The Holy Crest (Part II)
The egg was huge but surprisingly light in his hands. It was hard to remain calm as Ky slowly progressed over the rocky terrain of the Meriphetaud Mountains with his precious ward. He had come from deep within the Maze of Shakrami, from the lowest caverns, where he had found the egg just as Chametidot had said. Deep under the earth, he had found the ancient sleeping place of the unborn wyverns…
Ky guessed that almost no one knew of the Maze’s true purpose. Who knew what Sir Rahal would do with that knowledge… After this business was done, Ky would have to get to the truth of the knights’ scandal. He refused to awaken this creature just to have it hunted by the Royal Captain. But for now, Ky was back out in the open, moving as hastily as he dared in his northward trek through the mountains.
Not far off, Drogagora’s Spine loomed across the scenery. The strange white edifice ran along the entire range before its end, which ran underground and out of sight. It was made of some pale material that was not quite rock, but also something like bone, and its function was all but lost to the present day. Other strange monuments made of the same odd material were scattered all around Vana’diel, all unknown in purpose and origin.
However, Chametidot had said that placing the egg at the end of the Spine would awaken it - that was all Ky needed to know.
Keeping careful grip on the egg in his arms, the warrior stepped delicately towards his goal. The ground surrounding the Spine was pushed up and aside, as if the massive white object had slammed into the mountains with great force. It was still hotly debated whether or not the Spine’s creators had meant for the monument to go underground, but it seemed a pointless argument until its purpose was uncovered.
Ky crossed the sundered earth and knelt before the Spine, feeling a quick surge of nervousness. There was nothing he could do beyond what he was instructed - it was up to fate now. Before he could hesitate any further, Kymareon forced himself to reach out and set the egg down, nestled against the white monument that reached out to the sky.
For a few moments, nothing happened, and it was silent save for the whistle of wind through the mountains. Against that sound rose a high-pitched whine, which reached a nigh-imperceptible buzz against the Elvaan’s hearing as the air itself seemed to crackle with energy.
Ky gave a start as a large crack split across the pale shell, splitting put in a fractured web. The egg trembled, and Ky took a panicky step forward, unsure of what he could do, if anything, to help it along.
Then a section of shell fell away, and a thin, dark blue limb poked out, the scaly digits tipped with small white claws. The egg gave another shake, and with the shell gave way as the hatchling inside tumbled free.
The Elvaan watched with wide eyes as the wyvern worked to right itself. The little dragon was surprisingly small, coming a bit higher than Ky’s ankle as it stood on all four legs. A line of short spines ran down its back, and it was covered in mottled dark spots over its long, slender body. The hatchling shook its head as it wrapped its long tail around itself, looking up to Ky. Its dark eyes were almost expectant.
Ky himself, however, was frozen on the spot - what was he supposed to do now? Pick it up? Or would it simply follow him? Would it get tired? It had only just been born, after all… The wyvern cocked its head to the side, watching the Elvaan’s panicked deliberations.
“You’ve done it,” said a slow voice. Both Ky and the wyvern looked up at the comment as Chametidot strode easily over the rocky terrain, his long robes dragging through the dirt. As before, his hood was pulled up over his face, but the friar’s robes didn’t seem to hinder his movements at all. “You’ve brought another wyvern into this world…”
There was an intensity in his voice that bothered Ky. “I have, as per your instruction,” the warrior acknowledged, watching as the other man approached the little dragon.
“Now…” Chametidot said roughly, and the moment seemed to stretch on forever as the man threw back his robe, revealing a broken lance, the hilt snapped off shortly after the spearhead. Before Ky could even react, the other Elvaan was already lunging downward, striking the wyvern across its side with the weapon.
“What?! What are you doing?!” Ky shouted, dashing towards them as he swung the greataxe into his hands.
“Stay back!” shouted the Elvaan, raising the bloodied, broken spear and pointing it to Ky. “The wyvern will live. It’s useless to me dead.” The man gave the crumpled blue form at his feet a quick glance, but never lowered his lance.
“Who are you, villain?” Ky snarled, keeping his own weapon raised for battle as well. This Elvaan was obviously not the friar he had pretended to be - underneath the robes he had been wearing battered knight’s chainmail, and he held the spear with a noticeable familiarity. His face was still completely covered underneath the heavy armored helm.
