Prologue 1) Thieving Mage
Kris POV
A hell of a long time ago, Medeus, the Shadow Dragon, conquered the continent of Archanea, leading to an age of fear, despair, and all that good… bad… stuff. But, surprise, the tyranny was broken when all was at its lowest. A young man, Anri, appeared with a divine blade in hand. He stood fearlessly, and alone, against the Shadow Dragon and struck him down. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed an age of peace. Hooray.
However, all good things come to an end. It's been 100 years, and somehow, the Shadow Dragon returned. He allied with a stereotypical villain of a sorcerer, and their might toppled unsuspecting kingdoms. Again, everything was about to go to shit. So, it fell upon our king, Cornelius of Altea, to ride out with the army. It was his destiny or something, since he inherited the ability to wield Falchion.
So, his castle and the city are left with a token force, bolstered by a garrison from Altea's neighbor and ally, Gra. You know what they say, though. When the cat is away, the mice will play~ Things are great for thieves now. No one is paying any attention until its way too late.
Even the castle is fair game, despite Queen Liza, Princess Elice, and Crown Prince Marth remaining behind. Seriously, these guards are idiots. It's like they want the place to fall. Oh well.
It was child's play to sneak into the castle. There were so many shadows and secret passages, especially at this hour. It was a mark or so after light's out, and on a moonless night like tonight, that meant things were extra dark. That was why a group of us, a small collection of thieves of various talents and no ties to each other, were here in the first place.
One of the others, the one with the sharpest eyes, led the way inside. They'd been in here before, though not for anything this fantastic. We were heading straight for the treasury, and planned on lining our pockets and packs with jewels a-plenty!
The leader held up their hand suddenly, urging us back. We pressed against the wall, hiding in the shadows, and I glanced down to check once again that I was dressed for the part. Most idiots dressed just in black to 'hide', but that never worked. You just got a human shaped black blob. So, the trick was to dress in something a bit more patchwork, with different shades of black and dark grey. You'd still be seen, but it was harder for someone to identify you as human from a distance. If they were close, well, you just had to knock them out and be done. The guards didn't care, especially now.
The guards here were even worse than the city, as they didn't even look down our little hallway as they passed. We waited a bit longer in the dark before slipping out of our hiding place and heading down another hallway. I made sure to take up the rear. That was my 'role' in this makeshift group. After all, unlike them, I had a means of fighting that didn't require being up close and personal with the targets.
"Relax. Everything is going perfectly." Those words, however, made me pause. I glanced around before heading to a nearby window. There, lounging below, were some soldiers. The red armor told me they were Gra. "We just 'ave to get to the prince. No big deal. He's a weakling."
"The boy might not be battle experienced, but only a fool looks at kindness and sees weakness." That speaker was a bit older than the other one, or so it looked from up here. "Don't be a fool."
"Bah, you worry too much." The two tottered off, almost like they were drunk. But I smelled no alcohol. I only smelled trouble, and I always did have a good nose.
Now, the smart thing would be to get the hell out and leave the others. But something about all this bugged me. It bugged me a lot, gnawing at the back of my head. I wondered if the something was my conscience. I thought I killed that long ago. But maybe it was like a cat and had nine lives.
Ugh, this was lame.
Sighing, I left the window, and followed the hallway, hunting for the rest of my group. We needed to get out of here. There was something wrong, and if it was wrong enough to bring my conscience back from the dead, I really needed to do something.
Someone's desperate running snagged my attention, though, and I automatically headed for it, wondering if one of us got caught. That would be a bit of a pain, but nothing I couldn't handle. At least, that was the theory. The reality of the situation, though, was that it wasn't one of my group. The runner was a blue haired boy with a tiara and fancy clothes.
Yeah, I didn't expect to run into Prince Marth.
"Who are you?" he yelped, skidding to keep from literally running into me. "Are you… wait, no, who are you?" His eyes held no suspicion, only curiosity. "Are you lost? Do you need assistance?"
"I'm not telling and no, I don't need help or anything," I replied, crossing my arms and giving him a look. "Where's the fire?"
"The palace is on fire?" He looked alarmed. "I haven't smelled any smoke but-"
"It's an expression." So, this was our glorious prince, a glorified idiot. The future looked great for stealing. "You were running."
"Oh, yes." He coughed awkwardly, face pink from embarrassment. "I… well, I was looking for my sister. Have you seen her?"
