Destruction Preventer: Lunar Salvation

Destruction Preventer: Lunar Salvation
Chapter 5 – Damcyan


Fully rested, Cecil, Rydia and Tellah came out of their safe spot. According to Tellah, there was an exit nearby. It took them little time to reach it.

They came out to the bright sun – Cecil squinted through his visor, bothered by the midday lighting.

"Do you get sunburns when you're not wearing it?"

Cecil spun toward Rydia. A small grin formed on his face – a rare occurrence. "I do."

"Mommy said people with pale skin burned easily in the sun. I bet you like your armor a lot right now," she added. He appreciated the distraction, as small as it was.

"Maybe we should rest again," Tellah stated, settling on a large rock. "Unless the both of you think you can take this monster head on."

Cecil glanced at Rydia. He didn't want to push the girl, but she looked just fine. "I'm up for that. We can't afford resting too often if we want to reach Damcyan fast enough."

Rydia nodded at him. She understood his reasoning; he wanted to get the cure for Rosa's illness before it was too late. "We can do it!"

Tellah's gaze traveled between both companions. "Then let's go. We haven't a moment to lose."

~

The airship deck had been swept clean. Kain stood by Golbez, whose eyes were fixed on the large wooden frame. The dragoon had traveled on them a million times, but still thought they were amazing. Golbez, however, had never even seen one. He could only guess the man was thoroughly impressed by the technology.

Golbez had ordered a small squadron. Kain wasn't part of it, but it didn't bother him. He was there to assist Golbez for a moment and to tell him about the general functions of the airship, though the Red Wings soldiers boarding were more familiar. The sorcerer placed trust in him already; Kain was proud of it.

"You'll need to get fairly high to avoid damaging the airship. It won't take a lot of bombs to destroy the castle."

"I don't want to destroy it. I need to be able to access its crystal room. All I need are for its occupants to scatter and remain unable to defend."

Kain nodded. Golbez proved to be a good choice for a replacement already. It only took a wave from the warlock for the soldiers to board the airship. He watched as its engine roared, and as it took off in the blue skies.

~

Back to the cave, Cecil let out a quiet sigh. Of course it wouldn't be the last cave he'd see in his life, but at this very moment, he was sick of the beasts inside. He wanted out. However, his sense of duty and honor prevented him from leaving.

The three of them could already hear the waterfall's low roar. Neither mages seemed to be particularly scared about the forthcoming monster; they firmly believed they could take it down. Their morale high, they went through the damp maze, seldom stopping to take a quick breather or check their surroundings.

"How far until we reach it, Tellah?" Cecil inquired, his back against a large rock.

"If we keep this pace up, it's a matter of half an hour, an hour at most... don't let the sounds lull you into thinking you're close. Unless you want to plummet to your early watery grave."

Cecil nodded. He had too much to lose to attempt such a foolish move. "Then we'd better move on. I need to save Rosa, and you need to find your daughter."

The following half-hour was utter hell. The monsters inhabiting this cave were fiercer than the ones encountered before. Cecil doubted there was a safe area and kept pushing the group, which now relied on potions bought earlier. The maze seemed to last forever, and the loss of the waterfall's sound made him nervous – he had nothing to rely on but Tellah's sometimes fuzzy directions.

And then... they found themselves on top of the waterfall. The knight gulped hard. This wasn't the cliff he used to jump from with Kain and Rosa three or four years ago; this one was much larger and much higher. 'And this is safer how?' he kept to himself. He never had minded heights, but for once he felt fear down to his bones.

"We need to jump. The water is going fast, but this lake is very deep. There's a spot I used a few days ago, hmm..." Rydia followed Tellah; she appeared more courageous than Cecil. "Ah! There it is! Come here young man." He went in Tellah's direction, carefully threading through the water.

"Below this waterfall lies the Octomammoth. It won't hesitate to attack once we reach it, so make sure not to drop too far. The current is much slower down there."

