14.

Moonlight shadow

The evening of the next day, Cecil was taking a slow walk in the outskirts of town - this time being the only one where he could visit the town undisturbed by Baron's population. All had needed a rest, especially Rydia and though time was precious, the flight to Mysidia had to wait until later. Questions were nagging at the Paladin but no answers came to his mind. His greatest problem at the moment turned out to be his brother - he tried to get out of his way. If Golbez had any questions, which was seldom as he seemed to know everything, Rosa or Yang mostly helped out, knowing that the two brothers quarreled very easily. He wondered if his friends would blame him for his behavior. Maybe Edward knew how Cecil felt – the former bard had left the castle just that morning, announcing that his duties as a ruler made his return to Damycan for the time being indispensable, though Cecil couldn't shake the feeling that his friend was also leaving because he feared Golbez. However, fear or disgust were not the right words to describe how Cecil felt concerning his brother. Rosa, at least seemed to understand her husband's mixed feelings a bit, though he didn't quite understood himself...

"Strange that I of all people have the most problems getting along with my brother- and vice versa..." the paladin pondered. This morning he had even watched Rydia talking intensely with Golbez about some spells... "Rydia... I am so glad that she stays here... This Kieran was a really dangerous fellow - why didn't I feel his evil aura?" He thought of his last words again, which had been very similar to these of Claudius "This is just the beginning... It has begun..." Cecil shuddered.

"This dark-paladin society or whatever they call it is sure no harmless organization, and we do not even know their purpose... We know nothing, except that their members seem to be highly intelligent and powerful magic users... Having an enemy and not knowing where it will strike next..." He walked towards the town gate, inhaling deeply the fresh, cold evening air: "Ask her..." he'd said... I wonder if he meant..."

His thoughts were broken by a loud moan near the entrance of town. As he looked in the direction of the sound he could make out a crumpled figure lying in the grass. The paladin rushed to the injured person and knelt down beside her. As he carefully removed the person's hood, waves of silvery, long hair flooded out of it. The paladin gasped. "Dawn..." he stammered.

The young woman looked at him with broken eyes full of tears "Cecil... Tororia..." She fainted in his arms...

The moon still was towering silently in the night sky, unimpressed of what happened on the Blue planet and still a remembrance of what to come...

End of part 2