Gaelach Breithe

Chapter Thirteen: The Return to Baron

The sun shone brilliantly that morning, warming the cobblestone streets of Vangrad, baking them in warm light.

A man strode across those streets, wearing a billowing cloak that trailed behind him, a sword dangling at his hip, his left hand grasping the pommel. He was accompanied by a short woman in a red tunic, a leather breastplate fastened to her chest. She did not wear a cloak as the man did, her face filled with the pride of a warrior, her own sword slung about her waist almost carelessly.

The pair stood close, like old friends, though it was the man who seemed to be leading the way, perhaps because his stride was so much longer than her own. Where they were headed was unknown, and they passed through the morning crowed unnoticed. It seemed that such people were common fare in the market.

At last they reached their destination, a large home that towered above the other flats in the area with its three stories. Almost the moment they arrived on the threshold, the doors were flung open by a young woman with wild auburn hair, and they were pulled inside the dark building.

The doors were slammed behind them, and the young lady looked at them with accusing hazel eyes. "What took you so long?"

"Sorry," the woman said in apology as the man removed the hood of his cloak. "We were held up by some of the townspeople."

"I'm glad to see you made it out alive," said a deep, masculine voice.

The woman's face lit up as she turned to its source. "Father!" she said. "You're here!"

The man, short for a man of Baron, with dusty blonde hair and kind brown eyes, embraced his daughter warmly, looking over her shoulder to gaze into the eyes of the Paladin who stood just to their left. "Cecil … You look well." The man released his daughter to clasp the Paladin's hand in his own strong grasp. "It's good to see you again, son. How have you been?"

"I've been better, Sir Monroe, but I think that can be said for all of us," Cecil replied grimly."I am glad to see you here and alive. I was worried for Baron's state of affairs, and the presence of a strong leader like you on our side is no small reassurance."

The woman's father looked about to reply, but a voice interrupted him.

"Now that you're here, we don't have to worry so much about a lack of leadership," the voice was not one he recognized, so Cecil turned around to face the source. The source turned out to be an extremely tall dark haired man with calm mahogany eyes. "You are the backbone of this rebellion, Sir Harvey."

Cecil knew the man as Ryder Jennith, Lieutenant Captain of the Dragon Knights. He was a stern man, but Kain had always spoken highly of him, a man of integrity who was unshakably loyal to his moral code. Apparently that code involved protecting the people of Baron regardless of

"You flatter me more than I deserve," said Cecil with a polite incline of his head.

A ghost smirk filled Ryder's lips. "You're being too modest, Sir Harvey. Your name alone is enough to give our people hope. Your presence incites rebellion in the citizens." He crossed his arms over his chest and leveled his piercing eyes at the Paladin."For the first time in a long time, it feels like our resistance is doing something."

Before Cecil could respond, Palom burst into the room, followed by an affronted looking Porom and an amused Tellah. "Are we finally going to DO something?" he asked excitedly, practically jumping up and down.

"Not yet, Palom," said the young woman who had arrived with Cecil. "We have to disable the guard first. We can do nothing with those goons snooping about."

"I TOLD you, Palom," Porom muttered to her now-sulking brother.

"But how do we go about doing so?" asked sir Monroe.

Cecil shook his head. "We do not yet know."

It was hard to believe he had been here with the guerillas for close to a month already. It did not feel as if it had been that amount of time as they labored toward their goal of reclaiming Baron. Even though the situation was still bleak, it was worlds better than when he had arrived those weeks ago. Then they had been nothing but a rag tag band, taking where they could and barely scraping by. Since then, they had organized in Cid's house and had started formulating plans to retake Baron, concentrating their efforts on guerrilla attacks to weaken the empire in the meantime.

Their current goal was the liberation of Cid, who had been taken before Cecil had stepped foot in Vangrad. It was necessary for everyone, for Cecil, who needed an airship for Rosa, and for the resistance, who needed their leader, their source of morale. In the meantime, they lived and worked in Cid's spacious home, not quite a mansion, but too big to be simply called "a house". They were under the care of his seventeen year old daughter, the strong willed Karina Pollendina, the very same young woman who had ushered them into the house only minutes before.

The woman who had accompanied Cecil placed her cloak on the hall tree, her hands on her hips. "If we're going to talk, why don't we go to the drawing room?" She looked to Cecil and Ryder, who nodded in agreement.