“You’ve been a most useful pawn, Sir Aulledreaux,” the Elvaan sneered, ignoring the queries. “But now, your part in this is most decidedly over - ”
“Cyranuce!” interrupted an angry shout, and the knight turned towards the sound, genuinely surprised. Ky recognized Sir Rahal, the Royal Knight captain, as he sprinted forward with his sword raised. But what he had said…
“Cyranuce…?” Ky repeated, regarding the strange Elvaan with a shocked air. “You are…”
“I did not anticipate you seeking out another to do your work,” Rahal said to Cyranuce coldly, ignoring Ky.
“Oh, the incident in the Oubliette worked to my advantage,” Cyranuce replied smugly, looking to Rahal with a casual air but still keeping the spear pointed at Ky. “That fool of a beastmaster lost control of his familiar, and it was his mangled body the guards found. How fortunate they believed it to be me - dead men have quite a lot of freedom.”
“I always suspected you were alive…” Rahal answered flatly.
“And you followed me quite stubbornly,” Cyranuce added agreeably. “Always the thorn in my side, Rahal. But now even you are too late.” He raised the broken spear, still dripping with the wyvern’s blood. “This new wyrm will restore my power, and I will bond with it with only hatred in my heart.” In one smooth motion, he wiped the flat of the spearhead across his free hand, and as the blood touched him it seemed to fade away almost instantly. “This wyvern will grow knowing only revenge, and I will show Vana’diel the power of the dragoons…”
Spurred into action by the words, Ky lunged forward, swinging the long-handled axe as hard as he could. Cyranuce sidestepped and dodged easily, but Rahal also took the opportunity to attack. The dragoon was driven back as he evaded the blows, away from the wyvern’s still form.
Reaching out his hand, Cyranuce seemed to open some sort of dark portal directly behind him. “Do you think this changes anything, Rahal?” he spat as backed into his escape. “Keep the wyvern - I insist. I’ve taken what I need already.” The black portal closed around him, and Cyranuce was gone.
Hastily Rahal approached the wyvern’s motionless form, cautiously pressing the back of his hand against its head. Frowning, the knight stood and raised his sword to strike.
“Stop!” Ky demanded, rushing forward with his axe raised.
“Silence, fool!” Rahal snapped, prudently taking a few steps back. “The hatchling still lives. After I destroy it, we will track Cyranuce down and stop this insidious plot.”
“Kill the hatchling, and I will do no such thing!” Ky pressed recklessly. “It has done nothing to deserve this fate.”
The knight’s face darkened, and for a moment Ky thought that Rahal might strike the wyvern anyways. Instead, he sheathed his sword and cautiously bent to carry the creature. “As if you have any room to barter. You were the one Cyranuce was using!” Rahal spat angrily. “But our first order of business is not the wyvern. We’ll discuss its fate later, then.”
“Where did Cyranuce go?” Ky ventured as Rahal adjusted his arms around the injured hatchling.
“San d’Oria,” Rahal answered shortly. “To Fort Ghelbsa, to be precise. He’s headed to Balga’s Dais, the dark shrine inside the fort. He’ll use the power of the cursed seal there to finalize his transformation.” The knight reached back and pulled out a piece of paper - Ky recognized the dark, elaborate script of a magic spell. A scroll of Warp, allowing the use of magic for those who had not the talent to do it on their own. “Meet back at the Kingdom, adventurer. The fountain at the Parade Grounds. We must finish what you and Cyranuce started.” He tore the scroll, releasing the magic, and the spell enveloped him as he disappeared, back to the Kingdom. Ky was left alone on the craggy grounds of the mountains.
Kymareon stalked over the paved stone of the city’s southern quarter. This time any musings he might have over his former home were lost in a wave of anxiety. Distractedly he searched over the trees in the courtyard, but Freeman was long gone. The red mage would have been an invaluable ally - both in helping halt Cyranuce and also ensuring the wyvern’s safety from Rahal afterwards. But Ky had no time to search for his comrade - he would just have to go alone.
Without hesitation he passed through the massive stone gate to the northern district. The expansive Parade Grounds spread out before him, and on the far side, the silhouettes of the Chateau d’Oraguille and Cathedral stretched out into the mist.
