro. “What about Duncan?” he asked the man.

Without taking his eyes off his glass, the man responded, “Duncan made his son, Vargas, practice a strict martial arts lifestyle. Vargas resented it...” He lifted the glass, drained the dregs of ale, and thumped it back on the table. “Vargas was always temperamental...Who knows what may have happened to the master? His wife must be worried too...” The man toyed with his glass, completely forgetting about Edgar.

They reached Terra’s table and Locke put a hand on her shoulder, startling her. “Sorry,” he apologized when she jumped. “Why did you come over here?”

She nodded toward the ninja. “For some reason, I felt as if I had to talk to him...” she said faintly. The two men glanced at each other, then Locke decided to try his luck.

The ninja was aloof to the stares and whispers of the three people in back of him. Let them talk, he thought. I’ll be leaving this town soon anyway...

He heard footsteps come up and stop right behind him. “Hello there,” a man’s voice said.

He gave no indication that he had even heard the greeting. “At the very least you could give me a response,” Locke said, slightly annoyed.

Edgar had been studying the man in black, and now his eyes widened. He grabbed Locke’s sleeve and pulled him away. “Stand back!” his whispered fiercely. “He seems vaguely familiar...Wait a minute! I remember the stories. He owes allegiance to no one, and will do anything for money...He comes and goes like the wind...” He cast a surreptitious glance at the ninja before continuing. “That’s Shadow! He’d slit his mama’s throat for a nickel!”

Locke whistled softly. “Better steer clear of him, I guess,” he said. They returned to Terra’s table. “Let’s go,” he said to her.

They walked gingerly around Shadow and went down the nearby stairs. Terra, however, lagged behind them, wanting to get a closer look at this man named Shadow, who had darkness in his eyes yet looked at people with wisdom...But he kept his head turned away. She moved closer to the dog, and it was only then he spoke. “Leave us,” he said in a low voice, still not looking at her. “The dog eats strangers.”

With a small gasp, Terra hurried down the stairs.


The stairs led to a small storeroom, where a servant was working. “Outta my way!” he snarled when they tried to speak to him. “I gotta get this cider to the old man! That’s my job! Now scram!” The party moved away, and the servant grabbed a glass and pitcher of cider and strode out.

“Nice guy,” Locke muttered in annoyance.

“Let’s follow him,” Terra suggested.

They quickly backtracked, returning through the cafe, down the opposite stairs and through the relic shop. Catching sight of the servant outside the shop, they followed him. Tailing him wasn’t hard, thanks to the Sprint Shoes Terra wore.

The servant walked to the east side of town and entered a house on the second floor. Finding the door unopened, they too went inside.

A boy sat in the outer room, playing with some toys in front of the fireplace. “My grandfather was a servant for the richest man in town!” he exclaimed when he saw them.

The three looked at each other. Edgar shrugged and Locke brushed off the statement as unimportant, but Terra was charmed by the boy. She knelt down beside him and asked him about his various playthings. The child responded readily, and she smiled. She wondered what it was this child was making her feel, what it was that was making her forget herself and stop and play, even though she knew they must hurry.

Exploring further, Locke saw the servant through a doorway, but the way in was too narrow and completely blocked by the man. He tapped the servant on the shoulder and began to ask, “Could you...”

But his manner had not changed. “I’m off work,” he interrupted. “Get lost!” The servant pushed his way past Locke and Edgar and left the building, slamming the door behind him.

Edgar narrowed his eyes. “I’d have had him thrown in jail for impertinence,” he grumbled.

But Locke was not listening. He had already entered the room, which turned out to be the old man’s study, and the old man himself was sitting at the desk, his back to them. Without turning around, the old man said, “I know you’re there. I don’t like strangers.”

“But, sir...” Locke began.

“Bring me some cider, and maybe I’ll talk to you,” was all he would say.

Cider, eh? Locke thought. He left the study and rejoined Edgar and Terra, who had torn herself away from the child with difficulty. “He’s not willing to talk,” Locke reported. “He said he wants cider.”

Terra, still looking at the child, finally focused her attention on Locke and frowned. “Cider?” she asked incredulously. “But that servant just brought him some!”

He shrugged. “Don’t ask me,” he said. “He’s the one who said it.”

“And by the attitude of that servant, I doubt he’ll just willingly give us his cider,” Edgar said. “He said it was his job, remember?”

“Maybe the cafe will have some,” Terra suggested.

