Chapter 2 and we finally get to a proper fight! Thanks to everyone who gave reviews/criticisms

MilleniaMaster: Thank you. I based a lot of Vesper's deductive style on Sherlock Holmes (a bit cliche, yes, but very effective).

Gunlord500: I've already thought out how Vesper's magic works and I'll give a (almost) full explanation next chapter. As for the Lorca thing, apparently some did survive in the game, but they refused to follow Lyn. But I really don't care about that, because I don't intend for this just to be a straight re-telling, I intend to change quite a lot of things, major and minor. It's no fun just sticking to the game script.


Chapter 2

Considering she had to look after Vesper, Lyn had set up her tent away from the rest of her clan, so Vesper could get some peace. As she dashed out of her tent, she could see a column of smoke rising from where the rest of the clan had camped out.

'This time I'm not going to run away.' Lyn gritted her teeth, dashing forward. 'I'll defend my clan or die trying'

It didn't take her long to spot a small group of three bandits heading towards the camp. Normally, Lyn'd keep calm and slowly follow and pick off the bandits, but the grief of the last bandit attack clouded her judgement and she leapt forward at the bandit trio, taking the first by surprise and running him through with her sword. The second screamed, and jumped backwards, but the third, experienced in combat, was more skilled and swung his axe at Lyn, while she was unprepared. She barely managed to dodge the axe swing, and retreated to a safer distance.

"Looks like we've found a stray." The bandit who attacked Lyn gave a malicious grin, showing a mouthful of rotting teeth. "And a pretty one at that."

The second bandit recovered from his shock, and drew his axe.

"You reckon the boss'll be pleased if we bring her back?" He began grinning like the first.

Lyn began to shake. She was outnumbered 2 to 1, by bandits who were obviously pretty strong. She was just a young nomad girl who hadn't even finished her swordsmanship training. But she had to protect her tribe, and the injured Vesper. She tightened her grip on her sword and prepared for another attack.

"Head to the east." A voice suddenly sounded in her head. A voice that wasn't her own.

"Wha...?"

"I said head to the east."' The voice repeated. "Don't bother taking these guys on in single combat. You'll lose."

"Vesper?" Lyn suddenly recognised the voice. "How are you-?"

"Tactician magic." Vesper explained, interrupting her. "I'll explain more when you're not in mortal danger. Now here's what I want you to do..."

The two bandits looked on, confused, as their target was apparently talking to herself. Suddenly, she sprinted off, towards the east.

"Oi!" They yelled, chasing after her.

"This plan of yours better work, Vesper." Lyn muttered under her breath.

"No need to worry about that." Vesper reassured her. My plans always work. It just comes down to how good you are at running..."


The two bandits chased Lyn across the plains, but they couldn't catch her, and were beginning to tire. They were about to give up, when Lyn suddenly stopped, at the bottom of a large ditch.

"You sure gave us a decent run for our money." The first bandit grinned, hopping down into the ditch. "But now the chase is- huh?"

A loud squelch sounded from beneath the bandit's feet.

"Mud?" The bandit tried to pull his feet out, but he was stuck. "But it 'asn't rained for days!"

"I'll help you." The second bandit offered, reaching his hand out. "Grab hold of-"

"No! Keep your eye on the girl!" The first bandit warned. But it was too late.

Unlike the bulky bandits, Lyn was able to move over the mud with ease, and she cut down the unprepared second bandit, before leaping out of the way of the remaining bandit's axe swing.

"Why... you...!" The bandit tossed his axe at Lyn in a last ditch effort, but she dodged it with ease, and cut his neck open. The bandit fell lifeless into the mud, blood spraying everywhere.

Lyn sat down for a few seconds, trying to catch her breath, and comprehend what had just happened.

"You okay?" Vesper's voice echoed in her head.

"Just a bit shaken." Lyn answered. "How-"

"-Did I know about the mud?" Vesper finished, in what was becoming quite an annoying habit of his. "Took a quick sweep of the landscape. The shape of this ditch suggests that it was a river, or something, which recently dried up in the heatwave. However, even in this heat, there's sure to be some damp earth or mud left."