They filed neatly into the next room, though Kari took the twins away, likely ushering them off to do some other chore under her supervision. The rest of them took their seats on Cid's modest, worn furniture, all facing one another. All together there were five of them, including Cecil and Sage Tellah, and of them only Ryder seemed relaxed, though Cecil could see a care in his eyes that he could barely begin to fathom.

"Kali," Devon Monroe began, "how's the situation in the castle?"

The woman, Cecil's long time friend, shook her head sadly. "My boys say it's worse than ever. The monster-soldiers won't let them leave, and they're forced to work on the airships from dawn til dusk. They're barely allowed three breaks a day for meal time, so they're having a hard time getting word to me now."

Ryder, too, shook his head in disgust. "The Dragon Knights are not much better off. It is regrettable that I had to leave them in their hour of need, but … "

The distress on the face of the Lieutenant Captain was fairly obvious, and it was Devon who moved to comfort him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're more help to us out here, Ryder. Don't beat yourself up over something you can't control."

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room as everyone thought of what they had lost, and their conversation seemed at a close when Tellah snorted. "Let's stop wallowing in this despair and self-pity. What good does that do our loved ones?" It was good to have him there. "So tell me, what do we do to get out of this situation?"

"If we had the key to the underground, we could launch an offensive," Kali said. "But I don't know who has it."

"Yes, the castle is nearly abandoned during the night when everyone is locked in their rooms," Ryder nodded in agreement. "No one would expect an offensive in the dead of the night, especially if it were fronted by a small group who opened the gates from the inside."

"But that's moot," Tellah pointed out. "She just said that we don't know where the key is."

"But if we can find the key … " Devon's tone was hopeful.

Cecil watched quietly, his chin resting on his knuckle. His mind was elsewhere, on the probable location of that key. He had heard rumors in the city of a pub that the guards frequented, but if most were not allowed to leave the castle, then they must be getting to Vangrad proper somehow. It was certainly worth checking out, something Cecil would make a point of doing himself later. For now, however, there were more pressing matters on his mind.

"Are there still many wounded?" he asked.

"Yes. The last raid on the Kingdom's grain stores was not entirely successful," Ryder explained. "Though there were no casualties, these brave men are now being tracked by the kingdom. Orders are to kill them on sight." Ryder leaned forward in his seat, his eyes focused on some distant point in the past, and Cecil wondered what he was thinking about before focusing his mind once more.

"I suggest evacuating them to Necrograd," Cecil said, looking to Devon. "I trust the Dark Knights are putting up a show of resistance?"

Devon laughed. "These are Baron's elite, Cecil, as you well know. Of course we would not bow down to that tyrant Golbez and his Puppet King!" He pounded his fist on his hand repeatedly. "Thanks to the efforts of the Dark Knights and the overall structure of the stronghold, the city remains a bastion against evil."

"It would be best for you and a small regiment of your men to take the injured and any refugees who wish to go north to Necrograd," Cecil said. "That way they are free from the terrors that are sure to come."

"We'll announce it in the pub meetings," Kali said. "When do you think they should leave?"

"Clearly, as soon as they possibly can," Tellah said. "If we find this key of yours, things will get messy real fast. They'll find out that it's gone, and then we'll all be in trouble. The fewer people that are here when that happens, the fewer casualties there will be in the fallout."

Ryder looked amused. "You're a bit violent for a Mysidian."

There was another long snort. "No,just more practical. None of that 'there's a non-violent answer to everything' crap. Sometimes you have to beat the living daylights out of someone to do what needs to be done."

"Well-put, Sage," Ryder nodded in agreement. "I will send the word to the pubs tonight that anyone wishing for solace should meet here in a few days time. Lord Devon, you should prepare for your journey. I predict that your group will be ready to move in as little as two days."

"Do you have any places for what our next move should be?" Kali asked.

Cecil shook his head. "There's a lead I would like to follow, but it's something I feel I should do on my own. So I suggest laying low, staying out of trouble, until I confirm my hunch."

"Cecil … "

The Paladin looked to his life-long friend, finding concern in the depths of her eyes. He owed her an explanation after showing up on the doorstep here, a different man than the one she had known all these years, with two children and an old man in tow. So he smiled his reassurance, placing a hand on her narrow shoulder. "It will be alright, Kali. This is something I have to do by myself … to protect everyone."

After a quiet moment considering him, she nodded. "Well, everyone, that about covers it. Cecil, I want to speak with you in private … If that's okay. The rest of you are dismissed."

