Fragmented
Prologue: A Girl from the Plains.
"Are you awake?"
Groan.
"I found you unconscious on the plains."
"Un. . .conscious?" There was a silence, the man in green looked upwards. He had messy brown hair, and deep blue eyes. "Who. . .who are you?" he sat up, painfully.
"I am Lyn of the Lorca tribe. You're safe now." Said the girl kindly. Her hair had a deep green sheen to it and was tied in a ponytail. Her eyes were a colour somewhat alike her hair, except bluer. Just a tint. But what mattered most was her tone and eyes. Kind.
"Lyn. . .I don't. . .remember a lot. . ." The confused and mysterious boy said.
Lyn blinked, "Who are you? Can you remember your name?"
"I can't. . ." The boy tried, pain and confusion seeped in. then the expression cleared. "My name. . . is Kael."
"Your name is Kael? What an odd-sounding name. . ."
Kael grimed and looked down to the floor.
"But pay me no mind! It is a good name." Lyn smiled.
"I like your smile." Kael said, in his curious, almost childlike, tone.
Lyn blushed faintly here. "Thank you. I see by your attire you are a traveller. What brings you to the Sacae Plains? Would you share your story with me?"
Kael's expression pained here. "I don't remember. . . very well. . ."
Suddenly there was a clatter, Kael's expression flashed forbiddingly. It was almost frighteningly darkened. But it was only a flash, he himself didn't even notice.
Lyn didn't notice, she started, "Hm? What was that noise?"
Lyn turned to Kael, "I'll go see what's happening. Kael, wait for me."
Kael nodded, his expression already returned to its slightly lost and confused look.
Lyn went out of the flap and came back shortly.
"Oh no! Bandits! They must have come down from Bern Mountains! They must be planning on raiding the local villages! I. . . I have to stop them!" Lyn exclaimed.
Kael looked at Lyn as she turned and grabbed her sword, muttering "But if that was all of them I think I can handle it on my own. . ."
She turned back, "You'll be safe in here, Kael."
"I. . . I want to help you Lyn." Kael stuttered.
"What? You want to help? Well, can you use a weapon?"
Kael frowned, weapon. . . yes. He stood up painfully and checked his waist. Good, on either side, were daggers. "Yes. . . a bit."
"You seemed hurt. . . are you sure you can fight?" Lyn asked worriedly.
"I don't know." Kael replied, then a few images flashed through his brain.
A map, each 10 metre square of the land made into a square. . .
'Then you move here. The treasure is yours. But kill the unit of paladins. . .'
'Understood.' Was that his voice?
'It is pointless to repeat the rule to you. But protocol demands it.'
'Don't worry. I am strong. I will not fail.'
'Good. . .'
"Kael?.! Kael?.!" Lyn said worriedly, shaking his shoulders.
Kael's eyes snapped open, panting as if he ran for miles.
"I- what happened?"
"I don't know. You dropped to the floor and started to scream about."
Kael looked away from Lyn's face and sat up. "I- I don't want to fight. . . I- I'm a beginner in battle strategies though."Kael said, remembering the map. He killed people before. . .
Lyn nodded, "I see. . .So you're a strategist by trade? An odd profession but. . "
"Now isn't the time to hesitate." Kael said, his tone different from his usual stammering uncertainty.
Lyn nodded once, "Very well! We'll go together!"
Lyn pulled Kael out of the ger.
Automatically, some sort of senses came in, Kael could almost see the lines of squares on the plain. By his ear, Lyn was saying "If you want to help, Kael, I could use your advice. I'll protect you, so stay close to me."
There was a studious moment.
"Move there. You see that winding dirt path? Just before you reach it." Kael said, again, his tone was a sure and steady voice. Deep in thought. Old experiences came flooding back, albeit where he got them was unknown.
Lyn moved steadily, the grass was tall and she knelt so that only her eyes skimmed the top. But the bandit saw her.
"Uh-oh! That bandit spotted me! He's coming this way!"
The bandit charged closer, until the distance between them was around 10 feet, exactly one square.
"Let's close in and attack!" Lyn announced.
"My thought exactly. He's slow, you'll be able to strike him twice. And he will only be able to retaliate once." Kael grinned, Lyn turned to face the bandit, unsheathing her iron sword. There was a tint of blush on her face. That grin. . .
Lyn slashed, the bandit roared and slammed his axe down, Lyn dodged the attack and struck again. The bandit growled and ran around to Lyn's other side, he struck again, this time it made contact. Severely damaged, Lyn slashed, finishing the bandit.
Kael said nothing, he could have finished that bandit with one blow, with or without his. . . special move.
'Special move? What am I on about?' Kael thought, confused.
"Victory!" Lyn's happy cry snapped him back to reality. "But I've been injured. I have need of a vulnerary. I think I have a couple in my satchel, can you get one out for me?"
Kael nodded, "But let's move closer." They moved closer whilst Kael got a vulnerary out.
The bandit didn't see them, and Kael frowned and administered the vulnerary on Lyn's shoulder. That brute had nearly cleaved off her arm. But a vulnerary had magical proportions and had healed it up completely.
"Thank you, Kael! Now, let's go get that brigand over by the ger!"
Kael nodded, "Let's go direct assault."
Lyn ran out of the grass and unsheathed her sword.
That brute, yellow hair and sunken cheeks there was a lightning bolt scar on his face. But it wasn't his appearance which Kael was examining.
Twice for Lyn. Once for the brute.