"Understood. Let's go." Cecil took a deep breath and let himself fall right into the waterfall, visor opened; he didn't want his helmet to fill up with water and drown in his armor. Surprisingly, his fall went much smoother than what he had imagined. He wanted to look at Rydia or Tellah, but he couldn't see them. He heard the child's scream though – it sent chills down his spine... until he realized they were excited screams of pure fun.

He landed in the pool of water, a good thirty meters below their starting point. His armor felt light, yet brought him downwards a little. He still swam to their meeting point, a shallow area which had been visible from the top of the waterfall. Boy would he need to dry up after this dive.

Rydia and Tellah soon followed; the girl was ready to go again, while the sage was unfazed. None of them were hurt.

Still, Cecil felt something strange. The fine hair on his neck bristled. He turned back to the water and crouched over it. He barely had time to react as a very large orange tentacle reached his torso, dragged him into the water and tossed him around like a rag doll. His vision blurred. He tried to pry the suckers away, but the beast wasn't ready to let him drop.

Without warning, he was sent back to the 'shore' and immediately got up, sword drawn. Pain flared up in his legs, but he forced himself to stay up.

Five meters away, an orange cone head surfaced. The creature's red eyes stared right at him with the intention of using him as a bath toy again. Cecil stabbed the incoming tentacle with his sword, and withdrew it right before the tentacle went back. A small pool of greenish liquid trailed back to the Octomammoth, but the tentacle lashed at them again.

It hit Tellah square in the face and interrupted the man's spell. This window enabled Rydia to cast hers. A bolt of light slashed right through it. Barely harmed, the tentacle directed its attention on the young girl.

Cecil had no doubt the appendage would squish her. He jumped at her and covered her with his body, making sure he wouldn't squish her as well. The tentacle lifted him up effortlessly and tossed him back on the water floor. A loud groan escaped his lips.

"THUNDARA!" The mage's voice came to his hear, absorbed by their watery surroundings. A second tentacle hit Tellah, but he moved backwards and evaded the attack. "Tough cookie!"

The first tentacle, now profusely bleeding from Tellah's spell, withdrew in the water. It did not surface again. One down, seven to go.

Two more lashed out at Cecil. He used his sword to propel himself out of harm's way and cause damage to the giant octopus. Rydia and Tellah both cast another spell and rendered the tentacle to a burnt limb.

Two down.

Actually, one down. Cecil watched in near horror as the first 'dead' tentacle rose in the damp air and smashed to the ground, two or three inches away from his foot.

'Aw fuck.'

"Get the head! I'll fend the tentacles off!" he screamed, hoping to be heard.

Rydia nodded and pointed at the Octomammoth's head with her staff. Tellah understood as well. The both of them directed their spells toward the orange cone. Its eyes closed in pain, while its appendages hit whatever happened be in their way; thankfully, most of those were still far from him. Every now and then it dunked its head under water to protect itself, but these efforts were futile. Water attracted thunder.

The creature started to relent, sending one or two tentacles their way. They missed their targets every time. Either it was now blind, distressed or too weak. Cecil took it as his cue to attack the head, even if it meant going in the blue-green water to do so.

Three more spells and a few sword slashes is all it took for the Octomammoth to explode in a flash of green goo. The remaining tentacles fell limp and slowly sank in the water. Covered in thick blood, Cecil dived and attempted to shake it off his armor. He surfaced for the last time and reached out to his friends.

"So much for swimming."

Tellah helped the knight to his feet. "Young man, we still have to get out of the cave. There should only be a few rooms before we reach the exit, and we'll be close to Damcyan Castle."

Cecil bit his lower lip. He did not want to go back in the water, but what other choice did he have? "Then let's go now."

~

The first sun rays were once again horrible for the silver-haired man. He had removed most of his armor to dry himself in the late afternoon sun. He kept a close eye on Rydia, who had done the same, and laid on the ground in her light yellow skirt only.

