Darkness fell...Shadows gathered quietly and quickly about the camp. Garon and Tira sat stoically on some oaken logs, and Ramas watched the woods with intent. As Kerrin reappeared through the tree-line, followed by a black cloaked stranger Garon and Ramas tensed, and Ramas hand fell to the hilt of his blade. Tira's gaze turned toward the captain of the Red Wings with a knowing look.
"He'll kill you before you can move your hand Ramas."
Ramas Vasha sat quietly as Kerrin placed himself next to the fire and motioned for the unknown visitor to come quickly.
"My friends, we have very little time. This is Daric of Kaldone and he will be riding with us for some distance. He says that the first Baronian patrols have begun to scout the area heavily. Pack the supplies, douse the fire, dinner must wait this night."
Tira stood slowly and looked towards the man clothed so immaculately in black. Garon and Ramas were still to shocked to speak, but the ebony-haired enchantress of the Grey Wind was never one short on words...
"Hello "Westerner", or do you go by the "Ebony Master" now? Eh Daric, still playing god these days or did you give that business up?"
The other three looked completely astonished, chief amongst them being The Scottsman...
"The beautiful and guileful Tira Kordas. I see you've done well for yourself seeress. And no, I don't play god woman...thats not a game I like..."
"You two know each other?", spoke Kerrin and Ramas almost in unison.
Tira waved her hand and pulled the deep, purple, silk cloak of her order tightly about her. We do...or rather we did...in another time and place Scottsman. It is of very little relevance to the quest at hand.
"Tira, I'm shocked...I would have never guessed you would hold a grudge for so long...that was nearly 350 years ago."
Garon and Ramas stood stock-still. Where Kerrin was concerned they were used to hearing such numbers, and they were also faintly aware that Tira was old...very old indeed, but she had never claimed immortality, simply that for reasons she chose not to reveal she would and had lived a very long time.
"You are a liar, a deciever, and stealer of mens souls, Daric of Kaldone....", she spat in his direction, a small wad of spittle landing directly on the steel-toed tip of the black, leather boots the stranger wore.
"I have no care for your feeble loyalties and or morals witch. You are no saint yourself, and I suggest you mount before this confrontation goes any further."
Kerrin stepped between them both and drew the blade of Ojin, its white blade glinting menacingly in the moonshade, and the eerie blue soul-light (as Kerrin called it) whipping about its length.
"ENOUGH! Daric, I told you the circumstances under which you ride with us. I don't know where you came from or exactly what your intentions are, and I don't know how it is that you have come to know either myself or Tira on such a personal basis, but this is finished here. You say you've come to help...so do just that...go fill the waterskins and then saddle up. You will have to ride with me..."
"I have my own mount thankyou Scottsman. Darias is tethered only a few hundred yards south of here, I'll fetch him when I finish the task at hand."
"As you wish, now go...", The Scottsman's eyes gleamed in the leaf-scattered light.
Daric approached the fire and picked up the 8 deer-hide skins laying close to it and walked back towards the stream that he and Kerrin had passed but a few moments earlier.
Kerrin turned and lay his hand on Tira's shoulder gently, he could tell that she was sobbing very gently, the firelight reflected the tears on her cheeks...she was in a different time & place...far away from the clearing they stood in now. Watching old memories fade and pass no doubt, and Kerrin knew all to well exactly how painful that could be.
Tira turned her head slowly to regard the one man she had always trusted.
"Kerrin, he can be a great asset, but the price we may all pay for his services is not one I'm tempted to contemplate. He is dark and evil, but I assure you he serves a higher purpose, and one that is intented to be for the greater good. I can tell you no more than that, save one thing, when you and he are alone...ask to see his hands..."
Under normal circumstances Kerrin would have questioned the beautiful, young, woman further. But this had most obviously been no ordinary evening.
Ramas and Garon stood by their mounts, they had quietly saddled and tethered the other chocobos and were looking at Kerrin and Tira. Looks of amazement, curiosity, and downright hatred on their faces...no doubt they had sensed it too. This man, Daric of Kaldone harbored dark secrets. Secrets that Kerrin feared...not for himself...but for the whole world of Yvalice.
~12 hours later, on the road to Doma~
Daric sat silently atop his mount Darias. The massive black stallion was truly impressive. The others knew of horses, all of them had seen them in their trips to the Western realms, but in the eastern lands the chocobo's were far more prevalent.
At the front Garon and Tira rode, Ramas having taken the point to scout ahead for trouble. The day was breaking across the Mountains of Kristus, and they could see the outline of the walled castle of Doma in the distance. It was still to far away for them to be able to discern any true features of the structure, but Kerrin guessed that they were less than half a days ride away, and so they pushed on...stopping only when needed to eat and rest.
