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rose_in_winterPairings/Characters: Kain Highwind, plus cast
Rating: R (overall), PG-13 (this chapter)
Warnings: Spoilers. Violence and language. Occasional sexual content. Other warnings may apply that are not listed here.
Notes: This fic belongs to the Lucis Ante Terminum arc. Chapter list is here.
Summary: Though it is possible to return home, it is rarely possible to return affairs to their previous state. Sometimes the only course of action is to move forward.
Wordcount: 4000 this chapter.
Beta:celeloriel
The morning dawned crisp and clear. It was good weather for fighting. Kain rose early and armed himself as though to fight. He would not disobey Jalen's command, but neither would he be caught unprepared should someone slip through the lines and attempt to strike at Jalen. He would not let another King of Baron fall under his guard.
The camp held the quiet purpose that often settled over a military encampment before a big battle; the soldiers were ready to go, but in full control of themselves. Kain watched briefly as the units began to form up, and then went looking for the main actors in Edge's absurd plan.
Rydia, with an apparent sense of ceremony, had dressed in formal green robes and wore the circlet of the High Summoner. The rod she carried was an intricate masterwork of carved wood, metal lacing, and sparkling gems; Kain had no idea if it gave her any benefit in casting, but the presence of the thing was nearly tangible. Edge was a nondescript shadow barely visible behind her, with a hood pulled up to prevent the light from catching his hair. She was flanked on either side by Palom and Porom, in matching cloaks (a habit he had thought they had left behind some years ago, but perhaps, like Rydia's robes, it was a matter of ceremony.) Palom was all but vibrating in place with excitement, while Porom kept a wary eye on him. Together with Rydia and Solon, they marked the four points of the compass.
There was a dark blur on top of the walls of Mysidia that had not been there the day before; Kain knew, from observing them through a spyglass, that it was a number of the mages, assembled to defend their home.
"Begin," Rydia said.
Palom, Porom, and Solon began chanting. Edge faded from nearly-nothing to utter nothingness, presumably sliding away to begin his trek toward Mysidia. Rydia had insisted that their armies assemble at a sufficient distance to keep them safe from most spells, for Titan could cross the distance in the blink of an eye.
A goblin popped into existence next to Palom with an undignified squawk. Palom pointed toward Mysidia, and the goblin grumbled but set off at a trot, as fast as its gnarled, spindly legs would carry it.
Pop. Pop. Pop. Porom and Solon summoned more goblins, as did the rest of those who had fled Mysidia at Livius's coup. Soon the goblins were a massive grey and brown mass streaming toward the walls of Mysidia. This, the simplest of summoning spells, was all that Rydia had been able to teach them—the magic in their blood did not resonate with the Feymarch, she had said, and they could summon only those things that existed in the World Above. She herself summoned three times as many as they did, her hair and robes whipped by an obliging wind as she whispered syllables that buzzed in Kain's ears and screamed along his skin.
He was forced to admit that an army of goblins could betimes prove useful. Kain watched through his spyglass as the mages became aware of what approached and milled about in some confusion. Their faces were oddly blank. A few launched weak fire spells, and the two goblins farthest ahead fell, to be trampled by their brethren.
Thus far, the battle proceeded as planned.
The approaching army of goblins swelled, as the mages gulped down Ethers and summoned more. Kain wondered if they could truly banish so many goblins—and had a sudden, inappropriate urge to laugh at the thought of most of the world suddenly bereft of its goblin population as those goblins arrived here. He was nearly certain that among the mass were the oddly pink-tinged goblins they had encountered on the Moon; so their magic could reach that far.
The mages atop the walls were well and truly panicked; they seemed to be in an enthusiastic debate about what to do about the goblins. A few more spells left more goblin bodies on the ground, but those were quickly trampled beneath the swell of the army marching closer. They were nearly to the walls now.
Rydia drank another bottle of Ether and then raised her hands to the sky, a faint nimbus of electricity shimmering around her. Kain felt, more than heard, the distant rumble of an earthquake as Titan erupted from the ground, spraying loam and grass in all directions, and hurled an enormous boulder—summoned from he knew not where—at the walls of Mysidia. There was a thin, sharp sound like the cracking of winter ice over a lake. Titan hurled another boulder, and the ground beneath their feet shuddered violently. Kain swayed as though he stood on the deck of a ship in a storm; many of the mages lost their balance and fell.
A third boulder, and with a great shattering sound, the walls collapsed. Titan roared in triumph and vanished back into the earth, killing several goblins who had stumbled too close to the scar in the earth where he had appeared. The earth roiled and a wave spread out in a circle from Mysidia, sending most of the army tumbling to the ground, Kain included. The sea roared as a monstrous wave arose and threatened to wash them all away; Rydia's shouted incantation brought Leviathan roaring up to turn it back.
Rydia dropped to her knees, exhausted, though the expression on her face was triumphant. "That should give them something to think about," she said.
"Are you all right?" Kain struggled to his feet.