Everyone drifted away after a long moment, eventually leaving Cecil and Kali completely alone. She stood, looking at him, and though she barely stood at the bottom of his chest, Cecil knew Kali to be a formidable warrior. Her brownish-red eyes demanded of him answers, answers that he knew she unequivocally deserved.

"It's best not to speak in the open," Cecil said, not for fear of anyone overhearing his story, but for the protection of the Light on the Mountain, which he surely felt was still alive somewhere.

Kali nodded at him and silently and swiftly led him to a small room that was up a flight of stairs and down a narrow hallway. He closed the door behind them and she went and sat on the small bed, staring up at him expectantly.

It was clear to Cecil that it was her room just from a brief glance around. The walls were hung with an odd mixture of sentimental objects and weapons. A few of the objects Cecil himself had given her long ago and in what seemed like a different lifetime. They were things that meant a lot to the both of them, but he was surprised to see that she had still kept them. When he had broken off their relationship, she had been so distraught … He didn't think she would have kept his gifts, yet …

He raised his head when he felt Kali's sharp eyes upon him, considering him. He stared calmly back, remembering the last time she had regarded him in such a way, just before he had returned to Baron to assume his position as Captain of the Red Wings. He had left Necrograd with a sore jaw and an aching heart.

This time, however, her face softened and she smiled. "It's been awhile, hasn't it, Cecil?"

"Indeed it has," he replied with a soft smile of his own. "I would ask you how you've been … But … "

She frowned. "Yes, well, that's a given. You've been here for upwards of a month, so you should know." She crossed her arms over her chest and leveled her gaze at the window. "It's upsetting, but with everything that's been happening, we haven't really been able to talk."

He nodded and slid down the wall directly across from where she sat at the foot of her bed.

"Truth be told," she continued, "I've had a few questions for you ever since you arrived on our doorstep with two kids and an old man."

There it was, what was bothering her. What had been on her mind. The loaded question, so to speak. "And what questions are those?"

"Well, I have quite a few, but I suppose I could sum them all up with just one question … " She took in a breath, then paused hesitantly before finally speaking. "What happened to you?"

Cecil sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "You deserve an answer." He ran a hand through his hair. "But I'm not sure if what I have to say can satisfy you – Or even if I'm ready to share what happened."

She looked at him, waiting for her answer.

"I'm a Paladin now, Kali," he told her. "In Mysidia, everything changed."

"Everything … ?" she whispered.

Cecil, trying to have tact, nodded. "As I've said, I'm a Paladin now." He stood and unhooked the scabbard from his belt, offering it to her. "You're welcome to look at it." It was an invitation that he could tell shocked her, since his sword had nearly never left his side as a Dark Knight, but he was no longer afraid of losing it, for his sanity would stay intact, and this blade could not corrupt others.

He watched as Kali unsheathed the blade, running her hand along the flat edge of the sword, tracing the runic letters with her fingers. The expression on her face was admiring. "I've never seen a sword like this before. What …" she tore her eyes from the blade to meet his gaze. "What is it made of? Do you know?"

"Crystal," replied the Paladin. "Or so says the Elder of Mysidia."

Gingerly, the Knight tucked the sword back into its scabbard and returned it to its master. "And the letters … What language are they? Do you know what they say?"

"I do not know what the language is, but the Elder of Mysidia said that they are the words of the Mysidian Prophecy," he said. "It was said the blade was the Sword of Gaelach, that it is his Light that resides within it." The Paladin shook his head, trying to disregard the idea that the Man in the Mirror could have been Gaelach himself. "Whether or not it is true, I do not know. I know only that I received it on Mount Ordeals and that this Light is what will allow me to vanquish Golbez and rescue Rosa."

Kali stood up and looked him in the eye for a long moment before wrapping her arms around him. "You always were a courageous man, Cecil Harvey," said the Knight softly. "And I know that, no matter what, you'll be able to achieve your goals. If anyone can save us, stop Golbez, it's you."

At first, Cecil was not sure if he should embrace her back, but after a moment he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you," he said after a long silence that spanned between them.

She backed away. "Where did that come from?" All her insecurities seemed to be gone. "You gave me more than I could ever ask for, Cecil. Being your friend … Being Rosa's friend … That's too important to me to ever throw it away because of petty longing or jealousy." She beamed at him. "And I'm happy for you. Because you love her. And she loves you. And you're both happy together."

