Six
Defining a Destiny
Kain shook the weariness from his eyes and head as he continued his trek for Baron. He succeeded in capturing a chocobo from the forest south of Mount Ordeals in hopes it would shorten the time taken to journey to the port at Mysidia, but exhaustion continued to settle in the corners of his mind and trek inwards. He should have rested while the Oracle did done the same within his tent.
A welcome smile soothed his features as he adjusted his hold on reins. He had not wanted to miss any of her conversing. The thought of being so open and . . . joined with someone of her ability kept the exhaustion at bay with wonder and awe. Especially since the felling of the wall heightened his awareness of her presence. Her warmth burned brighter. Her soothing presence caressed softer. Her voice beckoned his soul and mind to a greater attraction than the intrigue previously experienced. And the viewing of her loveliness? All joined to an intoxicating sensation of . . . desire.
Kain cleared his throat and directed his mind away, instead focusing to the duty of gathering the words used for the explanation of his victory over the silence--He smiled when he felt her presence as a brightness within.
"My lady Oracle," he greeted.
'My lord--' Her voice cut off with an abrupt chill of concern. 'Kain, you are weary. You should rest.'
There was another soft touch of soothing, and he felt the rejuvenation as she healed what she could. Kain attempted to visualize her face as the presence heightened. He could almost feel her sitting in front of him on the chocobo, his arms tingling with her warmth. "I am well, my lady. Soldiers march for longer periods than this with less sleep. If I could not, I would not be a soldier."
Her smile nearly numbed his brain. 'Yes, and you have always been a good soldier, my lord Kain. Your father would be proud of your dedication to duty and justice, even against the king.'
Kain could almost feel her hands resting against his. "I wonder if my mind would have been so easily manipulated had he been alive yet. Perhaps he would have been able to train me in a technique to work against it?"
'Perhaps. A better question is whether you can create one utilizing your own experiences. I believe King Cecil would appreciate the added defenses to his troops.'
"I will think on what you have said, of course. Such would definitely benefit the kingdom." Kain felt her scrutiny even through their distance, and began to wonder if she watched him from the summit of Mount Ordeals using the white circle. "Yes, my lady Oracle?"
'My lord Kain, try to converse using only your mind.'
Kain blinked, his hands pulling up on the reins. "How do I accomplish this?"
'You feel my presence within your mind, do you not?' He inclined his head. 'Speak to that presence. Using self. Using spirit. Using all.'
Furrowing his brow in concentration, Kain attempted to center that portion to speak to the presence he felt. He heard her softly laugh.
'Kain, do not try so hard. The bond will direct your voice to my soul and spirit. I feel you clearly. Just speak within instead of without.'
Kain's features smoothed with his smile as he again urged the chocobo toward Mysidia. 'Why did you not explain such to begin? Soldiers require the easiest explanation possible, my lady Oracle.'
She laughed again. 'Not so, my lord. Soldiers are deep souls who require close inspection to understand. You are no different than the others I have guided . . . .' He felt her hand rest tenderly against his temple. 'Save that I felt drawn to your depth due to the silence which kept me so distant.'
'As your warmth drew and beckoned to me, my lady.' Kain forced his will to firm the feeling of her hand upon his and, in turn, caressed the silky softness of her fingers. A greater wave of care brightened the warmth to a near burning within his brain.
'Kain . . . this is the first time another soul has touched me over such a great distance.'
And the desire to hold her--Kain set it firmly aside as he stroked the vision of her hand once more before again gripping the rein. 'And it has been many months since a woman has touched me in spirit or person. My determination to curb the weakness distanced me from everyone who sought to offer comfort and support. Your presence after such a long silence--' Kain cleared the gruffness of desire from his throat. 'It will be nice to be so surrounded by camaraderie again.'
Silence.
Concern flared, especially when all he sensed was her presence and no emotion. 'My lady Oracle?'
Silence.
Worry and concern joined, fanning a flame that propelled his self and essence to search for her as his focus seemed to spread within and yet without at the same moment. Back to Mount Ordeals. Up the paths to the summit and a white circle--He could almost see her kneeling within the center, the white-oak staff clasped by long-fingers, the gem glowing brightly as she stared down at it with glimmering eyes.
