Disclaimer: I don't own FE in any way, shape, or form…all of that belongs to Nintendo and Intelligent Studios not me
A/N: Alright that last chapter I admit had a rocky start but that's why I asked for constructive criticism so I could, you know, improve on later ones however I probably can't implement too many changes that are story based because I've got it mostly planned out. Someone pointed out the little "challenge" in the reviews section and so did another in a PM so I'll just say that I'm not asking people to do that, it's just a little thing I put at the bottom for fun so it's not all that serious so don't obsess over that please and it's not like it's immediate because I know it's only been one chapter and you should only be able to figure it out after about ¾ of the way into the FE7 part or maybe sooner if you get the subtle hints. It's for those who are attentive during the FE7 portion since the FE6 portion will be influenced a bit by it. Also: I know that Lyn's chapter isn't meant to be part of the main storyline so even though it seems like I'm being a complete idiot, I'm just trying to add a bit of story significance to it because Lyn was a major character in the rest of the plot so once again: Flames are hated, constructive criticism is appreciated
PS: Some may have been confused over the…well…continuity of my story which no one mentioned in reviews but I found about myself after I checked over. You see I had originally planned on making Mark's choice weapon to be a set of daggers but then I found out that some at least one other had tried doing that so I scrapped that idea and tried something different. I wasn't really in the mood to rewrite the whole dang thing so I just checked back briefly and made a few changes but I think I left out a few…my bad so just ignore those little things
PPS: In addition to not doing things exactly like how they turned out in-game, I'm also virtually doing this from memory so if it seems way off of the in-game text, don't get so sore about it
PPPS: I'm not a history nor language expert of the medieval time period, which I think is around the time this takes place, so please don't get so sore on the dialogues either
PPPPS: Yes there were battles in-game and in battle there is a lot of blood and cursing so I put some in because in real life you don't just suddenly phase into nothingness when you get sliced by a sword or something or just shrug off an axe attack that cut into your shoulder. I put in some blood and cursing to add a bit more realism to it so if you don't like it then I'm sorry and let me know and I'll change it later but I'll try to keep it mild
Review Responses:
Gunlord500: Thanks for the compliments but onto your points: I'll admit I wrote this pretty quickly so it probably had some mistakes like that so thanks for pointing that out, I'll fix those.
YourConscienceOnMute: I also don't deny that I also respect your views and appreciate your feedback on these kinds of matters but I guess I should probably remind you that it is the first chapter and who knows; it may get better or may get worse. I will change the writing style to match how it should be but for the moment: Hold your ideas on Mark to judge his character because if you've heard the expression "don't judge a book by its cover", you'll know that the same applies here. Besides: just because Mark is the protagonist, it doesn't mean he has to be the "knight in shining armor atop a white stallion" type of guy or the "rip everything to shreds and dominate the world through fear" kind of guy either. One last thing: yes a hammer causes extreme damage depending on the conditions but a sharp object of the same weight would often cause more internal damage because in addition to the sheer force of the hit doing what you just mentioned, it would also lacerate through tissue and organs. But either way let's not discuss delicate things such as physics right now because the last thing I want is a flame and counter flame war about the exact and precise effects of certain things…that's happened to one of my friends and he was pretty ticked off
patattack: Thanks, I also see you working on a similar type of fanfiction so I wish you luck on that as well.
Reviewer: Well…since most of your suggestions revolved around Mark I will say to just be a bit patient and wait because yes I messed up on trying to make him mysterious but at the time I was wondering how people would react if I made him a total enigma because some would probably ask me for more details while some might go crazy and start flaming. As you've probably noticed it's a bit hard to make something to satisfy both parties. Anyway don't worry he's not going to be overpowered and he still fills the role of a tactician. Just asking: Where did you get the idea of Hector? Mark's not an unstoppable combination of man and metal blended together because sure, he sounded big and tough in this chapter but I don't really see much connection
Past those little notes, enjoy
Footsteps with Fate
Mark stared at a giant stone structure. It was pretty basic in shape: Just 2 pillars supporting another slab on top except that every rather than be built in front of the huge wall that it seemed to be leaning on, if one looked closely: The whole thing hadn't been carved and placed in front of the wall…the wall had been carved around the structure. Additionally the structure looked like it had taken decades to build with such intricate designs and 9 symbols carved above on the top part.
Mark also looked around and saw he was standing in a room with an incredibly high ceiling that barely encompassed the height of the structure and that the massive room he was in had an intimidating large amount of stairs leading up to it from another hallway built much like it.
He knew that this wasn't a simple dream and it would have some sort of significance sooner or later so he edged closer to the structure. In a way it seemed familiar but he just couldn't tell what about it
Mark then saw the gap within the structure glow a fierce and angry red with flame and lightning bursting from it before there was an intense flash of light and suddenly he was engulfed within it and shielded his face with his hands. Then he realized that it was just bright and not hot since this was a dream, not reality, and then dropped his hands and the sight before him shook him to the core
"Impossible…," gasped Mark
"Not impossible…," said a loud, gravely, and in general, intimidating and evil voice of the damned said, "You knew it would happen one day, all you could do was delay it and not stop it"
"How soon?," asked Mark, "This hasn't happened yet I know that and you're still way too weak to be capable of this so it has to happen soon"
"Depends on how you would view it," said the voice, "To me and perhaps to you, it would be quite soon, to the allies you will meet down the road, not very soon. After years I will return and your efforts will be in vain. You should not have tried to stop me and simply ignored me"
"If I did then the whole world would die," said Mark, "I took my stand and I'll make sure to stop you. And I know you used that man in Ilia as a puppet to try to kill me"
"Then you had best hope and pray since you can see me manifest myself now," said the voice, "I was expecting you might survive the poisoning and all that was, was to show that I would be returning. For now however, enjoy what you can my adversary"
Mark's vision turned white, he guessed he was waking up and sure enough he saw a blue sky above him with some clouds and unlike the frightening atmosphere of before, he felt much calmer and safer.
