Archer

5: The Dark Knight and the Dragoon Depart

I sleep peacefully for hours. Until images begin flashing through my dreams, that is. Horrible, frightening images...
~*~*~
Flames are everywhere. Lifeless scorched bodies scatter the burning village. Beside a pond, by the body of a dead woman, a little girl with vibrant green hair sobs.

Behind her stand a Dark Knight and a Dragoon of Baron. Cecil and Kain. The two exchange words, and Kain raises his spear towards the girl. My hand flies up to my mouth to keep myself from crying out in shock. Cecil, also surprised, rushes forward and jerks his spear down. I can't hear what they're saying, but they're obviously in disagreement. I then see Kain's mouth move, and Cecil's head nod in agreement. The pair advance on the little girl and Cecil holds his hand out to her. She turns around, anger flashing through her eyes. She raises her hands, and an enormous being rises from the earth. A summoner... The earth shakes and shatters, and the scene turns black.
~*~*~
Airships fill the sky over Baron's horizon. Lines of men stand along the castle barracks. Archers, Knights, and Dragoons... Everyone. Even the black mages with their rods, and the white mages with their staves. Canon fire hailed down from the air. Screams follow. Among those still standing, I don't see Rosa, Cecil or Kain. Panic wracks through me. Tell me they weren't there to begin with... Screams fill the air...
~*~*~
A deep, black dragon looms over us- Rosa, Kain, and myself; along with a man who appears to be a Fabulian monk, and a man with stark white hair who wears white armor. Wait, white hair? He isn't old, about Kain's age... It hits me. Cecil?! Where is his dark armor? What has happened to him? Not that it's a bad thing- now I can actually see him.
Behind the dragon, stands a man wearing armor darker than night. The giant man raises his hand, and we are paralyzed.

"Finish them," he says in a deep, emotionless voice. The dragon rears, and slams into the monk first with an open jaw containing rows of razor sharp teeth. By the time the beast backs away, the monk lies in a crumpled, bloody heap on the glimmering floor.

Its tail swings into my sister, sending her flying into a wall. I hear myself scream. She doesn't get up. Rosa...! My sister....! Another scream is released.

Kain holds his spear as steady as possible, but his eyes are terrified, as are Cecil's. Who wouldn't be? We are sitting ducks! The dragon then slashes at Kain with a claw, slicing through his armor. His blood spurts out rapidly, staining the crystal floor. Yet another scream erupts from me as I watch the life quickly fade from his sky blue eyes, but I'm unable to do anything. None of us can do anything....

But it can't end like this... At this point, it's just Cecil and I. Everyone else, that monk.... Rosa...

....Kain... Has perished. Anger and sorrow rush through me. Who is this man to hurt the ones I care about most?! I struggle as much as possible against the spell's bonds, and somehow I break free and get to my feet, releasing an arrow at the man at that same moment. My vision shatters as the arrow hits a force field and disintegrates, and so does the dream.
~*~*~
"Gah!" I jolt upright on my cot. Sweat pours down from my brow. Just a nightmare...

I try to go back to sleep, but it was no use. So I get off the cot and climb out the window onto the roof. The double moons shine brilliantly in the dark, giving me plenty of time to study the amulet Kain gave me.

The cord is deep blue, almost black, silk. The amulet is a thin, lightweight brass rhombus in the shape of a shield. The front has the head of a dragon engraved into it. The back however, has several names. Many of the names are worn and unreadable, but there are distinct names near the list's bottom. Newer names.

Alexander Highwind
Richard Highwind
Kain Highwind

The Dragoon Commanders.... That's what this list is. It must be the proof of their leadership, so that nobody can question them. Richard Highwind... That was Kain's father. I remember he died in battle when Kain was young. The same happened to Rosa and I. It wasn't uncommon to grow up without a father if they served the military-many never returned.