He needed to make sure she would end up in a nice family – not one who would take advantage of her innocence. The girl deserved it.

Cecil himself had been a lucky one, though he was only a baby when the King of Baron found him. He knew little details besides that fact, only that he looked like his mother,a woman named Cecilia. As he grew up, he heard stories from other soldiers who had seen or led other lives – child workers and prostitutes, who lived by searching through garbage, or depended on a handful of people supplying them with food. Orphanages with little to no supervision. Parents with a strong hand over their offspring.

His second thought went to Tellah. Hell, the man had lost his only daughter, and Rydia had lost her parents. Maybe he could convince the old man to take care of her.

Just as he felt calm again, ready to head on, something drew his attention to the blue sky. A noise, one he found familiar.

Airships. And only one kingdom owned these: Baron.

His sapphire eyes followed the trio of airships. They were headed for Damcyan Castle. Not good.

~

When she had met Edward, Anna knew he was made for him. It was childish to think so right off the bat, she knew it, but she couldn't help it. He was sweet, sensitive, clean, and was skilled in music. He'd often play for her; she would lay near him and listen. Such was true happiness for her.

But he was only a bard, and her father never approved of their union. Tellah was hard on the man and forbade him to see Anna. Sweet little Anna begged Edward to take her along in his travels, and they left the very same night.

She didn't know where he was taking her, but she didn't care. They crossed a desert, a cave – miraculously avoiding a large monster, as Edward was not a fighter. He hated the dark. The shadows. Animals lurking around. She wasn't sure he could even swim... but once again, she simply did not care.

Anna's eyes widened once they reached their destination. "Damcyan Castle?"

"My home." Edward's honeyed voice got lost in the wind.

Was the man part of the Royal Court?

Maybe not. As soon as they were in the soldiers' sights, some began to shout.

"Prince Edward? Prince Edward!! Finally, you are back! The King and Queen have been worried sick ever since you left!" A man rushed to them, his green and beige robes trailing on the ground. "Please, go see them right away, young Prince."

Edward smiled at the man. "I am fine, Chancellor. There was no need to worry for me. I simply needed time to myself... and to devote to this young lady here."

The chancellor gave him a dubious look, and his gaze washed over Anna. "Such a beautiful and healthy woman! Welcome to Damcyan Castle! Please, please follow us inside," he insisted as he took her hand and dragged her along. "The King and Queen will appreciate your presence!"

Anna's cheeks flushed, as red as her long hair. For a moment, she pondered the chancellor's words – she never really believed to be 'pretty' herself. With sand all over her hair and her now dirty dress, it was even worse. But compliments were compliments, and she welcomed them with a shy smile.

~

The trio entered the well-guarded throne room; Anna in tow with the chancellor, Edward closely following. They had been quickly announced by guards, and the regents were standing up with warm smiles on their faces.

Anna had wished this had been the way Tellah had reacted to Edward.

"Welcome back my son. We are happy to see you unharmed, and accompanied by this nice woman." The King walked to them and shook his son's hand. Graying blond hair, fine features, the man most likely had been quite the heartbreaker in his youth.

"We were worried!" His mother, who Edward had inherited his emerald green eyes from – and his body it seemed – rushed towards him and hugged him tight. "Your father was going to send a search-and-rescue party..."

Suddenly, the Queen's eyes turned to the ceiling. "Don't you hear this sound?"

The room grew quiet. A quiet roar reached their ears. It grew louder, but no one panicked.

"Airships from Baron. Could they be paying us a visit?" the King inquired; if Baron royalty or army came along, he had not been warned of it. He threw a look at a guard. "Send some men out to greet them."

But the noise didn't stop. In a matter of seconds, the roar was right above their heads.

~

Outside, the fleet went in idle mode. Golbez stood on the main ship's deck, arms crossed. On the ground, a few soldiers scattered around. They wouldn't pose a threat anytime soon...

"Drop the bombs."

