Chapter 3: Destruction of Damcyan

Once we leave Kaipo, Cecil and I decide that we all should spend time in the surrounding desert fighting monsters. Creatures ranging from tiny imps to giant sandworms engage us in battle, but the three of us always prevail. We collect the spoils which mostly consist of gold pieces afterward. Meanwhile, Rydia and I learn some new spells. After a while, the blistering heat from both sand and sun hurts my eyes and skin enough to where I can't continue. I can hear Cecil gasp for breath under his helmet.

"Cecil? Are you okay?" I ask.

"Y-Yes, I'm… I'm all right."

"We should find some shade," Rydia suggests. Cecil and I nod. We all make our way to the nearest cave and immediately find relief in its cool damp atmosphere. Cecil removes his helmet and sighs. I can hear water rippling below us. He and Rydia wander over to the edge of the rocks while I open up the menu to check my stats. Curious as to which spells I've learned, I hover over each menu:

WHITE: Cure 1, Heal, Hold, Charm

BLACK: Fire 1, Ice 1, Lightning 1, Sleep, Venom

SUMMON: Chocobo

Vaguely, I hear Rydia and Cecil chatting about something. I am curious but choose not to listen in. I continue to scan over my other stats: health points, magic points, level—everything.

How interesting. I wonder if Rydia will show me how to summon monsters.

Shaking my head to clear my mind, I close the menu and walk over to the others.

"Oh, hello, Adrienne," Rydia says. She gives me a soft smile, then turns back to look into the cold clear water. I kneel next to her and peer into the water myself. Oddly enough, I can see my reflection despite the low light.

Wait a minute… is my hair… blue?

I raise a small clump of it to my face and, much to my astonishment, an electric blue color meets my gaze. I can't say I know how this happened, but one thing's for certain: I am a true video game character now.

Looking around at the stalactites dripping down into the water below, I breathe in the misty air. Now that Cecil, Rydia, and I have cooled off, we continue onward in search of the mysterious sage Tellah. Exploring the cave, we find some chests with potions inside. Just as we claim the contents, a group of massive cave toads leap out of the water and attack us. I start off the battle with a lightning spell, which kills one of the toads. Before Cecil can make his attack, one of the cave toads casts the Toad spell, transforming him into a tiny toad. He ribbits, which almost makes me laugh, but I refrain from it. Rydia summons Chocobo on her turn, ripping one of the cave toads apart. The remaining one cast Toad again, restoring Cecil's human form. He then slams the edge of his sword into the toad's head, killing it. We collect our reward and forge ahead, crossing bridges over the massive pool of cave water and fighting more monsters like giant pikes. After finding a tent in a nearby chest, we soon spot an old man at the end of another bridge. He has a white beard and is dressed in purple robes. His pale eyes stare at Cecil from behind his round-lens glasses.

"You wield the dark sword? Help me, I beg you!" he says.

"What is it?" Cecil asks.

"A wicked bard tricked my daughter into running away to Damcyan. What's worse, I sense great evil there! Something terrible could befall her!" he says. Suddenly, Cecil realizes who he's speaking to.

"You must be the sage, Tellah!" Cecil says. He must have remembered Tellah from the stories told in Kaipo. The old man nods.

"Yes, I am Tellah. I was on my way to Damcyan to retrieve my daughter who eloped, but I wound up lost here instead. Not only that, but a huge monster currently blocks the exit and my magic alone is not strong enough to defeat it. The dark sword you carry could help. What is your name?"

"My name is Cecil and this is Rydia of Mist."

"She is a summoner," I chine in.

"Ah! She is quite gifted, I sense." Tellah squints at me, not out of suspicion, but rather curiosity, and adjusts his glasses on his thin nose. "What about you, young lady?"

"My name is Adrienne Rayne. I'm... not from around here."

"I have not seen you before. Where do you come from?" Tellah asks. Cecil and Rydia glance over at me.

"I'm from… Ashbourne," I say.

"I've not heard of that place," Cecil says.

"It's a small town, sort of hidden away."

"Like Mist?" Rydia asks.

"Yeah."

"Ah, I see. How did you come by this dark knight?" Tellah asks.

"Cecil encountered me on his airship and granted me refuge. We've since been traveling together."

"I see," Tellah says. "And the girl?"

"We found her in Mist. We um, saved her when the village caught fire," I say. Rydia looks at the ground sadly. Tellah gives her a comforting, sympathetic look.

"...I'm sorry, little one," Tellah says softly. We're all silent for a moment.

"...It's okay," Rydia says. A pause, and then Cecil speaks.

"We... are also on our way to Damcyan." An expression of surprise, then relief, crosses Tellah's face at Cecil's words.