Cecil's eyes widened slightly, but then he laughed, a clear, kind noise. "It seems I'm not the only one who has undergone changes. You're not the same woman I remember. You're more mature. We both are."

He watched as her face fell a bit. "I had to change. It was my deployment here that changed me..."

His hand feel upon her shoulder. "It will all be alright, Kali. I have a hunch… One I plan to follow through on tonight."

She looked to him, her eyes solemn. "…You plan to do this alone, don't you? And there's nothing I can do to change your mind?"

He bit his lip and nodded.

With a sigh, she replied. "I'll cover for you, then."

"Kali … "

"No, I've got it covered. If you're determined, I might as well help," she winked and turned away from him. "I trust you, Cecil, and I believe you when you say that we'll all make it through this. If I can do even this, it will be enough for me," she paused at the doorway. "This is what friends do."

He stared at her, though he had a feeling she was hurt more than she was letting on. She was being so admirable, and bravery was a trait Cecil had always found admirable. "You have my thanks."

Kali simply smiled.

Golbez peered over his goblet, looking upon the man who sat two chairs away from him, on the left side of the table. He was picking at his roast boar with a pensive expression etched into his features, his eyes suitably dark.

"Kain, I extend my hospitality by inviting you to dine with me, yet you do not take advantage of it," said the Dark Lord, his voice full of pretense and pomp. "Tell me, is the spread up to your standards? I understand you are of high birth, being of the Noble House of Highwind, however I do not think my chefs so awful that they would warrant your disregard."

Kain's hazy amber eyes rose to look at the tyrant. "It's not that, mi'lord. I am concerned about Cecil's victory over Scarmiliogne."

"You needn't worry," came a cold sneer from Golbez's right.

Barbariccia, the Fiend of the Wind, looked out from over her nose at the Lord Captain of the Baron Dragon Knights. She was indeed a beautiful woman, with long, pale yellow hair and liquid golden eyes. She was also incredibly cruel, which, Golbez supposed, was the reason she was so effective.

"He may have defeated that fool, but he was the weakest of us all. There is no way he'll defeat the rest of us, even if he does, by some miracle, manage to escape from Baron alive and unscathed." She sipped her wine, her eyes sliding over to Golbez, a smirk on her alluring lips. "Really, Sir Highwind, there's no need to be so finicky over one, little, Knight."

Kain sighed. "I see your point, however, I cannot help but feel as if you are underestimating Cecil. He is no mere Knight. Did he not just successfully receive the blessing of the Light?"

Barbariccia looked as if she were about to say something more, but Rubicante cut her off. Golbez himself leaned back, a satisfied expression on his face as he watched the drama unfold. "Barbariccia, I believe Kain's worries have some stock," the massive black man crooned. "Not nearly enough to worry us, but I believe there is a large possibility that he will liberate the throne of Baron."

"My dear Rubicante, there is no doubt in my mind that he will liberate Baron's throne," Golbez said with a rather sinister smile. "In fact, I anticipate it."

The three of them stared at him in shock, their eyes glowing gold, white and amber in the dim of the torch-lit darkness.

"Yes, it is all part of my greater plan," his eyes fell to Kain. "We have provided him sufficient bait to come to us, and when he does we will crush him." He chuckled, staring into the depths of the shadows around them. "Yes, Baron will be but a small, temporary, loss when I crush him beneath my heel." He took a languid sip of his cider. "Now Kain, please do tell me about our esteemed guest. How is she faring?"

Kain's eyes darted back to his food. "She is resilient mi'lord. She continues to insist Cecil will triumph over you."

Golbez laughed in his deep, resonant voice. "Ah well, bide your time; this is the best advice I can offer you. When that man dies, she will break utterly and come more willingly into your arms. It will simply take time. Patience, Kain."

Kain nodded and began to do more than simply pick around his food.

"How goes the conquest for the final Crystal?" Golbez inquired.

"Not as well as we'd hoped, Lord Golbez," said Barbariccia. "The Elves who have captured the Crystal have been showing great resistance."

"Not a surprising development," drawled the tyrant. "We thought they would fight against us."

"It's worse, Lord Golbez," Barbarica continued. "Their leader, The Dark Elf Adadorn, has fled into the Magnetite Caverns." She shook her head. "Our armies are not equipped to follow him."

Golbez sighed heavily, about to speak when he saw Kain move out of the corner of his eye. He let his amethyst gaze fall onto the Dragon Knight. "You have something to say, Kain?"