"I am fine," she said, and shifted until she sat more comfortably on the ground. Jalen seemed fine, back on his feet already (if indeed he had even fallen; he was agile) and shading his eyes to look at Mysidia. Kain looked through the spyglass and saw that many of the mages on the walls had simply stopped and stood still, as though they awaited orders and could not act without them.
The thought sent chills down his spine.
A gout of fire and lightning erupted atop the Tower of Prayer, the agreed-upon signal to indicate that Edge had been successful. Kain focused his spyglass there, and saw one of Eblan's ninjas climbing the tower, bearing a white flag. He smiled grimly and handed the spyglass over to Jalen, who let out a loud whoop and spun in place.
"I take it, then, that Edge's mad plan was successful," Yang said.
"It was," Kain said. "Are you ready?"
Yang nodded and turned to Solon. "Do you prefer to go in advance of us, or behind us?" he asked.
"We will go ahead," Solon said. "Palom, Porom, let's go."
White light shimmered around them as they cast Reflect spells upon themselves, and then they set off toward Mysidia, accompanied by several dozen of Yang's best monks. Yang had suggested that, since Fabul and Mysidia had been allies before Golbez's machinations had nearly set the entire world at war, Fabul's monks would accompany the exiles in their efforts to reclaim Mysidia. Solon had been pleased to accept the offer.
About twenty minutes later, Edge returned, leading a chocobo over which he had dumped the bound and rather unhappy Livius. He grinned and waved as he approached, and Kain watched, bemused.
"Could you not have imprisoned him in the city, Edge?" he asked, when the latter was close enough to hear his question without him having to shout.
Edge shrugged. "There were some pretty angry people there after I knocked him down," he said. "I thought it best not to give anyone an opportunity to do harm before we were able to talk to him. Somebody should make sure he can't use spells, though; pinning his shadow will only work for so long."
"I can do it," said one of Baron's young white mages, a boy whose name Kain had not learned. He shaped magic between his hands and flung it at Livius, perhaps more forcefully than was strictly necessary, but they all saw the band of white light wrap around his throat and build a lattice over his mouth, not unlike stitches. Kain raised an eyebrow. Rosa's silence spells had never looked like that; hers were more like a white cloud that caught all sound as it emerged.
Edge cleared his throat. "Thanks," he said cheerfully. "Definitely helpful. I'm gonna go put this guy somewhere he won't bother us until we've got time to deal with him."
"Do they require assistance in town?" Kain asked.
"Nah, they got it," Edge said. He put an arm around Rydia and kissed her enthusiastically. "Thanks for knocking down the wall."
"You're welcome," Rydia said. Edge left, leading the chocobo behind him, and she turned to look at the army of goblins, who appeared to mostly be dead. A last knot fell victim to Palom and Porom's Comet spell, and then there were no more goblins.
"That reached a more positive conclusion than the first goblin incident," Kain observed.
Rydia snorted. "Yes." She rubbed a hand across her eyes and sighed. "If we're going to be up half the night questioning Livius, I need to go get some sleep immediately."
"Do you wish escort back to your tent?" Kain offered out of habit.
Rydia stared at him blankly. "Are you—naturally, you're serious. No, Kain, I don't need an escort for the short walk. Thank you." She turned and started to walk toward the tent that she and Edge were sharing.
Kain admitted he was desperately curious about Livius's reasons, but he also did not entirely trust himself with the man. Rosa had been a shadow of herself since enacting the ritual that cured the plague; she went through the motions of governance and caring for Jalen and Sophia, but there was a blankness to her that unnerved him. She was alive, but she had as much life to her as one of Golbez's puppets, or perhaps Dr. Lugae's machinery. At times he wondered if she would trouble herself at all, were it not for her children.
Since such rumination accomplished nothing, he shook himself out of his meditative state and went in search of Jalen. It would be a long evening, and he wanted to be sure they were both well rested; Rydia's idea had been a wise one.
~*~
It was well past dark when Solon, Palom, and Porom returned from the city. They all looked weary, but pleased.
"So when do I get to punch Livius right in the nose?" Palom demanded as he leapt off his Chocobo. Kain thought his degree of energy almost obscene; even after some rest, he was simply weary. He missed Baron. He supposed he must be getting old.
"There will be no punching," Solon said, saving Porom from having to make what Kain guessed would have been much the same statement. "We are after information, not violence."
"Is there a good reason why we can't have both?" Palom asked.
"Yes," came the chorus of responses from all of the assembled leaders.
Palom sulked.
"Shall we begin?" Rydia asked. "I had him brought to the tactics tent—which has been cleared of all relevant information."
Kain preceded the others into the tent, his spear held at the ready. Livius sat, bound to a chair, glaring over the magic that yet sealed his tongue. Kain stepped aside so the others could enter the tent, led by the three Mysidians.
"He can hardly speak like that," Solon observed, "and yet I am loathe to give him weapons against us."
"I can bind him," Porom offered.
"I, too," Edge said, and Kain strongly suspected that beneath the mask, his smile had the same edge as one of his thin blades. "In fact, I would welcome the opportunity."
"Porom, please," Solon said.