At the center of the grounds was the stone fountain, and standing next to it, arms crossed impatiently, was Rahal. Ky hurried over to the waiting knight. “Where is the -”
“The wyvern lives. I assure you, we have much more to worry about,” Rahal answered curtly, not bothering to hide his irritation.
Ky didn’t answer; somehow, he knew that Rahal was telling the truth about the wyvern’s safety. “We make for Ghelbsa, then?” he finally offered.
Rahal said nothing, looking almost torn for a fleeting moment, then nodded. Wordlessly he turned and began to walk away. Ky followed, knowing they were headed out of the western gate at the far edge of the city, back into the forests of Ronfaure.
Ky wasn’t concerned about the walk to the Orcish fort - between he and Rahal, any foe they met would be the unlucky one. He kept his thoughts to himself as they exited the city. Silently the two Elvaan made their way into the dark expanse of the foggy wood, following a faded trail between the trees. Not another soul was to be seen, and Ky could hold his tongue no longer.
“You killed Cyranuce’s wyvern. You ended the order of dragoons…” the warrior finally spoke, breathing in the foggy air of the forest.
Walking ahead of him, Rahal made a disgusted noise. “You know nothing,” the knight declared coolly. “Please refrain from entertaining your notions on mindless gossip.”
“What part is untrue?!” Ky exclaimed, quickening his pace to close the gap between he and the knight. “Is Cyranuce’s madness some sort of product of what happened -”
“It was he that chose this path!” Rahal shouted, stopping dead in his tracks to face Ky angrily. “Before all this insanity, Cyranuce was my friend! I do not do this willingly!”
The foggy forest around them seemed to dampen the heat in his words, but that somehow made his obvious grief worse. A few moments of tense silence passed, until Rahal, obviously regretting his loss of self-control, abruptly turned and began to walk forward again. Ky followed meekly, knowing he had assumed too much and feeling terrible for it.
Much to his surprise, it wasn’t long before Rahal spoke again. “Wyverns are interesting creatures,” he offered, his voice sounding hoarse and tired. “Their hearts do not lay hidden like other denizens of Vana’diel, even the children of Altana. When one is turned evil, a dark crest appears on its head. When it is pure, a holy crest is shown.” He didn’t continue.
In light of this new information, Ky couldn’t help but respond. “If so, then wouldn’t it be possible to tell which wyverns should be felled and which to leave to their masters?”
“If only it were that easy,” Rahal said bluntly. “Their hearts can change just as any other creature’s. In addition, the peculiarity of their mental bonds between wyvern and dragoon leave both vulnerable to each other’s darkness.” As they walked the knight tensed visibly. “I’ll never forget the day Cyranuce’s wyvern bore the dark crest, and my friend went mad. Even after I had slain the beast, still into insanity he fell. Even today, I wonder… was it his wyvern which unleashed this darkness… or was it Cyranuce?”
With a heavy heart Kymareon finally realized the past between Rahal and the dragoon he had battled. The rumors spoke of envy and malice, but the knight had only been acting to save his friend from madness.
“That is why the new hatchling must not live,” Rahal added shortly. “If Cyranuce could lose himself to the darkness, then what of this? The power is not worth the risk that bond brings.”
Ky didn’t want to pick another fight, but he completely disagreed with Rahal’s logic. “That wyvern is not evil, and for all we know, it may never be,” he said evenly. “Is that justice not a bit premature?”
Rahal’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t anger. “An easy thing for you to say, as one who was not witness to the transformation. As one who does not have to slay a friend...”
Ky kept his mouth shut, realizing he was testing the other’s patience once again. The knight was obviously agonizing over Cyranuce’s fate, rightfully so, and Ky didn’t want to push him into further distress. There was probably going to be a battle, and Rahal was obviously forcing himself to stay calm in light of this fact.
The forest slowly cleared into jagged stumps and crude spiked ramparts, marking the edge of Orcish territory - the closest enemy encampment to the capitol. The two Elvaan made their way up the narrow path, into the fort that was constructed up the mountain. The more powerful officers deep inside were likely to be a danger, but the scattered guards in the outermost section would be little challenge to either man.
