Title: Unforeseen Consequences
Author: Korsriddare
Characters: Seth
Rating: K+
Summary: In which one learns that trying to mug a Knight of Renais, especially this one, is not a good idea.
Disclaimer: Fire Emblem is not mine.
A/N: Many thanks to Manna and Maruta for beta-ing. Fic is dedicated to them, and the usual suspects. You know who you are!
It was early morning outside Castle Renais, and the denizens of the city had mostly awoken. Market District was already bustling with activity as both vendors and potential customers filled one of the busiest districts in Renais.
Along the edges of said district, a young man cut through the back alleys as he headed towards one of the main streets. He wore his dress uniform well, the golden trims complimenting the black of the uniform and his red hair flowed superbly under the morning sun.
It was not hard to mistake him as some random noble's son - the air of authority and nobility surrounding him was obvious. It also was unfortunate that he appeared to be unarmed.
Unfortunate for whom? It remained to be seen.
Sir Seth, one of the youngest Knights of Renais, moved along the paved ground steadily. He supposed it was too late to retrieve his sword belt from the barracks, though it did not matter anyway. This errand was personal in nature, and he estimated that the probability of needing his sword was slim.
The shop he had in mind sold several novelty items and he figured that he might be able to find something there that was to Princess Eirika's liking. It was true that the girl herself could easily obtain anything that he might get for her, but the Princess' birthday was fast approaching and he wanted to give her something.
Seth scratched his chin as he continued to walk, not particularly paying attention to his surroundings. He wanted to give her something symbolic, since Gods know she could afford just about anything that was material in nature if she so desired. Care must also be taken so that the gift was not too personal, as he was but a retainer in their service, and it would be inappropriate. Yet at the same time, he did not want it to be perceived as too impersonal. After all, though he was her retainer, he genuinely liked serving under her. Even though she was just approaching her twelfth birthday, she was already mature in thought and attitude.
Furthermore, she often turned to him for conversation and advice, even before he was knighted. For that, he was truly honored.
A scarf, perhaps? It would be a repayment of sorts for the handkerchief she had tied to my lance during the-
"Hello there, my Lord," a sneering voice interrupted his thoughts.
In their defense, five against one seemed to be pretty good odds.
Cursing inwardly, the red-haired knight realized that he had allowed himself to be surrounded in the narrow alley. Do not panic. Five of them, three to his front, two to his back. His mind had instantly switched to analytical mode as he glanced about carefully while the apparent leader spoke again, "Surrender your coins and clothes, and we'll let you go. You know, so you can run home to daddy crying."
The others laughed. Seth did not find it amusing, he was just another thug. There were some other words coming from the man's mouth, and he ignored them in favor of gathering more intelligence. His instructor had once said that if your opponent wished to gloat, let them, meanwhile you could plan to smash his face in. As a knight, it was only polite to let him finish speaking. As the leader rambled on about the inequalities of the society, he was able to obtained further information.
All of them were armed, two with short swords, one had a dagger in either hand, and the last two were holding clubs. The one with the daggers appeared to be the most competent, and should be the priority target. Club one was big, towering over him in size, and could prove to be a problem if the fight took too long. Sneering leader spoke a lot, but stood the farthest away, and his grip on the short sword was woeful. Club two and short man were moderate threats – not professional, but not as lax as their leader droned on. Gods, he must really love his own voice!
There was a bit of good news - they appeared to be behind a carpenter's shop. He spied several pieces of wood by the wall next to him. It was not ideal, but it had to do. Shifting slightly, he bent over and picked up a thin wooden plank the length of his arm. It was firm and hard. Good.
"Oh, so rich boy wants to do this the hard way, huh? Get him boys!"
Once again, he remembered his instructor's words. When surrounded, remember they have to bunch up to get to you. You have the advantage of freedom of motion then. Thanking Sir Francis silently, he went straight for dagger thug as they closed the distance. He stabbed outwards with the make-shift weapon, the motion quick and unexpected.
No sane person would fight against five opponents at the same time, they had thought.
Seth winced inwardly at the sound made by dagger thug as he went down to the ground clutching his throat. The blunt end of the plank ensured there was no penetration, but the force and speed at which it met the flesh was painful enough. One down.
Estimating himself to have some time before club one entered within reach, he turned around to face short man and greeted him with a swing of the wooden plank. The startled man avoided it clumsily and stumbled against club one.
Time slowed for him, the adrenaline rushing through his veins enabling him to move faster, think clear. Charging into the two, he forced them against the wall with a grunt, and sidestepped just in time to misdirect club two's swing into his fellows. There was a sickening crunch of bone breaking, and short man slid to the ground holding onto his chest.
The knight kept his feet moving, his thoughts focused on the task at hand.
Left. Right. Leader within engagement range. Opening between club one and two. Go.
Deflecting club one's weapon against club two's, Seth ducked between them both and ran forward, the piece of wood now tucked against his side like a lance as he smashed it into no-longer-sneering leader's midsection. This time, however, the sound of flesh hitting wood was music to his ears, considering the nonsense he had heard earlier. Not one to bask in victory until all of them were down, he grabbed onto the leader's wrist and swung him back against the on rushing club-wielding duo. There was the underlying fear that if he was not fast enough, he could be taken out; one of the hallmarks of a professional, however, was the ability to function under such pressure, and Seth was trained well.
Be faster, be smarter, people! Don't just fight. Think!
The senior Knight's words resonated once more as he watched leader crash into the other two, his own weapon already up and swinging before they could recover their breath. His first hit connected squarely with club one's face and broke his nose. It was painless for the large man though, as he was rendered unconscious by the blow. Club two let out a string of expletives that was eminently unsuitable for polite company; Seth silenced him with a diagonal strike to the side, the foul words cut off in mid utterance as the man crumbled onto the pavement.
The alley was quiet now, its silence interrupted by the soft groans and whimpering of those on the ground. He bent down to check on leader, and noted that he was also out of it.
It was fast, it was brutal, and it should be a learning experience to the thugs on the ground. Checking the wooden plank for obvious signs of damage and finding none, he placed it back by the wall at its original location. The knight dusted himself off, and placed his steps on the ground carefully while walking away from the scene. Taking in a few deep breaths, he forced himself to calm down from the adrenaline of the fight.
He should find some of the city guards to direct them to capture these thugs, and then he would need to hurry to the shop, lest he be late for his watch by the wall.
The morning had not started well. Though at the least, he managed to aid in the arrest of five ruffians.
Now, for my Lady's present…
They never tried to mug anyone else after that.