Interlude 2: We Have a Map?

Author's Notes: Loving the feedback guy! It really gets me the motivation to keep writing whenever I have the time.

Anyways, as I was thinking about where the story is heading, I began to think about the past I would make for Michael. If I manage to pull it off well, it'll make some sense. If not, it'll look like it came out of left field. Here's hoping! =D

With the battle against the bandits ended decisively, Michael, Kent, and Sain were recuperating just outside of the city entrance while Lyn was charged with buying some last minute supplies. Michael had given her an allowance of fifteen hundred gold, which he was sure she would be able to stretch far. They would be in desperate need of medical supplies upon the upcoming journey.

The knights had taken the opportunity to give their horses some rest and were tying their reigns as close to the river as possible so that the horses could drink to their hearts content. Michael, meanwhile, was plopped down on the road as he counted over their supplies.

"So we used up two vulnerary in the last battle…" Michael muttered to himself as he opened up the pouch that Lyn stored her medicine in, "That leaves three left…"

After that last skirmish, Michael realized that he would have to be especially careful to micromanage all weapons and supplies in the future. Being underprepared almost spelled doom for everyone twice already. With them only being involved in two battles so far, that was by no means a good start to their track record.

"What are you mumbling about all to yourself, Mr. Tactician?" Sain asked as he appeared out of nowhere and leaned over Michael's shoulder, trying to gaze at the contents of the pouch.

"Just trying to see how much medicine we have left" Michael answered as he pulled the pouch out of Sain's view and closed it.

"How do our supplies fare?" Kent asked, suddenly appearing into the conversation, walking over to keep an eye on Sain, lest him antics begin anew.

"If we don't bother giving any to Sain, we should be fine!" Michael told him.

"Have no worries!" Sain assured Michael, "I won't be injured again in the slightest!"

"Forgive me if I choose to not believe you" Kent quipped. "I fact, if I were you, I would be insulted."

"But that's where we are different, you and I," Sain explained, "I can take a joke, unlike yourself!"

"I most certainly CAN take a joke, I'll have you know!" Kent argued.

"Then why, pray thee tell, have you never laughed at any of mine?" Sain asked.

"Because your 'jokes' are never funny!" Kent told Sain flat out.

"WHAT?!" Sain yelled as he jerked back in an overzealous fashion, "Me? Not funny? If I cannot allow even my most steadfast yet most serious comrade the respite of a laugh, I fear I cannot go on living!" His face was scrunched up in truly sad expression.

"Is this where I clap and marvel at the brilliant acting?" Michael asked as he watched the whole charade unfold.

"Did it bring you to your knees in laughter? Or at the very least, a snicker?" Sain asked, dropping the charade.

"No" Michael told him.

"Then never mind…" Sain said dejectedly as he waved his hand at him in a surrendering fashion, this time truly crestfallen.

"Is this a routine you two do?" Michael asked Kent.

"What routine?" Kent asked, completely serious.

"I think you two may need some help…"

"Who needs help now?" Lyn asked as she returned holding a rather large open pouch filled with vulnerary.

"Our lady made out like a bandit!" Sain announced with an enthusiastic glee, forgetting the failure that was his comedy routine as Lyn handed the bag to Michael.

"How much did you get?!" Michael asked as he began to pull out each vial of medicine.

Lyn was silent for a moment as she rubbed her chin in thought, "Twelve…maybe fifteen?"

"That's not even two hundred per vulnerary!" Michael exclaimed in shock as he did the math in his head, "Where'd you buy all this?"

"You know that merchant we saw when we first got here?" Lyn asked, to which Michael nodded, "Turns out no one was buying from him because his prices were too high. That and another merchant carrying the same merchandise put up his wares for sale right across from his. He was a little stubborn with the pricing, but I somehow managed to get him to pull down the price once I put the gold on the table."