However, Rahal had said that Cyranuce would be headed for the dark seals enshrined at Balga’s Dais at the innermost sanctum, deep inside the caverns of the mountain. Ky bit back his apprehension and continued to follow the knight. If they were going to Balga’s Dais, they would be in for quite a hard journey getting there…
“When we find Cyranuce…” Rahal spoke, breaking the silence. “Pay no mind to what he may say to you.”
“I… shall…” Ky agreed slowly, noting the odd tone in the knight’s voice. “But why the concern? I have little care as the what he might think of me.”
“I see,” Rahal responded, obviously choosing his words carefully. “Pray keep that in mind. That man will try to -”
A hideous scream broke through the rocky crags of the fort. Both men froze at the sound, a bloodchilling mix of man and beast. “It’s - ” Rahal began desperately, dashing ahead. “Come! Altana send we are not too late!”
Ky managed to keep up as they darted between the rough fences and spiked walls the Orcs had built. He almost tripped as another scream sounded, following Rahal as they ran past a crude piked fence and up a steep path that lead even farther up the mountain. The Orces had constructed ramshackle huts in the flat area, but none of the grotesque beastmen were to be found. They probably had enough sense to stay away, Ky mused to himself as he bore witness to the scene.
At the center of the area, between the makeshift buildings, was a massive black dragon. Its body was sickly thin, its limbs bony and twisted. The pale, milky eyes rolled up to greet them as they approached, and its mouth slowly opened, revealing a jumble of tangled fangs.
Ky slowed his pace and stared at the beast, unsure of what exactly this creature meant for he and Rahal, but the captain was already drawing his sword. “Go, Kymareon! He must be defeated!”
Numbly Ky swung out his massive greataxe, staggering forward and striking a harsh blow. The dragon lifted its knobby paw to parry the blow, screaming as the axe head bit into its scaly skin. Just as quickly, Rahal charged forward and attacked the beast from the side, the sword blade slicing into its shoulder.
Ky tugged the axe free and stepped backwards, mind racing to formulate his next attack. With this greataxe, he wasn’t as nimble, but the weapon’s power - the dragon turned and moved to swipe Rahal with its sharp talons, momentarily disregarding Ky. The warrior took his chance, sidestepping and then lunging forward. Swinging the axe down as hard as he could, Ky struck the dragon in its side, just behind its front leg. Screeching, the beast shook itself, jarring the axe loose from its body. It turned sharply and swiping Ky with the back of its paw. The warrior was flung back with the blow, losing his grip on his weapon in the stun of the blow.
As Ky righted himself and recollected his bearings, Rahal continued his attack, stabbing and slashing the dark dragon relentlessly. Grabbing his axe, Ky once again joined the fray. The creature could not focus on them both at once, but it could still severely injure the Elvaan it was attacking at that time.
It struck at Rahal, and the knight braced himself against the blow, staggering back nonetheless from the power of the attack. Ky saw the scarlet of blood trickling down the side of Rahal’s head, and felt his own left arm’s protesting pain as he raised his massive weapon to attack.
The dragon snarled and lunged forward to snap at Rahal, and Ky took the opening to slam the axe’s blade into the beast’s neck, just above the shoulder. It screamed and thrashed, whipping its long tail around from the back. The tail slammed into both Elvaan hard, knocking them off their feet. Rahal was thrown a ways farther back than Ky, and snarling and screaming, the dragon seemed indecisive about which prey it wanted to pursue first.
“Rahal!” Ky shouted toward the still form of the knight. He forced himself up despite the dizzying pain, and willed desperately for the other to rise as well. The dark dragon seemed to not even notice Ky as it advanced to the Royal Knight, snarling almost eagerly.
Ignoring his body’s complaints, Ky raised his greataxe and charged to intercept the attack. The curved axe head hit the dragon square in the chest as it met Ky, but the Elvaan somehow held his ground. Using both hands on the handle to keep his foe at bay, Ky shouted, “Rahal - Rahal! Rise!” He could feel his strength slipping…
From behind him the knight attacked, stabbing his sword forward just over Ky’s shoulder, hitting the dragon in the throat. The force against Ky’s axe lessened, then fell, and he slowly lowered his weapon. The dragon swayed for just a moment, then collapsed.
From beside him, Ky heard Rahal say softly, “It’s over…” He did not sound pleased to say it.
