Chapter 2: The Girl From Mist

After leaving Baron, we decide to seek out the chocobos—friendly, rideable birds that can safely deliver us to the cave mouth—in the Chocobo Forest. Luckily, we don't encounter any monsters along the way. Once we reach the forest, Cecil interacts with three yellow chocobos. I can't understand them, but the chocobos soon lower themselves so we can climb on. Grabbing hold of the soft yellow feathers on its neck, I pull myself up onto a chocobo. I've never ridden one before, of course, but I feel oddly comfortable sitting on its back.

"Ready?" Cecil asks.

"Yes. Let's go," I say.

Mist lies hidden within a valley surrounded by mountains on every side. The only way to reach the village is through a massive cave system northeast of Baron. When we arrive, I open the menu—apparently, all I have to do is wave my right hand, palm out, in front of my face—and save the game. I have no idea if saving the game means I can ever return to this point again.

God, I hope I don't die in here…

I still don't know if dying in the game means my death in real life, but I don't plan on finding out. Cecil, Kain, and I dismount the chocobos, bidding them farewell as they sprint back to the forest.

"Are you ready, Adrienne?" Kain asks. I nod. With that, the three of us enter the misty darkness and prepare to face the unknown.

Amidst the hazy cavern, stalactites glisten overhead. Stalagmites sprout up from the ground and a number of chests lay strewn about. I hear rushing water deep below. Could it be that a river runs below the mist? We start to explore when a small group of imps and swordrats jump out at us. Now engaged in battle, Kain is first in the turn order. He thrusts the sharp point of his lance into one of the swordrats' hearts, killing it instantly. Cecil draws his blade and deals one swift strike to the other swordrat, ending its life.

Now, it's my turn.

Opening my battle menu with the same hand gesture, I find several options listed:

FIGHT

WHITE

BLACK

SUMMON

ITEM

I break down each category in my mind.

All right. I do not have a weapon such as a sword or bow that I can attack with, so the fight option won't do me much good just yet. Maybe later I'll pick up a weapon to fight with. Let's see… white magic consists mostly of healing and defense spells. I don't think we'll need that quite yet either. Black magic would be the easy choice of course, but… what can I summon? Just Chocobo, huh? Could be a good idea. I think I'll go with…

Searching through the list of black magic spells, I select the basic level fire spell. My hands glow with red and orange light as I wiggle my fingers. Moments later, a burst of bright flames envelops the two imps, killing them. My eyes widen as a grin spreads across my face.

I… I have magic! I'm a video game character!

We celebrate our small victory as the fanfare plays in the background. After claiming the dropped gold pieces, we continue on. As we walk, I can't help sensing a presence watching us. Could it be a monster?

Or something else?

Chill white mist seeps into my skin as I reflect on what I'm feeling. Cecil and Kain both seem to notice that I am lost in thought as they stop walking and turn to look at me.

"Are you all right, Adrienne?" Cecil asks.

"Huh? Oh, y-yeah."

"What is it?" Kain asks.

"I sense someone following us."

"Where?" Cecil asks. Both he and Kain look around. Although the mist limits most of our vision, if something were there, we would still be able to see it.

"Maybe I'm imagining things," I say.

"We'll keep an eye out," Kain says.

We wander through the misty caves, the cold, damp air sinking into our skin and armor. We reach a chest when an ethereal, disembodied feminine voice calls out to us.

"Go back!" the voice says.

"Who is it?!" Cecil asks.

No answer.

Choosing not to heed the warning, we cross a bridge spanning a deep ravine. I can hear the rushing water below much more clearly now, but the mist obscures the river from view.

Don't look down.

Once we reach the other side, we open a couple more chests, finding mostly potions inside. One chest, however, contains a tent that can be used to restore all of our health and magic.

I open the menu to check my stats. Now that my first in-game battle is over, I want to see if my magic has depleted at all.

Much to my surprise, my magic level has not changed.

Wow, I… I have infinite magic after all. How is this possible? Certainly, I am a glitch in the game, right? I suppose this explains my significantly lower health. Most of the strongest characters have the lowest health. An equilibrium between power and energy… yes, that must be it! Although, I wonder… am I more susceptible to injury as a result?

My thoughts are interrupted when we reach the end of the cave system. A dim light shines through the fog and onto our faces. We head for the exit, when…

"Leave now!" the same voice from before calls.

"Is it a monster?" Kain asks. Cecil shrugs, then continues onward.

"Ones from Baron—"

"Who are you?!" Kain asks. Unfazed by his interruption, the voice continues.

"Return now and I will not harm you," the voice says.