"Nope." Hell, I doubted I'd even recognize her if I did. She didn't like leaving the castle for anything. Snob. "Can't say that I have."
"I see." He sighed, frowning. "Where could she be? The soldier said she wanted to meet me in the throne room, but she wasn't there." He shook his head. "Ah, I'm sorry to bother you. I'll just-"
"O'er here! I found him!" A Gra soldier ran up, not even looking at me as they focused on Marth. "There you are, lil' prince," they greeted. Their smile was carefully polite, and their demeanor carefully friendly. I was reminded of the old pedophiles that hunted in the streets. "Your sister is worried."
"Oh, did I miss her?" Marth asked. He apparently didn't notice anything wrong. "Ah, I should've stayed put."
"Yes, sir. Now, if you'll come with me, I'll take you to her."
"I wouldn't want to put you out." Marth smiled. "If you'll tell me where she is, I can find the place. This is my home, after all. I haven't gotten lost in three whole months!" He sounded so sincere that I had to wonder if that was truth or a joke.
"No, no, I insist. I'm not busy, anyway." He bowed. "So, please, let me help."
"Well…" Marth frowned, and I wondered if he finally caught on to how weird things felt. "I suppose?" Then again, maybe he hadn't. Well, it was no skin of my nose, so I'd just walk away.
But as I moved, Marth glanced at me, and I saw the fear in his eyes. No, he knew something was wrong. He knew, but he didn't know what, and now he was scared. Damn it, why did my conscience have to revive?
"You willing to trust me?" I whispered, keeping my voice quiet. He nodded. "You sure?" I ground my teeth as he nodded again. Damn it. "Then, close your eyes and cover your ears." I pulled out one of my little 'gifts' from my pack. "You might want to duck too."
He did all three of those things without hesitation, and I tossed my 'gift' in the air, and threw a thunder spell after it to ignite it. The result was, as always, instantaneous: instant smoke screen.
"Run!" I yelled, snatching his arm and dragging him after me as I bolted back down the hallway. The soldier was coughing and screaming behind us. "Get your feet under you! You know how to run, right?"
"Yes, thank you!" Marth replied. Surprisingly, it didn't take him long at all to right himself. Even more surprisingly, he freed his arm only to snag my hand instead. "Doesn't this lead to a dead end?"
"Nah, there's a good entry point here and, well, good entry points make even better exits." I glanced back at him. "You good at climbing?"
"Considering everything, I think I can be a fast study." Well, that was encouraging, not. "What's going on?"
"I got no clue and even less cares." I grinned as we made it to the 'entrance', a window we'd marked with a small black star before moving on, and I looked down to check it was clear. "All right then." I turned my attention to him. "You want to go first?"
"What are you even climbing?" Marth looked out the window dubiously. "There's no trees near here, and I don't see a rope."
"That answers that." Why was I saddled with an idiot? "Just do as I do." I flipped out easily, catching the ledge and climbing down. I went slower than I normally did, mostly so that he could see where I put my hands and feet. Of course, when I hit the ground and looked up, I saw him looking incredulous. "Well, climb down."
"You have high hopes for my flexibility."
"Well, you could stay and find out what the hell Gra wants with you, pretty boy. But given that aura, I don't think you'd like it much." I laughed as he quickly scrambled out the window. "I thought that'd get you moving."
"You are a very mean person."
"And you are slower than a legless turtle. Climb or fall. Make a choice." I fidgeted as he crawled down, bit by bit. There was a lot of noise now, and none of it sounded good.
He seemed to think the same. When he was about halfway, he glanced down with a thoughtful little frown and then purposely let go, falling the rest of the way. He landed with a nasty thump and a wince, but nothing was broken. That was a plus.
I held out my hand, and he took it without hesitation, letting me lead him down the path. We utilized the shrubs and statues of the courtyard to move forward. I spared a thought for my group, but noticing all the Gra soldiers scurrying about like angry ants, I decided they either got smart and escaped, or got dead and didn't. Either way, it wasn't my problem anymore.
"Oh!" Marth gasped after a moment. He pointed to two knights a bit ahead of us, both wearing Altean armor. "That's Abel and Frey," he whispered, smiling softly. "Good, they're all right."
"Are they trustworthy?" I asked, giving him a skeptical look. "Considering earlier…"
"Yes, I'm sure of it." His smile was bright, and I spared a little hope that he was right. It wasn't fun watching people shatter. "Oh, they have Elice with them!" He didn't move though, looking to me instead. "Is it safe to join them?"