"I was more talking about the telepathy." Lyn sighed.

"Tactician magic." Vesper shrugged. "You see that mark I made on your hand?"

"Huh?" Lyn looked at her hand. Where Vesper had scratched it, there was now an odd marking on her hand, which looked slightly like a wasp. It was glowing light blue.

"That's the Tactician's mark. A contract between a tactician and a warrior." Vesper explained. "It lets me communicate with you and share 've got a master copy, allowing full communication.

"Since it's magic, does that mean you can strike down enemies with thunderbolts, or anything?" Lyn asked.

"Nope. It's completely useless when it comes to combat."

"Oh..."

"It does have many other uses!" Vesper felt the need to defend his magic. "I'll explain more once you take out the other three bandits near the camp."

"Another 3?" Lyn sprung to her feet. "How do you know?"

"I'll show you." Vesper grinned.

Suddenly, an image flashed before Lyn's eyes. She could see a small, blue, cartoonish version of herself, standing at the bottom on a ditch. Nearby, she could see the camp, with multiple green figures huddled together, while 3 red figures prowled around them.

"Tactician magic?" She smiled.

"Damn straight." Vesper smiled back. "Blue figures are allies, red figures are enemies, green figures are neutrals and non-combatants. You ready?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Lyn grabbed her sword.

"Well you just killed three people."

"And I'm ready to kill three more."


The remnants of the Lorca tribe sat huddled together, fearful for their lives, as the three bandits looted their homes, in search of valuables.

"There's 'ell all here, boss!" One of them complained, kicking over a bag of grain. "This was a waste of time!"

"Just keep lookin' boys!" The boss, Batta told them. "Even if there's nowt here, we can sell the women and children as slaves."

The Lorca cowered further at that. The pressure finally got to one young girl, who wriggled out of her mothers grasp, and made a run for it. She didn't get far before Batta caught her and lifted her clean off the ground.

"You shouldn't 'ave done that." He growled. "Now, I'm gonna have to set an example to this lot. By cuttin' you in half!"

The little girl shrieked, as he raised his axe and-

*snap*

Batta's head swiftly turned to where the sound came from. He saw a small figure moving in the ruins of the camp.

"Oi, Belark, you missed one!" He yelled.

"I got it, boss." Belark moved towards the figure. He found her near a small, burning tent. It was a young woman, hunched over, with her hands covering her face. She seemed scared out of her mind. "Hey Lady, stop sittin' around and join the re-"

Lyn immediately stabbed him in the arm with her concealed dagger.

"Gyaaaaahhh!" He screamed in pain, falling backwards.

"Belark?" Batta considered dashing to check on him, but remembering he had several prisoners to look after, he thought better of it. "Kraleb, go check on him."

"R-Right boss." Kraleb slowly, and cautiously, made his way towards his injured comrade. "Belark, what happened?"

"Woman... scared... hand... stabbed..." Belark groaned in pain.

"Where is she now?"

"Behind you." Lyn answered, pointing her sword at his neck.


Batta was worried now. Judging by Kraleb's loud scream, he was probably dead. Which just left Batta. Whoever his opponent was, he was smart and strong. So why had he not attacked yet? Suddenly, he felt something squirming in his hands. He was still holding onto the little girl from earlier.

An idea crossed Batta's mind. A very clever idea.

"Oh Mr Warrior!" He yelled, holding his axe to the girl's throat. "Come out now or I'll decapitate this girl!"

From her hiding place, Lyn gasped.

"Vesper, I-"

"I know." Vesper sighed. "I'll never be able to convince you not to go, will I?"

"No." Lyn smiled.

"Good luck."

"Thanks." And with that, Lyn stepped out towards the bandit.

At first Batta was shocked. His bandit gang had been taken down by a woman? Then his disbelief turned to rage.

"Drop your weapon." He growled. "You'll pay for what you did to my gang. I'm gonna hang up your head as a trophy."

Lyn dropped her sword, as Batta had asked. Now, her only chance was the small concealed dagger she had, but she'd need a lot of luck to even get close to him. And she'd already had a fair share of that from Vesper.