Before Ky could inquire, a strange, nebulous haze rose up from the creature’s body, dark and thick, obscuring the dragon’s body in mere moments. “W-what?” Ky stammered, taking a quick step backwards. “What is this…?!”
Rahal said nothing, only watched the phenomenon with weary eyes.
After a moment the haze cleared, but it was not the dragon’s body that remained.
It was Cyranuce.
“Poor fools…” the dragoon rasped, looking up at them from where he lay. All of the wounds inflicted on the dragon - the slashes on side and shoulders, the gashes on the chest and neck - were all sickeningly present in splashes of crimson on the Elvaan’s body. “We’re all… poor fools…”
“Cyra!” Rahal exclaimed, rushing to kneel at the other Elvaan’s side. “Here, you must take it! Quickly!” Hastily he retrieved a small flask from his belt and unscrewed it, raising it to the dying man’s lips.
Laughing hoarsely, Cyranuce gently pushed away the offered hand away. “That old folk remedy?” he asked in amusement. “Even now you think to save me.” He smiled weakly. “Even now…”
“Cyranuce,” Rahal said again. “I did not… I did not mean to condemn you to…”
“You did not,” Cyranuce answered firmly. “You have saved me, even if it was not in the manner that you wanted. I thank you…”
Rahal clenched his fists, and bowed his head. Behind them, Ky watched the interaction in helpless horror. The dragon - that dark beast - had been Rahal’s friend, transformed by the dark crest… and only now his sanity was restored, in his last moments of life…
“The wyvern. Does she still live?” Cyranuce asked softly. The others looked up in surprise.
“Yes, Cyra,” Rahal said finally.
“Good,” the dragoon said softly, voice full of relief. “Keep it so, Rahal. Stay your hand. The bearers of the dark crest, like my wyvern and I, must be felled. But no longer cast that fate to those who have done no ill. Leave my brethren in peace, and wish for their numbers to grow… ”
“It… she has neither mark,” Rahal admitted. “But -”
“She will bear the holy crest in time, I think,” Cyranuce assured him quietly. “Her master is no evil man, is he?”
“No…” Rahal agreed solemnly. “Naïve, perhaps, but not evil.”
“Aha,” the fallen dragoon said, voice faint, and he closed his eyes. “Then all is well, is it not? A new Dragon Knight is born, with no malice in either heart. Rahal is at peace, and Cyranuce is free.”
“Yes, Cyra,” Rahal affirmed, his voice almost a whisper. “All is well.”
It was silent save for the wind in the trees when Cyranuce passed. Rahal said nothing for what seemed like an eternity, but Kymareon didn’t have the strength to break the quiet.
Then the Royal Knight rose, staggering to his feet and swaying as he tried to pick up the dragoon’s body. “I’ll… I’ll not leave him to the damned Orcs…” he snarled to nothing in particular. ‘He goes back to the Kingdom… to the purification of the funeral pyre…”
He was angry, but not at any one person or thing. He was just angry, struggling with the grief and helplessness of his friend’s death. “Of course,” the warrior said, and he bent to help Rahal carry the body. “Of course he’s coming with us.”
Kymareon had so many questions, but he let Rahal walk in silence, out of the fort and through the forests, towards San d’Oria, as they took Cyranuce home.
Kymareon waited patiently outside the Cathedral, as Rahal had instructed. They had taken Cyranuce’s body here, and Ky knew that the fallen knight was being prepared an honorable service as per his station. The white mages had healed their wounds and melted away their fatigue, but white magic could do little for the heavy pall over his heart.
Cyranuce had said the wyvern had already bonded with someone - and Rahal’s reply had confirmed it. Silently Ky wondered who it was - perhaps Rahal had left it in the care of another knight, and it had chosen that fellow. Regardless, the dragoons were not lost - there was at least one new member of their ranks, as Cyranuce had wished.
The clink of Rahal’s armor announced his presence, and Ky looked up. The captain looked tired, and heartsick, but he still stood tall. “Come, Kymareon,” he said evenly. “I made a promise to my dear friend, and besides, I think the wyvern will be wanting her master.”
“I will go if you wish it,” Ky said, not hiding his reluctance. “But I know not what part I will play…”
Rahal studied the adventurer blankly. “You still haven’t realized?”
“Realized what?” Ky echoed, feeling lost. “Speak plainly.”
