Hey guys, I'm back with chapter II of this story, where Matthew gets his seconds of glory (if you didn't get it yet, read the story to find out).

Reviews are still appreciated, flaming still isn't.

And again, that's all so let's start with the chapter!

Chapter II: Bloodless revenge

Jaffar just sat there, in a spare tent the company of Eliwood had with them. They had a lot of spare tents with them, as it seemed. 'It must be because their company keeps growing during their journey. Their variety of different fighters makes clear that they didn't stick together for long.' This was no problem to notice for someone as observant as Jaffar. And he also noticed that something moved at his left. His eyes rolled to the side a little bit to see her living body. To see her weak, but living body.

"Jaffar…? Is that you, Jaffar?" she said with low voice. It was not much more than a whisper, but Jaffar's trained ears could hear her without problems.

"Nino… I was worried about you."

"You were worried about me?"

"Yeah."

"That's… funny."

"What's funny about that?"

"Well, you were always so… cold."

"Nino… It hurts me to hear you saying that."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Then I want to apology."

"That's not necessary. The only thing you have to do to apology is getting healthy again as soon as possible:"

He noticed a smile on Nino's face while saying that.

When Nino fell asleep again, Jaffar started thinking. What for goddamn Black Fang's sake was he saying? And why was he saying it? He looked at Nino again. At the girl who changed him so much. He got a feeling which he couldn't place because he wasn't used to this kind of feelings. Or actually, he wasn't used to feelings at all.

Then, Jaffar thought about Ursula. And about Sonia. The woman who had ordered him to kill her own daughter.

Ursula had said it, too. "Annoying little girl! Why don't you just die as Lady Sonia wishes?"

His blood began to boil again. "Sonia!" he whispered to himself.

-----

Priscilla opened the entrance of the tent. She had got the job to look after Nino. There the girl laid. Priscilla looked at her soft face. 'When her childish features will be gone, she'll look tough with that scar on her forehead' Pricilla thought.

But something missed in the picture of the tent. That man, who was with her the whole time after she was placed in the tent. That man whom she called Jaffar. He wasn't there.

-----

Jaffar felt the icy wind on the margin of the camp. 'The mountain fortress was discovered, so that witch must be in the water temple!' he thought. He took his leave, with his blood still boiling in his veins. But he had barely set a step when a voice hindered him.

"Where are you going, Angel of Death?"

"Hurricane. ...I'm going to get my revenge."

"So you're going to challenge Sonia? In that case, you can't go alone. And in this state, the girl's not the one to come with you."

"So you'll do? No thanks. I do my stuff alone."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do!"

"You know you cannot shake me of, Angel of Death, so just let me come with you."

"You're right. For this one time, you can come. But next time when you come with this show, I'll kill you without mercy."

"Alright, I got it!"

So the two men took their leave together. They walked through the dark, cold night. But even in the darkness, they had no problems avoiding the many tree roots and branches. But soon, another voice prevented them.

"Where are you two going?"

"Hey Matthew, what's up?"

"What's up? Maybe I should ask that." The thief slipped out of his hide place.

"Jaffar here is going to get his revenge on Sonia, Brendan Reed's wife. And I don't know why, but I'm following him."

"Hey, did I ask you to?"

"But you two can't just go out on your own!"

"…" Jaffar grumbled "…You know nothing…!"

"I know nothing!?" Matthew shouted "You really think I know nothing!? I know very well, Jaffar, maybe I know even better than you!"

"In opposite to Nino... she couldn't be rescued…" his voice calmed again, but as only the trained eyes of the two former Black Fangs could see, his face didn't.

"And now look at me. I'm standing right in front of her murder! I could just stab my daggers into your neck, Jaffar, and I would have my revenge. But I don't. I don't know why I don't, but I don't."

"Bah. You're a fool." Jaffar gave Matthew a look which didn't show any sign of something like pity. It was a cold stare, maybe the coldest Matthew ever saw.

"I'm not a fool. People change. And so did you."

"Bah! Someone like Sonia doesn't change!" Jaffar shouted and pushed the thief to the side. He vanished into the night, so not even Matthew or Lagault could see him. Lagault lifted his shoulders. "There's no point in trying to follow him now."

So the two thieves went back to the camp. Covered in the darkness, one tear rolled down Matthews cheek.

-----

Meanwhile in the camp

"That man, Jaffar! He's missing!" Lyndis yelled over the camp. "I saw him vanishing to the west!" the answer came from Serra. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah! It may have been only an eye blink I saw him, but he definitely moved into the western forest!"

"Where could he want to go to?" A yell from Dorcas came.

"Wherever it is, I think it's up to no good! We have to follow him!" Eliwood responded.

A cloaked man yelled something in protest, but the angry battle screams of Hector, Dart and Geitz made him unhearable. So he decided to just follow the group.

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Done! As you may suspect, in the next chapter, we get the battle in the water temple, where Jaffar will meet the tactician!

Skythief, the flying bird