A/N: crosstrigger333 here! I'm glad most of you liked the previous chapter, even though it pretty rigidly stuck with the game. Thing is that the whole thing with Lyn's parents was a pretty important aspect, and Sain's bumbling was pretty prevalent in the game. I tried toning it down but not completely sure how well I succeeded.
Anyway, I said I'd be taking liberties from this chapter forward, and I must say I'm pretty happy with the result. I just need you readers to review and tell me exactly how good (or bad) of a result this was.
Enjoy and Review!
Trials of a Teenage Tactician
Chapter 2: Sword of Spirits
"Ow..." I muttered, getting up from my sleep. One day had passed since Lyn and I met Kent and Sain at Bulgar, meaning I had been on Elibe for a grand total of four days now. And I still wasn't used to sleeping on the ground.
We were only a few hours walking from Bulgar, but because we didn't have enough money for an inn, we were forced to camp out. We had found a nice clearing to camp for the night, and it was near a stream full of fish.
"Good morning, Sean!" Lyn called, getting up from the campfire.
"Morning," I replied, twisting my neck to the side to get rid of the stiffness. "What's for breakfast?"
"Kent caught some Sacaen catfish earlier," she told me. "It's delicious if you add the right spices to it."
"Yummy," I replied, getting up and patting the dirt off of my green cloak. "I'd really like to go sleep in a house sometime so I could clean up a bit."
"Here," Lyn handed me a bowl of some liquid. I drank some, and spit it out. It was the nastiest drink I had ever tasted.
"What is this?" I asked her. Lyn giggled a bit before answering.
"It's the juice from a special fruit grown in Sacae," she told me. "It's for cleansing the mouth, not for drinking."
Oh, that explains it. So it pretty much was the equivalent of mouthwash. Which was good, because I hadn't been able to brush my teeth since I arrived in Sacae, and I'm pretty sure that my breath was horrible.
Lyn took a bit of the mouthwash juice and swirled it a bit in her mouth before spitting it out on the ground next to me. I would say that it was disgusting, except it was Lyn doing it. It was a strangely good feeling that Lyn would do something like that so freely in front of me. I took the bowl from her and did the same thing, except when I spit it out, it managed to land on Sain's foot as he was walking toward us.
"Oh crap, sorry Sain!" I apologized quickly.
Sain looked at me with a hurt face. "Oh my dear Sean, if you had so much hatred for me, all you had to do was say so and I would leave."
"I-I don't hate you, Sain," I said. I was so worried about losing one of my allies that I didn't catch the sarcasm in his voice, and the green knight laughed at the lack of insight.
"I'm only joking, my friend," he laughed. "I wouldn't leave you alone with this lovely Sacaen goddess when you have never held a sword before!"
Lyn laughed a little. "Thank you, Sain, but..." she put her arms around my waist. "I think we can take care of ourselves."
"Uh... uh..." I had a hard time coming up with words to say. I think that the part of my brain that contained my vocabulary was malfunctioning from a high temperature. But Lyn felt so good on my back...
"Oh dear, Sean," Sain shook his head, smiling. "I see why you would want me to leave so..."
"Heh...i-it's not really l-like that..." I stammered, looking at Lyn, who just had a smile on her face. She giggled as she let me go.
"I'm only teasing, Sean," she laughed.
"Right, I know," I chuckled nervously. I'm pretty sure my face was still beet red. "I-I'm going to go get some of that catfish now..."
"Yes, it should be ready now," said Kent, who came from behind us. "I apologize for not making my presence known, but I did not wish to interrupt."
I blushed again. Seriously, I hate how I react to pretty girls. In that regard, I suppose I'm a lot like Sain, except he has the confidence to let his feelings out, while mine are bottled up inside. I think the cause is a history of being made fun of since the first grade for not being interested in things that the other kids were. There's some sort of psychological blockade in my head that keeps my mouth shut.
By the end of this journey, I think my head will explode from the pressure.
After that very awkward breakfast, the four of us packed and moved onward toward Lycia. Well, we would have, except Lyn had another suggestion.
"Sean, hold a moment, and allow me a short detour," she said after we packed. "There is a sacred sword enshrined in a temple east of here. The people of Sacae go there to pray for safety at the onset of a long journey."
"Oh, how quaint!" exclaimed Sain.
"The teachings of Elimine have the most followers in Elibe," said Kent. "It is nice to see that, here at least, the ancient customs are still observed."
"Of course we can go," I told her. It wasn't like I was any sort of hurry or anything. Plus, I doubt Lyn would've forgiven me if I ignored her request. And that was something I really didn't want to happen.