"Wow, you do have a working brain." I studied the area, eyes narrowed. "If we move quickly, we should be." I tugged him down a side path. "Come on."
"Thank you." Marth squeezed my hand. "I really appreciate all of this, by the way."
"You better. I make a habit of avoiding trouble, not jumping into it."
"Then I am extra grateful." His smile grew. "Abel! Frey!"
"Sire!" The older knight, with hair almost he same shade as Marth, turned to face us with a warm, relieved smile. "You're all right," he breathed, bowing to Marth. "We couldn't find you in your rooms."
"A soldier told me Elice wanted to speak to me," Marth explained. He carefully let go of my hand before rushing to hug his sister. "Was that a ruse?"
"It was," Elice confirmed, hugging him back tightly. "Oh, Marth, I'm so relieved. I got separated from Mother, and no one knew what happened to you. I'm lucky Abel found and saved me."
"Abel, once again, I'm in your debt." Marth pulled away to smile to the other knight. I thought about slipping away, but Marth gestured to me, pulling me into the conversation. "I got lucky as well. She saved me."
"Then, miss, I owe you a great deal." Elice's smile was gentle and kind, way more than I would've thought. "Thank you, so much."
"You can thank me by explaining what's going on," I retorted, feeling a little unnerved. I was a thief. These were knights and royalty. Normally, I made sure to have an entire damn city between me and them. Yet, here I was. "I just know something isn't right."
"No, it's not," Elice whispered. Her smile fell, and her eyes were grave. "Our father was defeated."
"Well, shit." That wasn't good, for anyone. "What happened?"
"It was Gra. They betrayed us and attacked from the rear." Considering how they'd been acting, this made a lot of sense. "So, truly, all of Altea owes you for saving Marth. We have no idea if Father is even still alive." Her breath caught and she coughed to clear her throat. "The scouts gave conflicting reports."
"If that's the case, then this place is falling." Yeah, my group was dead. There were no doubts about that now. Oh well. "Well, I normally avoid you folk, but if you want a way out, I know a path." I knew a lot of paths, actually, and damn it, my conscience wasn't going to let me go without offering that knowledge.
"Since the main gates are already overrun, I had given up hope. But if you know another…?" She paused, clearly expecting an answer, so I nodded. "Oh, wonderful. Abel, Frey, please, guard Marth while you flee."
"Of course, my lady," the other knight replied. Abel. His name was Abel. I didn't normally care, but these were weird circumstances. "But what of you?" He reached around and took Marth's shoulder. Marth seemed a little dazed by all of this. "Surely, you are not requesting us to leave you alone."
"I want to try and find Mother," Elise replied sweetly. She clasped her hands in front of her. "Jagan shouldn't be far either. I want to see if he has more information for us." She turned to the older knight. Frey. His name had to be Frey. "Carry him if you must, but please, you must move quickly!"
"You're right about that, my lady," Frey replied. He promptly picked up Marth like he was nothing more than a sack of potatoes. The image made me smile. "Miss, we are in your care."
This was supposed to be an easy job. Why was everything so freaking weird?
Marth didn't unfreeze until we made it to the garden walls, far beyond the point where he could've run back to his sister safely. So, instead, he listened to me as I showed the three how to climb the vines, and soon, we were out of the palace all together and into the city.
Unfortunately, it seemed Gra had anticipated runners. The whole place was on fire.
"Why is it going up so quickly?" Abel snapped as we dodged another falling piece of a flaming roof. We had to take the back alleys to make any sort of progress, but unfortunately, those were the places where roofs hung over the edge the most. "Not every building is made of wood!"
"But a lot have wooden pieces, and the landowners often used pitch or even tar to fix things," I explained with a shrug. This situation was all kinds of bad, but this part wasn't surprising. "No one caught them, and now, everyone's paying for it."
"You speak of terrible things calmly."
"It's called 'living by the skin of your teeth', dummy." I threw him a glare over my shoulder. "I could scream like a hysterical noblewoman, but I think you'd prefer me leading you out of here." Ugh, why did my conscience have to resurrect? I could've been safe and sound by now, and not having to deal with any of this shit.
"Abel, you're being rude," Marth chided. I was surprised he even talked. He'd been quiet ever since we left the palace, and there was a dead look in his eyes as we ran. "I would be dead if not for her."