Mark sat a few seconds before he remembered that he and Lyn had been forced to camp outside of Bulgar's closed gates for the night before moving into the city to get some supplies for their journey…which still didn't really have a destination.
"Well…let's hope I don't have to break the news for Lyn myself…it's not really my place,", thought Mark as he packed his things and his tent and strided over to where Lyn was patiently waiting a few meters away holding a pair of apples, one of which she tossed to him.
"Thanks," said Mark catching the apple and taking a bite out of it
"No problem," said Lyn turning back around, "Now come on, we'd best hope we can get things before they are sold out…Bulgar is a very popular trade center for countries all over Elibe being so close to the heart of the continent"
After a few minutes the pair arrived and headed west together for some food and supplies first
As Mark walked around he saw Bulgar hadn't really changed much externally the last time he'd been around but had changed greatly on the inside. It wasn't exactly as big as a castle town one might see in Bern or Lycia but came a bit close in terms of land area. The only permanent structures Mark saw were the outer walls, the cobblestones making the paths, and the keep at the north of the city, everything else was mainly tents set up. The tents were filled with merchants and many travelers exchanging all kinds of different money from every country on the continent but nevertheless: barter was the main form of currency as shown by different trades between different parties and with each person speaking the common language of Elibe and only speaking native languages to some colleagues in their party. It seemed each group policed themselves and there was no absolute law enforcement with everyone armed to make sure there were no swindlers or thieves anywhere around.
After 2 hours Lyn found Mark near the gates of Bulgar at their designated meeting spot seemingly focused on a set of tiny polished stones in his hands who put them away immediately after hearing Lyn call him over
"Got everything?," Lyn asked
"Pretty much…at least for food," said Mark, "Need anything else?"
"I only have a handful of vulneraries and we may need a map", suggested Lyn
"Well as for the map I have-"
Mark was about to voice his own opinion when interrupted by another male voice
"Oh my heart, what a dazzling vision of loveliness," said a particularly nearby male voice
Mark shrugged thinking it was addressed to another when tall brown-haired man wearing dark green, bulky armor on a brown horse and a long, sharp, green lance slung across his back rode up to them with a look that seemed overjoyed like he was being reunited with his long-lost love or something along those lines
"I…think he was talking to you…,", said Mark half amused and half wary while taking a step back from the two
Lyn looked at him a bit puzzled and began to leave also but the man stopped her
"Wait O beauteous one," said the man, "Surely you must be a goddess descended form the heavens to bless this humble knight!"
"…I wonder how the rest of the knights are compared to this guy,", thought Mark
"What land might you be from that leaves you to speak so freely to strangers?," asked Lyn politely although Mark could easily tell from her expression that she was pretty annoyed
However the knight obviously either didn't notice or didn't care and continued with his flirting
"Your voice is just as beautiful as your voice," continued the knight, "I hail from the Caelin canton, home to men of passion and fire"
"…Well…I guess that apparently knightly honor and pride really deteriorated since I last visited Caelin in Lycia," Mark mentally sighed when he saw Caelin's coat of arms etched on the man's breastplate's chest, "Lundregen was the general of the army for Caelin, even though he's a swine he should at least know how to train his men better than that…even Hausen knew what he was doing and he wasn't a military man"
"Shouldn't that be home to 'callow oafs with loose tongues?'," mocked Lyn
"Good one", complimented Mark
The knights seemed unfazed and even more infatuated than before
"Oooohh…you're even lovelier when you're cruel," he almost purred much to Lyn and Mark's confusion, surprise, and, to a degree, disgust
"Come on Mark I've got nothing left to say," said Lyn turning around back towards the north of the city, "Let's just leave him to annoy someone else"
"Agreed," said Mark taking off after Lyn, "What is with this guy honestly? If he's a knight he shouldn't be like that"
From the corner of Mark's eye he saw the knight about to follow them when he saw another knight wearing similar armor, although a crimson shade rather than green and with his hair matching his armor color, interrupted the other
Nevertheless, Mark and Lyn walked off to the side of the street to try to find an alternative way out of the city besides the 2 knights while the two knights argued
"Ah Kent! Why so severe an expression?,", asked the green armored knight
"If your manners were more serious, I wouldn't have to be so severe," scolded the red armored knight apparently named Kent, "We still have a mission to complete Sain!"
The knight, who looked to be named Sain, just waved his hand casually
"Relax Kent, it's not like we're in a hurry or anything since the lady is probably just wandering around nearby here or someplace," said Sain, "Why don't you try and have some fun for once?"
"I didn't know that flirting with every single female you could see and continuously getting rejected was 'having fun',", grumbled Kent while shaking his head as if in disbelief, "Don't you ever ask yourself WHY you always get rejected?"