So, we made our way to the large temple in the east to pray to the magic sword of Sacae. However, surprise surprise, when we got there, we were greeted with some unfortunate news.
"I beg your pardon, milady, but are you headed east? To the altar?" an older woman asked Lyn as we arrived.
"Yes, we are indeed," Lyn answered.
"Then you must hurry and help the priest there," she said. "I saw a band of local ruffians head in there not long ago. They seemed intent on stealing the sacred sword!"
"Oh, this is just typical..." I muttered, exasperated. Stupid bandits. It's like we're magnets for them or something. I'd only been in Sacae for four days, and somehow, we run into bandit raids every day. I had a feeling that by the time we got to Lycia, there wouldn't be any more bandits in Sacae because we'd have killed them all.
"The Mani Katti..." whispered Lyn, ignoring my muttering. "They're planning to steal it? I cannot allow this to happen!"
The woman looked at us. "You look like a virtuous group. Please, help him!"
"Right, we will," I told her. "Just go hide somewhere, alright?" She nodded and ran away. Looking back, I realize that we never saw her again. Apparently she ran very far away.
"Lyndis, what are you planning?" asked Sain.
"If you hope to go to the priest's aid, you'll need to prepare," Kent told her.
"You're right..." said Lyn, turning to me. "Say, Sean. There are some homes to the south of us. Perhaps we should go question the residents."
"That might be a good idea," I replied. "If we can get some more info on this place, I may be able to come up with a good strategy."
Do you think I sounded overconfident? I wasn't, I was scared. I was getting the hang of coming up with tactics, with experience being my teacher, but I was still a rank amateur at this.
However, when there were these people counting on me, I knew that I need to show confidence so that they don't worry. I was their tactician, their leader. And I needed them to believe in me.
"Oh mister sword robber!" I called from the temple entrance about thirty minutes later.
"Who are you?" a voice boomed from inside. A man came out from the back of the temple, holding a large sword and a katana, what was presumably the Mani Katti. "How did you get past my guards?"
"Those were guards?" I asked. "Oh, see, I thought they were bandits so my friend took care of them while we were on our way in."
"What?!" he demanded.
"It is as he said," said Lyn, walking into the temple. "They attacked us, so they got a taste of my blade."
"You filthy bitch!" the man shouted, taking a large sword from his back. "Who do you think you are? What chance do you have against me? I may not be able to draw the Mani Katti, but I am certain that this sword will be enough for you!"
"A duel, then," said Lyn, unsheathing her iron sword. "Between you and me."
"Tsk, I don't need to fight you, girl," smirked the man. "Your little boyfriend is unarmed, so I think I'll take care of him first!"
"W-Wait!" I stammered. The plan I had come up with focused on Lyn leading this guy into a duel. I expected him to accept, which would buy some time for the execution of the other plan. Thinking back, I probably shouldn't have come to the entrance with her.
It was only my second time doing this, and I'm only human.
"No! Stop!" shouted Lyn. Too late, he was already trying to bring his sword down on me. I closed my eyes and braced for impact.
"That's quite enough, Mister Glass," said a familiar voice. I opened my eyes to see Kent blocking the swordsman with his lance at his throat.
"Wh-Who are you?" asked the swordsman, obviously surprised. "How did you get behind me?"
"There was a weak wall toward the back of the altar," I smiled. "We found out from some of the people in the houses outside of here. It was very difficult for horses to cross the large hills blocking the altar, so we had to find another way here. When I called you out here, it was to make sure that you didn't notice us trying to break through."
"Impossible!" shouted Glass. "A single knight cannot penetrate a stone wall so quickly!"
"It goes a bit faster when there are two," I smiled triumphantly. As if on cue, Sain came out of the temple, with an old man standing next to him.
"You coward! Locking an old priest in the back of the temple," said Sain, pointing his lance at Glass. "I swear I will make you pay at the end of my lance!"
"Wait!" said Lyn. "Glass. I challenge you to a duel. The winner takes the Mani Katti."
"Lyn, what are you doing?" I asked. "We have this guy surrounded! He doesn't stand a chance against the three of us!"
"It is the pride of a swordsman," said Lyn. "If he wants the Mani Katti, he must retrieve it honorably."
"No, young lady! It is too dangerous!" said the priest. Glass just smiled.
"You really wanna throw your life away, just like that?" he laughed, throwing down the sacred sword. "So be it! I'll kill you and then sell this fine piece of metal, before taking this temple down brick by brick!" The priest took the chance to pick up the sword and take it inside.