Locke shrugged. “I think this is just a wild goose chase. That old man might not know anything at all. Let’s get outta here.”

“But where should we go next?” Terra asked. “Or shall we leave town already?”

Edgar shook his head. “Let’s check out the house of that rich guy that the kid said his grandfather used to work for,” he said. “Now where is it?...”

“Someone said it was in the northern part of town,” Locke reminded him.

Edgar nodded. “Let’s go there.”

Before they left the house, Terra couldn’t help saying a tender goodbye to the little boy.


The mansion was easy to find. Not only was it the only two-story house in town, it also had beautifully manicured flower beds and shrubbery bordering it. It was somewhat intimidating to look at, what with its size and opulence. Terra, especially, was awed by it all. Even after experiencing Figaro Castle, she was still a little shy around so much wealth.

Again Locke found the door unbarred. “You’d think at least this guy would insist his doors be locked,” he commented as they stepped inside.

The first floor was one large room, perfect for entertaining. Expensive works of art decorated the room, marble statues stood in corners, rare paintings hung on the walls. A maid was downstairs, busily cleaning the various furniture and artistic pieces.

The woman sighed and threw her dust cloth into the bucket of water she carried in her other hand. “Has war really begun?” she said softly, staring out the window. She began to wash the cloth vigorously in the water. “I’d better return home...”

Locke led the way past the maid, and the three crept upstairs. The second story consisted of two rooms, and they entered the first one.

It was the master bedroom, which was as richly furnished as the rest of the mansion. A cabinet with expensive, imported dinnerware stood against one wall, and a bookcase with perfectly preserved first-edition volumes was next to it. They saw the master of the house sitting at a desk a few feet away. They came up silently behind him and saw he was deep in thought, writing a letter. A slight frown creased his forehead, and his pen moved slowly as he mumbled, “Attack from the east. That way...” Edgar edged closer to get a better look at the letter.

The man saw a shadow fall on his paper. His head jerked up, and was shocked to see three people looking at him! Shoving the paper into a drawer, he yelled at them, “Hey! Whaddya think you’re doing? Barging in here while I’m trying to write a letter! Harumph!” The other three merely stared at him. Calming down a little, he said, “Oh, uh, sorry...Even a millionaire can be... startled.”

Edgar raised a brow. “That’s quite all right, sir.”

The man took out a key and with a trembling hand locked the drawer into which he had put the letter. “What are you people doing in here, anyway?” he finally asked.

They looked at each other, at a loss for excuses. “Uh...we were being given a tour of your fine house,” Locke hazarded.

A broad smile appeared on the millionaire’s face. “Ah,” he said with pride. “Didn’t know they started that again...but please, go wherever you like. ” He gave a little cough. “Except this room, though. This is my bedroom, and of course no one wants their privacy violated, right?” The party nodded in agreement, and the man was pleased. “Well! Good, good! You may continue with your tour. Of course, I have much work to finish, so if you’ll please excuse me.” He gave a small bow, and the three turned to leave.

Edgar was the last to exit, and he heard the man say, “Good thing they didn’t come in.” He paused just inside the bedroom door in order to hear the rest.

“Yes,” a woman’s voice replied sarcastically, “or else they would have frozen to death. There’s always a nasty draft in this room. Where’s it coming from?”

“Don’t worry, my dear,” the man said soothingly. “Some day that draft may actually save your life.”

Hearing the man returning to his desk, Edgar slipped quietly out the door.


Meanwhile, Locke and Terra had entered the second room and found two children running around. Again Terra felt some compulsion within her at the sight of the kids...One child, obviously pretending to be something, marched around saying, “Chung chung...Chung chung...Magitek armor!!”

Locke was startled, but Terra had not heard the boy’s outburst. She was speaking to the other child. "We just met your father," Terra was saying.

“My dad’s VERY important!” she said proudly at the mention of her father. “Why, not so long ago he even dined with General Leo...” The girl paused, then said quickly, “Uh, I, uh...I just made that up!” She turned away and seemed to have lost all interest in the woman. Terra shrugged and returned to where Locke was standing.

Together they left the room, meeting Edgar in the hallway. “Something’s up,” he told the other two, relating what he overheard in the master bedroom.

“I can guess,” Locke said, and he and Terra added their bits of knowledge.

Edgar’s worry became definite. “It may not be anything that that boy knew about Magitek armor, but that thing about the girl’s father meeting with Leo?” he said. “That may mean something.”

