Chapter 1: The Chosen Path

The smallest choices are the ones that leave the biggest impact. You may not believe it, but every decision must be made with care, for it is the ones that you write off that matter the most. Make no choice without at least a little hesitation. You will only ever be better off for it.

One year Later...

Alyss crouched in the bushes, watching a brigand stalk by, his face full of greedy malice.

"Come on out, girlie~" he called in a disturbingly sing-song fashion. "We'll treat ya real nice."

Alyss held her breath. They'd underestimated their enemies this time, and it was showing. Most of them had been forced into hiding due to the sheer number of enemies, and the last she had seen of any of her fellow mercenaries was Frelis perching on a roof, and that was a few minutes ago. As the brigand neared the end of the street, he slammed his axe into the side of a building, shattering part of the corner. Immediately after, the panicked whinnying of a horse could be heard from the next street over. With an evil smirk, he started toward the next corner, but he didn't make it far. Alyss watched as Frelis popped up from his hiding place and readied his arrow. After little more than a moment, his arrow sailed through the air, lodging itself in the brigand's skull.

Erinn rushed out of her hiding place, temporarily losing control of her panicking horse. Alyss leaped from her hiding spot and rushed to her aid, joining her just as the remaining brigands surrounded her. Erinn managed to calm her steed in time to keep from trampling her subordinate, and she looked around at the men that had trapped them. Six in total, including the boss.

"Looks like we hit the jackpot, boys," the leader smiled. "Two women, ripe for the taking."

Alyss glanced around at the bandits, failing to hide the fear on her face.

Where are they...? she wondered silently, worrying about what may have happened to the other two. She could see Frelis from his perch, hesitating. At that moment, he was their only chance, and he was unable to do anything without risking both Alyss and Erinn.

The boss grinned widely, his voice cool and certain. "Don't struggle now. Everything will be much easier if you just come nicely..."

As the circle began to close, Alyss and Erinn both caught sight of silhouettes slinking along the streets towards their position. Hope flared in their chests as they jumped out of their hiding places, catching two brigands off guard and dealing fatal blows before they knew what hit them. Ralen and Kasan stood where the two brigands had once been, their blades drawn. Taking advantage of the confusion, Alyss threw open her Ignis tome and flung a fireball at the boss, with Frelis hitting another in the chest.

The boss dropped to the ground shrieking in pain as Alyss's fire engulfed him, burning away his clothes as well as the hair on his head. The fire extinguished quickly, but the man was left in a weakened heap on the ground, unable to move. The two bandits that hadn't been targeted quickly turned and fled, more concerned for their own lives than that of their companions. Without a word, Kasan stabbed his blade into the chest of the one that had been hit by Frelis's arrow, piercing the man's heart and ensuring that he wouldn't live to terrorize another town.

Erinn turned to the charred leader, her face cold. She didn't even speak as she stared, her glare enough to terrify even Ralen. After verifying that he wouldn't be getting back up, she turned to her subordinates and nodded. "Job well done, Wolves. Let's find the mayor and let him know that we succeeded.

The mayor smiled and shook each mercenary's hand furiously. "Oh, thank the gods! If your group hadn't come along, those bandits would have never left us alone!"

Erinn shook her head. "It was all in a day's work. Think nothing of it."

The mayor shook his head furiously. "No, no. It's an honor! You and your Wolves have become very well known among us village folk! I can't tell you how many stories I've heard of your exploits."

For the first time in months, Alyss could swear that she saw Erinn's cold exterior falter in favor of a more humble one, a side that she had shown only a few times since she and Alyss departed from the capital. Erinn began insisting that no payment was necessary, but the mayor wouldn't hear any of it. "I insist! At the very least, we can offer you fresh food and a place to rest for the night." Finally, Erinn relented and accepted his offer.

"Splendid!" the mayor exclaimed. "Go to the inn and enjoy yourselves while I get everything ready."

Kasan's eyes lit up immediately, and as soon as the mayor had disappeared, he let out a long, drawn out yawn. "An inn means a bar, and a bar means alcohol! I can finally relax."