"You look troubled Scottsman.", "The Westerner", as Tira had called him spoke eloquently.
"I am troubled."
"By what then?"
"Well, if you must know, and I sense that Ramas already has as well since he wanted to take the point so badly...the Red Wings could already be in place."
"What are you speaking about Kerrin...The Red Wings?"
"Baron's force of airships, Ramas was their commander. Before we escaped we leared that 4 ships and full-crews escaped with Varian under cover of darkness, but that leaves some 50 ships still in Baron. Of course, Delian and Caris are mad...and I would guess that there aren't enough men to fully crew all of them. Still, that leaves more than enough ships to gouge a path of death and destruction from here to god knows where."
"And only four were able to escape? Why not more?"
"Varian Tomas, commander of the Brotherhood of Kluya informed his divisions the night before myself and the others of the high council were imprisoned. It had to be a supremely stealthy operation to escape with that many men, plus the 12 companies of Dragoons that escaped. Those whom they couldn't fit in the ships would have been forced to flee either mounted and or on foot."
"A grim thought indeed", echoed the tall, mysterious man...whom although he knew he probably shouldn't, Kerrin had begun to trust.
They marched onward for several miles and crested the small ridge that would lead over the short expanse of hilly and semi-mountainous terrain that lead to the regency of Doma. Kerrin envied Varian, with his access to the airships they had made the trip in little more than a day no doubt, and would have sent the ships back to retrieve the soldiers on mounts and on foot also. Kerrin guessed that Doma was most likely completely fortified against attack by now.
The silence of the four riders was suddenly broken...Ramas came, pushing his black chocobo hard, almost flying towards them. He pulled the large black to a halt, its taloned feet digging deep into the muddy earth below it and bringing it to rest only a few inches in front of Tira and Garon.
"Kerrin, we have a very serious situation up ahead."
"What Ramas?"
"As I crested the ridge I thought I saw shapes in the valley below. I dismounted and climbed down to get a closer look..."
Ramas stood almost dazed, as if what he had seen had frightened him beyond belief.
"They're alread here Kerrin...Delian is here...their are at least 20 airships in the valley, and probably 10,000 footsoldiers.", the aging captain of the Red Wings turned towards Garon Revan.
"...And at least 8 companies of Dragooons as well..."
The others could see the tears welling in the old warriors eyes. Dragoons were honorable and noble above all else. Garon knew that it must have been desperate for them to concede. Even if Caris had brainwashed them, they would have attempted to override it. He knew that for more than any of the others in that valley of death...it would have been absolute hell for his brothers.
"Can we pass Ramas? Is there any hope that we can go through unnoticed?"
"I can't say...they are already encamped. The bombing will surely begin on the 'morrow. Delian will waste no time in attempting to break Doma."
Tira looked towards Kerrin with a grave look of seriousness on her face.
"Doma is already lost Scottsman, there is no way she can stand against the combined might of Baron's forces."
Kerrin wanted to dismount, lay down...and die. Already the war would begin. Surely Varian would have sent messengers to Ordalia to tell them to prepare. But the mobilization of Baron's forces had been very fast indeed. A dreadful thought passed through the Scottsman's mind. If Delian could take Doma, and Ordalia, that would leave all of the eastern realm with no true defense. With the might of the standing army and the soldiers he would recruit from the enslaved...the eastern kingdoms would fall...one by one...like pieces on a chess-board. Kerrin had hoped that Doma would have at least a short time to send to those kingdoms for help. He had hope that the eastern contingencies would ban together and stop Delian's mad scheme before it could truly take shape, now he wasn't so certain.
"I have no idea what to do...", he said almost silently to the assemblage of the three remaining high council members and the man known as Daric of Kaldone."
Daric unholstered one of the gleaming, platinum-barreled "guns" at his side. The ivory handles shooting the sunglight back in marvelous ways. With a quick flick of the wrist, he disengaged the chamber, spun it around twice, locked it back in place and reholstered the weapon.
"Well Scottsman, what do you say? One last glorious ride into the sunset?"
Kerrin looked towards the others, the mounts becoming restless. He realized they were trapped...Baron's soldiers following them from the south, and the army already entrenched to the east. They could head north and try to reach Gallione. Maybe they could rally the Northern lands...maybe if they were fast enough, they could save part of the eastern realm. Suddenly, his heart sank...what about Varian, one of his oldest and closest friends? He knew the Holy Knight of the Brotherhood of Kluya would fight to the bitter end...he would charge the entire Baronian army himself if need be, and Kerrin guessed he might just take a good number of that host with him, before they managed to put him down.
"Very well Daric...as you say...One last glorious ride into the sunset." He drew the blade of Ojin, and spurred Marna onward, the other four falling into line behind him as he pushed towards the eastern ridge of the Kristus...