"…It looks like apparently that is the only way we're getting out of here," said Mark pointedly gesturing at Kent and Sain's direction
Lyn just sighed
"Fine," grumbled Lyn, "Let's get it over with and hope the red one has better manners than his comrade"
Mark and Lyn walked up to Sain and Kent. Lyn spoke to Kent only and ignored Sain completely clearly to Sain's annoyance
"Excuse me! You're blocking the road with your horses," said Lyn, "Would you please be so kind to move them out of the way?"
Kent looked at Lyn in the eyes and nodded his head
"Of course. My apologies," said Kent moving his horse slightly back and staring intently at Sain while he did the same
"Thank you. You, at least, seem honorable enough," said Lyn giving a quick, respectful smile to Kent before glaring at Sain which did not go unnoticed by Kent who rolled his eyes at Sain as if he were used to it
Then Kent had an expression as if he had just discovered to solution to the universe's most complicated and difficult problem ever and looked quickly back at Lyn
"Pardon me madam," said Kent, "But…I have the feeling we've met before"
"I beg your pardon?," asked Lyn unsure how to react and wondering if Kent was just as bad as Sain
Mark however wasn't surprised. He knew the Caelin coat of arms and he also knew of Lyn's and Madelyn's heritage…Kent was probably thinking of-
"Hey no fair Kent I saw her first!," Sain protested causing Lyn to glare fiercely at both of them and interrupting Mark's thoughts
"Tsk! Let's go Mark it seems as if there are no decent men among Lycia's knights," hissed Lyn
Without another word Lyn turned and marched past Kent and Sain immediately forcing Mark to catch up
"Wait please it's not," protested Kent as Lyn walked past, "Sain you lout!"
"What?," asked Sain, "You mean not like that? I thought you were-"
"I am NOT you," hissed Kent angrily, "Now come, we have to follow her. I suspect she might be-"
Sain's eyes almost bulged out of his head
"Might be what?", asked Sain incredulously after such a long quest, "She's our mission? Are you joking?"
Kent said nothing and began to follow Mark and Lyn who had already gained a considerable distance outside of the city by this point
"Hey! Wait!", called Sain bolting after Kent
A few minutes later…
"Uh Lyn could you please stop?," asked Mark when he and Lyn were well out of Bulgar and she was still practically marching out
Lyn raised an eyebrow and then realized that she had just stormed out of the city and was well out of it by now
"Sorry," apologized Lyn
Mark just shrugged and took a look back
"Okay…so exactly what was that for?,", he asked
"I wasn't planning on staying back there with those 2 morons," said Lyn rather bluntly
"Okay…But as for the red one…ummm…Kent I believe was his name," began Mark, "I think you probably mistook what he was trying to say"
Lyn just shrugged
"Well either way I just wanted to get as far from Sain as possible," grumbled Lyn
Mark sighed and saw they were about a little more than a quarter of a kilometer from Bulgar at this point and in front of a river…pretty fast for about 2 or 3 minutes…of course then again all sorts of strange things happened around him all the time
"Okay…well I say we head back to Bulgar anyway," suggested Mark, "After all, we forgot to-"
Mark tensed up and his eyes darted from side to side incredibly quickly to Lyn
"Mark? What-"
"Lyn, you might want to get your sword out," suggested Mark who also unslung his staff from his back causing Lyn to do the same
Lyn also listened a bit and found out the same thing as Mark
"It looks like we were pursued from Bulgar…," whispered Lyn, "Do you think it's those 2 from town?"
"No…", said Mark, "Knights, as scandalous as some might be, don't sneak up like this…these men are out for blood"
At that word a rather large ruffian wearing tattered clothes and armed with a huge, polished axe that he held with his right hand emerged from the trees ahead
"You guessed that right chump", laughed the bandit
The bandit slung his axe across his shoulder casually and eyed Lyn
"Heheheh aren't you the pretty one?,", asked the assailant, "Your name is Lyndis is it not?"
Lyn's face turned into extreme shock
"What did you call me?," she gasped, "Who are you?"
The man shook his head and sighed
"Ah the things I'll do for gold," he sighed as if he genuinely didn't enjoy attacking Lyn and Mark, "Ah well time to die darling! Come on boys!"
At that word 10 other bandits emerged. 8 were armed like the apparent leader although 2 had bows as well
"There are too many for me to handle," Lyn half informed and half gulped to Mark
"Hmm…", thought Mark, "Well…maybe if-"
"Hey! There they are!," shouted a familiar male voice
"What is with me getting interrupted all the time," Mark mentally complained as he, Lyn, and the bandits turned to see the pair of knights Lyn and Mark had encountered in Bulgar ride up at full speed with some of the bandits falling back across the river at the sight of the knights
"Whew…finally caught up," sighed the green one before sitting straight up and projecting his voice to all the bandits, "Hold you there! What is your business? Such numbers against one girl? Cowards! All of you!,"
"…and what is with me being ignored?,", Mark also mentally wondered, "Then again the man's a flirt, no surprise he'd make it seem the damsel was in more distress"
Lyn turned to address the knights
"You! You're from…"
"We can discuss this later,", replied the red one, "It appears that these ruffians mean to do you harm. If it's a fight they want, then let them try themselves against me"
"Stand back! I'll take care of this in half that time," replied the green one
"No! This is my fight!," shot back Lyn, "Stay out of my way!"