The knight’s gaze went flat at the response, then he said bluntly, “The wyvern has bonded with you.”
Ky didn’t register the words at first, then staggered back. Eyes wide, he shook his head in disbelief. “I… I don’t… how do you reason…”
“Cyranuce’s curse could not touch the hatchling you warded, because it was already bonded with someone and therefore protected. As such, he could only use its blood to further the curse left from his own. I had only just arrived as he fled to Ghelbsa, so it surely wasn’t me,” Rahal explained patiently. “Men would dig out eggs for their entire lives and never bond with the hatchlings they found. Cyranuce was quite unfortunate that he chose you - the wyvern had bonded with you the moment it was out of its shell.”
Still shocked beyond words, Ky stuttered, “Are - are you certain?! I mean to say -”
“Right now, at this very moment, the wyvern is alive,” Rahal interrupted. “You know this is true, but how?” Ky opened his mouth to formulate some sort of response, but the knight raised his hand. “You can feel it, even if you can’t or won’t realize it now.”
“I…” Ky tried to answer, overwhelmed.
Rahal gave him a look. “Wait here, if it would be easier. I will bring the wyvern.” Without waiting for an answer, the captain turned and continued on his way, leaving Kymareon in his own shocked silence, in the shadow of the Cathedral.
Rahal came back after a short while, the tiny blue dragon curled in his arms. Across his back was a crude spear. “Here’s your charge,” he said, holding the wyvern out. Ky hastily took it, cradling its body in the crook of his arm. “She will heal from Cyranuce’s blow in a few days’ time. Your bond strengthens her.”
Ky said nothing, and Rahal raised an eyebrow. “What troubles you, then? Are you unhappy with this?”
“Not at all…” Ky answered honestly. “I just… I can’t believe that the first dragoon in so many years is… me.”
“Destiny happens to you as it happens to any man, Sir Aulledreaux,” Rahal said lightly. Ky looked up sharply, and for the first time the Royal Knight smiled. “Did you think I did not know your identity?”
“A son of the fallen House Aulledreaux,” Ky replied evenly, making a point to study the wyvern in his arms.
“Aulledreaux, noble house, and long lineage of knights,” Rahal amended, sounding amused. “Generations of service to the Red Griffon, and now the head of that House is the next surviving dragoon, after Cyranuce M Cutauleon.” His smile deepened just a little. “You left the kingdom after the War, dissatisfied with the knights. You and your younger brother are in service to Bastok now, I hear.”
“We are,” Ky confirmed simply. Rahal obviously knew his facts, and offered no judgment to Ky’s past decisions.
“I hope the Republic can find good use for its new knight, then. Here.” Rahal unstrapped the spear from his back. “The most efficient weapon for the Dragon Knight is the polearm. This is but a practice spear - a bit crude, but you’ll have to seek better on your own.”
Ky took the weapon in his free hand, and bowed awkwardly. “Thank you, Sir Rahal…”
“No thanks are necessary,” Rahal answered. “You aided me as well. And now you are chosen to take up the work of my dear friend. Let that Order grow again, across the three nations, so that Cyra may know peace.”
“I understand,” Ky said. “I will prove myself worthy of the cause given to me.”
“Well met, Kymareon,” Rahal said, nodding, then saluted in San d’Orian style.
“Well met, captain,” Ky answered, and leaned the spear against his shoulder to return the gesture - with the Bastokan version.
Rahal shook his head, eyes amused, and turned and walked away, up towards the Chateau.
Ky hefted the spear and went eastward, towards the residential district where his rented room awaited. He had no way of knowing when Medeia, Eriol and Cylenean woud complete their respective tasks - but he’d have to begin training at once, after the wyvern had healed. Then, once the whole group had reunited, what kind of future awaited them?
When he’d first arrived at the Kingdom, the prospect of an unknowable future had seemed daunting, but now…
“Qiqiru,” Ky said aloud, and the wyvern stirred. An old word, from one of those languages the mages in Windurst poured over in their scrolls. Ky couldn’t remember where he’d heard it, but he knew the meaning - something that lay ahead, shortly to be discovered, something that would soon be experienced.
The kind of thing one chased when looking for destiny.
It seemed like a fitting name.
Ky smiled as he passed under the stone arches to the adventurer’s rooms. He could hardly wait.