The blonde man blanched. "It's simply that … when Cecil gains control of Baron, he will have access to its airships. We have Rosa, so perhaps we could use her as leverage and have him retrieve the Crystal for us? That way we save resources and lure him to us in one fell swoop."

Golbez stared at him approvingly. "Ah, I see you're getting better at this. Very well," he nodded. "We will monitor the situation. When the time comes, it will be you to give him the message."

Kain nodded. "Of course, mi'lord." He looked pleased with himself.

The rest of the meal went on in silence, and eventually Kain and Barbariccia drifted off to their respective duties. Golbez supposed that Kain went to the woman and Barbariccia to the Elves.

"I'm still concerned about your obsession with this Cecil," said Rubicante. "You're going out of your way to defeat him. I agree that he's a threat, but I fail to understand why you're playing these cat and mouse games."

Golbez snorted. "He amuses me, Rubicante. I've never had a rival before, someone who is able to match me turn for turn. It fascinates me, the challenge he presents me."

Rubicante sighed, but a look of understanding passed over his features. "I suppose, in this instance … Yes, it is excusable. You have done exactly as has been asked of you, and to allow this one indulgence … I see no harm in it."

Golbez smiled. "It's my incentive?"

The responding laugh was full of good humor. "Part of it … You know your objective, and you will succeed. I have faith in that."

"I will not disappoint you," and Golbez smiled.

Cecil sat, cloaked, in a corner of the pub, nursing a mug of mulled cider in his hands. He watched the rowdy soldiers in the corner attentively, biding his time, waiting. The presence of a particular bald man troubled him deeply, but, being a reasonable man he figured there was some explanation for the Monk's strange behavior.

His green eyes shone with determination beneath his hood as he watched the rowdy group, who had just begun to sing bar songs off-key and at the top of their lungs. They were old songs that everyone of Baron-bred stock knew before they could walk, but Cecil could tell by the glow in their eyes that they were monsters, wolves in sheep's clothing. These were not real men at all.

The hostess drifted over to him with a bowl of beef stew, giving him a pleading look from underneath the hem of her bonnet. He knew she must have been groped and fondled all day and night long. He could tell by the look on the bartender's face that he wanted to lash out and deal with the problem himself, but his wife had stopped him. He could almost hear their conversation; all about putting their business in jeopardy, as well as their lives.

Cecil understood the man's frustrations.

He had been watching them for several hours, unable to determine whether or not the men had the thing that he sought. It was the key to Baron's Sewers, the underground, that was the prize he had his eye upon. He had figured that the key might be in the hands of such guards when he realized that they weren't openly allowed to leave the castle, as the others had said. He concluded that they must be sneaking out through the sewers, which connected Vangrad proper to the castle, and so it was likely that they had the key.

It was then that his eyes caught the glint of silver from the belt loop on the Monk's belt. Silently, he thanked Gaelach for the provision, and rose his spoon to his lips to begin to eat, biding his time to look for an opening. He'd finished about half his bowl when one of the monster-soldiers tried to get particularly grabby with the hostess.

His cloak rippled as he leaped between the woman and the soldiers, moving at a speed that was inhuman. It was an ability he had discovered only recently, and he believed it was born of his desire to protect people. He left the woman's attackers stunned when the wrist of the would-be lecher was clasped firmly in his gloved hand. Without an effort, Cecil twisted his arm up, forcing him to twist away. "You do not assault a Lady."

"What the hell -?" hissed the other soldier, the one who was not whimpering in pain as his arm was contorted. The Monk looked too shocked to move.

Cecil released the arm of the other man and dodged left in response as a wild hay-maker attempted to make contact with his head. Without a word, he rushed forward, grabbing the front of his attacker's shirt and throwing him into the cringing man. Both of them flew backwards across the chairs, crashing through a table. The impact stunned them and they did not move.

Cecil turned to Yang, who had finally taken up an offensive position. Instead of immediately being hostile, Cecil decided to use the path of negotiation. "Don't you remember me, Yang?"

The man snorted and jumped forward, far more graceful than the bumbling monster-soldiers Cecil had recently incapacitated. "Die, cur!" came the war cry.