"Well I can't just stand here and do nothing…", said the green one
Meanwhile Mark had been observing the bandits' positions while additionally glancing at something in his hands which he quickly put away after a few seconds and turned to the 3 others
"Actually how about we cooperate?," suggested Mark getting their attention, "My trade is strategy in battle. We can work together and beat them easily if we cooperate"
"Fair enough," said the red knight, "We haven't properly introduced ourselves so my name is Kent and this is Sain. We will follow your orders into battle", he said before turning back to Lyn, "Is this acceptably milady?"
"Yes it is," approved Lyn, "My name is Lyn and this is Mark. He will lead! Let's go!"
Mark nodded and drew a rough map on the ground with the end of his staff
"Okay…We stand on the west of that river over there and there are patches of dense forest all around on this side while the other side only has a few," said Mark pointing to the river and the representation of the river, "Most of them fell back to the east of the river but it looks like 2 stayed behind. They have pretty good positions in the trees to repel an attack so caution is vital unless you want an axe sunk into your chest"
Sain nodded
"Right! Mark was it?," asked Sain who received a nod from Mark, "Let me leave a good impression on the beauteous one first! Allow me to land the first strike!"
"…Okay…," said Mark while Kent and Lyn rolled their eyes, "Well the nearest one is over in those trees there but since it's a bit hard to see in I'd recommend-"
Mark was too late when Sain drew his lance and charged wildly into the small set of woods
"Hey what are you doing you fool?," exclaimed Mark
"Sain, you can be such a lout," groaned Kent
Meanwhile…
Sain grinned when he saw the bandit standing before him with his axe ready and stabbed forward with his lance only to be shocked when the bandit tilted his axe slightly to deflect Sain's aggressive attack. Sain was then even more shocked when the bandit leapt up and slashed with his axe at Sain. Sain couldn't reach his lance back in time, the momentum having carried him too forward, and grimaced as the axe sliced into his chest.
Meanwhile…
"Come on! Sain's a dead man in there we have to save him!", shouted Mark as he, Lyn, and Kent all charged together. Kent with his saber drawn, Lyn with her katana, and Mark with his staff
The trio found Sain desperately fighting off the bandit with his bare hands and with a wound across his midsection and the bandit's axe bloody. The bandit clearly had the upper hand against the injured, dismounted Sain and was surprised when Kent rushed past and cut across his arm causing him to drop his axe and was more surprised when Lyn burst from nowhere and impaled her sword through his chest.
"Sain? Are you alright?," asked Mark reaching out a hand and pulling Sain back up to his feet
"Yes…I can still fight", he groaned although he stood up straight anyway and immediately mounted his horse as if trying to prove it, "Although I missed…"
"What were you trying to prove back there?", inquired Mark, "The bandit had cover in the trees and if he's skilled enough: He can parry a lance thrust easily with an axe and the momentum will just leave you defenseless if he manages to block it. Why didn't you use a sword? It has less momentum to it and is easier to bring back up if you miss and additionally it's much harder to block a sword since an axe is much heavier and can't be moved as easily"
"Well…a lance is more heroic! A knight must always look heroic in battle!," said Sain
Kent and Mark looked at each other briefly and shook their heads
"Sain…tell us the real reason: You know from training about the natural advantages and disadvantages certain weapons have over each other," scolded Kent, "I know because you and I trained together!"
Sain twiddled his thumbs momentarily trying to buy some time to think of some excuse but Mark and Kent forced him to talk through their constant glaring
"Truth to be told…I forgot to buy a new one in Bulgar," said Sain before shaking his hands, "But I can manage with a lance! I'm that good!"
Kent sighed
"I'd prefer you rely on your real fighting skill than your empty bragging," he grumbled, "One day you're going to find yourself on the end of another's blade,"
"Kent do you by any chance have a spare or something?," asked Mark, "If not, Sain here is a sitting duck if he keeps charging well-covered opponents with an ill-suited weapon"
"As a matter of fact: I do," said Kent
Kent reached for the pack on the back of his horse and pulled out a sheathed saber nearly identical to his own and handed it to Sain who begrudgingly accepted
"Alright back to business: That's one down and 8 to go including the big guy", said Mark, "We're still out of range for the archers' bows so for now: If we can force the axe fighters over here first, we can charge those archers and take down the leader. But first we have to secure this side and that includes that fellow over there"
Mark pointed out to the remaining bandit and everyone turned just in time to see the second bandit quickly sprint back to the cover of the trees. He'd been trying to fall back to the other bandits across the river and had been spotted and decided that he'd rather hold out in a covered area than a wide open area. Pretty good thinking and probably the best idea possible in his situation
Sain immediately stepped up with his saber drawn and looked like he was ready to charge again when Mark put a hand in front of him and shook his head
"Mark! Give me another chance!," protested Sain
"Well, you're better equipped and you're obviously not a novice fighter," said Mark, "But technically you're still-"
Sain had already charged off after Mark had told him that he was better equipped and not a novice fighter…against orders…again
"Dammit Sain!", shouted Mark while Kent rolled his eyes and Lyn raised an eyebrow
"Does he usually do this?," asked Lyn
"Usually he's a competent fighter…except…," said Kent trailing off a bit
"Except what?," pressed Lyn
"Whenever he is in front of any woman, he feels like he needs to prove his valor in battle and always charges recklessly to prove himself," explained Kent
"Well I'm not impressed," replied Lyn
"I wouldn't expect you to be," grumbled Kent
Meanwhile…
Sain scanned the area more cautiously this time and looked for the bandit in the trees when he saw a glimpse of metal which had to be the bandit's axe. Sain swung his sword in an overhead swing when his arm jarred several times on the way down causing his attack to lose speed and give the bandit ample time to dodge to the side. Sain looked and saw that he had in fact cut through the branches above his head but then focused and quickly pulled his horse's reins and parried the wild cut before wincing from his previous injury. Any other day he could overpower virtually any untrained and undisciplined bandit with his strength but it looked like not today…
Meanwhile…
"Well…reckless idiot or not he's our reckless idiot and so it looks like we'd better save him again," sighed Mark, "Kent, go ahead and back him up, maybe also teach him to fight with his head more since you seem to be the stronger in the head. Lyn: There's another guy up there so I'd say you go ahead, stay in the trees, and ambush him"
Lyn and Kent went to follow their orders while Mark looked across the river and saw the bandits conversing. These guys weren't complete idiots and were likely thinking of some strategy to turn the battle in their favor. Mark just wondered what they were planning before the others' voices interrupted his thoughts.