"…I'm sorry, sire," Abel mumbled. He paused. "And I'm sorry, miss. I shouldn't have scolded. Cain has frequently complained about my own stoic nature. I suppose I understand why now."
"That's part of growing up, Abel," Frey murmured. "Understanding others and learning how to adapt." He was definitely the oldest of the group, and it showed by how easily he made sure we all stayed together. "They're rounding up the people." He pointed through the flames, where there were soldiers herding people like they were cattle. "They must be looking for us."
"What will they do to them?"
"I hope nothing." His tone implied, however, that he expected them to do something. Considering the 'herding' metaphor, I wasn't sure I wanted to know what he expected. "We must keep going."
"Is there truly nothing we can do to help?" Marth asked. He paused as we passed by a particularly large alley, giving us a very clear view of a group of people trembling on their knees. A couple didn't look older than five. "They…"
"My prince, what you can do is get to safety," Frey murmured. He was already pushing Marth along the path, taking him out of sight of the captives. "If you go, they will only watch you be killed."
"But…" Marth sighed and drooped. "Why…? Why is all of this happening?"
"I don't know, sire." Frey rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder, even as he urged Abel to follow. "If I did, I would have stopped it."
While they moved forward, I lingered behind, watching the group. Some Gra soldiers walked up and jeered at them. I couldn't hear them well. It was something about how Altea was the country of heroes and yet it fell so easily.
Then, suddenly, they brought their sword down on one of the kid's head, splitting it open. There was screaming and crying, and I tried to figure out what happened. Why did they kill the kid? Was it just random? That happened sometimes. But, it didn't really make sense to me.
As I watched the kids blood trickle into the dirt, I figured out the answer. The kid had blue hair, the same shade as Marth's. He'd been killed just for that.
Well, now I was terrified. I had blue hair too. So, I ran down the path, easily catching up to the others, balling my fists to keep them from shaking. This was weird. This was super-weird, and I was only in the middle of this because I had to get a conscience again!
I might have stormed ahead, but Marth reached back to take my hand. I wasn't sure if he was looking for reassurance, or if he'd somehow sensed I was shaken. I supposed it didn't matter. Holding onto him made it less likely that he'd get lost, and I already knew that was bad.
"We're almost to the edge of the city," I whispered after a moment. Screams and sobbing echoed eerily around us, and the smell of smoke and blood was almost enough to choke me. "It's just a little farther." I was almost done. I'd get them there, and then I'd wash my hands clean of them and run far, far away. Gra couldn't reach every little hiding hole in the country, and if there was one thing a thief knew how to do, it was hide.
Of course, when we got there, we found a knight riding up on a horse, and promptly slip from the saddle as the horse slowed to a stop. He landed with a quiet 'splat' due to all the blood on him. I actually wondered if his hair and armor were naturally red, or had become that color.
"Cain!" Marth cried, rushing for the fallen knight. The other two followed quickly so, with a groan, I joined them. Of course. Of course, they knew him. Why wouldn't they? "Cain, can you hear me?" He rolled the knight over, and helped him sit up. "Cain!"
"Prince Marth?" the knight croaked. He opened one eye, and managed a smile. His teeth were bloody. I chose to not focus on any of his other injuries. "It's really you. Thank the gods. I thought the message would go undeliv… agh…" He winced, struggling to breath. "Damn it."
"Easy, Cain. We need to treat your wounds."
"We need to get further away, sire." That was a new voice, and I whirled, one hand dropping to my pack. However, the speaker was an old man in the spikiest armor I'd ever seen. Did he expect to stab people with his shoulders? "Cain, I trust you can put off bleeding to death for a while longer?" he continued, voice somewhere between serious and joking.
"Of course, Sir Jagan," the knight, Cain, immediately replied. His voice was breathy. "I am to please."
"Excellent." The old man whistled, and a few horses trotted up. Now that I had a name, I knew him. Jagan was the oldest knight in the force, and stupidly loyal. "Abel, Frey, I took liberty to get your horses. I don't trust Cain to ride alone with those injuries, so one of you, take him. I will take Prince Marth. Whoever doesn't have Cain, take the girl." Did I get no say in this? What made him think that I wanted to get on a creature that could kill me?
"What of Elice, Jagan?" Marth asked. Abel quickly took charge of Cain, while Frey helped me into the saddle of his horse without asking if I wanted to ride in the first place. "She said she was looking for you."
