The Return

by Nathan Bounds

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Chapter 1	Chapter 2	Chapters 3 - 7	Chapters 8 - 10
Chapters 11 - 12	Chapter 13	Chapters 14 - 16	Chapters 17 - 20
Chapters 21 - 22	Chapters 23 - 25	Chapters 26 - 28	Chapters 29 - 31

Chapter 3

Cyan Garamonde, Retainer to the Lord of Doma, entered the bustling city of Maranda. He was finally going to get to the task that had needed so much to be done. He was going to meet Lola in person.

Cyan felt that after having lied to Lola in such a way as he had done, that he should apologize face to face. However, until now, he had never gotten enough courage to do it. Now he was ready.

He walked up to Lola's door and lifted his hand to knock, then dropped his hand. Finally, he mustered enough courage to knock.

Lola opened the door, wrinkled her eyebrows, and then asked if she had seen Cyan before, because he looked strangely familiar.

Cyan replied. "Yes, I was here when you were delivered the letter telling of the death of your boyfriend in Mobliz."

"Yes! That's where I saw you before!"

"As I recall, the letter was signed by a man named Cyan."

"Yes..."

"I am Cyan, the one who wrote all of those letters."

"It was you?"

"Yes. I hope that you will forgive me."

"It's all right. Don't worry about it. You gave me a chance to say goodbye; a chance that I never would have otherwise had. You are right to think that falsifying those letters was wrong, but the ends were good."

I thank you for your forgiveness, my fair lady. If you have nothing further to say, I shall take my leave and relieve yourself of my company."

"You talk as if you were a burden. You're not intruding. I'm glad you came, and I'm sure you are too. Let me go make some tea."

"Please, my fair lady, do not trouble yourself so much on my account."

"It's no trouble. I was going to make tea anyway. Have at least one cup," she said, walking to the kitchen.

As Lola walked to the kitchen, she recalled the day on which she had received the letter speaking of her boyfriend's death. Her first thought had been of the nerve it must have taken to have been dead for an entire year without telling her. Then she had realized that her late boyfriend could not have sent the letter.

Lola entered the kitchen. She prepared the tea and then set it over a boiling pot.

As she was leaving the kitchen, she heard someone speakiing outside. She looked through the window to see an army of green-and-gray cloaked and hooded figures holding swords, bows, and spears. Lola screamed.

Cyan ran in to see what had upset Lola. When he looked out the window and saw the Kefkanians, he immediately drew his sword, sending Lola into another screaming fit.

Cyan ran outside and towards the center of Maranda. He had to notify the city officials.

He rounded a corner and saw the city offices. He burst through the door and cried the news out loud. The security officer on duty called the city gaurd onto duty.

Cyan went back to Lola's house. When he arrived, he found that the door had been kicked in.

Chapter 4

Gau's favorite tree had dried out and died. Gau had always like to sit under the huge tree during the summer, and in the winter he would make sure that the tree didn't get ice on it. Now the tree was dead.

It hadn't shown any signs of disease. Gau could only presume that the tree was very, very old and had died of old age.

It was a hot day, and with Gau's favorite tree dead, he had no choice but to go to the cave on the southern end of the Veldt. The cave was about five miles from where he was. Gau started towards the cave immediately.

About an hour later, Gau entered the cave's opening. He walked up to where the men had been camping about two years previously. He sat next to the scorch marks where they had kept their fire. Gau stared glumly at the black area surrounded by the gray cave floor. There was something strange about it...

...a fire had been lit recently. But Gau had not seen anyone on the Veldt for at least a month. The Veldt, however, was a big place. Gau could have missed them.

Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, Kefkanians by their cloaks, jumped Gau. Gau did the Retainers' Shock several times, but for every dead Kefkanian there seemed to be two live ones. Gau was soon jumped from behind and hurtled into darkness.

Chapter 5

Celes hated it when Locke went off on his treasure hunts. She always worried about what he would get himself into. After all, what if he had run into that dragon in the Pheonix Cave while he was alone? He would have been dead. Celes also wished he would hurry up and get home because of the surprise she was getting ready for him. But until he got back, she would just have to sit around in her apartment in Albrook and... and...

"...and what? Knit? Like an old maid?" Celes screamed at nothing. The main problem right now was that Celes was bored.

Celes figured that she ought to go somewhere to get away from it all. Somewhere where she could be bored without all the hussle and bussle of daily life. She might get bored, but at least she wouldn't have to worry about some of the ridiculous things one has to think about in the city. She decided she would go to Cid's Island and stay in the little house he had had there. She would put some flowers on Cid's grave, stay a couple of days, and then get back to Albrook by the time Locke should be returning. She started to pack her bags.

Chapter 6

Umaro had gone missing several days before. Mog still couldn't find him. He had looked all over Narshe and the Caves of Narshe with no trace of the sasquatch.

Mog presently came into the room where Umaro had once lived. He passed the bones that had held the Terrato Esper and moved up to the exit where one could fall to the ground if not careful.

Mog looked around the city from his high view but saw nothing. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he heard feet pitter-pattering across the cave floor.

"Umaro?" he asked as he turned. Before he faced whoever it was walking through that cave, Mog felt a shove. When he hit the ground, everything went black.

Chapter 7

There was a fire in Mobliz. No one knew who had set it. No one knew that it was arson. But Terra had a gut feeling.

The fire was where the late soldier had once lived. The house was abandoned. Terra would have simply let it burn, but she was inside. She had been retrieving some books when suddenly the place burst out in flames. Fortunately, the house was only one room, except for the basement. Terra ducked flames and skirted burning floor planks and eventually came to the front door. Suddenly, the entire wooden frame of the house caved in, trapping Terra under the burning wood.

Terra had just about given up hope when she felt a strong hand grasp hers. It pulled her out of the fire. She tried to look up to see who it was, but fell unconscious before she could even move.