"You are a Goddess among mortals!" Michael sang as he counted up the last of the medicine. They now had seventeen vials of vulnerary to use. At least now if worse came to worse and Michael couldn't come up with a full-proof plan, they wouldn't be hard pressed to use up vulnerary in necessary risky actions.

"Why thank you," Lyn told him, "I try my best. Though truth be told, I didn't convince him to lower the price."

"Pardon?" Michael asked.

"As I was trying to haggle with the merchant," Lyn explained, "He just kept yelling at me. He was as stubborn with his prices as he was old. I was pretty sure he was about to tell me to leave when that red-haired merchant from before dropped in. In a minute she convinced him to drop his prices down to a forth. Truth be told she did it by offering ME a deal that she would offer me as much as I could carry for all the gold I was to use. He got pretty panicky and told me he would lower the price nothing shorter than one-hundred and fifty gold per vulnerary."

"Then we better thank Anna as well!" Michael laughed. "I'll have to remember this if I ever come back here. I'll drop a mountain load of gold down on her shop!"

"I apologize that I myself cannot undergo such tasks with such wondrous results" Kent apologized. He seemed to take any job he couldn't perform exceptionally at as a sign that he was subpar overall as a knight.

"Don't apologize, Kent," Lyn told him, "I had fun doing it. Besides, 'Anna's' the one that deserves the credit."

"Is there a problem?" Michael asked her, picking up on the subtle change in Lyn's tone as she said Anna's name.

"No. What goes on with your lovers is your own business!" Lyn joked. "Of course, if you want to 'drop a mountain load of gold on her shop,' you better do it after closing time!"

"…Did you just make a dirty joke?" Michael asked in disbelief.

"The granddaughter of a ruler should not be saying such things," Kent managed to squeak out, "I only hope our road back to Caelin is swift."

"Oiy, Kent!" Sain yelled, "Don't go jinxing us now with that kind of talk!"

"That's just a superstition," Michael said as he put his hands around his head, "Nothing bad is going to happen!" Of course, as Michael got done saying that, he felt as if he was going to be proven wrong soon.

"It's exactly as Michael says," Lyn agreed, "Though I do want to make a stop along the way, if we can spare the time."

"Where to?" Michael asked.

"There's this small shrine a little ways off," Lyn informed him, "Nomads often go and wish for safety on their travels by touching the sheath of the sword enshrined there and praying to the spirits that reside within it."

"Sounds slightly….heretical…" Kent muttered aloud, perhaps too much so for comfort's sake.

"Huh?" Michael asked, giving Kent a chance to explain himself before he set Lyn off, who was already beginning to turn a slight shade of red from anger.

"Huh…?" Kent asked at first, unaware that he had been heard, "Oh, I just meant that that sounds quite different compared to the teachings of Elimine. But please, pay me no mind. An outburst like that shall not happen again. I'm well aware that there is not just one religion. I'll be sure to refrain from such thoughts in the future."

"You'll have to forgive Kent!" Sain laughed, "He's not the most flexible of men! Or the most understanding for that matter…"

"I suppose…" Lyn said slowly, but still clearly miffed.

"Well then," Michael announced as he clapped his hands together, hoping to end any lingering sentiments before things got too far out of hand, "To wherever this shrine is!"

"Bring out the map, I'll show you the location!" Lyn suggested.

"We have one of those?!" Michael asked. "Since when?!"

"Since our shopping trip earlier today!" Lyn exclaimed. "I hope your memory isn't so bad that you've forgotten already!"

"Give me a break," Michael whined, "Buying something like a map is pretty easy to forget when you're directing troops who are fighting for their lives!"

After rummaging in his cloak for a brief moment, Michael produced a folded up map. As they opened up the map and proceeded to scan the nearby region, they found that the shrine was very close to their current location, slightly towards the northeast. On horseback it would only take half a day to arrive there. They could easily afford to have a detour, as long as they didn't make a habit of it.

"We head northeast then!" Sain yelled.

"Just don't start commanding your horse to go full speed," Kent warned him, "I don't want to stop halfway through because you tired the poor thing out."