“Who is General Leo?” Terra asked. “He’s one of the three generals of the Empire,” Locke replied. “There’s Kefka, Leo, and Celes.”

“Oh...” Terra said. She had a vague memory of her shaking hands with General Leo...He was an Imperial general, after all. It felt strange that she should have known many of the people the Returners were fighting against. Terra forced her mind away from such matters. “Well, the girl may have just made that up. You know how kids are.”

“Still, I like to assume the worst, especially if the Empire is involved,” Edgar said.

“You think there will be am Imperial attack on South Figaro?” Locke asked.

“I don’t know,” Edgar admitted. But the facts were clear. With the king on the run and Figaro Castle buried beneath the desert, there was no government to protect the citizens. The news of the attack on Figaro had traveled much faster than Edgar would have wanted it to, but that couldn’t be helped now. Perhaps if the Empire didn’t find any of them in the town, they just might spare South Figaro. That was another reason to make a hasty escape.

Leaving the mansion, the three decided a short stay at the inn was in order. Tired from their travels, it would be a pleasure to sink into a bed and go to sleep, to forget all troubles, even if only for a few hours.

Absorbed with thoughts of a possible attack by the Empire, Edgar accidentally entered the inn’s private room, furnished with a double bed and small table. He didn’t see that the room already had an occupant until he stepped closer to the bed and saw a man fidgeting. Although he quickly turned around to leave, Edgar nevertheless heard him say, “The Empire attacked Figaro Castle! Now we’ll all be drawn into the battle! And I do so hate wars...”

Locke and Terra were just entering another door when Edgar came out, and he hastened after them. The room was large and had four beds, rather sparsely furnished but comfortable. They immediately hit the sack, but none of them slept very well, so preoccupied they were with the dangers at hand.

Late afternoon found the three awake and ready to travel through the Sabil Mountains. But Edgar had one last stop in mind. “I’d like to go to Duncan’s house,” he said firmly. The other two offered no argument. The tone of his voice was enough to keep them silent.

There was one house on the east side of town they hadn’t yet visited, which Edgar correctly guessed to be Duncan’s house. The door was ajar. Pushing it open, he saw a woman sitting at a table. She looked up as he entered, and a look of surprise showed on her face. “Sabin!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing back so soon?”

Edgar approached her. “I’m not Sabin,” he said. “I’m his brother, Edgar.”

The woman blinked a few times and looked at him more carefully. “Oh, yes...I see it now. Please forgive me.”

“That’s all right,” he replied. “But, about Sabin, do you know where he is?”

She nodded. “My husband, Duncan, is a world-famous martial artist. Sabin is one of his students. He’s taking his disciples to Mt. Kolts for meditation and training.”

Mt. Kolts...We’ll be traveling that way, Edgar thought. Aloud he said, “Thank you. I’ll be leaving now.”

“Take care of yourself!” the woman called after him.

He rejoined Terra and Locke, who had been waiting outside. As he led them back to the other side of town to the arsenal, he saw a man giving a speech to a small group of listeners. “This town’ll go down fighting!” he cried. “Even with their Magitek armor, we’ll make it tough on ‘em!” The answering shouts were few, but strong.

Edgar’s concern had not been allayed, and hearing the man speak only served to strengthen his fear that the Empire would attack South Figaro. For the second time in his life, he felt helpless, even though he was the king of Figaro. He should be protecting his people, and instead what was he doing? Running away! Even his people were willing to remain, to defend their town and stand up against the Empire.

“Curse the Empire!” he swore under his breath. He had power, an army, excellent machinery...Yet even these would not be able to stand up for long against Magitek. That was why he was here in the first place, wasn’t it? To meet with other people in order to find a way to defeat Magitek weapons. That was why he was abandoning his castle, his people, all so that in the long run, they might have a chance of survival. He also had the responsibility of seeing Terra safely to Banon, and she was the key that might finally give the Returners an edge in the rebellion. So he wasn’t running away; he was trying to find solutions to their problems. So many people’s lives depended on him, and he knew that the route he was taking now was the best one...Still, his decision weighed heavily on him, because of its cowardly appearance. However, hearing his people so willing to rally together gave him some hope.

At the arsenal they upgraded their weapons and armor. A quick stop at the item shop took the last of their money, and they were left with just a few gold pieces. It was evening when they finished, but they knew they couldn’t risk staying in the town any longer. Resolutely, the party set out for the Sabil Mountains.