Perfection

Author's Notes: Short chapter here, but we're getting in the real thing now. Have more plans for Cecil and Kain, but going to slack on the sex... for this chapter anyways. More sex goodness to come later chapters ^^.

Perfection
Chapter 8 – Mission


A groggy, seemingly sore Cecil walked down the hallway, following his fully armored brother. He had been woken up only a few minutes ago by Theodore, and was told there was a gift waiting for him. Considering Theodore's definition of a gift, Cecil worried about the moment they would step in the room. For all he knew, Kain could be tied up and unconscious, about to die in front of him...

But that was pushing it a bit too far. Cecil doubted Theodore would kill Kain.

He stopped as Theodore opened the door, and quickly stepped inside. A large armored arm wrapped around his shoulders and drew him closer, leading him in a different direction.

“This is something you should like, Cecil.”

Still skeptic, Cecil quirked his brows. The look didn't remain too long on his face.

A quiet gasp passed his parted lips as he looked his “gift” over, eyes wide open in surprise. A white set of armor with intricate black designs was displayed in front of him. Carefully, Cecil moved towards it, running his hands over the metal. It seemed to fit him perfectly; and if it was indeed his, he couldn't wait to try it on.

“It's all yours. I know you love these things and as my little brother, you're getting only the best.” Theodore marked a pause, and watched Cecil's every move. “In case you were wondering where Kain went, he's the one who brought it back here. Make sure to thank him when you see him.”

With a smile on his face, the younger man hastily undressed, and put on the provided gear, complete with chain mail. Given the time he had spent without such gear, Cecil had to admit it felt heavy at first. However, he got used to it again in no time.

And yet something remained on his mind. “Why?”

Theodore scanned the body in front of him, and smiled behind his helmet. The armor didn't make his brother more intimidating, even with the horns and spikes. “You're going on a mission, Cecil,” he finally responded, putting a gloved hand on the youth's shoulder. “There are more people trying to prevent us from reaching our goal. Your task is to put a stop to Eblan's troops and capture their King and Queen.”

“I see.” To Cecil, it sounded like any other mission he had been given when he was in charge of the Red Wings. Stop this, kill that, capture this one... the difference is that he'd go alone. This would require some strategy, but he knew he'd get it done.

“I'll drop you off near their base. From there, you will get to them, infiltrate them if possible, and do whatever you need to stop them.”

Cecil's mind was already racing to find a way. “I'm a single man, will take more than a day. But you can count on me brother, I will succeed.”

“I'm glad to hear this, Cecil. I'd have sent Kain with you, but I need him by my side for now. Should something happen to you, he'll be the one to rescue you.” After having fought against Cecil previously, he was sure his sibling wouldn't fail... but having a backup plan was a need.

Cecil nodded. The chances he'd get caught were high – whoever ventured in such areas surely needed a good reason. However, his experience on the battlefield would prove more than worthy. “I understand. I'll do my best.”

~

Theodore landed the airship where Cecil thought to be the middle of nowhere. Soon, he'd be on his own, in an area he never even set a foot in – and he was quite excited about it. Finally, he was back in his own environment. The man had missed the weight of the armor covering his body, of a sword in his hand... the thrill of a fight. Weeks of playing the good little brother and the sex toy for two men – as much as he had grown to love the latter – were putting a mental strain on him. He needed to fight; that's what he had been doing since he was a child.

“I'll contact you again in a few days to give you further instructions or to pick up the prisoners. Until then, little brother, be careful.” Theodore would have kissed him, if not downright taking him right there, but had to settle for an encouraging squeeze of his shoulders.

With a few provisions and potions to survive in the wilderness, Cecil headed off the airship, a confident smile on his thin lips.

'I'll make you proud, brother.'

~

Cecil had been walking around for an hour or so, and had now settled on a rock to eye his surroundings. The area was humid, warm, and populated with animals he had never seen before. Sitting on the rock after making sure he was safe from the animals' attacks, he took a sip from the water bottle he carried, mentally calculating the rest of the trip.