Kain halted the chocobo, focusing all will and emotion on the effort of kneeling beside her to rest a comforting hand upon a slim shoulder. He could almost sense her warmth radiating from the soft folds of her robe. 'My lady? What troubles you?'
She lifted her head and met his gaze, her silver-blue eyes like gems as those rose lips turned upward. 'You learn fast, my lord. This was a test I concocted to see how strong the bond had grown in these months I have cultivated such. I did not realize it had grown to be as strong as this.'
Those gem-like eyes retreated. 'I have been Oracle since before I was considered a woman. I have seen and felt and wandered within the souls and spirits and hearts of countless many. Even when I was but a young girl susceptible to the romantic envisioning of becoming infatuated with a helped soul I have never--' The Oracle lifted her eyes to meet his, and the glow within its depths grabbed at his heart. 'Your presence burns within my mind and soul,' she whispered. 'Never before have I experienced such a connection.'
'Nor I,' he confessed gruffly. He lowered his hand from her shoulder. No. The desire and attraction burned brighter with each moment their presences were entwined.
She reached out and took firm hold of his hand. 'Please seek out my name,' she whispered, the passion of the request buffeting his senses with light, wind, and heat through the press of her fingers and the richness of her gaze. 'Please, my lord Kain, seek out and find the name that will bind, forever, my future with yours. I truly desire to be this woman within the vision of your future.'
Kain closed his eyes against the sparkle of her eyes and lifted her hand to his lips. 'As I want you to be.' He whispered his lips against her skin.
The Oracle tossed away her staff and drew him into a tight embrace. An embrace of spirit and emotion. An embrace different than any he ever shared. It burned and entwined, redefining an emotion he never before sought while deepening a bond already as strong as the wall which previously served to keep her distant. Now that bond drew him to this woman of humility and passion. To this woman who wanted a future destiny with him.
The Oracle pulled herself slowly back to gather his face into her hands. Her silver-blue eyes glimmered as tears shined upon the smooth skin of her cheeks. Her spirit caressed his, heightening the bond and fanning the desire--a seeking. A whisper. Kain drew her hands from his face, steeling himself against the buckling control as he stood away from her. Loss paled the loveliness of her face as she also rose, and the coldness of her spirit drew him back, his arms surrounding her and offering warmth.
She smiled and tightened the pressure of her hands within his. 'To discover the name we must share all of one another. You have lowered the wall separating past from possible future, thereby welcoming my discovery of your past name so that I may speak your future one. Now I must encourage you to discover the same of me. To do so--' her silken cheeks flushed-- 'to do so I must encourage the bond.'
Kain nodded. 'I will resist the temptation to hold myself distant, my lady, but a soldier's life is one of control.'
'This I know, Kain. You are honor and duty defined.' She lowered her gaze to their clasped hands. 'Hence I am drawn to you? So
very few, other than the King, have been so purely defined by the following of one's duty. As I am. Now this duty has brought to you a quest to discover a name for a future you did not know you desired.' She released a deep breath and gave his hands another squeeze as she lifted her gaze. Then she stood on tiptoes to caress his cheek with her lips. 'I must go, my lord. I sense another searching soul has newly arrived to this mountain.'
She drew herself back, and he could feel the reluctance as she released his hands. He bent to retrieve her staff and offered it to her. 'Be well, my lady Oracle.'
The Oracle smiled and accepted the staff, her hand lingering in its touch of his. 'Travel safe, my lord Kain.'
Kain drew his inner self from her side, still watching as she also distanced herself from him. Then her presence and her warmth were quiet and only a memory. Releasing a deep breath, he adjusted his hands on the reins, still feeling her . . . yet not . . . and wondering if it was the continuation of their growing bond while hoping it would not fade as he trekked closer toward Baron.
~*~*~
Sera swiped the tears from her cheeks, breathing in the sweet, lingering scent of his strength. The blaze of his desire warmed her entire self, and her body prickled and trembled with his presence and tenderness, giving birth to an eagerness and anticipation she never before experienced. There had been only one other man whom had accepted her bond and sought to discover her name. A Red Wing of Baron.