Simple command, straight to the point. The man to his left moved, took hold of a red flag and waved it in the air. On the three other ships, Baron soldiers scurried to drop heavy objects filled with explosive powder, oil and metal bits. After lighting the bombs up, it took two men to lift a single one. Any mistake could cost them lives and airships.

A fourth ship had landed north of the castle; after three bombs were dropped on the castle, a group of archers and infantrymen ran inside. Three would create more confusion than damage; success depended on the handful of men inside.

~

The throne room shook, but no one was hurt. Some stones fell to the floor, but that was the extent of damage... from the first hit.

The second one took off a big part of the ceiling. Everyone sought safer spots, ducked and covered. The third one, seconds after, crashed the northern wall; no doubt the living quarters, the meeting room and northern exits had been blown away.

"Why is Baron attacking us?! They have never shown offense against us..."

They heard footsteps coming from the stairs to the throne room. Guards would of course check on their regents' status. King and Queen got out of their little safety bubble, only to be faced with Baron archers, bows ready to fire.

"Hand the Fire Crystal over!" one shouted, extending the bow to its maximum.

The Queen stepped forward, arms raised in defense. Arrows pierced her arms, legs and chest. She fell to her knees. Her mouth remained open with her unspoken words, until finally, she dropped to the floor. A look of horror and distress remained frozen on her lifeless face.

The King threw himself at his wife, eyes wide. Despite its power, Baron remained a rather peaceful nation... why killing over a Crystal?

"Where is it!?" the archer demanded, ready to fire again. "Tell us and we'll spare your life!"

Confused and angry, the King got to his feet. He grabbed hold of a nearby sword. "Will you spare my son and this lady? You can kill me and take the Crystal, but spare their lives."

Edward's green eyes filled with tears. "Father, no!"

"I am doing what I must do, Edward. The Crystal is through the door on your right." His words were heavy with regret.

"You heard! Soldiers, secure the crystal!" More footsteps came in their direction. The archers stepped away. Five men armed with swords rushed inside and ran to the next door. They came back, Crystal in hand.

All the King could do was close his eyes and shake his head, defeated.

He knew he wouldn't live.

"Kill them."

Arrows fired and pierced through his robes. He fell to the floor, beside his wife. The chancellor stumbled to them and was shot as well, taken down by one arrow through his neck.

The archers turned to Edward and Anna. They readied and their bows and fired in Edward's direction.

Anna lunged towards her lover. The arrows never hit the man.

As quick as they had come, the archers were gone.

Accompanied by several swordsmen, a massive frame entered the room. He didn't look around and completely ignored Edward as well as his injured lover. With directions from a lone archer, he floated to the Crystal room. Mere seconds after, the armor-clad man came out. The Crystal felt so tiny in his large hands. He sent a chilling gaze towards the lovers, and exited.

~

Being small had its advantages; Rydia easily ran past the oncoming soldiers. No one really bothered with them anyways; Cecil simply shot random orders, as if the soldiers had never known about his dismissal.

The way became much clearer around the throne room. Most of the Damcyan guards were dead; archers and infantrymen from Baron were tough cookies, and the Damcyan army was quite weak. They held the economy in the palm of their hands; if any country was going to get attacked, it would be them. It never had made sense to Cecil.

The trio entered the room; its quietness did not announce anything good. Cecil closed his eyes at the sight. Too much blood. Too many dead bodies. By the middle of the room, a single man sobbed, crouched over a delicate frame.

It took Cecil several moments to remember who the man was. He had seen Prince Edward maybe twice in his lifetime, while on diplomatic missions with the King. He was a mere child back then, but Edward had been too shy and soft-spoken – even for Cecil, who had never been the most talkative and outgoing boy.

"Anna!"

Cecil turned to Tellah, who was now with the young prince, shooing the man away from the body. "What happened here?!"

Edward lifted his head towards the knight and shielded his body with his own arms. Still, he couldn't utter a word.