Eblan's castle was located west of his general area – fifteen, twenty kilometers at least. Under this weather, with the foes and other strange encounters he was bound to find on his way, Cecil judged he would need at least five to seven hours... and that's if everything he thought about went right.

However, he was confident in his skills. The man had gone through worse, what could stop him?

A drop of water fell on his forehead, causing Cecil to look up and squint to see if it was rain or simply the humidity gathering on the large leaves above him. Another drop fell right in his eye. Slightly annoyed, he got up and gathered the items he had taken out of his backpack before walking away, hoping he wouldn't leave too many traces of his presence.

The rain started not even ten minutes after, but Cecil had been expecting it. He had been exposed to worse conditions in his years in the army, but heavy rain always got the worse out of him. Soon he'd be drenched, and with the castle far away, he knew he wasn't in for a happy little fun walk.

The monsters and animals he encountered provided him with a much-needed fighting warm-up. Oh how he had missed the battlefield!

~

Eblan's castle was... not what he expected. The whole place seemed void of any life. It wasn't as bad as Damcyan's ruins, yet it was apparently unkept. There were no guards at the entrance, or at any door whatsoever.

Not a soul was inside either. Cecil walked in the hallways and different rooms with ease. Most objects of value had been taken away, leaving only a few chests lying here and there. The first one he had opened had gotten him in trouble, as it also opened a door, releasing two Coeurls – large blue, spotted felines with long whiskers, a potential to kill its prey with its looks only. Thankfully, Cecil knew a few white-magic spells, making the whole ordeal a bit easier.

From then, Cecil had been much more careful with chests...

But even the floors weren't safe. As careful as he was, the lack of lights – and the fact he simply couldn't cast fire or light up a torch, damn rain – was still the biggest obstacle when he reached the second floor. His boots trailed on dull red stone floor, searching for possible holes in the floor. He didn't want to fall to the first floor again.

Another hole, another sigh. The youth slowly inched to the wall, making sure he had enough space to set his feet, and slid along, his gloved fingers desperately clutching to the stones. Once on the other side, Cecil sighed again and rested on the wall...

… Only to fall over.

With a surprised screech, the man landed on his back. He still couldn't see well, and hoped that his vision remained fine despite the blow to the head he just suffered. Cecil reached for the wall and blindly inspected the wall he fell through – the door could not be felt. He didn't lose his calm and simply went to the next wall, avoiding the chest in his way. Suddenly, Cecil felt something move under his fingers. Finally, he had hit the right wall, and found himself back in the first room he came in.

The place was dead; no use to be here any longer. He exited the castle, promising himself to come back with Kain in order to explore deeper.

Despite the clouds covering the sky, Cecil brought his arm over his blue eyes and closed them, in order to shield them from the light. He slowly opened them, keeping the arm in position, giving himself the time to get used to the outside light.

Once ready, the paladin exited the castle grounds and back into the forest trail. If Eblan's royalty and castle dwellers had moved somewhere, he was bound to find them.

He had to.

~

“Mommy? Are you okay?”

A boy of no more than ten years old rushed to the woman on the ground, gently putting his hands on her shoulder.

“Mommy?”

The woman turned her silver head at the child, a tired smile on her delicate lips. “I'm fine, Theodore. You see, soon you'll have a little brother or sister.” She watched as the boy's face lit up with joy and pride.

“I'll be the best big brother ever! I'll teach him magic just like daddy did with me! And we'll play outside, and fish together, and maybe daddy will let us in the airship!” His voice echoed in the room; little Theodore was excited. A baby brother! He knew it could be either gender, but he really, really wanted a brother.

“Does daddy know?” he asked, well aware of the other women's situations within the small village. He'd seen a few men get violent with their wives when they learned they were pregnant. And not every woman made it out alive.