"You there! You are called Sain correct?," Lyn called as soon as she was done with her duel without a scratch while Kent and Sain finished off the other
"Yes! Sain the gallant man of Caelin that's me!," boasted Sain sitting up straight on his horse again
"If you insist…," said Lyn a bit more patiently than the last time she'd spoken with Sain, "Why is it that you haven't even tried to take care of your wound yet? Even a swig from a vulnerary would probably take care of that"
"Umm…,"
"You've got to be joking," groaned Kent, "You forgot to get yourself some medical supplies in addition to a sword?"
Sain just ignored Kent and continued his conversation with Lyn
"Ah…such a shame to wrinkle your beautiful brow," continued Sain
"Umm…I was considering giving you a vulnerary but I suppose you're fine," finished Lyn
"Speaking of which we need some more anyway," Mark told Lyn finally getting a chance to remind her
"Oh…good point we only have 2…," realized Lyn
"Then if you are so short on such a precious resource I will leave you be!," exclaimed Sain wincing a bit from his injury
Mark shook his head when he saw Sain had nearly been split in half by the axe cleave…he was amazed the man was still conscious let alone alive. Oh well, whether he wanted to prove his "manliness" or not, he was far from his best and he really needed treatment
"Sain cut it out and admit you're injured and not at your best," said Mark before turning to Lyn, "Lyn don't be so stingy and just give it to him. Sain just take it and Kent, get over to the bridge and make sure we're not going to be flanked"
Sain immediately headed towards Lyn and eagerly, although sparingly, drank about a third of the liquid and immediately passed his hand over his midsection to find it perfectly healed
"Ah I thank you," sighed Sain in relief
"You're welcome," said Lyn half pleasantly and half seriously, "What's next Mark?"
"Right now, Sain head south and help Kent secure that bridge, it's a lot wider and he may need help since more of them can attack at once. Lyn head north," commanded Mark which Sain and Lyn proceeded to do
Mark turned and then saw that besides the 2 bandits that Sain and Kent were currently dueling…there was nobody on the other side of the river besides the leader. He ran through the math quickly, they had taken down 3 already and now Sain and Kent were struggling with 2 more making 5 and then there was the leader which made 6…where were the other 5?
Mark then saw Lyn take off across the bridge to the north and realized that he'd been a bit vague about when he told Lyn to head north…she was probably thinking he meant go north and take down the leader, not to secure the northern bridge
"Well…that's not good," Mark mentally cursed as he also saw Kent and Sain notice as well and just like him, they were also noticing the same thing about the missing bandits
"Kent and Sain take care of those 2," said Mark since the two of them hadn't finished off the bandits, "I'll go after Lyn, when you're done come up north and help us out"
Kent and Sain continued to duel the bandits while Mark headed for the north bridge and went after Lyn while Mark ran through various scenarios in his head and came up with different solutions
1 minute later…
Mark caught up to Lyn who simultaneously caught up to the leader of the bandits and was holding him at sword point
"Uh…Lyn I think we may have some trouble…," Mark panted briefly unslinging his staff
"What's wrong?," asked Lyn
At that a smaller bandit armed with an axe burst from the nearby bushes and lunged at Lyn who parried the attack and knocked him to the ground. Lyn raised her sword up to stab him while he was down when another bandit armed with an axe brought down his axe on her blade forcing her to drop it. Lyn turned and ducked a swing at her when she felt something strike her on the back of the head. It wasn't a blow strong enough to knock her unconscious but it still knocked her to the ground and gave her a throbbing headache
"That's what's wrong," said Mark as the 2 archers aimed their bows at his back and a third axeman also approached, "Okay…scenario number 3 then…not going to be very pleasant but I guess I've got no choice"
"Drop your damn weaponry kid," snarled the leader
"If I were you, I'd listen to the man," backed up one of the archers while Lyn got up and the axemen on the ground god up and took her sword
"Of course you would, you being his little pea-brained servant following his pea-brained orders," replied Mark
"Watch your fucking mouth," threatened the other archer
"You curse more than me and then you tell me to watch my mouth?," asked Mark although he dropped his staff anyway, "Get yourself some soap or something and clean your mouth instead"
The archers said nothing as one checked Mark's pockets while the other covered. The archer pulled out a small bag and greedily looked inside before his look turned to disgust and he threw the bag away then seemed to smile a bit before he began sweating and pulled out a larger, but still small, leather bag from Mark's cloak pocket with 2 hands as if it were extremely heavy and fragile and tossed it to the leader
"Elimine this thing is heavier than it looks," grumbled the leader when the bandit leader who tried to catch it with one hand and nearly fell off balance, "What the hell is this?"
