A/N I'm back. My family had commanded my laptop for most of the Christmas break so I was unable to update very often. I hope to have that changed really fast.
Anyway here's the next chapter. If you want to let me know something I could do, review. Thanks.
It's been about a month since I've been transported to my new home in Elibe. I say home cause I am infinitely more comfortable here than I ever was in my old time. I always was a child of the blade and I can put that to good use here. I'm traveling with people as close is kin and a beautiful swords woman that seems to really like my friendship.
But I want it to be something more…
I can't mince words anymore. I'm in Love with the Lady Lyndis. She's smart, kind, caring empathetic, can keep secrets when they need to be kept. She already trusts me enough to let me see her vulnerable state, or at least not to hide it from me. She's a strong swordfighter and a good teacher. My swordsmanship has vastly improved after training under her. She's, in one week, broken through 2 years of mental barriers that I set up to avoid other people and I don't care cause I want to let her in.
Yet…
I can't say anything about it to her. I don't know if she feels the same way about me and if I say the wrong thing right now, I could shake her focus for this entire journey. It's really not healthy for me to keep all this bottled up but at least I have battle to vent my frustration out. And I'm defending her while I do that so everyone wins. Well, except for those damn bandits.
"We've almost reached the Lycian border." Kent said, breaking the silence, and cutting across my brooding. Perhaps that's for the best right now. I might do something stupid if I dwell on that too long.
" Once we cross, we'll be safe from the bandits, right?" Lyn said
"We should be. I doubt they'll be willing to pursue us across the border."
"Somehow I doubt that" I quipped. "If soldiers can't stop them, they'll probably follow us for a while longer until they spread themselves out too thin"
"Oh don't be such a pessimist Ken" Lyn said teasingly. Yes teasingly. Even being pursued by bandits she can joke around. "We won't be stopped by a few bandits"
"Yeah, I suppose your right" I said quietly. She laughed and punched me in the shoulder and I rubbed it in mock pain, smiling a little.
"Lycia at last! It's been a long time. Tomorrow, we'll dine on a feast of Lycia's finest foods! And the mistress of the inn at the crossing is said to be a beauty. Ah, ye... Food and love. No better way to restore a man's soul! This is going to be a fine evening, eh, Kent?" Oh brother…. Sain will be Sain. I wonder if they passed this way on the way to Sacae.
"If your behavior is as deplorable as ever, we'd best stay elsewhere."
" Kent, the inn will be fine." Lyn put in
"As you say, milady." Good 'ol chivalrous Kent.
"I'm totally up to sleeping in something other than a tent" I said happily, not quite getting the right rest using a rock.
"Ah! We'll finally be able to get a good night's sleep." Florina sighed.
All of a sudden … "THERE SHE IS!"
Of course, there's no way we could get a good night's sleep without a bandit attack.
"Oh, no, bandits again."
"Can't they just leave us alone already? I'm getting sick of this."
"Enough Sain. We are soldiers. This is nothing and we will continue to fight until our duty is finished." Damn it Kent. Why are you only animated when you talk about your duty?
"Found them!! Don't think you're getting away!" their leader said with a great flourish.
"You leave alive and everyone'll think the Gaemlon bandits have gone soft." His second in command said.
"Well this is a surprise." I said sarcastically.
"Yeah you better be surprised!" the second yelled out and everyone, even the commander, just dropped their heads and shook them in disbelief.
"There might not be anymore Gaemlon bandits if you keep this up. Shouldn't you back of?" I continued, hand on the hilt of my katana.
"We care nothing for your reputation," Lyn continued "get in our way and you'll pay. We've got more important things waiting for us in Lycia."
"Cheeky little thing, aren't you? Let's get 'em, lads! And no holding back just 'cause there's women with 'em! Wipe 'em out!"
"Alright, we need another plan. We've got a solid set of fighters but we need to be careful. Ken, what do you have for us?" Kent said, his voice all business.
"Ok they're all spread out for right now. Lyn, Wil and I will head through the forest area up to those hills. When we get there, I want Wil to stay on the hills, firing down at the bandits in range. Try not to move from there you'll be safer up on top of those hills. Kent, Sain, Dorcas and Florina you guys go around. Visit houses if you can, and try to meet up with us close to where their leader is. Also, Kent and Sain, watch for archers especially. Take 'em down when you can."