Sera adjusted her hold on her staff and dissipated the circle and barrier before turning for the path to the base of Mount Ordeals. She could still remember the utter loss at his death during the quest for her name. The separation from him--Elisha--even now the remembered agony burned her eyes and opened the maw of grief in her soul. Never again had she thought to bond, and yet the warmth and the strength she felt from Kain . . . it blossomed more quickly than her first bonding, and ran deeper. More complete and resilient. As she told Kain, never had she felt such a burning within--and how brightly it burned! Even still she could feel the firm gentleness of his well of strength, though distant, and their bond continued to hold her--absolutely entwined. Does he also feel me?
A smile caressed Sera's lips as she focused on the path beneath her sandaled feet . . . yet not. Remembering the discovery of his darkened past and the encouragement she was able to offer. Recalling the inner conversation and his reassurance by way of the emotions felt. Relishing the spark of his touch and the growing bond drawing each closer to the other. Remembering all and allowing its intensity to flow deeper within as well as softly along the connection broadening and strengthening between them. Could he also know she continually thought of him in his entirety?
When Sera felt a spark of his presence within, one of welcome and longing, she giggled and offered back a similar caress.
"My lady Oracle?"
Lifting her gaze, the smile didn't fade as Kain's touch within continued. A young man of 14 or 15 years of age with pale blond hair, dark eyes, and a welcoming spirit and expression stood across from her, smiling.
'Yes?' she asked, and she noted the staff in his hand and the simple robes of his attire. Hope rose.
"My lady, I was given a vision confirmed by the Elder and made my way here immediately. I am to be your apprentice."
A ripple of curiosity reached her as she produced a hand to the young man. She answered the silent question from Kain while greeting the youth. 'I am pleased to meet you . . . Seth,' she said, pulling his name from the soft light of the youth's tender and welcoming spirit.
Seth's smile widened and he returned her gentle clasp. "Can we start right away, my lady?"
Sera laughed, drawing the young man forward with a fond embrace of his shoulders. 'Of course. What answers do you seek?'
And Kain's brightness of happiness and encouragement nearly blinded her inner self with joy.
~*~*~
Kain stared up at the ceiling of stars with an unseeing gaze, only partly aware of the crackle of his campfire and the soft coo of his chocobo. The Oracle continued to teach the young man--Seth, Kain believed his name to be--on the intricacies of acting as Oracle of Mount Ordeals. He knew that she felt his continued presence, and with each hour his ability to feel and interact with her grew--like a muscle which gained strength with use.
He wasn't able to focus on much of what she taught the young man, instead using the growing connection with her to quest for her name. To search for those memories that would give him an insight, even deeper, into the type of woman he encouraged such an intimate connected with.
The snippets and images drawn from her thus far didn't help in his quest. Frustration and irritation had flared several times on his trek to the dock, and each time she immediately strengthened their connection and invited a discussion.
'I can see naught but snippets that make no sense!' he fumed on one occasion.
'Do not attempt to place a story with the image.'
'If I do not place a story, how am I to find your name?'
She had soothed his spirit with a gentle touch and a warmth of an embrace before answering. 'When the story is ready to be told it will find its voice. For now you must only heighten the connection between us and learn how to best fulfill your quest. Search, Kain. View. Observe and learn. That is all you need do. Search and do your best to enjoy the adventure.'
Now Kain adjusted his hands behind his head and viewed a longer collection of images that seemed to tell a story of her first days within the White Order. She looked to be only six years of age, and the expression on her face told of excitement and laughter. No sound accompanied the images, and the movement of them was jerky at best, but it still presented a slight story. An intrigue into a deeply intense woman of gifts and duty, and an extreme love for all.
There was only one image that never seemed to grow in length, and the edges seemed blackened and the image itself blurred. That image always beckoned Kain to search for it again, but each viewing didn't reveal more of a hint to a story. His instinct told him there hid a powerful memory paired with the image, and hesitancy rose to ask after its story. Perhaps the darkness, which hinted at pain, encouraged the hesitation. But if he did not ask, how could he smooth away the misery?