"Truly? Wonderful! Let us work together to reach Damcyan. We must hurry!" With that, Tellah joins our party. As a sage, he can use both black magic and white magic. He is an invaluable member of our team. Heeding Tellah's words, we resume our quest to Damcyan. Wandering the cave system, we encounter several more monsters: evil shells, water bugs, pike, imps, and zombies. Opening chests along the way, we descend a set of rickety wooden stairs and into the cool water below. Cave rock formations rise above our heads and stalagmites stick up from the ground like canine teeth. Wading through the water, we pass through a waterfall to find three chests. One has 1000 gold pieces, one has a Cure 2 potion, and the last one has an elixir. My white dress clings to my body, exposing my skin. Luckily, my undergarments are thick enough to cover me. I hold the elixir in my hand, swishing the colorful liquid around in the glass bottle.

"We should save this for later. Elixirs are the most valuable potions," I say.

"Good thinking," Cecil says.

Soon we come across a small room carved out inside the cave. A circular emblem is emblazoned in the middle of the floor.

"A save point!" I say.

"Yes. Let's take rest here. A special field will protect us from monsters. We can also use a tent or cabin to rest up. We should prepare for the upcoming battle," Tellah says. Cecil nods and joins Tellah in setting up the tent. I create a campfire. As a child, my parents and I cooked s'mores together in our backyard on cool summer nights. 

What have I done? All I ever wanted was to meet my fictional heroes, but... at what cost? My parents have lost their only child! I may never see them again! God, I'm such an idiot! I shouldn't have chased my dream. I've made a terrible mistake.

I blink away my tears and shake my head.

No, this isn't helping. I need to focus on staying alive and protecting my friends.

Soon the four of us sit around the fire. Rydia's head rests in my lap. I gently stroke her hair while she sleeps. Beside me, Cecil gazes quietly into the fire with a forlorn expression. I sense that the events of Mist and Mysidia linger in his mind. Our blue eyes reflect the red flames. Tellah glances at Rydia and sighs.

"Fast asleep... She must have been quite tired. You said she was...?" Tellah asks.

"A caller of Mist," Cecil says.

"She seems gifted as a magic user. With proper training, she will be able to wield magic beyond calling monsters. How sweet! Just like Anna's childhood," Tellah says, a soft look in his eyes as he reminisces.

"Anna is your...?" Cecil asks.

"Only daughter. She ran away to Damcyan with a bard because I did not consent to their marriage." Tellah sighs sadly. "Why do you want to go to Damcyan?"

"My friend is suffering from a terrible fever in Kaipo," Cecil says.

"Ah, you seek the Sand Ruby then. You must be in quite a hurry." Tellah pauses. "What about you, Miss Rayne?"

"I also wish to heal Rosa of her sickness. We haven't spoken much to each other yet, but I consider her a dear friend. Cecil has treated me with compassion and respect from the moment we met, and I believe Rosa would do the same." I look over at Cecil and smile, a blush blooming on his face.

"You're very sweet, Adrienne," Cecil says, his voice quiet so as not to wake Rydia. He pauses. "Tellah? What is the monster that lurks in this cavern?"

"Ah yes, the monster. It is a horrifying creature with eight massive tentacles. In order to save Anna and your friend, we must destroy it."

We sit in silence, processing Tellah's words. I know this monster to be called Octomammoth, another one of the many bosses present in this game. Soon I feel my eyes begin to close as the sound of the crackling fire lulls me to sleep. 

Hours later, I feel a small hand on my shoulder gently shaking me awake. I slowly open my eyes to see Rydia's soft smile.

"Good morning, Adrienne."

"H-Hey, Rydia. Sorry, did I oversleep?"

"No, you're all right. Tellah sensed the sunrise outside the cave. Ready to go?"

"Yes, let's continue."

I stand up and straighten out my clothes. Combing my hair gently with my fingers, I follow Cecil, Tellah, and Rydia out of our sanctuary. We set off once more on our exploration of the cave, fighting more monsters along the way. One particular group of zombies manages to deal a significant amount of damage to Rydia, who I quickly patch up with a healing spell. After what seems like hours, we finally reach the mouth of the cave. Shielding my eyes from the glare of the sun, we walk a little way over to yet another cave opening. Little do Cecil and the others know just how much more spelunking we'll be doing. Entering this new cavern, we wander in the dark down deteriorated wooden stairs and across frayed rope bridges. A heavy damp smell of wet plants and rotting wood fills the air. We fight off slimes, giant pikes, waterbugs, zombies, and more along the way. Opening a chest inside the cave reveals a longsword with a black double-edged blade. I recognize this weapon to be the sword of darkness. Carefully holding it in my hands, I deliver the blade to Cecil. He holds it up, then swings it horizontally, slicing the air.