"Show yourself!" Kain raises his lance threateningly.

"Do you still wish to go on?"

"Yes," Cecil says. "We must deliver this package to the village of Mist!"

"So be it," the voice says. Before our very eyes, the mist gathers up into a large white dragon with glowing blue eyes.

Here goes my first boss battle.

Caught off guard for a moment, the mist dragon deals me a blow that brings my health down significantly. I drop to my knees. Cecil, being first in the turn order, gives me one of the potions we picked up, restoring my health. Kain follows, jumping into the air to engage the beast in a classic dragoon attack. His lance sparkles in the light as he descends. My turn comes up after, but I abstain. Unbeknownst to Cecil and Kain, this dragon is not what it seems.

Considering the misty nature of the boss, I'm not sure if any of my spells could damage the dragon to begin with. Of course, casting an ice spell would be a bad choice. If I were to fight, only fire or lightning would hurt it.

Soon, I sense the dragon's form starting to fade back into mist. Once the dragon does so, our attacks will be useless.

"Wait," I say when Kain completes his strike.

"What is it, Adrienne?" he asks.

"Look." I point.

Just as I predicted, the mist dragon dissipates. Cecil and Kain look to me, awaiting a signal. After a couple of moments, the dragon reforms. I motion to Cecil, giving him room and time to strike. He draws his sword once more and swings his sword down between the creature's eyes. After both men wear the dragon down enough, Kain deals the killing blow. He collects the monetary reward that drops to the ground.

"You okay?" Cecil asks me. He must have noticed the guilt in my eyes.

"Oh, um, sorry." I run my hand absentmindedly through my hair.

"What's wrong?"

"Why did we have to kill the dragon?" I ask. Cecil pauses before speaking again.

"I have to redeem myself in the king's eyes. If defeating this dragon is part of that, then… I will do what I must." I can't see his face, but his voice betrays him. His own guilt remains. I sense that he, too, wishes he hadn't killed the dragon.

Neither of us speak for a moment. Soon, Kain's voice interrupts our thoughts.

"Are you coming?" he asks, turning back to both of us.

"Yes. S-Sorry," I say.

Having defeated the dragon, we leave the cave and enter Mist. We've been in the dark for a while, so I have to shield my eyes from the blinding light of the sun. Upon reaching the village, the package the king had given Cecil opens to reveal a horrific surprise. From the confines of the package, a fiery object bursts forth and begins to set the town ablaze. I remember this object to be a Carnelian Signet.

"What?!" Kain exclaims.

"We've brought this package to…" Cecil trails off.

"Burn the village?" Kain asks. I look about in sheer terror as the fiery entity rages about, leaving no building untouched. The sky grows dark with smoke and the screams of the village people are buried by the spreading fire.

I can't breathe.

"...why?" Cecil asks, unable to comprehend the act of pure evil he's blindly committed.

"Mommy! Mommy!" A young girl's cry rips our attention away from the destruction.

"Who's that?" Cecil asks. We follow the sound to discover a little girl with short, bright green hair kneeling over a young woman who has recently died. Oddly enough, the woman appears uninjured. No burn marks can be seen anywhere on her body.

"My mom's dragon fell and so did she," the girl says, glancing up at Cecil with big blue eyes full of tears. I help her to stand, and then hug her gently. She cries into my dress.

"I've heard of people with the power to summon monsters. They are Callers!" Kain says.

Suddenly, Cecil begins to develop a sick realization.

"We defeated the dragon, therefore her mother is gone. Does that mean we...?" He can't finish. Horrified, the girl breaks free from my arms and steps back. Her eyes flare with rage.

"You! You've beaten my mother's dragon!"

"We didn't mean to do this to your mother," Cecil murmurs, unsure what to do or say.

"His Majesty wanted to wipe out the Callers of this village and used us to do it," Kain says. After a pause, Cecil speaks again.

"I cannot believe this!" Stealing crystals from innocents was bad enough, but being tricked into committing genocide against summoners? That was unforgivable.

"I'm afraid… we must do away with her too," Kain says, raising his lance and approaching the girl. I immediately come between the girl and Kain, hands glowing.

"Kain! She's just a kid!" Cecil says.

"Leave her alone! Don't you DARE touch her!" I snap. I don't want to hurt Kain, but if he tries to hurt her, I'll murder him on the spot.

"You dare to renounce your loyalty to His Majesty?" Kain asks.

"Forget it! Never again will I follow such an order!" Cecil cries. I sense the immense guilt consuming him. It's clear to me that he's had enough of playing the villain. Now is the time to rebel, to become a true hero.