Ralen rolled his eyes and glared at his old friend. "No going crazy, Kasan. We can't take too much advantage of the generosity that such a small village has to offer, and we can't afford any hangovers. We're always on the job."

The myrmidon pouted and mockingly glared at the mercenary with a groan. "Oh come on, Ralen. You always have to spoil my fun, don't you?"

"You did that yourself when you tried to retire at the age of twenty on a mercenary's wage."

Kasan opened his mouth to retort, but the rest of the group cut off him as they shared a brief laugh at his expense. Erinn smiled and looked at the two men, putting a hand on Kasan's shoulder. "We can afford to relax a little tonight. After today's battle, you've earned it. Now, go on and get to the inn. I want a word with Ralen in private." Kasan didn't waste a single second in departing, hurrying towards the inn. With him gone, Erinn turned to Alyss and Frelis, giving the two younger members a stern look. "And you two. Don't forget that you're still underage. I don't want to hear of you drinking."

Their quick response indicated that Erinn had nothing to worry about, and she sent them on their way.

Alyss walked in silence, pondering the battle. It was easily their biggest undertaking yet, and even with their relaxed attitudes, she could tell that the experience had shaken them. Regardless, they were equally as eager to leave it in the past and forget their worries, if only for a little bit.

Frelis followed the princess, lagging behind by a few feet. Every now and then, he would steal glances at her, a blush on his face. Despite having been with the company for nearly two weeks, he still found himself awkward in her presence. He still remembers how surprised he had been when she appeared before her troop as a mercenary, but that was beside the point. He would have to get used to the idea, but that thought didn't make it any easier.

(Initiate Support Conversation C- Alyss and Frelis)

As he pondered this, he bumped into Alyss, who had turned to look at him. The two of them stumbled backwards, Alyss nearly falling over. Once they'd recovered, Frelis realized his blunder and bowed.

"I-I'm so sorry!" he stammered, panic rising his chest.

Alyss just stared at him, confusion written over his face. "Why are you so sorry? It was me who stopped. I had turned to check on you. You seemed to have something on your mind..."

Frelis looked up, surprised. She was staring at him with worry in her eyes. He slowly returned to a complete standing position and met here gaze. "Oh I... It's just taking some time to get used to treating you differently than your identity would normally call for..."

Alyss looked almost hurt at this and approached him. "I suppose that it would be somewhat awkward, but... I only ask that you do your best to treat me as you would anyone else. I've been a mercenary for a year now. I have more or less turned my back on the life I once lived."

"But... Don't you miss your family?" Frelis inquired, bewilderment in his voice.

Alyss just nodded, a solemn expression replacing her worry. "Of course I do. I lived the first sixteen years of my life with them. But... The Wolves are my family now. Plus, I see them every now and then."

Slowly, a smile crept across Frelis's lips, and he nodded. "I see... I'm sorry for being so awkward around you. I'll do my best to stop from now on."

Alyss returned his smile. "I would very much appreciate that."

(End Alyss and Frelis Support C)

As they started back towards the inn, Alyss heard a voice call her name from somewhere behind them and turned around to find the source. She was greeted by the sight of Ralen running towards her and Frelis, a piece of parchment in his hand. Once he reached them, he held the parchment out to her, waiting for her to take it.

"What's this, Ralen?" Alyss asked, her brow furrowed. "Is everything okay?"

He shook his head. "Our contact in the castle had this delivered to us. Alyss..." He paused for a moment, uncertainty crossing his face. "Alyss... There's been trouble at the castle."

"Kylen has forcibly seized control and claimed his right as King."

Hey guys! Just a little side note here. I wasn't quite sure how I would include stuff like support conversations, as they only serve the purpose of character development and will happen naturally as I see fit, so I hope this kind of works out. Also, this chapter was a little rushed, so I'm really sorry if the quality suffered. I worked hard to make it as good as I could, but... Anyway! I really hope you at least enjoyed! If there are some things that you think could have worked out better in a certain way, don't hesitate to say so! I would really appreciate the advice.