"She has chosen to remain at the palace, to buy you time to escape and to treat the injured." Jagan picked up Prince Marth and slung him into the saddle. "Abel, tie Cain's horse to your saddle to make sure he doesn't spook and run."
"What do you mean she's staying?!" Marth tried to leap from the saddle, but Jagan swung up and stopped him easily. "Jagan! Let me go! I order you to let me go!"
"I'm sorry, sire, but that is an order I cannot obey." He looked to the rest of us. "Come, we must ride to the fort! I'll explain more then!"
"Jagan, please!" But despite Marth's desperate cries, Jagan didn't even hesitate. He urged his horse into a gallop, and Abel and Frey quickly followed suit, leaving Cain to bleed, Marth to cry, and me to wonder what the hell I was getting into.
Damn it, this was why I hated knights. They assumed everyone was as stupidly sacrificial as they were.
We rode all the way to one of the fortresses, a good few marks out of the city. In the distance, you could only see little specks of the flames. But the smoke billowed up into the night sky, swallowing up the stars. The village fortuneteller would have been screaming about bad omens at this point. I, however, was still trying to figure out why they thought I'd come with them this far. I'd only offered to show them out of the palace, and the city.
"Easy, Cain." Marth's voice made me turn my attention from the burning city and back to what was around me. "You have to stop fidgeting," he scolded, bandaging up Cain's injuries. Abel and Frey had gone to scout ahead while Jagan watched over the rest of us. "You're not making it easy on me."
"Sorry, sire," Cain replied. He had a little grin on his face. "I'm enjoying the pain, so to speak." Wow, I did not need to know he was a masochist. "It means that I am alive, sire, and that I made it to you. I didn't fail."
"Of course you didn't." Marth tied the last bandage and sat back. "Honestly, though, you really should rest."
"Sire, it's my pride that bleeds more than my body." If that was the case, considering all the wounds he had and how splattered his armor was, his pride was probably dead from blood loss. "Besides, I must… I must tell you King Cornelius's final words." Even I froze at the words. King Cornelius was…?
"Final?" Marth's voice cracked, and he look up at Jagan, as if begging him to tell him he misheard. But Jagan only closed his eyes, so Marth turned his attention back to Cain. "You can't mean…"
"My condolences sire. He died valiantly on the fields of Gra." Who cared how he died? Dead was freaking dead. "He did all that he could, but Jiol skewered him and stole the Falchion from his corpse." Well, when a person died, their stuff became fair game. "Then he ordered no mercy for us. I barely managed to escape."
"I…" Marth croaked. His eyes swam with tears, but he shook his head violently to keep from crying. "So, everyone is dead."
"Yes." Cain looked remarkably stable for a sole survivor. Then again, I wasn't in his head. "His last words were: 'Tell my son that I leave the future of Altea and our continent in his hands. He must rise now where I have fallen. As Falchion's rightful heir, he was born into greatness. Now, he must be great.'"
Marth didn't reply, and an awkward silence hovered over us. I hated silence. Silence always meant bad things were coming.
So, I turned to Jagan and asked, "what's the plan from here?"
"We escape," Jagan answered easily. To his credit, his tone didn't even imply an 'of course'. Maybe it was because he knew why I had asked, and was grateful for the subject change. "We head to Talys, in the east." He smiled slightly. "The king there is a true friend of your father's, and arrangements were made in advance, just in case you had to run. I sent Draug ahead to get the ship ready. We just need to break to the north." He paused, and turned to me. "Though, perhaps you have another plan for yourself?" Oh, sure, now that got acknowledged.
"Well, considering everything, I think I'm stuck with you." I wasn't happy about this one bit. "Gra's soldiers are coming at us faster than a thunder bolt, and I am not sticking around to see what they'd do to a girl like me." I almost grabbed a lock of my hair, remembering that dead kid. No, I didn't want to learn one bit. "So, when do we move?"
"About… now." He sounded so certain that I was a little confused, but as he turned, I realized he'd heard Frey and Abel return. "Is everything clear?"
"Mostly," Abel replied. He shifted and almost saluted, but checked the motion when Jagan shook his head. "We heard something from within the prison to the north, but it shouldn't be much if anything."
"If we can make it past the prison and the fortresses beyond, we should be safe," Frey added. His eyes were worried. "However, as she said, Gra's soldiers are closing in quickly."