She closed her eyes and murmured syllables that Kain recognized. His skin crawled and he fought the urge to flee; Golbez had used the Hold spell on him often enough that he could mouth the syllables along with a caster, if he so desired. He found himself icy cold despite the warm spring day, and clenched his hands until his gauntlets dug deep into his flesh to fight against the nausea that threatened.
He had thought that nightmare banished.
Cool blue light reached up from the floor and wrapped around Livius, slowing all his movements until they were nigh imperceptible. He eyed them all with cold disdain, not bothering to struggle.
Pity, that. Kain would have enjoyed the opportunity to teach him a lesson. It was a lesson that he did not wish to teach Jalen, however, so perhaps it was best that he did not have cause.
Edge unceremoniously tossed an Echo Screen so it hit Livius right in the nose, undoing the Silence spell.
"That was unnecessary," Rydia murmured.
"If I meant to hurt him with it, I would have," Edge replied, the picture of innocence.
Yang cleared his throat, and Edge and Rydia stopped bickering.
Solon eyed Livius with distaste. "Seven years ago, you murdered the Elder of Mysidia and took his place by treachery. This inquiry seeks to discern motive and means, and to adjudicate punishment."
Livius laughed, and rather than jolly and deep as Kain remembered it, his laugh sounded sharp and brutal. "So very formal, Solon," he mocked.
"Yes, well, trials tend to be," Edge remarked.
"Honesty might weigh favorably when considering leniency," Solon pointed out. Kain was impressed at how well he maintained his expression while lying. He would not have thought that Solon could lie so well.
The realization that he could was a bit disconcerting.
"You don't mean that," Livius said dismissively, "but I'll tell you anyway. Yes, I killed the Elder, and yes, I tried to have you killed. Yes, I have ruled Mysidia for the past seven years. I sent a plague carrier to Baron; unfortunately it seems I didn't kill nearly enough of them."
The chill that had seized Kain when Porom used the binding magic had faded; now it was growing. There was something terribly, awfully wrong here. The litany of Livius's crimes had been too easy to extract, and there was a cadence to his words that was naggingly familiar.
"I tried to have Baron's Regent killed when he came to Mysidia—of course he was just a captain in the Dragoons then," Livius added. "How perfect, murdering him with the magic he so fears and hates, but it was not to be."
Kain reminded himself that one of their purposes in this questioning session was to teach Jalen the rule of law. He would not do that by putting his spear through Livius's throat. Even if the memory of agony made his hands flex in his gauntlets.
"I'm impressed that Baron's Queen gave up her white magic for this," Livius added. "I suppose she had to display worth sometime."
Rage washed through him, red-hot, and he clenched his fists at his sides. He would not dishonor Baron by killing a bound man upon whom sentence had not yet been passed. He would not taint his father's legacy any farther than he already had.
"Stop baiting the Lord Regent," Rydia said, "or I will start burning your toes off one at a time, and we'll see how long it takes you to get to the point."
He reminded himself to thank her later; it would seem weakness now. It was weakness to have shown his reaction, even if it had not been dramatic. He needed more practice.
Livius sighed. "You have no appreciation for skill," he protested.
"I have no appreciation for those who would murder and manipulate for the sake of mere power," Jalen said contemptuously.
"Ah, yes, boy, and you would know ever so much about having to work for what you want," Livius said. "How are you enjoying the knowledge that your will will be law, your every whim something a nation jumps to satisfy?"
Kain held his breath.
"If a nation jumps to satisfy the fleeting whim of a ruler," Jalen said, his tone cold and deliberate, "that ruler is worthless of the title and should be unseated. As you were, and as you have been."
Kain had not thought him capable of delivering such contempt so calmly. Jalen kept surprising him in this campaign.
"Well said," Yang said after just long enough of a pause for Livius to lose his smug expression. "What did you do to the people of Mysidia?"
Livius tilted his head and smirked. "I have no idea what you mean," he protested, entirely too coy.
"When my monks spoke with them, they cheered desperately for Solon's return. They did not wish your rulership. Yet you enacted it with no one the wiser. I am told that most of them do not remember the past seven years. Some have children they were almost surprised to discover." Yang's voice had been surprisingly calm through this recitation of facts, something Kain doubted he would have accomplished himself if armed with such information. "So I ask you again, Livius: What did you do to them?"
"I told them my bidding," Livius said, and it was as though his voice echoed in a sickeningly familiar way, "and they did it."
He wanted to believe that it could not be so, that Livius could not possibly have been what he seemed—
"What happened to you?" Solon asked, with quiet despair. "You were never like this before."
Livius laughed, and yes, the edge to it was recognizable now. Golbez's had been a rumbling velvet-dark sound, and this was a sharper note, but the slick of magic underneath it was the same. Livius didn't need his spells to harm them; he needed only his voice. Kain gripped the hilt of Bahamut's Tooth where it hung at his side. If any of them showed signs of falling under his sway, he would strike.
And if he commands you first? asked a small voice in the back of his mind. He tried to ignore it.
