Archer

7: You Have My Word

In the media is Commander Kain Highwind
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Arrow after arrow I fire, each hitting its respective target. It has now been more than two weeks since Cecil and Kain's departure. The Dragoons are much more prepared now, especially with Meriweather's help. I still can't shake the feeling that things are about to go very wrong, very soon. Maybe I'm just worried...

"He returns!!!" The night watchman shouts from his tower. I rush towards the edge of the barracks. Sure enough, a man comes through over the bridge that has been lowered for his return. A weight is lifted off my shoulders as I recognize his helmet as Kain's. But... Where's Cecil?

As quickly as possible, I run down every flight of stairs to reach the Dragoon dormitory. I slam the door open. "The Commander has returned! Get your lazy butts up and line up!" I shout loud enough to wake them. Every man immediately jumps off his cot.

"Yes Sir!" They shout back, scrambling their way out the door. That's one way too get them moving in the morning, I guess. I take out the seal. I'm just happy this will no longer be in my possession. It really worries me why Cecil wasn't with him though...

~*~*~
I stand beside Meriweather alongside the other Dragoons out in the hall of the castle. Soon enough, Captain Baigan escorts Kain from the throne room and leaves him in our presence. I speak first.

"Commander, has the eidolon been slain?" He nods without looking up.

"Yes, and the Village of Mist was torched..."

"What?!"

"How?!"

"Why?!"

"That's enough, men," I command sternly. Kain looks up and down our line and nods approvingly at me.

"You've done well with them. I knew you had it in you."

"I had Meriweather help me."

"So you did." I hold out the seal.

"Now that you've returned, Commander, this is yours." He takes the blue cord wordlessly and tucks it away. He faces me alone.

"You said Meriweather helped you while I wasn't here?" I nod, and he turns to the other Dragoons. "Meriweather, you're in charge of training this morning. I need to speak with Lumen."

"Yes sir. Move out men!"

"What is you need to-" he roughly grabs my arm.

"Not here," he hisses. "Follow me." Kain drags me from the hall we had assembled in, into a courtyard, and finally into a tower. From there, I follow him up the steps into a simple room, a bedchamber. "Alright, we can talk here. This is my bedchamber, so no one will be able to overhear us." The way his eyes keep circling the room... He's nervous...

"The king sent Cecil and I to Mist to deliver a ring. Before we could enter the village though, an eidolon blocked our way. Cecil and I were forced to slay it. As we entered the village, the ring began glowing...
And several bombs rushed out. They went to the buildings, everywhere. Men, women, children... " His blue eyes are empty. "We watched as so many of them ran out of their homes only to fall dead on the ground.

"We heard crying, and we saw a young girl crying over the dead body of her mother. It turns out the eidolon we had slain was her mother's. As a result, her mother died."

That dream, with the flames everywhere... It came true...? So that little girl really did lose her mother..? So does that mean that the earthquake also happened?" I continue watching the Dragoon. "Then what happened?"

"Cecil and I discussed it there and then why the king would've asked us to do this. We concluded that the king wanted to destroy the Summoner race that lived in Mist, and what better way to do that than to kill everyone who lived there? I... I was about to kill the girl as well, but Cecil stopped me. He was right... We pledged allegiance to a reasonable, just king- not a power hungry tyrant. We tried to bring the girl with us, but she didn't quite trust us. Technically, we were the cause of her mother's death, after all. We chased her, and then she summoned a monster from the earth. This monster split the earth. I was lucky, and was only thrown across the break and knocked unconscious. But..."