Sorry for not updating in so long. I want to thank all my subscribers, and those who leave comments, you're my inspiration for continuing. Again, sorry for making you wait so long, hope you enjoy it.
The wyvern's wings beat powerfully, and Lyn winced, pulling the fabric of her cloak tighter around herself to ward off the bone chilling wind that howled past. She huddled behind Haar, his thick black cape thankfully absorbing most of the wind and keeping it off her. They flew southwest, towards the mountains separating Sacae and Bern, and with any luck they would be in Araphen by nightfall. Lyn was nervous, both about the fact that they were flying, something she preferred to do on the more comfortable back of a Pegasus with someone she was more familiar with, and about the fact that she still had heard nothing from Hector. Once they reached Araphen she would inquire into his whereabouts.
***
Eliwood and Ninian stood on the damaged battlements of Castle Phaere, Ninian leaning back against her husband, her eyes troubled. Below them the Phaeren capital buzzed like an anthill that had been kicked, work teams of soldiers and civilians swarming over the wreckage of buildings and working to shore up other damaged structures. She closed her eyes, feeling Eliwood's arms tighten around her protectively, and could not repress a shudder of foreboding, even wrapped in the arms of her husband. Her voice was low, trembling slightly. "Something is wrong, very, very wrong."
***
Rebecca, Rath's wife, met them at the outskirts of Khathlet as the sun dawned red over the distant mountains. Ike has been silent, nearly catatonic since Nephenee's death, silent to the other's talk, plodding along like a man lost in a waking nightmare; yet when Rath embraced Rebecca, greeting her with a swift kiss, the vanguard's head snapped to one side violently away from the pair, a single tear tracking swiftly down his face unseen except by Micaiah and Soren who rode to Ike's right.
The nomad horseman and the sniper shared a quick whispered conversation, and then returned to the group, where Rath spoke. "Everyone, this is Rebecca, my wife." He whet his lips for a moment, eyes flicking to Ike, who still looked away from the pair, before continuing and motioning to each in turn. "Rebecca, this is Boyd, Mist, Ike, Micaiah, and Soren. I ran across them rather unexpectedly. They seem to be lost, so I offered to escort them the Pharae to see Eliwood, I figured he might be able to help."
Whatever might have followed was forestalled, for the group turned to look as the sound of the thundering of horse's hooves reached them. Over the hill galloped massed ranks of horsemen, pounding towards the city with banners snapping out behind them. Rath and Rebecca traded a shocked glance, the nomad horseman frowning. "Those are the banners of Araphen, what's going on?" The answer was provided moments later when a group split off from the main column, and thundered towards them, lances leveled. "They're attacking, scatter!"
***
Haar set them down outside the Araphen capital, and the pair dismounted, trading uneasy glances as they were quickly surrounded by armed guardsmen. Lyn strode forward sternly, masking her concern with harsh authority. "What is the meaning of this? We are travelers passing though, why do you greet us with weapons unsheathed?" Her eyes flicked away from the soldiers for a moment, catching a glimpse of something before quickly returning to them.
The lead soldier motioned with his lance. "Remove your weapons, you are trespassing in the lands of Araphen, you are hereby formally arrested and will be brought before Lord Araphen to stand trial. Do not resist, or we will use force."
Lyn scowled. "Do you know who I am?" She stepped forward aggressively at the soldier, who shuffled backwards, suddenly uncertain. The Sacaen woman darted forward suddenly, slipping past the surprised soldier and sweeping his legs out from under him. "Haar, get out of here, it's a trap!"
The wyvern rider swung back up onto his mount, the beast leaping skyward as the skies suddenly darkened, and thunder rumbled. Bolts of lightning split the sky, and Haar struggled hard with the reins, managing to slip through the magical assaults somehow. "Lyn, hold on!"
She ducked a swinging lance, hopping over another a moment later. "Haar, get out of here. You have to get to Eliwood, get to Pharae, he'll know what to do!" The Mani Katti rang out from its sheath, and Lyn rolled to one side, wincing in pain as a fireball exploded where she had just been, scorching her leg. The glowing blade worked furiously, fending off lance as the soldiers thrust at her, herding towards the city. She broke to the left, accepting a searing shallow slice across her ribs to ram the Mani Katti through a soldier's chest.
Lyn wrenched the weapon free and wheeled, intending to flee, but suddenly the world exploded in a flash of red-hot agony, and then there was nothing but cool darkness.