The mother nodded positively. “Yes, he knows. He's happy too. We wanted to keep it a surprise for you, but it looks like the surprise came a bit too early,” she admitted with a giggle. “It reminds us when we had our first gift – when we had you.”

“I'm a gift of the gods!” Theodore chimed, definitively proud of his name. “And now we'll have another... will he have the same name?”

“No. Especially if it's a baby girl. We'll see when the baby gets here.” Still on the floor, the mother ruffled her son's brown hair. She was tired – her second pregnancy had weakened her already frail body, but she had every intention to bring her baby into this world, no matter what everyone else said.

“Where is it growing?”

She softly tapped her growing belly. “Right here. You can feel a bump.” The woman took her son's hand and placed it on the right spot. “It's growing right now, and it will take a few more months before finding out if you'll have a baby brother or sister.” She chuckled lightly at Theodore's pouting face. “You want the baby soon, right?”

The little boy nodded, leaning on his mother.

“Don't worry. Everything will be fine.”

The door opened, and footsteps stopped abruptly. “Cecilia, dear gods, are you alright?!”

The silver-haired woman lifted her head to meet her husband's gaze, and smiled. “Yes, I'm just tired. You don't need to worry about me, Kluya.” The man's large hands wrapped around her arm delicately and helped her to her feet, then led her to her bed.

He exited the room as fast as he had entered it, and turned to his son. “Your mother will feel better once she rests. Let's cook, shall we, Theodore?” Kluya proposed, squeezing the boy's shoulder in an affectionate manner. “Then we can work on your magic lessons before your bedtime.”

“Alright daddy!”

~

Why were memories suddenly coming back to him?

Abandoning the little brother whom he had wished for, whom he had promised he would be the damn best big brother ever.

Twenty years later, and Theodore Harvey was the complete opposite of what he wanted to have been. Manipulation. Assault. Rape. Torture. Murder. It wasn't what a big brother was supposed to do.

A wave of nausea ran through his body, and Theodore had to close his eyes and focus for it to go away.

He knew the feeling wouldn't last long – soon, the darkness would come back. Soon, he'd find himself doing it all over again.

And yet, he knew that if he wanted Cecil to live, he had to let the darkness take over and let the events happen. He had to keep manipulating them, for their sake. For his own sake.

'You know you want him. No need to deny it, I can read your mind. You know he even enjoys it. He thinks you'll protect him because he does what you want – what I want. So let the darkness consume you, Golbez. You're too tainted to ever go back.'

Theodore shook his head rapidly. The voice in his head was right: he was gone too far to ever be saved. And the best he could do was use this to protect his little brother and his lover.

A humble, robotic male voice tore him away from his thoughts. “Lord, your food has arrived,” the mechanical servant stated, staying at the door as it waited for permission to come in. Such robots were void of any attachment and feeling – they simply obeyed rules implemented by their masters. No good or bad notions and values, only orders.


Theodore nodded and the machine stepped inside, putting the large plate next to the massive frame. Without a word, it exited the room, leaving the mage to his thoughts.

Maybe it was better to be a robot, a machine. No feeling meant they could not technically be exploited, or hurt.

The man drew the plate closer to him and took a fork in his right hand, his purple eyes focusing on the spaghetti noodles in front of him. The smell itself was enough to make him hungry again.

~

The muddy trail Cecil took a few hours ago had led him to south coast of the island. A short path of flat rocks disappeared into the foggy sea. How was he supposed to cross, or primarily, to know where it led? The paladin sighed and duly noted where he was, and took off to his right. Little animals, mostly crabs, scurried away from him as he walked in the wet sand, leaving little footprints behind them.

After a few minutes, he came across a large metallic object – a vehicle. It took him a minute or two to recall where he had seen a similar machine. But once he remembered Edward's hovercraft, Cecil rushed to it and climbed in, not caring if anything was hiding inside. He smiled as he took control of the hovercraft, the adrenalin rushing in his veins. It had been so long since he had been in command of such a machine...