"Well, Cecil," Kain begins, a smirk forming on his face, "I knew you'd say so. I won't let you do it alone."

"Kain?" Cecil asks. One moment ago, Kain had threatened to kill a little girl in cold blood. Now he's planning to betray his king and follow Cecil instead? I don't understand. How can I trust him? I sense seeds of corruption within him, as though someone has tampered with him. His mind seems unstable, unusually so for this early in the game. Maybe I'm overthinking it? I shake my head, clearing my mind.

"I owe His Majesty much. Still, I cannot disgrace the Dragoons," Kain says.

Suddenly I remember something from outside the game. Cecil and Kain had both been raised by the King of Baron after their fathers' deaths. Maybe that's why disobeying him feels wrong for them both.

"Then will you—" Cecil begins.

"Baron is the mightiest country in the world. It's impossible for us to challenge his might alone. We must gather other countries and, you know, we must rescue Rosa too," Kain says.

"He's right. Committing treason is no simple task. We'll need reinforcements," I say.

"Thank you, Kain," Cecil says. "And you, Adrienne."

"Not for your sake," Kain adds. His comment completely surprises me.

Wait a second. Why did Kain say that? Could that remark have stemmed from his secret affection for Rosa?

He quickly changes the subject before I can reflect on it further.

"Anyways, let's get out of here fast," he says.

"What about the girl?" I ask.

"We can't leave her here alone!" Cecil says. He turns to the green-haired girl. I sense his protective instincts kicking in. "It's dangerous here. Come with us, okay?" He extends a hand to her.

"No!" She backs away, rejecting his offer.

"Let's take her!" Kain's suggestion doesn't help the situation.

"No! Go away!" The girl's voice shakes with fear and anger.

"Wait, please! We only want to protect you. It's not safe for you to stay here. Please come with us. I promise everything will be okay. Could you trust me, even if only for a moment?" I mirror Cecil's words in the hope that she might listen to me instead. She gazes into my eyes, blue on blue. Just as she moves one step closer, however, she looks at Cecil and Kain again. I've won her over, but they haven't.

"Go away! I hate you! I hate you all!" Without any warning, the girl engages us in battle. She uses her magic to summon Titan, a giant capable of creating powerful tremors underground. Unfortunately for the four of us, this action is a horrible mistake. Unleashing a spell called Quake, Titan rips apart both Mist and the surrounding mountains at their earthen seams. Beneath our feet, the ground shakes with such intensity that a massive rockslide occurs. Cecil, the girl, and I all collapse from the sheer power of the quake. Between the fiery destruction in the village and the tremors in the mountains, my heart races. Soon, the stress of the moment becomes so much that I lose consciousness.

Goodbye, Mist.

***

After an undetermined amount of time, I slowly sit up and clutch my head.

Am I dead? What happened?

Next to me, Cecil stirs. I crawl over to him and kneel by his side. After a moment, he sits up and groans.

"You okay?" I ask.

"Yeah," Cecil says. He stands up, then grabs hold of my hand and helps me stand. I see the girl lying motionless on the grass. I kneel down by her side and listen. I sigh in relief hearing her soft, shallow breaths.

She's alive!

"She's okay," I say. Cecil walks over and picks her up.

"Where are we?" Cecil asks.

"Outside Mist, I think," I say. Cecil doesn't respond. How can he? After everything that's happened, what can either of us say?

"She's quite powerful for someone so young," Cecil says.

"Indeed."

Suddenly, Cecil looks around frantically. One member of our party has gone missing.

"KAIN! Kain?! Kain!" Cecil's cries are futile. He sighs in defeat. "I can't stay here any longer. I have to escape from Baron with this girl."

"I'll come with you," I say.

"I hoped you would," Cecil says. I smile at him. With that, we venture out into the desert. Cecil carries the girl in his arms while I defend us from monsters. Luckily, there aren't many. We soon arrive at the town of Kaipo.

"She must rest," Cecil says. I nod in agreement. Worn and weary, we enter the inn.

"Welcome!" the innkeeper says. Upon seeing the exhausted young girl, he gasps. "Oh! Take her to the room! Hurry now!" Cecil inquires about the cost, but the innkeeper shakes his head. "Money? No, that's okay! Go ahead!"

"Thank you," Cecil says. I follow him into the room. He sets the girl down on one of the beds and tucks her in. She stirs.

"Hey. You're okay now. You're safe," I whisper to her. As I gently stroke her hair, a faint smile forms on her face. I leave her be after a moment and climb into my own bed as her eyes flutter open to look at Cecil.