"Kent, Sain, please don't interfere," Lyn said with determination, and then looked at me. "Sean..."
"Do what you have to," I sighed. "It's not like I'd be much help here."
Lyn smiled. "I will forever be your peerless warrior, Sean."
Glass made the first move, charging at Lyn with his large broadsword, swinging downward. Lyn moved to the side to dodge it, unsheathing her sword and slicing at him. Glass was quick to notice this, and dodged just enough for the sword to miss him. Taking his broadsword again, he swung horizontally and Lyn, who, having little time to react blocked with her sword, but his was too big and knocked her back into the wall.
"Shit," I whispered. "A sword that big with that much momentum can't be good for a small sword like Lyn's to block..."
"I believe that lady Lyndis knows what she's doing," Kent assured me. "You should believe in her as well."
Lyn pushed back the broadsword and made a thrust toward Glass's chest. Glass moved a bit to the side, but Lyn managed to catch his left shoulder.
"Grahhh!" he cried in pain, and knocked Lyn into a wall with the broad side of his blade. Lyn grunted in pain from the collision. Glass proceeded to swing again, catching Lyn on the shoulder, and she let out a cry of pain.
"Lyn!" I shouted, trying to run to her, but Sain grabbed my arm and shook his head.
"You must not interfere, Sean," he told me. "Our lady Lyndis is fighting with everything she has. It is truly a beautiful sight."
"Lyn..." I whispered. Duel or no duel, I couldn't stand to see her in pain like that. That moment, I realized that I had really fallen for her in these last few days. She was there for me ever since I arrived in Sacae. She was my peerless warrior. She was my savior.
She was getting up.
"Sean, please don't worry about me," Lyn panted, smiling. "I won't lose to him." I wanted to believe her, but it was clear that her stamina was giving out, and her shoulder was aching and bloodied. Her style of swordplay focused on finishing quickly with fast and powerful strikes, but those had all been blocked by this man.
"Tough talk for a little girl," smirked Glass, picking up his sword again. "Die!" he swung his sword downward at Lyn. I averted my eyes at this part, not wanting to see the result. I didn't hear anything. There was no sound of metal, no agonizing screams, no grunts. I opened my eyes to the scene. Lyn, in a crouching stance, had her sword pointed at a 45 degree angle upward, impaling Glass in his chest, his sword missing her by only an inch to the left.
"She used his body momentum," I realized. "A powerful swing like that requires the entire body to move with the sword, so all Lyn had to do was wait for him to start his attack and then leave her blade pointed toward his heart. His own momentum would force his body onto the blade, killing him with very little effort. Lyn... you really are amazing..."
"You... You... Urrgh..." were the last words of the swordsman named Glass, before he died on Lyn's blade.
"It's over..." Lyn sighed, breathing heavily. She pulled her blade from his chest, wiped it clean, and sheathed it. She was obviously tired, and fell forward.
"Lyn!" I shouted, running over to catch her. "Lyn, are you okay?"
"I'll be fine, Sean..." she smiled. "Thank you."
And once again, she proved she didn't need my help by getting up and applying a vulnerary to her wound. Kent and Sain both ran toward her.
"Oh my lovely Lyndis! What a wonderful display of finesse and beauty!" said Sain. Lyn laughed at his antics.
"It was nothing," she said.
"I am impressed, lady Lyndis," smiled Kent. "You were fantastic."
"Thank you, Kent," she replied.
"It was a job well done, young lady," said the priest, coming out of the temple. "Ah, your clothing... Are you of the Lorca tribe?"
"Yes, I am the chieftain's daughter," Lyn replied. "Are you hurt, sir?"
He smiled. "Thanks to you, I am unscathed. You have my gratitude."
"And the sword? Is it safe?" she asked.
The priest nodded, taking the sword from beneath his robe. "Yes, I have sealed the sword safely away. Until I remove my spell, the sword cannot be drawn. Now, as a token of my gratitude, I shall allow you to lay hands upon the Mani Katti. Touch the blade's pattern, and pray for a safe journey."
Lyn smiled, ecstatic. "Oh, thank you so much!" The old man handed the Mani Katti to Lyn, when the patterns on the scabbard began to shine brightly. Kent, Sain, and I had to cover our eyes for a second to prevent temporary blindness.
"Hm?" The priest was as surprised as we were.
Lyn looked confused. "What? Did-- The sword... It's... glowing."
The priest smiled. "It's the power of the spirits. Lyn, they have looked into your soul, and they call out to you."