"Nothing that's yours and anything that isn't," said Mark
"The other bag is just a bunch of little polished crystals or something," said the archer who searched Mark, "And that other bag is some sort of damn heavy crystal I suppose"
"Well anyway got anything else?," asked the leader immediately dropping the bag and whatever was in it and noticing the thud, "Something that isn't so damn heavy?"
"No except some mints and earplugs so I wouldn't lose my hearing and would have something to take my mind off of your foul breath and unnecessary yelling and your men's cursing," replied Mark
The leader nodded his head and one of the axemen also knocked Mark to the ground with a sharp blow to the head although keeping him conscious
"Guess I really annoyed them," grumbled Mark as he and Lyn began to stand back up
"Do yourself a favor. Stay down and shut the hell up," warned the leader as Mark and Lyn began to rise while the others knocked them back down, "You think you're so smart? Well we're not impressed. All you did was outnumber our boys and take them down one at a time and you only got this far because we let you as part of our strategy"
"You called that a strategy? We beat you pretty bad and even though we took them down one by one we still won one versus one battles against you guys," interrupted Mark
"Shut up!," shouted the leader, "As I was saying, we lead you right to where we wanted and now you're surrounded and separated from those accursed knights, just like we planned"
"Guess that explains why your boss hired you, you're so sadistic, sociopathic, and willing to sacrifice those close to you: You remind him so much of himself," said Mark
"You guys gonna let him talk trash about us?," the leader asked the other bandits
"Don't worry Zugu boss we got this," said one of the archers
"Yeah 'Zugu boss' shut the heck up," said Mark standing up and intentionally slurring the bandit leader's name
"I thought I told you to be quiet," hissed the bandit leader apparently named Zugu
"Yeah well I've got bad hearing," replied Mark
Zugu dragged his thumb across his throat and at that the 2 axemen shoved Mark back to the ground and the archers both shot Mark's left leg simultaneously on his shin
"Now you got a bad leg," laughed one of the archers when Mark briefly howled in pain
Mark sat up and, after gritting his teeth, leapt up, grabbed an arrow from his leg, and stabbed the arrow into the smart-mouthed man's left leg as well
"So do you along with a bad eye," hissed Mark tackling the poor archer to the ground and stabbing the man in the eye with the arrow after he yanked it from the man's leg killing him instantly
At first the other bandits weren't so sure of what to do and hesitated before Zugu barked at them to get Mark
"Run! Now!," Mark shouted to Lyn as he ducked under an axe which narrowly missed him and accidentally decapitated the second archer
"But you can't-"
"Just go!," shouted Mark yanking on the chain which he held his staff on and raised it just in time to parry a second axe swing
Lyn hesitated momentarily before she nodded, grabbed her sword from the ground, and sprinted off to find Kent and Sain
Meanwhile…
Kent dodged one last desperate swing from the bandit whom he dueled and stabbed him through his back while the bandit whom Sain dueled simply lunged in an attempt to decapitate Sain and instead got his heart pierced by Sain's saber while in mid-lunge
"Not so fun is it when you're fighting me uninjured and wielding a better weapon?," taunted Sain as he pulled his blade from the bandit's corpse
"Sain…those were your own faults anyways," reminded Kent
"Oh come now!," protested Sain
"Well I have to admit you did better when you started actually trying…," admitted Kent
"See!," exclaimed Sain, "Now where is Mark and his lovely companion Lyn?"
"Here!," called out Lyn's voice just before Kent was about to reprimand Sain for losing his seriousness on the battlefield
"Ah…so you actually believe my intents to be true?," inquired Sain as Lyn arrived
"What?," asked Lyn blinking
"Nevermind we'll explain later," replied Kent as Sain snapped his fingers in frustration and disappointment, "Anyway what is it?"
"Mark is back there fighting off the rest of the bandits all by himself while cornered and injured. We have to go help him," said Lyn regaining her composure
At that Kent and Sain quickly wiped their blades and re-mounted their horses
"Lead the way," said Kent to which Lyn nodded and began sprinting back with Kent and Sain behind on their horses
Meanwhile…
Mark couldn't get in a good attack on the 4 bandits due to his inability to gain proper footing on his injured leg and due to him having to defend himself against attacks that fell in rapid succession not even giving him time to counterattack anyway
Finally Mark tripped with his injured leg and began to fall but not before swinging his staff in a wide ark with the force to smash the skull of the attacking axeman to his right
"Gotcha now," laughed Zugu as Mark managed to prop himself up against a tree, "Any last words punk?"
Mark tilted his head slightly and grinned
"Watch your back," said Mark
"Huh?"