"It's beautiful."

"Yes. And it suits you well," I say.

After collecting all of the items locked away within this cave, we journey back out into the sun and do battle against several other creatures. I alternate my spells between fire, ice, and lightning, the magical energy crackling through my very blood. We arrive at the final cave mouth and enter the darkness one last time.

"He is within this cave," Tellah says. His peaceful eyes turn solemn. I nod to him with determination. The deafening rush of a massive waterfall fills our ears. Looking across the horizon of the cave, I realize that a steep drop lies ahead. Without any warning, I run and jump off the edge, my dress billowing around my legs as I fall.

"Adrienne?!" Cecil cries.

A misty spray coats my back and legs. I push down on my dress so as not to expose myself. Not that they could see anything from where I am. Soon enough, I plunge into the pool of cool water at the bottom, my dress floating around me like a jellyfish. Swimming upward, I breach the surface, my slick, wet hair sticking to my face.

"It's okay! You can come down!" I shout. One by one, the others descend the waterfall until we all make it down safely. Cecil and I help everyone crawl onto dry land before we explore the caves some more. Giant alligators snap their teeth at us, but Rydia, Tellah, and I fight back with ice spells, killing them. Meanwhile, Cecil dons a new set of armor piece by piece. Catching a glimpse of his face again, I gaze longingly at his facial features. His soft wavy silver hair frames his face. A musty scent rises off him, most likely stemming from all the time we've spent wading through water. His blue eyes almost seem to glow in the dim light. My eyes dart to his pale, lilac lips for a moment.

You're beautiful… I…

"Adrienne?" he asks, realizing I am staring. Blushing, I look away.

"S-Sorry…" I say quietly. He smiles sweetly.

"You're okay. I know it must be odd seeing my face after wearing this helmet for so long." He pauses. "Are you all right?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah. I'm okay."

"Good. Shall we continue?"

"Yes. Let's go."

After healing ourselves with potions, we arrive at the base of the waterfall hiding the exit. Suddenly, eight large tentacles shoot up from the water.

"Octomammoth!" Tellah shouts. I raise my hands up, summoning my magic to me. We engage the beast in battle. I remember that Octomammoth is weak to lightning spells, so I start off the battle striking as many tentacles as I can at one time. Tellah follows, mimicking my attack. Rydia does the same. Cecil, being the only non-magic user, slashes at the tentacle nearest to him, staining the water red with blood.

Swaying back and forth, the tentacles reach out to grab Rydia. I defend her by standing in front of her and allowing myself to be attacked instead of her. Luckily, the attack isn't too painful.

I have to make sure that no matter what happens, I stay alive.

Tellah, Rydia, and I continue casting lightning spells, destroying the tentacles one by one. Cecil hacks away at the beast's thick flesh with more and more blood dripping into the water. Before long, only one tentacle and the head remain. While I heal everyone, Cecil defends me. Rydia and I are at the highest risk of dying as we have lower health, so I cast the spell on us first. Meanwhile, Tellah casts Lightning 1 on the last tentacle.

And now… the head.

Octomammoth lets out a loud roar as its head breaches the surface of the pool. Cecil attacks first, stabbing it in its eyes. I rain hellfire upon the beast, incinerating its flesh. Tellah zaps it with another well-timed lightning strike. Rydia, now out of magic, defends. Finally, Cecil raises his new weapon and slices right through the middle of Octomammoth's head, causing it to writhe in agony and finally perish.

I look down at myself, the blood from the battle turning my dress red. I shake my head and glance around at the others.

"Great job, everyone!" I smile.

"You weren't bad yourself, Miss Rayne," Rydia says. I blush. Hearing one of my favorite video game characters give me such a genuine compliment makes me nearly faint from joy. An odd reaction to be sure.

"Thank you, Rydia."

"On to Damcyan! Quickly now! It's just beyond this waterfall," Tellah says.

We rush through and leave the cave. I cover my eyes as the light of the sun blinds me. We make our way out into the open, seeing Damcyan in the distance. However, just as we approach the castle, we hear the sound of airships flying overhead.

"The Red Wings? What are they doing here?" Cecil asks. Not long after we spot them, he finds his answer. Bombs fall from the sky and explode upon impact. I cover my mouth in shock and my eyes widen.

Oh God... Damcyan…

I've never seen such blatant destruction in my life before. Who knows what atrocities lay inside the walls? I break into a sprint across the sand, Cecil and the others following me, hoping to find life. Once I reach the front door, I throw it open. Corpses of soldiers scorched by the bombing lay on the floor. I try not to look too closely at them. I continue, the others trailing behind me to assess the damage. Soon, we reach the top of the castle. Lying in the middle of the floor is a young girl with red hair and a yellow dress.