"So, Cain, can you move?" Abel offered Cain his hand and helped pull him up. "Because we might need a reckless charge, and who better?"
"Oh, shut up," Cain replied, the words having no heat. He rolled his shoulder and winced. "Well, you'd better be prepared to clean up the mess if that's the case."
"Don't I always," Abel instantly retorted, laughing a little at Cain's scowl. "Don't strain yourself."
"As I told Prince Marth, these scratches are nothing. I'm used to your horrible swinging anyway."
"What was that?!"
"Um… should we intervene?" Marth asked softly as Abel and Cain fell into some sort of bickering. Frey and Jagan shook their heads, and were even smiling. "Okay, then… um… let's just keep going." He moved ahead, not glancing back even once.
I chased after him. "So, pretty boy, I don't think it's a good idea to just go on ahead," I drawled. He didn't respond. "You hearing me?"
"Hmm?" He glanced back, surprised. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did you say something?"
"Oh, great, you're hardheaded." I pointed back to the others, scrambling. "See? We're leaving them behind."
"Oh, Abel and Cain will bicker all day if we let them, but if I move ahead, they'll yelp and push forward." He nodded to the giant building we were walking to. "This is the northern prison. It's been unused for decades." He rested his hand on the door and pushed it open with a creak. "Unlocked… yes, people were in here before…" He peered around the door and yelped. "Yow! It's an enemy ambush!"
"Uh… Marth, if you had time to say that, I doubt it is." I leaned around the door, eyeing the 'ambush' skeptically. "I'll give you credit on the uniform, but I think he's a little too tied up to be doing much of anything." Hell, he was tied to a chair. "Also, who says 'yow'?"
"Me." Marth pushed open the door further, walked over to the tied up boy, and bent down to work on the ropes. "Hold on. I'll get these off you."
"Remove the gag first, you idiot." I crouched next to the boy too and got the rope out. "I bet you feel a lot better with that out of your mouth."
"I'll be tasting dirt for weeks," the boy complained, sighing in relief as Marth got the last of the bindings undone. "Pleasure to meet you, sire. I'm-"
"You're Gordin, one of our archers," Marth said. He smiled at Gordin's stare. "I tend to have a good memory for faces and names." He took Gordin's arm, frowning at the rope burns. "Those need to be treated."
"Oh, it's no big deal. I've gotten worse during training." Gordin grinned. "I'm fine, sire. Promise."
"But…"
"Sire, miss, please do not go so far ahead." Jagan walked in then, leading the other knights inside the building. "Ah, was one of ours captured here?" he asked, giving Gordin a suspicious look. "Why are you in a Gra uniform?"
"There were some Gra soldiers who stole my uniform to better sneak into the castle," Gordin answered. He clenched his fist. "They put one on me in the hopes that you'd see just the uniform and kill me."
"I had wondered why there were more Gra soldiers than garrison numbers dictated." He sighed and signaled the others. "Check and secure the area. We need to get those burns bandaged so they aren't infected."
The rest of the knights spread out, checking every cell in the whole place to make sure no one was hiding. Since I hadn't been told to do anything, I lingered by the entrance, wondering maybe I could make a break. Yeah, I had told Jagan that I was stuck, but maybe I wasn't. Maybe…
However, as I looked outside, all those maybes dried up and turned to ash. "So, I think we have a problem," I called. I glanced back to make sure I had everyone's attention. To my surprise, I did. "We have a bunch of heavily armored people and some people in fancy armor and fancier horses coming up behind us." I looked back to the approaching horde and grimaced at how many there were, over a hundred at least. "They look mad and mean." I turned to the others and noticed Jagan had paled. "So, I take it I'm right and it is bad."
"Extremely," he breathed. He walked to entrance too, to confirm my words, and actually flinched. "That's Gra's man force, and they are accompanied by Grust's Sable Order." Well, I could get why the former was bad, but was I supposed to know who the latter was? "There is no way we can route them, and escaping…"
"So, what do we do?" Marth asked softly, drawing our attention back inside. He looked a little lost as he helped steady Gordin and finished bandaging Gordin's wrist. "We… we have to get away… Elise, Father, Mother… if I get caught…"
"I know, sire." Jagan grit his teeth. "But we have very low chances."