Her presence blossomed, and Kain drew himself from the image to notice Seth had been encouraged to study and meditate on his own before bedding down for the evening. Now she remained alone on the summit of Mount Ordeals within the white circle, protectively ensconced behind the protective barrier.
Kain smiled, adjusting his head in his laced fingers. 'My lady,' he greeted, and his will and emotion firmed his presence before her. He took her hands in his. She smiled up at him, the hood of her robe settling back against her shoulders to reveal the delicate lines of her face and the golden caramel silk of her hair. Kain's chest tightened at the vision and the remembered future they would share. By the flush of her cheeks, he knew she could feel his longing for a culmination of that pairing.
'Tomorrow I should be on a ship bound for Baron Kingdom,' he told her, longing scratching in his voice.
Her eyes shone. 'I know. But tonight you have been gazing at the stars while questing my name, though I have sensed a hesitation to ask a question.'
Kain lowered his gaze to their hands. 'There is an image--' He felt her intense scrutiny of his face as well as his own hesitancy within.
'Yes? An image of what?' she prompted, encouragement and care soothing his spirit.
He caressed the skin of her hands within his grasp. 'This image is always colored by a bit of darkness, my lady,' he continued carefully, and he felt her smile waver and fall away with the pain of the memory. Kain met her gaze, but it had also lowered to an examination of their hands. He quickly offered forward strength and support to cover her slight chill of pain. 'I am sorry, my lady. I only ask so that I may take away the pain it gives you. As you took mine.'
'I know, my lord Kain.' The agony choked her voice, rippling against her spirit and shuddering against their connection. 'I did not ex
pect you to traverse so quickly to a point of tenderness for me. How . . . .' She finally lifted her gaze to meet his, and her eyes glistened with tears. 'How did you find this tragic memory so quickly?'
Kain very slightly shook his head. 'I do not know. It seemed to search me out, and now it beckons for me whenever I look at the images from your past.' He regarded the grief-stricken expression within her silver-blue eyes, the tautness of her ethereal beauty, and the chill of her fingers trembling within his. 'Give me this pain, my lady. Please. Do not attempt to carry this burden alone.'
The Oracle smiled up at him, but the lift of her rose lips seemed weary and forced. Then she stepped close, wrapping her arms around him as she seemed to draw from him strength and renewal. Kain embraced her, eagerly offering whatever she needed. 'The image you have found is the memory of a previous bonding.' Her voice brimmed and overflowed with pain and tears, as did her very self.
Kain stood against the onslaught of anguish and absorbed it into himself, giving her strength and concern and care as one might pour water into a basin.
'He was a soldier, as you are, but of the Red Wings under the command of King Cecil before he quested to become Paladin. We met here while he quested for a vision of a future. If his duty within the Red Wings went well, he wanted to know what his future destiny could hold and choose accordingly. He planned to have a family and wanted the best for them.' She took in a ragged breath and released it slowly.
'It was the first time I had ever wanted to forfeit my future as Oracle. He was a man of deep honor and purpose, and that beckoned to me. We talked for hours of pasts and futures and possibilities, and I felt his desire to bond. I questioned him on the emotion and when he freely admitted it, we bonded. He was forced to leave shortly after, as a mission waited for the Red Wings. He had known when he arrived at Mount Ordeals that he would have but a short amount of time to determine his possible future. So, he agreed to seek my name and vowed to return with it at the end of the mission.' The Oracle choked on a sudden sob, and the intensity of her loss nearly staggered him.
'When Elisha--when he died, I felt as if a portion of me had been forcibly ripped away. His loss left a gaping maw of emptiness I thought would never fill. I--for the first time I wished for death, if but to relieve my spirit of the utter loss and pain of his death. I mourned for weeks and months after, searching through the darkness of the pain to a rediscovery of my future and purpose as the Oracle of Mount Ordeals.' She shook her head against him, struggling to take in another ragged breath. 'I never thought to bond again. I never thought I would again feel such a draw on my spirit, or such a pull to share a future. But when I saw my future linked with yours within the vision . . . .'