He had to admit it; he missed the airship fleet. 'Well, this'll do for now,' he thought, starting the engine. The machine rumbled loudly, shaking under his feet; a feeling he was used to. The paladin easily kept his balance and swiftly backed the vehicle, before going back the way he came.

From the beach, he could see the stone path. Shifting the gears, he headed towards it, confident despite the poor navigating conditions. Cecil Harvey wasn't a man known to back away from a challenge.

No more than twenty minutes later, he spotted bigger rocks protruding from the raging waters – another island. With a grin on his pretty face, he steered towards it, getting as close as he possibly could. A somewhat large alcove near a cave provided a possible safe area to store the hovercraft. To add to the apparent safety, he tied the craft to a solid rock and threw the anchor down, hoping the machine would remain there until he came back for it... the chances were slim, but to Cecil, they were higher than zero percent, and it's all that mattered.

The craft area secure, the paladin walked to the cave and inspected the entrance quickly before heading inside, sword in hand.

The cave was more dangerous than he had expected, and had to significantly slow his pace down to avoid getting overrun by the monsters. His blue eyes, now adjusted to the darkness, were completely thrown off when he spotted fire nearby.

Fire meant an intelligent life form – or at least humans. Low mutters coming from afar confirmed the presence of people nearby... hopefully, the ones he was searching for.

Now, barging in an area full of guards, wielding sword and shield aggressively was pure suicide. Cecil had to find a way to attract their attention without an intimidating, “I'm-a-strong-warrior-coming-to-kill-you” feeling. Keeping in mind the powerful monsters nearby, and having been able to judge what he could take or not, he decided to use this to his advantage.

Sword sheathed and shield dropped to the ground, he ran to a lizard, hitting it with his fists. The beast turned to him and snarled, swiping at Cecil with its strong claws. The man avoided the blow by dropping to the ground as well and rolling, getting his armor and cape dirty in the process. The more beaten up he looked, the better it'd be.

Once he was sure the beast was angry enough, he picked up his shield and darted for the settlement. For once, he was happy with his frail-looking body and pretty-boy face – they would make everything so much easy to him.

Cecil let himself take a few more hits before reaching the guards. He was in pain, but it was bearable so far. With a high-pitched screech, he dropped the sword on the stone ground, the loud clank of the heavy metal alerting two of the guards stationed by the entrance.

The giant lizard's claws swiped at him again, hitting his chest and arm with brute force. Cecil flew a few feet backwards and landed with a pained groan on the ground, and he tried to shield the next blow. Losing a battle on purpose was a concept so hard to grasp for the ex-captain of the Red Wings, and the whole battle morphed into a fight between his instincts, which told him to pick up the sword and kill the fucking lizard, and his acting skills (you need to fail this one... for your brother).

This moment of instability gave the lizard enough time to do more damage. Cecil's head was pounding despite the protective gear, and he soon lost grip on his shield. The creature hit his leg, sending a wave of pain to his lower body. Cecil jerked under the pressure

Thankfully, the guards were now getting closer. The shortest one – considerably taller than Cecil – lunged at the beast with his dual kunai, hitting its spine. The lizard shook the man off its back, and growled at the other soldier. Another groan, but this time of pain, escaped the beast's mouth. From his position, the paladin could see a shuriken in its eye...

… But the wounds were starting to hurt too much. Cecil's last thought was even though he had been foolish in attacking the creature, he was going to accomplish his goal. A smirk appeared on his face before another jolt of pain sent him in the darkness.

He didn't even see the guards rushing to his side.

One had gotten hold of the sword he had dropped, the other was fussing about with his arm, trying to stop the blood from flowing.

“Someone warn His Majesty that we have found an injured stranger within the camp's vicinity!” the taller soldier yelled as he rushed to the safe area, carrying Cecil's semi-conscious body in his arms.

The man was halted by another, much smaller man with short white hair. “Go to the infirmary. I'll take care of the rest!”

~ To be continued... ~