"The Elder always liked you better," Livius said bitterly. "I carried his scrolls, recorded his experiments, did all his dirty work for years—and to what end? He was going to name you the next Elder. And you would fritter away Mysidia's glory the same as he did. We should have destroyed Baron when they came to seize our Crystal. We could have knocked their airship out of the sky, but the Elder would not act. We could have struck back after they defeated Golbez, and the Elder stayed his hand. None of you did a damned thing and then cozied right up to Baron the minute the threat was over, as though that would save any of you cowards!"
"Quite a little speech," Edge drawled, "which would be more impressive if your reasons were less ridiculous." Privately Kain thought Edge was quite wrong; Livius's reasons made all the sense in the world. "What you've not told us is how," Edge continued.
Livius shook his head. "I simply did as Master Zemus said," he said.
In the sudden silence, Kain thought he could hear the rustle of ocean waves on the shore, though they were inside and there was an army camp between them and the ocean. The silence was that profound.
"Zemus was defeated fifteen years ago," Jalen said with contempt. "Your delusion does you a disservice."
"So long as there is evil in the hearts of men, I will prevail," Zemus had said.
Kain saw from the looks on the other rulers' faces that they were not so sanguine as Jalen, and he was grateful.
"Have you anything else to say for yourself?" Yang asked.
"You are all a bunch of pathetic fools," Livius answered bitterly.
"Sage Solon, the verdict falls to you," Kain said.
Solon shook his head sorrowfully. "I truly regret that it came to this, old friend," he said, sounding weary. He looked at Palom and Porom, both of whom shook their heads. He sighed. "In the absence of a formally recognized Elder, I, Solon, am the senior Sage in Mysidia," he said. "For the misuse of magic, attacks upon Baron and Damcyan, the murder of the former Elder, the attempt upon the Lord Regent's life, I find that Livius has acted unlawfully many times over. Any one of these crimes would be grounds for execution; with all of them combined, regardless of protestations to mind-control, the sentence is obvious." He straightened up and met Livius's eyes directly. "Livius, for these crimes and others, I sentence you to die, no later than the coming dawn. You may have time to make your peace with the gods."
"I don't need it," Livius said contemptuously.
Solon nodded slowly. "King Edge, would you be so kind as to untie him from the chair? I wish to do this in Mysidia."
"Sure thing," Edge said.
It was a strange little procession that made its way to Mysidia: two Kings, a High Summoner, a Regent, a Crown Prince, and three mages whose exact legal positions were not yet certain, as well as one whose fate was set.
Half of Mysidia seemed to have gathered in and around the square in the center of town; Kain saw people packed onto the flat rooftops of the buildings and leaning out of windows. He saw a lot of bitterly angry faces, and wondered if their resentment was directed at Livius for his actions, or Solon for toppling him.
Livius was unceremoniously hauled off the chocobo on which he'd been brought back to Mysidia, and stood up in the center of the square. Porom's binding spell yet held. He did not move.
Solon raised a hand, and everyone fell silent.
"Livius has admitted to murdering the previous Elder, ruling unlawfully, unleashing plague upon other nations, and attempted murder upon a visiting diplomat," Solon said, and he had done something to make his voice permeate the area. Kain had no doubt the entire city could hear him, and admired the trick. "For these crimes, he will be executed. He has been offered, and has refused, a chance to make peace with the gods."
Solon drew the dagger he carried at his belt. Without another word, he drew it across Livius's throat, and stood watching as blood soaked his onetime friend's black robes. The corpse toppled to the ground, a pool of blood spreading beneath it.
Someone began to applaud. Someone else cheered, and it turned into a roar of approval.
Solon raised his hand again, and though silence was longer in coming, it did come.
"With the Elder dead and Livius gone," he said, "we will need to choose a new leader. The Council shall review the records of the Elder's requests as to successor and determine if they are still valid."
"Sage Solon," a woman from the crowd called out, "what of those who aided Livius of their own free will?"
Solon shook his head. "That is not for me to decide," he said. "However, any violations of law will be tried appropriately."
That set off a round of murmuring, which he forestalled by signaling for silence a third time.
"I would like to extend Mysidia's deepest thanks to the nations of Fabul, Eblan, Mist, and Baron," he continued, "for without their aid, we would have found it both much more difficult, and more damaging to the citizens of Mysidia, to bring Livius's unauthorized activities to a halt. These nations had no cause to aid us, and were promised no rewards, but they gave assistance unstintingly. We honor them." He bowed deeply, and another cheer rang out.
Kain bowed back, and saw that the others had as well.
"There is much to do," Solon continued, "and we had best get started. Thank you."
"What about Zemus?" Edge muttered, as the crowd started to move and disperse.
"Tomorrow," Rydia said firmly.
"Sage Solon, would you be able to speak with us tomorrow morning?" Edge asked.
"About Zemus?" The sage nodded. "Yes. I shall need to be here and available to our people, however."
"We will come to you," Yang assured him.
They exchanged pleasantries and all of them save the native Mysidians returned to the camp, but despite their victory, it seemed as though a black cloud hung over the camp.