Cecil's gaze traveled to the woman's wounded body. She wouldn't live long with such wounds. He was startled by Tellah's booming voice.

"You brought her here! If it weren't for you she would still be alive!"

Anna. His daughter. The bard was Prince Edward.

"My daughter..."

Edward flinched. Tellah reached for his cane and with a determined step, proceeded to hit the prince with it. The man flinched again. "I'm so sorry, Sage Tellah..."

"Choke on your words!" The sage hit him again. Edward still refused to fight back.

"She... she is the one who-"

"You spoony bard! You took her away from me and brought her to this death trap!"

The bard cowered.

"Know this pain – Anna's pain!"

The woman's voice rose in the air. "Father... Edward... Please! Stop this!"

Tellah relented and headed back to his daughter's body. "My dear daughter... there is life left in you!"

"Father... please... this man is the prince of Damcyan... he only pretended to be a bard to avoid getting too much attention. Forgive me for running away... but I love Edward..."

Tellah's gaze softened, if only a tad. It wasn't the bard's fault, but whoever had ordered the attack on Damcyan Castle.

"The Red Wings laid siege on us. Their archers killed everyone... bombs were dropped as a diversion... and a man named Golbez stole the Crystal. He wore black armor, as dark as a starless night..."

Tellah scrambled to his feet. "So this is Golbez' fault! I shall see to his death myself!"

"Tellah! Wait!" Cecil rushed to him, but tripped on a chunk of the ceiling.

"She was not your daughter!"

So much for going after the mage. Still, he got to his feet as well, and directed his gaze back at Edward. The prince softly craddled the young woman's frame, his body shaken by sobs.

The only thing he wanted to do was get out of this castle and find a way to stop whoever had ordered this attack. Cecil dashed to Edward and picked him up by the back of his red robes. The prince's hat dropped to the ground. "Snap out of it. There is nothing you can do for her. We must escape this place."

The prince sought to loosen Cecil's grip. The knight let him go in hopes the other man would have come to his sense.

But no. Edward got back to his knees and picked Anna's body in his arms, holding it close to him.

"Coward!" Rydia, who had remained quiet until now, stared at Edward. "You're a grown man! I lost my mother and I've stopped crying!"

"Nothing matters anymore... the girl is right, I'm a coward. I'll remain here with Anna..."

The knight crossed his arms over his chest. "I highly doubt Anna would appreciate seeing you fawn like a fool."

Yet Edward remained crouching over Anna's body.

Cecil shook his head. He reached for Edward's collar again, roughly spun the man around and backhanded him. He hated to be harsh, losing a lover was a great ordeal, and he was sure he would be doing the same if Kain had-...

…

"Make a man of yourself."

Edward's green eyes watered again. This man was right. "I... I'm sorry..."

Cecil noticed Edward's lips tremble slightly. His body still shook. He was finally calming down. In the meantime, he thought over the situation. Golbez, Baron, crystals... it didn't take scholar studies to make the link. "We must stop him. However, I need your help."

"You... you need my help? But I'm a simple bard-"

"Enough. You're a Damcyan royal. You can help me with my next task, and I can lend a hand to retrieve the Crystal." The man had to accept; he wasn't cut out for battle. At all. 'I've been called small and lightweight all my life, and I've got a good thirty pounds over this man...'

"What do you need, knight?"

"Entrance to the Antlion's Den. A friend of mine is sick with desert fever, and she would be of great help to our mission."

Edward's face lit up. "I will help you. The Antlion is a gentle creature, getting a pearl should be nothing but a child's game. I've been there a few times and I will guide you through. Its cave is located far east, and we cannot go there on foot. Fortunately, there is a hovercraft docked nearby. We can use it to get to the cave, then again to go back at Kaipo."

Maybe the man wasn't much of a coward after all. "Then we're better off." Cecil headed out first, followed by the girl.

Edward gave a last, longing look at the room. He would need to let her go, as hard as it was.

"Farewell, my love..."

~ To be continued... ~