The Melody of a Silenced Harp
			    Chapter One: Silent Harp



	Cecil and Rydia ran as fast as they could, even then barely keeping up with Tellah, whose strength seemed restored. Kicking sand up behind them, they dashed toward the castle, a morbid fiery momument on the cold morning sand of the desert. They ran in the entrance, and under an archway. A soldier, dressed in the crimson of Damycan's army, lay dead, stained with his own crimson blood. Rydia covered her eyes to this carnage, or tried to. Cecil was in awe. How could the King of Baron, the man who had raised him, allow this bloodshed?! 

	Tellah dashed up the stairs, passing by the burning rafters and moaning soldiers, entering finally the open air, of a room where the roof had been burned away. He could smell burning flesh. Then, he looked ahead.
	"ANNA!!!" he cried, rushing toward her. She was standing over a man in green and crimson clothes, with long blonde hair like honey. He had several arrows in him. Anna looked up.
	"Father?! Oh, father!" she sobbed, rushing to him and embracing.
	"Are you all right, Anna?! I feared the worst!!" Tellah cried, as Cecil and Rydia came up the stairs.
	"But father! Edward!!" Anna said suddenly, leaving his embrace and going back over to the man shot with arrows, wiping some of the blood off with her skirts, no longer a fresh yellow but bloodstained and torn.
	"What? The bard! The bard who tricked you?? He has met his proper consequences, I suppose." Tellah said smugly. Anna turned on him with such rage she nearly flung him into a wall.
	"Father, I love Edward! He gave his life for me and his people--and he is a Prince!! he only tried to save his Crystal, but.....the airships, and...father, he saved me." she screamed, bursting once again into tears.
	"Anna.....I didn't know....." Tellah said. Anna said nothing, but walked over to Edward's body and reached into his breast pocket. She brought out a ring, made from the finest rubies. It flashed strangely in the fire and sunlight. She slipped it on her finger.
	"Who did this??" Rydia asked in a small voice.
	"Edward told me, the other day..." Anna choked, "That a man who goes by Golbez is now in control of Baron, or these airships." 
	"Golbez?" Cecil said. "Then what of the King?" Tellah scratched his beard.
	"I would suppose he is Golbez's pawn in all this." he said. "But Anna, now we must go home." 
	"What?!" Anna exclaimed. "But father, I must have my revenge on Golbez!" Tellah frowned.
	"I will hear no such talk of revenge!!" he said sternly. "We are returning to Kaipo this instant. Cecil, Rydia, it has been a pleasure to travel with you. Good luck on your journey." Tellah said, before walking out.
	"But, what.....how can I get the Sand Ruby??" Cecil asked.
	"It's in the Nest of Antlion. I suppose anyone could take it if they were careful. Use the Hovercraft in the basement. I'm sure Edward would have wanted you to." Anna said, before leaving with Tellah. 

	Cecil and Rydia retrieved the Hovercraft from the cold basement, along with some arrows and potions. They strapped themselves into the sleek orange mobile, and sped across the desert, wind blowing on their faces. It was refreshing after the crushing heat in Damcyan. The Hovercraft glided swiftly past the jagged peaks and came to the sea. 
	"Cecil, the water!" was all Rydia could yell before they sped out into it.
	"Seems like the hovercraft can cross shallow water, Rydia!" Cecil cheered, coming to a stop on the other side of the water. As they got out of the vehicle they were met with some waterhags. Rydia went to work, casting Ice on them. Two of the attacking four doubled over and dissolved into nothingness. Cecil cut the third's arm off, and Rydia hit it with her Ice Rod. It too dissolved, leaving the fourth to retreat. Cecil picked up the few pieces of gold it had dropped. A cave loomed ahead of them, dark and forbidding. Cecil pitched a tent outside the entrance. Rydia and he climbed inside and talked before going to sleep.
	"Where do you think he went?" Rydia asked. Cecil looked at her.
	"Who?" Cecil asked.
	"The man in Damycan. Where do you think he went?" she asked, her eyes shining.
	"Prince Edward? He went to the heavens, I suppose." Cecil said softly. 
	"Heavens...." she said distantly. "Do you think he's talking to my Mommy?" Cecil turned to her and looked straight into her bright blue eyes.
	"I wouldn't doubt it at all." he said, smiling. 
	"Do you have a mommy?" she whispered curiously. Cecil said nothing for a moment. 
	"I don't...really know. If I do she is in the heavens, and I don't remember her." Cecil said. 
	"Your mommy is probably talking to that pretty man." Rydia surmised. Cecil smiled.
	"She probably is. Maybe your mother is talking, and all three are having a wonderful time." he said. Rydia shook her head.
	"I thought about it.........." she said quietly, "I don't think Mommy is done here yet." This surprised Cecil, he hadn't expected such a comment, but he said nothing and they went to bed.

	The antlion's nest looked less forbidding with the sun's morning light shining on it. They woke up early enough to a get a fresh start. Entering the cave, Rydia gazed with wonder at the ornately carved jade and silver chests, and the eerily warm walls. They went down deeper into the cave, treading over rocks and beasts. Nothing more than imps or weepers dared face against them. Rydia, at one point, ducked into a doorway and emerged carrying a harp.
	"It's pretty, Cecil." she said. "Can you play?" 
	"Well, I really don't know how." Cecil said, twanging a string. It gave a long sweet note that echoed throughout the cave. Rydia put the maroon harp behind a rock and they went further down. 