I always was an on the fly kind of person. Even so the plan sounded good. As my team had gone into the woods we heard….
"KYAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!
Someone was being attacked! But, as I looked at my team; it was none of them; it had come from ahead. All of a sudden we saw a pink haired girl in robes starting to flail around and run in our general direction, while an archer took aim at a purple haired youth. At this distance I couldn't quite tell if he was a girl or not. As he was struck in the leg by an arrow, he started chanting and a ball of fire materialized and struck the archer. The archer stumbled and he followed up with another fireball, this one finishing him of completely.
"What the heck was that!?" I said in alarm.
Lyn chose not to answer, instead she asked. "What's wrong Ken? You ok?" Was I ok? I was a mix of shocked scared excited and intrigued. I always loved fire, and I want to know everything about this world I'm in if I plan to stick around. But I was nervous about the fact people can rain down fire onto others.
"Can everyone do that?" I said calming down a little.
"Well no. Magic tomes are usually written in Etrurian. Most of the mages around here come from there."
"Let's see what they want. Hey-"
"Nuh uh. I'll do the talking." She said putting a finger over my mouth. Damn it. Why does she have to do that? I can't even argue anymore.
"Um, excuse me... Hello?" The pink-haired girl perked up and happily said:
"Hm? Oh hi! How are you?"
"Er, Why are you fighting these bandits?" I suppose she was put off by the girl's over happiness too. I bet she was not as miffed as I was though.
"... It just happened." Oh right, I almost forgot about her friend. Turned out to be a dude. Weird hair colors seem normal around here. I mean most colors didn't seem to be possible with what we got for hair genetics, but here they have green and purple hair. I'll bank on there being navy or something as well.
"That's not true!" the priestess cried. "Those ruffians thought that we were with you!!! You got us into a terrible situation! Now, how are you going to get us out?" Oh no a guilt trip.
"Lyn ignore her, she's just trying to make you feel bad about it. This isn't our fault."
" Serra, if you'd not been so meddlesome, this all could have been avoided. My apologies. Please trouble yourself with us no more." Looks like that guy agrees with me. He's awesome.
"But... if you're going to have to fight anyway, shouldn't we team up? It will end things faster, right?"
"That's true. Yes! That's a good idea. Erk! Go and help these ladies." I was NOT happy about the lady comment again, but what can I do? She's a priest and a girl. Sigh. Damn code of honor.
"But I... Fine!" Wow he was whipped. Or paid. And by the looks of it probably paid.
"Anyway," she squealed in her high-pitched voice "My name is Serra, This is my escort, Erk. Be a good boy, and go fight now, Erk." Erk sighed but kept moving, but he couldn't move too much because of the arrow wound in his foot.
"Oh dear. Erk, you've gotten hurt. Watch now I'm going to heal you" she said with a smile. She raised her staff and started an inaudible chant. A blue sphere appeared around Erk's wound and the skin knitted itself back together. Seriously what's with this world? Everything can healed here.
"Well? Praise my generosity!"
"Err good for you" Lyn said in a strange tone. I had to keep myself in check from freaking out about the magic again.
"Anyway" I said once I gathered myself up again. "Let's take the fight to these damn bandits. I'm sick of them and their persistence."
The fighting continued as the day wore on. There were a surprisingly low number of bandits in this fight. I suppose there weren't too many people ready to fight against us. Not that I'm complaining. Nearing the end of the fighting I found a swordsman in a cluster of trees. All right, time to try out my spear skills. I approached him, replaced my katana back into its sheath and took the slim lance from my back and brought it to bear.
He was the one who initiated the attack though, jumping up and swinging from above. I knocked his blade to the side and in one fluid motion kicked the opposing swordsman in the face. He was knocked back a bit and decided to take a more careful approach in fighting me. Yet he still took the initiative in the attack swinging high and fast. He nearly took my head of with that one but his aim was a slight high and I successfully countered with a shallow strike to his side. Just cutting through the leather padding and giving a shallow scar to his side. Then I moved in, the tip of my lance dancing around him, yet I attacked with the backside of the blade almost as often as the tip. He was getting frustrated and I was getting bored. I finished him with a feint down to lower his guard and a strike to the neck. As I cleaned off my lance I found Lyn locked in combat with the enemy commander.
