Tantalus

Chapter 2: The Delusion of a Father

This chapter is dedicated to those people who left positive remarks on the first chapter. Those final fantasy fans on Facebook are the best! Cheers!

And thanks for boosting my moral to keep me writing. Don’t be shy to leave comments below for ideas or questions or even things you want to witness from the great world of FFIX.


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"Remind me again why do you stay in a cave?" Cid asked as he cleans his royal clothing.

"It's a good place to hide stuff", Baku smirked. "And besides, no one would suspect treasure is buried here. Their fear of monsters lurking in the shadows is the cheapest guard you can hire."

Cid laughed. "By the way, my father just started an excavation party around swamps and caves", Cid smiled. "If they found this place of yours, all your loot will belong to our kingdom. You have to move everything out."

"But I was born in this cave."

"No, you're not."

"Yes I am!"

"No." They both laughed. "And I do have a place for you in Linblum's theater district."

"Thanks! I'll be moving out then."



As Baku packs his stuff together, he asked, "Why did you want me to steal these?"

Cid turned around to face the cave exit.

"Those three objects are relics from the ages of the tribes. There were four of them, but I've only been informed of these three being stolen around the land. People stealing from one another made me uncertain about why it all went here.” Cid explained.

“After gathering information from kingdom to kingdom, evidences pointed to Lindblum city, the last guy who has them had four arms. That's the guy I asked you to take them from."

"But wouldn't it be easier if you just asked that guy with four arms to give you the relics?" Baku asked as he chooses which items to bring in his new settlement. "I mean, you're soon to be regent after all."

"I cannot blow my cover. Nobody knows what I look like, remember?"

"Ahh, right. The mysterious Cid Fabool wants to keep his face hidden so he can roam around the streets without getting noticed." Baku replied.

"Good. You got my point. Anyway, the four relics represent the chiefs that united the Mist Continent long ago. Later, they're being handed down from generation to generation; To find the great rulers of men."

"So", Baku answered in enlightenment, "these four relics have power?"

"Scholars say they do. Some says it's just for representation. Some says it ends up to where it's destined to be, in the hands of a worthy king."

"Nice bed time story." Baku chuckled as he made fake snoring noises.

"Trust me it’s real, fatso."

"Just kidding, I trust you, you all-knowing human."

"Now", Cid said, "Off to your new cave. Or, clock tower."

Baku carried loads of boxes. No one knows how he did it: Probably his thievery skills working overtime.

They went inside the giant city using underground passages. Looking around, the place looked so huge.

The whole city is at the top of a mountain, surrounded by very high concrete walls, forming a giant castle-like structure around the whole city grounds.

Looking towards the center, the main castle is seen afar. It has giant gates that serve as passages for flying airships.

"Wow", Baku said at astonishment after sitting at the aircab. "I haven't ridden this thing without being chased by guards. Gwahaha!"

Cid laughed. But as he looked at the people below the aircab rails, his smile disappears. He can see people stealing from stalls and carts, people fighting over coins and jewelry, kids working like an adult. Everything seems wrong, and Cid can't take it anymore.

They went off the aircab as they reached the theater district. "At least people here still have class and art." Baku said as he looked at some street performers and painters.

"Well not much." Cid pointed to a small alley where people are gathering. One table, one guy wearing a tattered coat, and others are fake players.

"Find the pretty lady!", the guy in the middle shouted. "Gather 'round and find the pretty lady!"

"Oh look!" Baku said, "He's doing the three cups trick.”

“He has co-conspirators betting and winning fake bets to get people's attention, and then when somebody joins the game, the middle guy cheats so they can easily take his money.” Baku explained with actions.

“What happened to this city, Cid?"

"Well", Cid sighed. "My father is having delusions about a war. All our money now goes to the war fund. Hopefully those delusions of his are wrong, or Lindblum citizens will start to overthrow him."

Baku's face looked down as he saw the sadness in Cid's eyes.