"But we can increase them easily," Frey suddenly pointed out. To everyone's surprise, he started unbuckling his armor. Was he going to give the enemy soldiers a striptease? I imagined that would shock them. "Sire, give me your cloak and headdress and put on my armor."
"Huh? Why?" Marth yelped, confused. He was even more confused when Frey just took the items and started snapping the armor on him. "Frey, what's going on?"
"My hair color is similar to yours. From a distance, they will think I am you." He snapped the last bit of armor in place and swung on the cloak, smiling warmly. "The cloak will hide our different builds, and no mere knight would wear something this fine." Slowly, the implications of his words sunk in. He was going to be a decoy. "The rank and file will focus on me, and you can escape before those who can see through the ruse make it here." He was going to be bait.
"You can't!" Marth clung to Frey desperately. "No, we'll find another way! There's no way you can-!"
"My prince, I am a knight. It is an honor to live for your sake, and it is an honor to die for your sake." He was perfectly calm. He had already accepted all of this.
"There's been to many sacrifices already!" Marth shook his head. "Please, you have to… please…!"
"Then, if you might here this humble knight's request?" Frey pried Marth's hands off of him and knelt. "Live. Live, grow strong, and be happy. That is my dearest wish." He smiled as Marth started crying. "Please, grant it."
"I…" Marth's voice cracked. "I wish…"
"I know, sire. I understand."
"I know. I will. I promise." He then gave Frey a serious look, almost too serious considering the tears. "But if you can find a way back, I don't care how long it's been. You come back."
"I swear it." He nudged Marth towards the back door. "Now go, and don't look back."
To my utter shock, Marth did just that, racing ahead in too big armor that clanged. Frey smiled proudly as he left, and headed for the entrance, walking towards his death with his head held high.
"Frey!" However, there were others in the group who didn't agree with this plan. Cain struggled against Jagan, reaching desperately for Frey even as Jagan tried to shove him after Marth. "Frey, damn it, get back here!" he snapped. His wounds had reopened; the blood streamed down. "Frey!"
"I'm sorry we couldn't have that duel, Cain!" Frey called back. He grinned over his shoulder and saluted. "Get better, and we'll duel in the afterlife, all right?"
"Frey!" He might have said more, but Jagan shoved him ahead, and so Cain turned, to chase after Marth.
Then Jagan had another problem. Abel darted past him, and went straight to Frey. "I understand," he whispered. Well, maybe this wasn't a problem after all. Jagan didn't seem to think so; he followed Cain without a look back. "I understand. I'd do the same. I wish you didn't have to do this, though. I wish…"
"I know, Abel," Frey replied. He clasped his shoulder and smiled. "Keep up your training. Prince Marth will need you and Cain more than ever. Cain will see that, in time."
"Lazy of you to throw your duties at us." The barbed words were softened by how Abel looked ready to cry. "Give them hell."
"Oh, I intend to." Frey stepped away. "Go, and make sure she doesn't get left behind." He nodded to me, as if he knew my legs were frozen from… well… everything. "We owe her a great deal."
"On it." Abel turned away, and snagged my shoulder, dragging me after him as we escaped and left Frey behind.
Marth might not have looked back, but I did. I did, and for the life of me, I couldn't understand how he could look death so calmly in the face. I couldn't understand why he seemed content when he was about to die.
I couldn't understand him. Gods, what an idiot.
We made it to the port without any more trouble. A man in heavy armor named Draug and a pink-haired archer girl named Norne met us there, and got us bundled onto the ship before any of us could say anything.
Then, we were off without another word. Nothing blocked our path. It seemed that no one expected us to escape by sea. So, before long, we were out in open water, where nothing could catch us.
Cain had passed out at last once we were 'safe'. Abel fell asleep not long after, as did Gordin. Norne had volunteered to take 'first watch', though I had no idea what she'd be watching for. I wandered into one of the rooms and found a map with country names on them. I barely recognized any of the names, and it took me a while to find Talys on it. It was really far out of our way, with us having to go around Gra and Archanea before passing by some islands. I supposed that helped our escape. But it really hammered home how far out of my depth I was.
Seriously, I was a thief. I stole things. I didn't save anything but money. Why was I stuck in this mess? Oh, right, it was my conscience's fault. This was why I had tried to kill it years ago. Damn it all.
Sighing, I stepped out of the room and headed for the… what was it even called? I knew nothing about ships, just that they floated on water and were bad to steal from. Still, I headed out to that open little area, and noticed Marth at the railing, staring forlornly at the horizon as Altea grew smaller.