	Finally, they reached the nest itself. There were circles of rocks surrounding a large pit. Cecil hopped into the pit and saw the object of his quest: a pile of glittering Sand Rubies. He reached out to grab the coveted jewel when  two huge spikes jutted from the floor. The floor crumbled as a huge beast jumped out. The antlion was exactly as its name described it. Beady eyes, row upon row of teeth, mandibles that would easily crush a man, graceful body covered in a layer of brown fur. Cecil drew his sword and pointed it at Antlion's head. Perhaps this wouldn't have to be so messy. But, the Antlion tried to disembowel Cecil with its horns, so they got ready for battle. Rydia ran up, but not too close, with her Ice Rod ready. Archaic words flew into her mind, the words that would let her and only her summon a monster. The familiar green orbs appeared and she was briefly whisked away to another plane while her monster, Chocobo, did its work. She was suddenly back, just as the Antlion shot needles at Cecil. Some pierced his armor, making his shield arm useless. She nearly screamed, but had faith in Cecil, she knew he could do it. She cast Ice on the creature, immobilizing it so Cecil could kill it. He did, like she knew he could. The monster lay dead at his feet. She rushed over to him.
	"Cecil, are you okay?!" she cried. He gestured to his limp arm.
	"This could use a little work." he said. She nodded and murmured the somehow less familiar words of the White Magic, and cast Cure on his wounds.
	"That's better for now. Let's get out of here." Cecil said, grabbing a Sand Ruby and heading for the door. She followed closely behind, casting a last glance back at the dead creature, antlion.
	What a pity.

	Cecil rubbed his hurt arm subconsciously as the made for the exit to the cave. He was proud of Rydia though he didn't say so. She had worked fast an efficiently during the last battle, she was getting better. Already since joining she had learned the Black arts of Sleep, Venom, and the White arts of Cure and Sight. As they walked the path toward the exit, Cecil saw something. The harp they had hid behind the rock was smashed to pieces, though monsters usually didn't bother with items.
	Was it an omen?

	Outside, Cecil and Rydia quickly hopped in the Hovercraft and sped across the shallows to Damcyan. They had little time, not knowing how long Rosa had had the fever and how long she would last. Rydia looked joyfully out at the shimmering sea water, for she had never seen the ocean before these last days. Cecil could tell she enjoyed it very much. They raced past the mountains and then Cecil spotted the shallows that led to Kaipo.
	"Hold on!!" he yelled to Rydia, and sped up, whizzing into the waves with this fast vehicle. If only they had had this before! Suddenly, they met desert.
	"There's the oasis!" Rydia laughed, enjoying herself as the went faster and faster, the wind in their faces. Landing outside the city walls, Cecil hopped out and helped Rydia down. He ran straight through the hot streets and right to the home Rosa was in. 

	"Back again?" the woman in front asked.
	"I...have....Sand Ruby..." Cecil gasped. She looked at him quizzically and motioned him to the back room. He ran up to the bed and saw Rosa sinking into a deep sleep, possibly her last. 
	"....Rosa!" he cried, using the Sand Ruby on her, though had no idea how. The room was filled with a warm honeylike glow, and color returned to her cheeks.
	"..........Cecil??" she said, her eyes fluttering open. "Oh, Cecil!!" she hugged him.
	"Rosa! Why did you chase after me?" Cecil asked, concerned.
	"Oh, I knew something awful was going to happen at Mist! So, I grabbed a few belongings and followed you!! I couldn't bear for anything bad to-" Rosa cried, suddenly coughing.
	"Rosa...." Cecil said suddenly. "Can you tell me about Golbez?" Rosa's eyes went suddenly dark, as if she feared the very name.
	"He came to Baron as soon as Kain and you left." she said in a whisper, as if Golbez could hear their conversation.
	"The King invited him to be Captain of the Red Wings, after scarcely meeting him! I think the King is nothing but Golbez's pawn in all this. You could tell they already had some sort of sinister deal worked out between them. Baigan is acting strangely too. Oh, I'm afraid! What about my mother? Or Cid!!" Rosa cried, clutching Cecil's arm protectively.
	"Cid can take care of himself. I'm sure the king wouldn't attack citizens." Cecil assured her, though he wasn't at all sure himself. "Did the King discuss any plans as to their next move?" 
	Rosa nodded, suppressing a cough.
	"He mentioned the Crystals. Fire in Damcyan, Air in Fabul, and Earth in Toroia." she whispered. Rydia shook her head.
	"Fire got stolen." she said. "There was a huge fire in Damcyan. Fire, everywhere..." Rydia told Rosa, shivering.
	"Oh! Rosa, this is Rydia of Mist. I think we need to go to Fabul now, undoubtably Golbez will strike there next." Cecil said. Rosa sat bolt upright in bed.
	"Then I'm coming too. As a White Wizard, my magic will be unvaluable. We must save Fabul's Crystal!" Rosa said, coughing. Cecil smiled gently.
	"Rosa, dear, you need rest before even considering battle." he said. She frowned.
	"Cecil Harvey." she said evenly. "You know very well I could help everyone in battle. Besides, I won't bother anyone. I just need to sleep tonight." Cecil finally conceded. They went to sleep, having a big journey the next day.

	As they drifted off to sleep that night, Cecil had an odd dream. He was standing in a field as two of his friends fought one another. But both friends seemed unfamiliar. He called for Rosa, but she couldn't come to him. Then he saw Golbez, and the Crystal of Air, and the crystal turned into the harp. The harp suddenly was overwhelmed by monsters and smashed.
	What did it mean??