The 3 bandits turned in time for Kent and Sain to gallop past and slice through the pair of axeman to Zugu's left and right while Lyn came in behind them
"Accursed knights always tampering in others' affairs," grumbled Zugu as he prepared to swing at Sain before Mark kicked him in the back with his good leg knocking him off balance and leaving him wide open to Lyn's forward stab
"Blast…there was only…supposed to be a lone…girl…," Zugu managed to choke out before his breath escaped him and he fell dead
"That's the last of them," said Lyn cleaning off her blade and sheathing it while Kent and Sain dismounted, "Are you okay?," she asked as she went to check on Mark
"Yeah…I've felt worse so I'll be fine," grumbled Mark almost ripping the second from his leg and limping over to Zugu's corpse. He grabbed the bag that had been carelessly discarded and took the pouch from the ground next to Zugu's corpse with one hand easily, "I'll take that thank you very much. The last I checked this doesn't belong to you"
"You probably need one of these also," said Lyn handing Mark a vulnerary
"That's fine," said Mark, "I'm alright"
"You just got shot twice in the leg how is that alright?," berated Lyn, "You should be hemorrhaging and also have fractures in your bones since your shin"
"Yeah well I'm fine now," said Mark
"Mark, your leg is covered in blood," pointed out Sain, "Stop being a hypocrite and just take the thing"
"Look don't waste that on me, we're broke and I'm not really injured," said Mark, "Those are invaluable to us now so-"
Kent and Sain grabbed Mark's arms and forced him to hold still while Lyn rolled up the clothes on his left leg and was surprised to see that all there was left of it was a pair of scars
"Like I said, I'm fine" said Mark when Kent and Sain let him go
"How did you-"
"Basic, passive healing I acquired years ago," said Mark, "It makes my body's natural healing rate superior to most people's so things like that really hurt but whenever whatever caused the injury leaves my body, it heals in seconds"
"Then why did you tell me to take a vulnerary when you could just help me out," asked Sain nudging Mark's shoulder in slight annoyance
"Because I haven't mastered healing another person and if I healed something as bad as your injury, I'd probably fall down exhausted like I had heatstroke even though today happens to be a bit moderate in terms of temperature," replied Mark, "Don't ask much more though because it's way too hard to explain
Lyn placed her hand on Mark's shoulder and got his and Sain's attention away from their conversation
"That aside fantastic work you two," Lyn addressed Kent and Sain
"Thank you," said Kent politely to prevent Sain from trying something foolish again
"You two are actually pretty good at combat so long as you're careful," Mark noted, "I take back what I said about you guys' military prowess falling"
"What?," asked Sain
"Nothing…," said Mark
"And now you two were going to share your story with me?," Lyn asked Kent and Sain ignoring Mark's previous comment
"Yes. We have ventured from the province of Caelin in Lycia in search of someone," answered Kent
"Lycia…that's the country beyond the mountains to the southwest of here correct?," asked Lyn
"Correct," answered Kent while Sain nodded a confirmation, "We've come as messengers for the Lady Madelyn who eloped with a nomad 19 years ago by the name of Hassar who was the son of the chieftain of the Lorca tribe at the time"
"Madelyn? Hassar?," asked Lyn
"Our lord, the Marquess of Caelin's only daughter and her husband," continued Kent, "When he found they had fled he was heartbroken his own daughter would abandon him so and sent a knight after them who reported he had failed. Eventually he simply declared he had no daughter"
"And unwittingly reinforced the common negative stereotypes between the citizens of Sacae and Lycia," added Mark
"Then earlier this year we received a letter from lady Madelyn," added Sain, "It said that she, her husband, and their daughter were living happily among the Sacae plains. The marquess was ecstatic to learn that he had a granddaughter of 18 years and, for once, his serious expression yielded a smile when he announced that he'd suddenly become a grandfather. His granddaughter's name was Lyndis which was also the name of the marquess' wife who had passed away at an early age while giving birth"
"Lyndis?," asked Lyn
"That she should bear this name just melted his heart and now he wishes to meet his daughter's family at least once…," continued Sain, "That's why we're here"
"Well…I'd hate to break it to you but you're a bit late," sighed Mark, "The whole Lorca tribe except Lyn here is dead from a massive surprise attack by a clan of bandits"
"So we heard…we didn't learn that Madelyn had died a few days after sending her letter until we arrived in Bulgar and heard the rumors," said Sain sadly
"But we also learned all was not lost. Her daughter lived," added Kent, "We learned that she had been living alone on the plains and as soon as I saw you, I knew you were the Lady Lyndis"
"Why would you think that?," asked Lyn, "How could you randomly pick me out from a whole crowd of civilians?"
"The resemblance to your mother is just remarkable," answered Kent, "I never had the honor to meet her in person but I saw portraits of her in the hallways of the castle before they were taken down and again when they were re-hung"
"I think if you looked at a picture of your mother when she was around your age you could easily figure that out," said Mark getting the attention of the others, "Even if not someone could pretty easily deduce that you weren't a full-blood Sacaen. Full-blooded Sacaens don't have azure eyes for one or your lips either. Additionally, if someone met your mother they could also see that she was clearly not Sacaen either"
"You said you knew my mother from when she and my father picked you up while I was away," noticed Lyn, "How did you figure out she was my grandfather's daughter?"