"What does that mean?" Lyn asked, shocked at his words.
"You are its rightful owner," replied the priest. "You are to wield the Mani Katti."
"No way..." I whispered. "Lyn! This is amazing! You're like a chosen one! A legendary hero!"
Lyn shook her head. "No... I can't... I couldn't..."
"It is the sword's wish," said the priest. "If you require proof, draw it from its sheath."
Lyn nodded and did as she was told. The sword came out with no problem, and it was shining as brightly as the sun in Lyn's hand. She held the sword in awe. "It came out... effortlessly."
"I never dared to hope that I might meet the wielder of the Mani Katti in my life. I am indeed fortunate to see your sword reach your hands," smiled the priest.
Lyn looked at him in shock. "My sword?"
"It is time for you to go, Lyn. You face a great many ordeals. Grip this sword, and meet your destiny head-on."
Lyn's shocked look subsided, and was replaced with an excited one. "Yes... Yes, sir!"
"So this is the Mani Katti. A blade with no equal," said Sain in awe at the sight of the blade after we left the temple.
"This is all so unbelievable. Perhaps the most famous sword in all of Sacae... in my hand," said Lyn.
"What are the chances?" I asked.
Kent shook his head. "It's not so strange. In fact, many legends tell similar tales... Special blades all over the land call out to their proper owners. And yet, when I saw you draw that blade, Lyndis... I felt something extraordinary. That sword was waiting for you. You were meant to draw it."
Lyn looked embarrassed. "Stop it! I... I'm nothing special!"
"Of course you are, Lyn!" I told her. "You're the only one who could've drawn that sword!"
Sain seemed to, for once, have a better response than I did. "Think of it this way: Some weapons feel more comfortable in your hand, right? Well, the Mani Katti itself feels very comfortable with you. Does this make it any easier for you to accept? It doesn't appear that any of us can use it."
Lyn looked at the blade and smiled. "It... does feel right in my hand. A blade that only I can wield. That seems reasonable enough. I can understand that." She unsheathed the blade and showed it to me. "Look at it, Sean. This is the Mani Katti. This is... my sword. I must care for it well."
"I know you will," I told her.
Later that night, we had set up camp again. Kent and Sain had fallen asleep near their horses, and it was Lyn's turn for guard duty. As for me, I was rolling around uncomfortably on the hard ground.
"Forget it, I can't sleep," I muttered to myself. "I'm going to feel so dizzy in the morning." I sat up from my sleeping bag, and saw Lyn holding the Mani Katti and gazing at the stars.
"Lyn," I whispered. I got out of my sleeping bag and walked to where she was sitting.
"Did you have trouble sleeping, Sean?" Lyn asked me before I was able to open my mouth.
"A bit," I replied. "The ground is a bit too soft. It needs to be rock hard in order for me to sleep properly."
Lyn giggled a little. "I saw a large rock you can rest your head on if you'd like."
"Did you find more than one? I'd like to rest the other parts of my body as well," I joked. We shared a laugh for a few seconds, and then had a few seconds of awkward silence, which I tried to break. "Lyn... You were amazing today."
"Thank you, Sean," she smiled. "But, I was just fighting. There's nothing amazing about that."
"You were fighting to protect something sacred," I replied. "And that stuff about the honor of a swordsman, that was great. If anyone deserves the Mani Katti, it's you."
"Sean, I don't know," she sighed, looking at her new sword. "I never wanted to be a chosen one, or the inheritor of a title. I just wanted to live peacefully on the plains."
"What's happened has happened," I told her. "You've discovered a few things about yourself these last couple of days, Lyn. Once this information has been presented to you, it's up to you to use it to decide what the best course of action to take is." Whoa, did that really just come out of my mouth? I'm better than I thought.
Lyn considered what I said for a few seconds, and nodded. "I know what the best course of action is, then. We will go see my grandfather."
"If that's what you've decided, then I'll follow you," I replied. "After all, you're my peer-" I was interrupted by Lyn getting up and hugging me. And here comes the tomato face.
"Sean... I'm so glad that we met," she whispered. "You can't realize how much it means to me that I have a friend like you..."
Well, can't say I wasn't happy about those words. It's not exactly something that's been said to me before, especially by a girl like Lyn. Maybe I did have a chance with her.
Now, if only I could think of something to say in response.
Damn... overheating... brain...
End Chapter
A/N: Well? Liberty enough for ya? Couple of added scenes, some added dialogue, and a fight scene that was both fun and hard to write. Just need to know what you all think of it. Review!