Rating: R (overall), PG-13 (this chapter)
Warnings: Spoilers. Violence and language. Occasional sexual content. Other warnings may apply that are not listed here.
Notes: This fic belongs to the Lucis Ante Terminum arc. Chapter list is here.
Summary: Though it is possible to return home, it is rarely possible to return affairs to their previous state. Sometimes the only course of action is to move forward.
Wordcount: 4000 this chapter.
Beta:
celelorielThe morning dawned crisp and clear. It was good weather for fighting. Kain rose early and armed himself as though to fight. He would not disobey Jalen's command, but neither would he be caught unprepared should someone slip through the lines and attempt to strike at Jalen. He would not let another King of Baron fall under his guard.
The camp held the quiet purpose that often settled over a military encampment before a big battle; the soldiers were ready to go, but in full control of themselves. Kain watched briefly as the units began to form up, and then went looking for the main actors in Edge's absurd plan.
Rydia, with an apparent sense of ceremony, had dressed in formal green robes and wore the circlet of the High Summoner. The rod she carried was an intricate masterwork of carved wood, metal lacing, and sparkling gems; Kain had no idea if it gave her any benefit in casting, but the presence of the thing was nearly tangible. Edge was a nondescript shadow barely visible behind her, with a hood pulled up to prevent the light from catching his hair. She was flanked on either side by Palom and Porom, in matching cloaks (a habit he had thought they had left behind some years ago, but perhaps, like Rydia's robes, it was a matter of ceremony.) Palom was all but vibrating in place with excitement, while Porom kept a wary eye on him. Together with Rydia and Solon, they marked the four points of the compass.
There was a dark blur on top of the walls of Mysidia that had not been there the day before; Kain knew, from observing them through a spyglass, that it was a number of the mages, assembled to defend their home.
"Begin," Rydia said.
Palom, Porom, and Solon began chanting. Edge faded from nearly-nothing to utter nothingness, presumably sliding away to begin his trek toward Mysidia. Rydia had insisted that their armies assemble at a sufficient distance to keep them safe from most spells, for Titan could cross the distance in the blink of an eye.
A goblin popped into existence next to Palom with an undignified squawk. Palom pointed toward Mysidia, and the goblin grumbled but set off at a trot, as fast as its gnarled, spindly legs would carry it.
Pop. Pop. Pop. Porom and Solon summoned more goblins, as did the rest of those who had fled Mysidia at Livius's coup. Soon the goblins were a massive grey and brown mass streaming toward the walls of Mysidia. This, the simplest of summoning spells, was all that Rydia had been able to teach them—the magic in their blood did not resonate with the Feymarch, she had said, and they could summon only those things that existed in the World Above. She herself summoned three times as many as they did, her hair and robes whipped by an obliging wind as she whispered syllables that buzzed in Kain's ears and screamed along his skin.
He was forced to admit that an army of goblins could betimes prove useful. Kain watched through his spyglass as the mages became aware of what approached and milled about in some confusion. Their faces were oddly blank. A few launched weak fire spells, and the two goblins farthest ahead fell, to be trampled by their brethren.
Thus far, the battle proceeded as planned.
The approaching army of goblins swelled, as the mages gulped down Ethers and summoned more. Kain wondered if they could truly banish so many goblins—and had a sudden, inappropriate urge to laugh at the thought of most of the world suddenly bereft of its goblin population as those goblins arrived here. He was nearly certain that among the mass were the oddly pink-tinged goblins they had encountered on the Moon; so their magic could reach that far.
The mages atop the walls were well and truly panicked; they seemed to be in an enthusiastic debate about what to do about the goblins. A few more spells left more goblin bodies on the ground, but those were quickly trampled beneath the swell of the army marching closer. They were nearly to the walls now.
Rydia drank another bottle of Ether and then raised her hands to the sky, a faint nimbus of electricity shimmering around her. Kain felt, more than heard, the distant rumble of an earthquake as Titan erupted from the ground, spraying loam and grass in all directions, and hurled an enormous boulder—summoned from he knew not where—at the walls of Mysidia. There was a thin, sharp sound like the cracking of winter ice over a lake. Titan hurled another boulder, and the ground beneath their feet shuddered violently. Kain swayed as though he stood on the deck of a ship in a storm; many of the mages lost their balance and fell.
A third boulder, and with a great shattering sound, the walls collapsed. Titan roared in triumph and vanished back into the earth, killing several goblins who had stumbled too close to the scar in the earth where he had appeared. The earth roiled and a wave spread out in a circle from Mysidia, sending most of the army tumbling to the ground, Kain included. The sea roared as a monstrous wave arose and threatened to wash them all away; Rydia's shouted incantation brought Leviathan roaring up to turn it back.
Rydia dropped to her knees, exhausted, though the expression on her face was triumphant. "That should give them something to think about," she said.
"Are you all right?" Kain struggled to his feet.