Vesper.

It was strange she'd think of him in her final moments, but since she'd found him on the road, even then, there was this slight connection she'd felt to him. While he seemed weak and scrawny, and sometimes oafish, he had a sharp mind and there was no way she'd have got this far on her own. She wondered if the bandits would hunt him down. Or whether he'd get lost again and die in the heat. And suddenly she felt a great need to stay alive. For Vesper's sake.

Batta threw the young girl to the side, and charged at the the defenseless warrior. At the last second, Lyn threw herself to the side, but it was a little late. Batta's axe cut into her arm, leaving a large gash, but Lyn had managed to stab Batta in the leg with her dagger.

"Gaaaaahhh!" Batta yelled. "You little-!"

Lyn grabbed her sword from the ground and, ignoring the pain from her arm, dashed forward towards Batta. But Batta was ready and thwacked Lyn's wounded arm with the flat of his axe. There was a sickening crack as the bone shattered, but Lyn didn't stop and, with one swift movement, she cut Batta down.

'I did it.' she thought to herself. 'I protected my clan, just like I said I would.'

Then the pain finally got to her and everything started to go black. Before she passed out, however, she saw a familiar figure dressed in bright green robes...


Lyn woke with a start, to find herself lying on her bed, in her tent.

'Was it a dream?' She wondered. Then the throbbing pain in her arm started. It was quite sloppily bandaged, with a vulinary rubbed into it, but it was recovering quickly.

"You're awake then?"

Lyn turned suddenly, to spot Vesper sitting against the tent wall. "Y-Yeah."

"You were out of it for a couple of days." Vesper smiled. "I thought we may have had to amputate that arm, but you pulled through."

A thought hit Lyn. "The tribe-!"

"-Are alive and well." Vesper hadn't lost his touch for finishing other peoples sentences. "All thanks to me."

"Really...?" Lyn gave him an amused smirk.

"Alright, you helped a little." Vesper admitted. "Anyway, now you're all recovered, I can finally start heading for the Western Isles."

"You're leaving?" Lyn couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice. "You can't stay a little longer?"

"A tactician's work is never done." Vesper sighed.

"I thought you were only a tactician in training?"

"A tactician in training's work is usually never done." Vesper winked. "But if you really want, I suppose I could wait until you're completely okay. After all, I wouldn't want my guide to be injured."

"Guide?"

"Yep." Vesper grinned. "I had a talk with your clan, and they agreed to let you accompany me to the Western Isles."

"A-Are you serious?" Lyn gasped, with a little too much enthusiasm. "But I need to look after the clan and-"

"Don't worry about that." Vesper answered off-handedly. "After you beat the bandits, a fellow nomad tribe arrived and agreed to look after the rest of the Lorca for you, so you can travel with me and make sure I don't die... or get lost."

This was too much for Lyn to take in at once. "But-"

"-I'm too good for you?" Vesper suggested, with an air of over-the-top poshness. "Don't worry. I occasionally allow commoners and lowlife to accompany me."

"Keep that up and I really will cut you." Lyn grinned. "But what makes you think I want to travel with you?"

"Well do you?"

"Yes..." Lyn admitted "But that's not the point."

"But then what is?"

"Um..." Lyn wasn't sure. "Well... why do you want me to travel with you?"

"Because I've gotten used to your company." Vesper admitted. "Not to mention you're a strong fighter, and you'd make a good guide, for me."

"How come I have to be your 'guide'?" Lyn jabbed, cheekily. "Surely you should be my follower, or something"

Vesper thought a moment. "Let's compromise then. We'll be partners."

"Partners?" Lyn liked the sound of that. "Alright then. Let's get ready to move, 'partner'." We have a long day's walk ahead of us."

"Walk? Can't we just get a horse or something?"

"Do you know how expensive horses are? Besides, if you spent some time walking, perhaps you wouldn't be so scrawny."

"I prefer the term 'undernourished'."

As the two laughed, and argued, little did they know that their new partnership would become one passed down in history and legend, for all of time...