"You're gonna learn why people fear the Gaemlon bandits!"
"Not a chance! Get out of my way!" Lyn yelled back cutting his legs out from under him. Then following up with a strike to the throat, killing him. "There that ought to do it."
"Well done Lyn" I said with a smile on my face.
"Same to you Ken. I see you've tried out your lance today?"
"Ya. I can't seem to do a heavy amount of damage with it but I can still move around too much for an average bandit to hit."
" What a surprise. You are very strong, Lyn." Right, that priestess was still here. Damn it can't she go away? But I guess having healing powers isn't a bad thing. Vulneraries aren't cheap.
"Your staff is a wondrous thing. Healing powers amaze me."
"Only those in the service of good can wield them!" she said in her sing-song voice. I swear she was bragging about something that wasn't there.
"You helped us tremendously. Well, it's time for us to go."
"Ya we'll see you around. Maybe"
" Fare you well. You, too, Erk."
"Good-bye." That guy seems just like me. Introverted, yet a hidden fighter.
"You find yourself needing a job see if you can find us at Castle Caelin"
"That I will Ken." Then in an undertone "NO more escort jobs. I can't take this kind of aggravation anymore"
"I hear ya. Be strong." I said with a comforting air. Man…good luck to that guy. He's got quite a hard job. Woah woah woah….where'd Sain go? Dang it, I better go look for him. Shouldn't need to get the others though. Oh crap. He's chasing Serra now. Maybe I should have put him in the same attack group. Then he wouldn't chase her.
"Well, let us be on our way, Erk."
" What have we here?" Sain said gallantly riding up. "Another wildflower? Perhaps a butterfly? What an absolutely delectable creature!"
" Oh my! Are you one of Lyn's companions?" Serra said her voice perky and high.
"Please, call me Sain."
"I'm Serra. I serve House Ostia."
"Serra... What a lyrical name. I am in service to Castle Caelin." At this, Erk started to twitch slightly. Maybe he felt something was up. For our sake I hope she doesn't join us.
"Oh! So is Lyn a member of the Marquess's family?"
"She is the granddaughter of our lord, the Marquess of Caelin."
"Hmmm... Such an important person."
At this, Erk started to speak out his suspicions. "Serra... what deviousness are you contemplating now?"
"Tee hee! Having a person of power in your debt is never a bad thing!" Serra almost squealed.
"You can't be serious..." Oh no. No way!
"Oh, Sain! Do you think we could join the lady Lyndis's company? She seems like such a nice person, and I would ever so much like to help her." Crap and Sain can't say no to such a face.
"Of course! We couldn't be happier!! Why, we were only just saying how we need some more fighting power!" What!? No we don't! But then again, having healing powers and offensive magic couldn't be that bad. If only that freaking cleric wasn't so annoying. If only we could take the mage. Unfortunately it looks like she's attached to the mage in a deal.
"Are you being hunted or something?" Yes. So just go to Ostia wherever it is and leave us the not annoying one.
"Yes, it's an inheritance dispute. Assassins everywhere."
"Yeah, no place for a girl like yourself" I said finally speaking out. Unfortunately the only person that responded to that was Erk who had not power to do anything.
"Oh my! In that case, my healing staff and Erk's magic should come in handy." Serra said completely ignoring me.
"Well, I, er... It sounds... dangerous... and I'm just to bring you to Ostia. We'll be late if you delay this."
"Your staff and magic would be extremely helpful!" Sain called out, also ignoring both Erk and myself. "Please wait here! I will go and speak with Lady Lyndis on your behalf."
"Unbelievable..." Erk said dejectedly.
"I hear ya man." I said trying to comfort him. "But it might not be so bad. At least you can talk to us right?"
"Ya I suppose you're right." Erk said with a small smile.
"This is fantastic, Erk! Our good deeds will earn us gratitude beyond imagining and- oh?" Wow she finally noticed me. "When did you get here?"
"Ah Ken" Sain said, not losing his "knightly" tone of voice. "I assume you've come to help me escort this fine lady back to the camp of Lyndis's Legions?"
"Err sure. Let's go with that then. But I already know that healing powers and magic will be helpful. I know Lyn won't turn you away so," I held out my hand. "Welcome to our family Erk" as he shook it his client just stared and looked in shock.
"Hey what about me!" END CHAPTER