"I am fine," she said, and shifted until she sat more comfortably on the ground. Jalen seemed fine, back on his feet already (if indeed he had even fallen; he was agile) and shading his eyes to look at Mysidia. Kain looked through the spyglass and saw that many of the mages on the walls had simply stopped and stood still, as though they awaited orders and could not act without them.
The thought sent chills down his spine.
A gout of fire and lightning erupted atop the Tower of Prayer, the agreed-upon signal to indicate that Edge had been successful. Kain focused his spyglass there, and saw one of Eblan's ninjas climbing the tower, bearing a white flag. He smiled grimly and handed the spyglass over to Jalen, who let out a loud whoop and spun in place.
"I take it, then, that Edge's mad plan was successful," Yang said.
"It was," Kain said. "Are you ready?"
Yang nodded and turned to Solon. "Do you prefer to go in advance of us, or behind us?" he asked.
"We will go ahead," Solon said. "Palom, Porom, let's go."
White light shimmered around them as they cast Reflect spells upon themselves, and then they set off toward Mysidia, accompanied by several dozen of Yang's best monks. Yang had suggested that, since Fabul and Mysidia had been allies before Golbez's machinations had nearly set the entire world at war, Fabul's monks would accompany the exiles in their efforts to reclaim Mysidia. Solon had been pleased to accept the offer.
About twenty minutes later, Edge returned, leading a chocobo over which he had dumped the bound and rather unhappy Livius. He grinned and waved as he approached, and Kain watched, bemused.
"Could you not have imprisoned him in the city, Edge?" he asked, when the latter was close enough to hear his question without him having to shout.
Edge shrugged. "There were some pretty angry people there after I knocked him down," he said. "I thought it best not to give anyone an opportunity to do harm before we were able to talk to him. Somebody should make sure he can't use spells, though; pinning his shadow will only work for so long."
"I can do it," said one of Baron's young white mages, a boy whose name Kain had not learned. He shaped magic between his hands and flung it at Livius, perhaps more forcefully than was strictly necessary, but they all saw the band of white light wrap around his throat and build a lattice over his mouth, not unlike stitches. Kain raised an eyebrow. Rosa's silence spells had never looked like that; hers were more like a white cloud that caught all sound as it emerged.
Edge cleared his throat. "Thanks," he said cheerfully. "Definitely helpful. I'm gonna go put this guy somewhere he won't bother us until we've got time to deal with him."
"Do they require assistance in town?" Kain asked.
"Nah, they got it," Edge said. He put an arm around Rydia and kissed her enthusiastically. "Thanks for knocking down the wall."
"You're welcome," Rydia said. Edge left, leading the chocobo behind him, and she turned to look at the army of goblins, who appeared to mostly be dead. A last knot fell victim to Palom and Porom's Comet spell, and then there were no more goblins.
"That reached a more positive conclusion than the first goblin incident," Kain observed.
Rydia snorted. "Yes." She rubbed a hand across her eyes and sighed. "If we're going to be up half the night questioning Livius, I need to go get some sleep immediately."
"Do you wish escort back to your tent?" Kain offered out of habit.
Rydia stared at him blankly. "Are you—naturally, you're serious. No, Kain, I don't need an escort for the short walk. Thank you." She turned and started to walk toward the tent that she and Edge were sharing.
Kain admitted he was desperately curious about Livius's reasons, but he also did not entirely trust himself with the man. Rosa had been a shadow of herself since enacting the ritual that cured the plague; she went through the motions of governance and caring for Jalen and Sophia, but there was a blankness to her that unnerved him. She was alive, but she had as much life to her as one of Golbez's puppets, or perhaps Dr. Lugae's machinery. At times he wondered if she would trouble herself at all, were it not for her children.
Since such rumination accomplished nothing, he shook himself out of his meditative state and went in search of Jalen. It would be a long evening, and he wanted to be sure they were both well rested; Rydia's idea had been a wise one.
~*~
It was well past dark when Solon, Palom, and Porom returned from the city. They all looked weary, but pleased.
"So when do I get to punch Livius right in the nose?" Palom demanded as he leapt off his Chocobo. Kain thought his degree of energy almost obscene; even after some rest, he was simply weary. He missed Baron. He supposed he must be getting old.
"There will be no punching," Solon said, saving Porom from having to make what Kain guessed would have been much the same statement. "We are after information, not violence."
"Is there a good reason why we can't have both?" Palom asked.
"Yes," came the chorus of responses from all of the assembled leaders.
Palom sulked.
"Shall we begin?" Rydia asked. "I had him brought to the tactics tent—which has been cleared of all relevant information."
Kain preceded the others into the tent, his spear held at the ready. Livius sat, bound to a chair, glaring over the magic that yet sealed his tongue. Kain stepped aside so the others could enter the tent, led by the three Mysidians.
"He can hardly speak like that," Solon observed, "and yet I am loathe to give him weapons against us."
"I can bind him," Porom offered.
"I, too," Edge said, and Kain strongly suspected that beneath the mask, his smile had the same edge as one of his thin blades. "In fact, I would welcome the opportunity."
"Porom, please," Solon said.