"You okay?" Cecil asks her. She remains silent as she shifts to avoid his gaze. "I haven't heard your name yet," he tries again, hoping she'll at least speak to him. Still, she doesn't answer. I peer at Cecil from under my sheets. His helmet is under his arm and his head is hung in shame. His silver locks hide his face from me. "I'm sorry. I know I have done an awful thing. I can't ask for your forgiveness, but at least let me protect you. Please." Silence meets him again, so he gives up and walks over to me. I slowly open my eyes. Maybe it's my empathic nature, but I feel his guilt as my own.

"Hey, Cecil."

"Hello, Adrienne. Listen, I… I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess. Ever since I found you, I've wanted to protect you from harm, but all I've done is cast you into it."

"No, no! It's not your fault. I chose to come with you. Cecil, you're a good man. Your pure heart and moral compass have shown me that. You kept me safe even though I was a stranger to you. You betrayed your king because you knew that stealing crystals and murdering innocents wasn't right. You... are my friend. I trust you with my life. You have such a capacity for good. Please, understand." Once I finish, Cecil smiles, tears welling in his eyes. I blush.

"No one's ever told me that before. Thank you, Adrienne. Sweet dreams." He pets my head with his hand, then climbs into his own bed. We all fall asleep at last.

***

A few hours later, several loud thuds disturb our slumber. Without any warning, a group of Red Wing soldiers burst into the room. Cecil wakes instantly and stands against them, sword drawn. I shoot up.

"I finally found you, Cecil!" the main officer says.

"Wait!" Cecil says.

"What's going on?" I rise from my bed and raise my glowing hands.

"His Majesty decided that the callers of Mist are too dangerous to be left alive!" the officer explains.

"What?!" Cecil looks at the girl, who is also awake now, then back to the soldiers.

"Hand her over!"

"No!" Cecil says. We engage the men in battle right then and there. With a few well-timed strikes from Cecil's sword and some bolts of lightning from my hands, we dispatch the soldiers.

"Are you hurt, Adrienne?" Cecil asks, his eyes glancing over my body to look for injuries.

"N-No, I'm fine. Are you okay?" I ask.

"I'm fine, thank you," he says. Suddenly, the girl pipes up.

"Did I get you in trouble? I'm sorry," she says softly. Cecil doesn't answer. She... apologized to him?

"It's for me to apologize. I know you can't forgive me, but—"

"But you protected me! I'm... Rydia," she says. Cecil and I exchange smiles.

"I'm Adrienne. It's wonderful to meet you, Rydia," I say. She's now a member of our party. After such a frightening ordeal, we decide to sleep and explore the rest of town in the morning.

At dawn, we awaken once more and wander around Kaipo, checking out the wares. We speak with some of the town's residents and learn of an old man named Tellah who's supposedly traveling through a nearby cave. He seeks his daughter, Anna, who ran away with a bard. We stop by the armor and weapon shops to purchase some armor and a rod for Rydia. One man outside the inn informs us about an ill woman from Baron who'd been taken into a neighbor's house. Alarmed, Cecil asks which direction. We soon arrive at a house near the edge of town and enter to discover…

"Rosa!" Cecil cried. She lies in a bed, asleep and pale as the moon. He hurries to her side. Rosa's pretty blonde hair spills over her shoulders and her pink lips are slightly parted. I rest a hand on her forehead to find that she's burning up.

"Who is she?" Rydia asks curiously.

"Her name is Rosa. She's... Cecil's lover." I whisper.

"Oh," Rydia says. I speak with the man who found her collapsed outside of town.

"We need the SandRuby to cure her fever. The problem is that it's located in the den of a horrendous beast called Antlion," he says

"A SandRuby, you said? All right. Thank you very much, sir," I say.

"You are welcome," he says. Cecil holds Rosa's delicate, soft hand in his. She sleepily mumbles some words.

"Mmm... Cecil... D-Don't leave me, Cecil…"

Once he sees I have returned, Cecil faces me. He has removed his helmet again. I notice tears in his eyes, but he blinks them away. Neither of us says anything.

"Cecil?" I ask.

"What's wrong, Adrienne?"

"Let's go find the SandRuby," I say. His blue eyes light up.

"Yeah. We should find Tellah. Maybe he can help us."

"May I come with?" Rydia asks.

"Of course," I say.

With newfound determination, we set off to the nearby cave system where Tellah was last seen. I open the menu and save the game before we proceed. As we wander the surrounding desert, my mind is occupied with only one thought.

Don't worry, Rosa. We'll find the SandRuby.