I lingered back, trying to figure out what I wanted, or needed, to do, and I ended up just staring at that little boy. Now that I thought about it, wasn't he a year younger than me? I'd never cared before. I didn't care now. But it was hard to not remember that, as I looked at him now.
Both Jagan and Draug meandered over to him and talked, but they must have said the same damn thing as Marth didn't look any better after they left. As they went to other duties, I hesitated a bit more before sighing and walking over to stand next to him. I didn't say anything, just kept up the silence. I didn't know what to say. All of this was just a little too weird for me. So, it startled me when he broke the silence.
"I always wanted to go sailing," he whispered. He continued looking out over the horizon, with tired, angry eyes. "Father promised that we'd sail one day soon, before all the trouble. I'd looked forward to it."
"Well, he sorta kept his promise," I mumbled. Shit, I didn't know what to say. I never had parents or a sibling, and I'd had warning when Grandpa died. "You did go sailing."
"I suppose that's true." He balled his hands into fists. "…Craven…"
"Hmm?"
"I am a craven. Powerless to save anyone, to staunch my kingdom's wounds, to ease my people's fears…" He sighed, resting his head on the railing. I more tried to figure out what 'craven' meant. "What sort of prince am I?"
"Apparently, you're the kind people wanted to die for." I looked out over the horizon, seeing Altea almost out of sight. I'd never even thought of leaving the capital, much less the country. Now, because my conscience decided to come back, I was. Damn it, of all the times… "I've looked death in the face before. It's terrifying. Yet Frey faced that fear in the hope that you'd live."
"Yes, but I do not see why, except for a single accident of birth." He clenched his fists. "I can wield Falchion, and the Shadow Dragon lives. That's it. That's the only reason why my life is worth anything."
"He wouldn't have had a wish like his if that was the only reason." Why was I being his therapist? I had every reason in the world to be pissed off. But honestly, it felt like I'd be kicking a day old kitten if I did. Even I wasn't that bad. "But, I guess you could work to become something worthy of it? I mean; you're alive, right? The only thing constant about life is change."
"I suppose you're right." He suddenly started laughing. It was a broken bit of laughter, thick with tears, but it was a laugh. The sound startled me. "I just realized." He lifted his head to give me a rueful smile. "You saved my life many times, and got dragged into this mess only because of your kindness, yet I don't know your name. I know it is rather late, but might I hear it?"
I hesitated in answering, but that was mostly because of shock. It had been a long time since someone actually cared to learn my name. "It's Kristina, Marth." I leaned against the railing too, so that I was looking him in the face. "My name is Kristina. Call me Kris."
Records on Kristina/Kris
· A 15 year old mage with no formal training, using her skills to assist in stealing
· Known to make concoctions of various types, mostly things such as smokescreens, to assist in her thefts
· Favors thunder magic, having a natural affinity with the element.
· An orphan who never knew her parents. Was taken in by a retired knight, Maclir, but turned to stealing after his death for reasons unknown
Author's note: Welcome to Shadows of the Heirs, a novelization of FE11, Shadow Dragon. You might have noticed a note on whose POV the chapter is: that is because this novelization has two POVs. Here is our first one, Kristina, called Kris. As can be guessed by the name, she is based off of the FE12 Avatar. Now, FE11 is scarce on plot and character details, so a lot of things learned during FE12 will likely feature, and I will be taking influences from the manga as well. There will also be times where I removed characters, such as here: I removed Malledus, for purpose of pacing.
However, there is one major note about this novelization. There will be a specific point where I change what happens in the plot, because I disagree with how it was ultimately handled by the story, and it is a change that will affect events for this story's sequel. If you are curious about this change, please feel free to PM me.
Now, this chapter is based on the Shadow Dragon prologue, unique to that version of the game. Frey and Norne are both characters unique to FE11, as opposed to the rest who appeared in the original FE1. Frey is considered the canon sacrifice, while Norne is one of the… infamous bonus characters, gained only if you lose two units during the prologue. I will be doing all of the gaiden chapters, by the way, while not bothering with the absolutely ridiculous requirements for them.
The joke about Jagan and Draug saying the same thing in the last scene is due to how, if Jagan dies, Draug will speak in his place, and say the exact same thing.
Next Chapter – Prologue 2 with our other POV char