She closed her eyes and murmured syllables that Kain recognized. His skin crawled and he fought the urge to flee; Golbez had used the Hold spell on him often enough that he could mouth the syllables along with a caster, if he so desired. He found himself icy cold despite the warm spring day, and clenched his hands until his gauntlets dug deep into his flesh to fight against the nausea that threatened.
He had thought that nightmare banished.
Cool blue light reached up from the floor and wrapped around Livius, slowing all his movements until they were nigh imperceptible. He eyed them all with cold disdain, not bothering to struggle.
Pity, that. Kain would have enjoyed the opportunity to teach him a lesson. It was a lesson that he did not wish to teach Jalen, however, so perhaps it was best that he did not have cause.
Edge unceremoniously tossed an Echo Screen so it hit Livius right in the nose, undoing the Silence spell.
"That was unnecessary," Rydia murmured.
"If I meant to hurt him with it, I would have," Edge replied, the picture of innocence.
Yang cleared his throat, and Edge and Rydia stopped bickering.
Solon eyed Livius with distaste. "Seven years ago, you murdered the Elder of Mysidia and took his place by treachery. This inquiry seeks to discern motive and means, and to adjudicate punishment."
Livius laughed, and rather than jolly and deep as Kain remembered it, his laugh sounded sharp and brutal. "So very formal, Solon," he mocked.
"Yes, well, trials tend to be," Edge remarked.
"Honesty might weigh favorably when considering leniency," Solon pointed out. Kain was impressed at how well he maintained his expression while lying. He would not have thought that Solon could lie so well.
The realization that he could was a bit disconcerting.
"You don't mean that," Livius said dismissively, "but I'll tell you anyway. Yes, I killed the Elder, and yes, I tried to have you killed. Yes, I have ruled Mysidia for the past seven years. I sent a plague carrier to Baron; unfortunately it seems I didn't kill nearly enough of them."
The chill that had seized Kain when Porom used the binding magic had faded; now it was growing. There was something terribly, awfully wrong here. The litany of Livius's crimes had been too easy to extract, and there was a cadence to his words that was naggingly familiar.
"I tried to have Baron's Regent killed when he came to Mysidia—of course he was just a captain in the Dragoons then," Livius added. "How perfect, murdering him with the magic he so fears and hates, but it was not to be."
Kain reminded himself that one of their purposes in this questioning session was to teach Jalen the rule of law. He would not do that by putting his spear through Livius's throat. Even if the memory of agony made his hands flex in his gauntlets.
"I'm impressed that Baron's Queen gave up her white magic for this," Livius added. "I suppose she had to display worth sometime."
Rage washed through him, red-hot, and he clenched his fists at his sides. He would not dishonor Baron by killing a bound man upon whom sentence had not yet been passed. He would not taint his father's legacy any farther than he already had.
"Stop baiting the Lord Regent," Rydia said, "or I will start burning your toes off one at a time, and we'll see how long it takes you to get to the point."
He reminded himself to thank her later; it would seem weakness now. It was weakness to have shown his reaction, even if it had not been dramatic. He needed more practice.
Livius sighed. "You have no appreciation for skill," he protested.
"I have no appreciation for those who would murder and manipulate for the sake of mere power," Jalen said contemptuously.
"Ah, yes, boy, and you would know ever so much about having to work for what you want," Livius said. "How are you enjoying the knowledge that your will will be law, your every whim something a nation jumps to satisfy?"
Kain held his breath.
"If a nation jumps to satisfy the fleeting whim of a ruler," Jalen said, his tone cold and deliberate, "that ruler is worthless of the title and should be unseated. As you were, and as you have been."
Kain had not thought him capable of delivering such contempt so calmly. Jalen kept surprising him in this campaign.
"Well said," Yang said after just long enough of a pause for Livius to lose his smug expression. "What did you do to the people of Mysidia?"
Livius tilted his head and smirked. "I have no idea what you mean," he protested, entirely too coy.
"When my monks spoke with them, they cheered desperately for Solon's return. They did not wish your rulership. Yet you enacted it with no one the wiser. I am told that most of them do not remember the past seven years. Some have children they were almost surprised to discover." Yang's voice had been surprisingly calm through this recitation of facts, something Kain doubted he would have accomplished himself if armed with such information. "So I ask you again, Livius: What did you do to them?"
"I told them my bidding," Livius said, and it was as though his voice echoed in a sickeningly familiar way, "and they did it."
He wanted to believe that it could not be so, that Livius could not possibly have been what he seemed—
"What happened to you?" Solon asked, with quiet despair. "You were never like this before."
Livius laughed, and yes, the edge to it was recognizable now. Golbez's had been a rumbling velvet-dark sound, and this was a sharper note, but the slick of magic underneath it was the same. Livius didn't need his spells to harm them; he needed only his voice. Kain gripped the hilt of Bahamut's Tooth where it hung at his side. If any of them showed signs of falling under his sway, he would strike.
And if he commands you first? asked a small voice in the back of his mind. He tried to ignore it.