"Ah! Anna! No!" Tellah shouts, running to her. He cradles her arrow-pierced body in his arms, tears welling in his eyes. Suddenly, from the side of the room, a man dressed in bardic clothing walks in. I recognize him to be Edward, Prince of Damcyan. Enraged, Tellah approaches him and attacks him.

"You! You're the bard! You did this to her!"

"Tellah, wait!" Cecil cries. Unfortunately, his words do not sway Tellah, who is already slamming his staff into the bard.

"You swindler!"

"Wait, please!"

"You spoony bard!"

"Please, listen!"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear another word out of you!"

"Listen!"

"Hey! Shut your mouth!"

"I... I…"

"Please, stop!" Anna's voice calls faintly. Tellah stops attacking and hurries over to her.

"Are you alright?" he asks.

"Father, Edward is the prince of Damcyan. He disguised himself as a bard when he came to see me in Kaipo. Forgive me for running away. I love Edward. We thought about asking for your consent, but when we were about to leave…" She trails off.

"Golbez attacked us with Baron's Red Wings," Edward completes her statement.

Golbez… It's the first time I've heard his name…

"Golbez? Who is that?" Cecil asks.

"And why would he attack Damcyan?" I ask, even though I know the answer.

"He stole our Crystal of Fire. Anna shielded me from the arrows."

"You loved him that much…" Tellah says, closing his eyes.

"F...Father... Forgive me... I... I love Edward," Anna whispers. She draws her last breath, and her head falls gently to one side.

"Anna!" Edward gasps.

"Anna! Anna!" Tellah shakes her, trying to bring her back. His efforts are futile. Edward cries bitterly, tears spilling down his face. Meanwhile, I sense fury building up inside Tellah.

"Who is Golbez?" he asks, quietly seething.

"I... I heard he... he was... g-gathering crystals using... B-Baron's Red Wings," Edward says between sobs. I massage his shoulders comfortingly, unsure of what to say. I've been exposed to death often—in fiction, that is—and I never quite understand how to respond. I have high empathy, but death has always been… a mystery to me.

"Stop crying! Your tears will not bring her back," Tellah snaps.

"He needs some time to mourn," I whisper. "It's okay, Edward, I'm here."

"...Wait for me, Golbez. I'm coming to avenge my daughter!" Tellah speeds off, but Cecil stops him in his tracks.

"You can't go alone!" Cecil says. Tellah shoves Cecil aside.

"I don't need any help! This is my own affair!"

"Wait, Tellah!" I call out after him, but it's too late. He's gone.

I continue to massage Edward's shoulders as he mourns Anna's death. His sobs soon subside into light sniffles. He pulls a handkerchief out of his pocket to dry his face. Rydia stands by his side.

"Crybaby!" Rydia says.

"Wh...What?" Edward looks up at her.

"You are a man! You are a grown-up! You are not the only one who has lost loved ones!" She lowers her head, memories of her recently deceased mother flooding her. Cecil is silent, guilt washing over him.

"Rydia…" Cecil begins.

"You... You may be right. I'm just a coward, but I don't care! I'm staying here with Anna!" Edward says adamantly, holding her close to his chest.

"You can't stay here. We need you," I say, crouching down beside him.

"She's right. You're not the only one who is sad, Edward. Besides, Anna won't be happy if you do that," Cecil says.

"You think so?"

"I know so. We need as much help as possible. Please, come with us."

"H...How could I possibly help you?"

"I am Cecil. I'm looking for the SandRuby to help my friend who is ill in Kaipo."

"I'm Rydia. Mist—my village—burned down in a terrible fire. I lose my mother to the flames."

"And I'm Adrienne. I've been separated from my family and I'm trying to return home to them."

"I see. Well... it is nice to meet you all."

"We need your help, Edward," I say, standing up and giving him my hand. I pull him up on his feet.

"Me? Help you?"

"Yes. You," Cecil says.

"Your friend seems to be an important person. You shouldn't lose your loved one." He pauses. "The SandRuby is made from the Antlion when it lays its eggs in the cave, which is in the east. We must cross the shallows to get there. Luckily, we can use the Hovercraft of Damcyan. We can also go to Kaipo through the shallows. Let's hurry!" Edward says, drying his tears with his sleeve. With newfound determination, he joins our party. We leave the castle, but Edward lingers behind for a moment. I hear him bid her farewell before he returns to us. As we board the hovercraft, I reflect on that singular name.

Golbez…