"Who do you think you are? You think you can stand up to Batta the Beast?" The oaf grunted. But he had hit the mark as Lyn attacked. He was more accurate than his underling.
Lyn panted then turned to Kael as she broke off from the encounter. "Whew! He's tough. . . it all comes down to the next blow." Then she turned to Kael, realizing she didn't want to see him get hurt.
"Kael, if I fall, I want you to flee. You must escape!"
Before Kael could reply the bandit reached Lyn and raised his axe.
Lyn dodged and slashed. Then saw Kael's lost face. He couldn't possibly outrun this bandit. Not by long shot.
Lyn gritted her teeth, suddenly she felt a tug, and then like an elastic rope stretched to its very limit, Lyn rocket to the bandit.
The bandit sputtered "What? How. . .How did you-"And he died.
"Whew. . . that was close." Lyn closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, slumping on to the ground, Kael was there in a second's time, and supported her to a sitting position. Lyn leaned comfortably into Kael's support. Still trying to regain her breath, she turned to Kael.
"I sorely underestimated him. Sorry I worried you," Then she looked away, still in his arms, "I'll need to be stronger if I'm going to survive. . . Strong enough that no one can defeat me."
Kael nodded, then blushed, "C-Can you stand?" he asked, his tone returning to its default shy and curious. Their faces were very close as he had listened to her.
Lyn blinked, then moved her mouth furiously, her face red. "Oh! I-! Yes! Sorry! Let's go see what loot is in that bandit's ger shall we?" She said, clearing away the awkward moment.
Kael nodded again and they checked the ger. Nothing of importance that he could see. None of those things would have fetched a good price. But Lyn ravaged through some of the things anyway. Kael couldn't explain why he knew so much about the items and their prices. . . but he was sure it was something in his memory.
Lyn shook her head, "I see nothing valuable. . . But good work Kael! Let's go back."
Still confused, Kael followed Lyn back to her ger.
.----------.
"Good morning Kael! Are you awake yet?"
Kael yawned and rubbed his eyes. Then blinked his tears away.
Lyn nearly giggled, he looked quite cute doing that. "That fight yesterday must have taken a lot out of you."
'That fight? No. . . but that fight did bring a few fragmented memories. . . that's what took the most out of me Lyn.' Kael thought, but he only yawned again and rubbed his eyes.
"Say, Kael. . . I want to talk to you about something. You have some experience in the ways of war, I can see. Would you allow me to travel with you?"
Kael stifled a yawn and widen his deep blue eyes in surprise. "Travel with me? But- I don't even know where in Elibe I'm going to go. But. I suppose. If you wanted to follow me you can. If you would ask your parents. Or your tribe."
"What? You. . . want me to get permission from my parents?"
Lyn looked away, "My mother and my father. . . died six months ago. My tribe – The Lorca- They don't. . . I'm the last of my tribe. Bandits attacked, and. . . they killed so many people. The tribe was scattered. My father was our chieftain, and I wanted to protect our people. But I'm so young, and our people were so old-fashioned. They wouldn't follow a woman. No one would follow me."
Kael's face was still stubbornly loss and slightly confused as he listened to this, but his eyes saddened a bit.
Lyn sniffed very softly and blinked, she disliked crying. Kael could tell. Then she turned to face him again. "I'm sorry. I've been alone for so long. . ." Then she turned away and closed her eyes. "No. No more. I will shed no more tears."
There was a silence Kael got up and gave her a hug. It was around a minute before he pulled away.
Lyn smiled and turned to him, "Thank you. I'm better now. Kael, I want- I must be stronger, so that I may avenge my father's death! Yesterday's battle taught me something. I won't be stronger sitting here alone. Kael, tell me you'll train me, that you'll let me travel with you!"
There was a silence. "I- I can't. . . I don't even know where I'm going to go. . . But if you. . . you really want to go whereI will go. . . I- I won't stop you." Kael said, a light tint of pink on his face.
"You will? That's wonderful! Thank you! Oh, thank you! We'll be better off working together, I know it. You'll be my master strategist and I'll be your peerless warrior! We can do it! Right?"
Kael scratched his face, such enthusiasm, he was sure, even if he couldn't remember his past, had never been witnessed in his life. "Er. . . Right."
Lyn gave him a rib-cracking hug that squeezed the air out of him. "Oh thank you!"
"Ne! I - Can't - breathe!" Kael struggled flimsily. Although he wasn't quite sure if it was the hug being incredibly powerful which made him breathless.
"I'm sorry! Now let's get going shall we?" Lyn giggled.
Kael sighed and nursed his ribs, "Easy for you to say. . ."
.-------------.
"Where are we off to now?" Lyn asked as Kael helped her gather some vulnerary and extra coins.
"Hm. . . I don't . . . I don't know why I know this. . . but is there a place called Bulgar?" Kael asked.
"Oh, yes!" Lyn nodded.
"I seem to. . . I think I use to travel around a lot. Bulgar is the commercial center in the Sacae plains. . . or at least I think." Kael frowned.
Lyn nodded. "It is. But we Sacaens actually rarely go there. It is for those not for the plains and for the poeple which are actually local to that area."
"All right. Let's go to Bulgar then. We can restock after we reach there."
"To Bulgar we go!" Lyn cried and pointed to the setting sun.
Kael smiled and tapped the eager girl's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I think Bulgar is to the east of the Lorca territory."
Lyn grinned and blushed. "Oops!"
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