"The Elder always liked you better," Livius said bitterly. "I carried his scrolls, recorded his experiments, did all his dirty work for years—and to what end? He was going to name you the next Elder. And you would fritter away Mysidia's glory the same as he did. We should have destroyed Baron when they came to seize our Crystal. We could have knocked their airship out of the sky, but the Elder would not act. We could have struck back after they defeated Golbez, and the Elder stayed his hand. None of you did a damned thing and then cozied right up to Baron the minute the threat was over, as though that would save any of you cowards!"
"Quite a little speech," Edge drawled, "which would be more impressive if your reasons were less ridiculous." Privately Kain thought Edge was quite wrong; Livius's reasons made all the sense in the world. "What you've not told us is how," Edge continued.
Livius shook his head. "I simply did as Master Zemus said," he said.
In the sudden silence, Kain thought he could hear the rustle of ocean waves on the shore, though they were inside and there was an army camp between them and the ocean. The silence was that profound.
"Zemus was defeated fifteen years ago," Jalen said with contempt. "Your delusion does you a disservice."
"So long as there is evil in the hearts of men, I will prevail," Zemus had said.
Kain saw from the looks on the other rulers' faces that they were not so sanguine as Jalen, and he was grateful.
"Have you anything else to say for yourself?" Yang asked.
"You are all a bunch of pathetic fools," Livius answered bitterly.
"Sage Solon, the verdict falls to you," Kain said.
Solon shook his head sorrowfully. "I truly regret that it came to this, old friend," he said, sounding weary. He looked at Palom and Porom, both of whom shook their heads. He sighed. "In the absence of a formally recognized Elder, I, Solon, am the senior Sage in Mysidia," he said. "For the misuse of magic, attacks upon Baron and Damcyan, the murder of the former Elder, the attempt upon the Lord Regent's life, I find that Livius has acted unlawfully many times over. Any one of these crimes would be grounds for execution; with all of them combined, regardless of protestations to mind-control, the sentence is obvious." He straightened up and met Livius's eyes directly. "Livius, for these crimes and others, I sentence you to die, no later than the coming dawn. You may have time to make your peace with the gods."
"I don't need it," Livius said contemptuously.
Solon nodded slowly. "King Edge, would you be so kind as to untie him from the chair? I wish to do this in Mysidia."
"Sure thing," Edge said.
It was a strange little procession that made its way to Mysidia: two Kings, a High Summoner, a Regent, a Crown Prince, and three mages whose exact legal positions were not yet certain, as well as one whose fate was set.
Half of Mysidia seemed to have gathered in and around the square in the center of town; Kain saw people packed onto the flat rooftops of the buildings and leaning out of windows. He saw a lot of bitterly angry faces, and wondered if their resentment was directed at Livius for his actions, or Solon for toppling him.
Livius was unceremoniously hauled off the chocobo on which he'd been brought back to Mysidia, and stood up in the center of the square. Porom's binding spell yet held. He did not move.
Solon raised a hand, and everyone fell silent.
"Livius has admitted to murdering the previous Elder, ruling unlawfully, unleashing plague upon other nations, and attempted murder upon a visiting diplomat," Solon said, and he had done something to make his voice permeate the area. Kain had no doubt the entire city could hear him, and admired the trick. "For these crimes, he will be executed. He has been offered, and has refused, a chance to make peace with the gods."
Solon drew the dagger he carried at his belt. Without another word, he drew it across Livius's throat, and stood watching as blood soaked his onetime friend's black robes. The corpse toppled to the ground, a pool of blood spreading beneath it.
Someone began to applaud. Someone else cheered, and it turned into a roar of approval.
Solon raised his hand again, and though silence was longer in coming, it did come.
"With the Elder dead and Livius gone," he said, "we will need to choose a new leader. The Council shall review the records of the Elder's requests as to successor and determine if they are still valid."
"Sage Solon," a woman from the crowd called out, "what of those who aided Livius of their own free will?"
Solon shook his head. "That is not for me to decide," he said. "However, any violations of law will be tried appropriately."
That set off a round of murmuring, which he forestalled by signaling for silence a third time.
"I would like to extend Mysidia's deepest thanks to the nations of Fabul, Eblan, Mist, and Baron," he continued, "for without their aid, we would have found it both much more difficult, and more damaging to the citizens of Mysidia, to bring Livius's unauthorized activities to a halt. These nations had no cause to aid us, and were promised no rewards, but they gave assistance unstintingly. We honor them." He bowed deeply, and another cheer rang out.
Kain bowed back, and saw that the others had as well.
"There is much to do," Solon continued, "and we had best get started. Thank you."
"What about Zemus?" Edge muttered, as the crowd started to move and disperse.
"Tomorrow," Rydia said firmly.
"Sage Solon, would you be able to speak with us tomorrow morning?" Edge asked.
"About Zemus?" The sage nodded. "Yes. I shall need to be here and available to our people, however."
"We will come to you," Yang assured him.
They exchanged pleasantries and all of them save the native Mysidians returned to the camp, but despite their victory, it seemed as though a black cloud hung over the camp.