"Well, I'd heard the rumors anyway and if you'd believe it, I caught a good look of those portraits during my travels as well perfectly preserved in Castle Caelin's cellar while I was pilfering food about…2 or 3 years ago I believe about 6 months after I met Madelyn and Hassar. Even further proof was that those portraits had the name 'Madelyn' engraved on them in cursive lettering and some of them, for when she was in about her early twenties just prior to her leaving the castle, basically looked like you except with brown hair and maybe a bit more physically mature…," answered Mark although, knowing Lyn's hatred for thieves and bandits along with the general knowledge to not comment on a woman's appearance unless it was positive or you were planning to get beaten to a pulp, made sure to back up a bit before he continued
"Continue," prodded Lyn after noticing Mark back up, "I don't like criminals but that seems a bit out of necessity"
"It looked to me like they were pretty valuable to the Marquess anyway which would definitely explain the reason why a bunch of really big guys showed up from nowhere to beat me up and throw me out when one of the servants came down and saw me," continued Mark thankful he wasn't going to be pulverized and that Lyn was more fascinated by the story instead, "You usually don't assign that much security for a few sacks of bread unless there's some food shortage and the last I checked, there wasn't. That and from what I heard of her screaming, she sounded more like she'd seen an assassin rather than a simple thief scrounging for food and the next day I found a bounty poster of myself with the charges of 'attempted theft and fencing of royal documents to foreign countries and provinces' and well…those were the closest things to parchment I saw in my few minutes there while filling my mouth"
"That was you?," asked Sain
"Yes…and since then I didn't return to Caelin…why?," asked Mark
"Oh nothing it's just that the poor lady was scared out of her wits and I thought to find whoever had frightened her so thinking him to be some death knight after seeing bounty was worth well over 100,000 gold coins," said Sain proudly before sighing, "But I suppose not so never mind. You look much less intimidating than that little drawing"
"So that aside I'm guessing that they were re-hung soon after since you've seen them in the hallways," concluded Mark, "But I guess the bounty is still up if you'd heard of it eh?"
"Yes the portraits were re-hung about 6 months ago a few weeks prior to Sain and I's quest and from memory I noticed the resemblance the Madelyn's portraits to Lady Lyndis" confirmed Kent, "Unfortunately…we did not receive word from Marquess Caelin about whether he learned of the death of his daughter nor have we received word from Caelin since then and only learned of her death ourselves a few days ago. We are not even sure if our quest is still active and that we are merely absent without leave"
"And also the bounty is still up…sorry to say…," apologized Sain
"That's fine Sain…I guess I'll have to just…avoid Caelin for a few more years or find a way to clear my name," sighed Mark, "Well Lyn I suppose that now you know your heritage, what do you say?"
Lyn thought for a moment before she made her answer
"To the rest of my tribe I was always Lyn," said Lyn, "But when I was with my parents, just the 3 of us, I was Lyndis. Personally I find it all a bit strange, I was all alone in the world and now I suddenly have a grandfather. I never thought I would hear someone call me Lyndis ever again"
For a moment Mark, Kent and Sain remained silent. Despite them all having different emotions, they all knew that this was very important to Lyn personally and chose not to interrupt. Suddenly Lyn gasped
"Wait! That bandit!," gasped Lyn
"What of him?," asked Sain pointing out Zugu's dead corpse
"He called me Lyndis too!"
"What? How could he have-" stuttered Kent quite confused
"…He was a henchman of Lord Lundgren wasn't he?," suggested Sain
"I wouldn't be surprised, the man degenerated into a sociopath the last time I saw him," said Mark, "They even reflected his personality"
"Lundgren? Who's that?," asked Lyn
"He is the marquess' younger brother and therefore your granduncle," explained Kent, "Everyone assumed that Lady Madelyn was gone forever therefore making Lundgren the heir to the marquess' title"
"To put it bluntly: Since you are now confirmed to be alive, your very existence is a threat to Lundgren's rise to the throne," stated Sain simply, "Whether you like it or not, you are now your grandfather's rightful heir and not Lundgren"
"But…I have no interest in inheriting any title!," protested Lyn, "Why try and kill me like this?"
"Unfortunately for you…Lundgren is not the kind of man to believe something like that," said Sain, "I'd imagine he will attempt to take your life again sometime"
"What should I do?," asked Lyn
"Accompany us to Caelin. Continuing on this way is dangerous all alone," Kent half suggested and half commanded
"I suppose I have little choice so I suppose I'll go with you," said Lyn before turning to Mark, "Sorry Mark I guess this changes everything…"
"That's fine, like I said I already guessed who you were anyway but I supposed it wasn't my place to tell you," said Mark shrugging, "Even if I did, I doubt that you would believe me, especially since you hadn't met me face to face before and since any intelligent person could gather details in a believable manner"
"True to that," said Lyn chuckling a bit before regaining her seriousness, "So what will you do Mark?"
"I'll let you decide that," said Mark surprising Lyn already guessing what she would say
"You want me to decide?," asked Lyn, "Why?"
"Well, technically I still owe you since you never declared we were 'even'," said Mark, "That and I know what you're planning and it's your choice if you want me to still hang around"
"Well…of course your companionship would make this much easier since I've had a few days to talk to you…but it's going to be dangerous," warned Lyn
"Hey it's not like I'm some child making noise but staying clueless," said Mark, "Nevertheless, if you would approve of it; I'd like to come also"
"Really you would?," asked Lyn, "You really don't owe me anything-"
"Even if you weren't the princess of Caelin and you and your parents hadn't helped me on separate occasions, it would still be cruel to keep a long-separated family apart any longer," said Mark, "You're a good person and you've lost the closest members of your family, you deserve to be able to at least meet the others who love you, not to wander around aimlessly alone with no one to support you"
"So then you'll come also?," asked Lyn who was delighted when Mark nodded his head, "Thank you! Let me ask once again for your friendship and aid"
"No problem," said Mark before addressing the group as a whole, "Scavenge what we need from the bodies and burn them medical supplies, food, whatever. We're moving out immediately after we're done here"
A/N: Second chapter is up and I hope I improved it over the last one. Once again: Constructive comments are appreciated and flames/trolls are not and updates may be random.
Up Next is: Sword Of Spirits for those who remember, you can guess what this is going to be about