Yang was thick skinned. Cecil knew simply outlasting the Monk was not an option. It was time for some tough love, so to speak; he would have to beat sense into the man. Darting forward once more, Cecil began his counter attack. He was nowhere near as graceful as Yang, but Baron's style of martial art was direct and forceful, so what he lacked in finesse he made up for in power. It was a style focused on getting your opponent on the ground. Once that was achieved, you would literally beat your opponent to death.

Death, of course, was not Cecil's goal.

The Paladin grabbed the collar of the Monk's tunic, driving him backward using both leverage and brute strength. The man's back slammed into the table and Cecil pinned the struggling man there. He simply stared into the man's eyes until the other ceased his struggling, clarity slowly returning to his eyes.

After a moment he blinked at Cecil, grasping his wrists in confusion. With a smile, Cecil let him up. "I see you are yourself again, my friend."

"Who are you? What happened here? What … what happened to me?" His tone was bewildered, as if he had been lost and was just realizing this.

His eyes widened as his memories slowly returned to him. "I … I …" He stared at his hands for a long moment before composing himself. "Please, forgive me. It seems that I was taken advantage of. Normally I would never have done such a thing."

"You shouldn't be hard on yourself," said Cecil. "They manipulated you … And believe me, I know the feeling." Of course, he knew full well his identity was still hidden by his hood.

Yang's eyes fell onto the unconscious monster-soldiers. "We should take them outside so they will not cause trouble when they wake."

Cecil nodded in agreement and helped Yang toss the fellows out into the street, before turning back to the barkeeper and his wife. "I will pay for the damages," Cecil offered to them in way of apology.

"You've done more than enough," said the barkeeper with a grin on his face several miles wide. "Just one question stranger …, " he motioned to Cecil's hood.

"Oh," he laughed a bit at the request. "Forgive my rudeness." With that he lowered his hood. "I must protect my identity from some of your patrons. I meant no harm." From the corner of his eyes, Cecil saw Yang's eyes widen, but before he could deal with the Monk he had to attend to his hosts. He bowed to the couple. "I am Cecil Harvey, and I have returned from my travels to liberate Baron."

Yang stepped forward, hand half extended. "Cecil? You're not dead … ? The wreckage … ?"

"It's good to see you again, Yang," Cecil turned to the Monk, a smile on his face as he reached out to pat the man on the back. "I washed ashore in Mysida and found my way here."

The Monk searched the room with his eyes, as if looking to find familiar faces. "What of the others?"

"I was just about to ask you the same," Cecil said, his voice suddenly grim; it was Rydia that he thought of the most.

The Monk's face fell and he shook his head, and deep sadness gripped Cecil's heart.

"Excuse me?" said the hostess, her voice pulling Cecil from his thoughts. "You're Lord Captain Harvey?" He noted that her voice was filled with hesitance. "We had heard … You had died in The Mist Pass during the rock slide."

Cecil turned back to her and smiled kindly. "I assure you I am very much alive." He spread his hands out, face open. "A carter named Maude saved me from certain death in the wilds."

"Then you really are here to help us?" The barkeep looked a bit disbelieving, but incredibly grateful. "To fight King Harvey?"

Cecil's face fell. "Who ever that man is, sir, I assure you he is no longer the man who raised me." His fists clenched tightly together. "Whatever has happened to him … " He shook his head. "I have to stop him."

"And after that, what happens?"

Cecil turned his eyes to Yang. "What … What do you mean?"

"After we defeat the forces that occupy Baron, what happens?"

Cecil frowned. He had an idea of what Yang was implying, but he didn't like it. Softly, he shook his head. "I cannot do that yet, Yang." He looked to his friend, aware of the other two pairs of eyes that stared upon him. "Not until I destroy Golbez and rescue Rosa. Until then, the world won't ever be safe. Whether or not I become king matters little."

He watched as the Monk's eyes became fond. "You've grown."

Cecil returned the look with a smile when he suddenly remembered the key. "Oh, Yang! Your belt! There's a key on it that we need … "

The Monk touched his belt loop absently, his fingers brushing the smooth metal of the key, surprise registering on his face as he pulled the object from his belt. "This is … "

"What we need to launch an offensive on our enemies," said Cecil with a curt nod. He turned back to the patrons of the pub and offered another bow. "May Gaelach bless you."

They exchanged a looked, smiled at him, bowed in respect, and returned his blessing graciously.

Together he and the Monk exited the building, Yang turning to Cecil in the process."Tell me, what happened to you in Mysidia? The man before me now and the man I remember are not the same person."

And with another smile, Cecil began to speak of all that had transpired.