Updated 11 December 2017
Special thanks to Cormag Ravenstaff for Beta-Reading this chapter
Here we are, two in-game days from Caelin! Yosef and Matthew are back, and two more misfits are introduced to the bunch!
Kathelet Castle Town outskirts, 13 Sage 979 A.S.
Eliwood and his vassals had nearly reached the supposed meeting point with Hector when they spotted a band of ruffians carrying a young girl.
"Just our luck. What is this, the tenth bandit group we've come across on the way here?" Lowen groaned.
"The forth, Lowen," Marcus scoffed at his apprentice's complaints.
It's called 'hyperbole', General, Lowen sighed inwardly.
"Either way, I still feel we should intervene. Someone has to protect the people," Eliwood sighed.
"I'm just afraid of what Hector will do to us," Hamill shuttered. The Ostian nobleman has been known to kill people just for pissing him off. Eliwood, and to a lesser extent Marquess Uther, were the only ones who were able to control his temper.
"Enough chatter; let's go! I refuse to sit back while bandits abuse a civilian," Eliwood drew his rapier and charged into the fray. Marcus sighed and led the rest of company to the bandits.
"Kathelet is just over that hill. I'd say we're about two days from Caelin. Now, if we all had winged mounts like Dame Florina and Lord Yosef, we could get there in a matter of hours, but we do not have such luxuries," Sain said.
"Speaking of the Duke, where is he?" Erk looked around. As if on cue, the Legion heard a loud flap, and Nowi and her rider swooped down in front of them, looking incredibly proud.
"Well, I've convinced Caelin's neighbors to not interfere with your travels so long as you maintain your lack of interest in joining the nobility. However, Lundgren himself is still concerned. Only some of the nobles showed up at the dinner, and most of those who did were those of little influence. The more influential nobles live in the border cantons like Pherae, Ostia, Araphen and Thria; the latter two are among the most distrusting of foreigners in the Alliance. Ostia may also be a major problem; one of my spies has informed me that Uther has dispatched an entire division to Caelin's defense," The Bernite dismounted and sighed.
"Will he likely impede our arrival?" Kent asked.
"Most of Caelin's forces have been rerouted to the North, so I doubt the Ostians will feel the need to interfere, but we should be ready in case they do."
"If Lundgren has routed his soldiers to the North to meet us, then he must know you're here among us!" Sain panicked.
"I would not be surprised," Matthew shrugged.
"Care to introduce us, Lyn?" Yosef looked toward the plainswoman, ignoring Sain's remarks.
"This is Matthew, he's Serra's former vassal. She recognized him when we visited a tavern in Araphen. For a decent sum he agreed to help us… manage her," Lyn chuckled, then pointed to the mounted archer by her side, "And this is Rath, former Captain of the Araphen Castle Guard."
"Ah, Sir Rath, it's been a while. I haven't seen you in years!" Yosef smiled, "When and why did you retire?"
"…I recently discovered Lord Malcolm is prejudiced against Sacaens."
"That's somewhat of an open secret; I'm surprised as a member of his inner circle you were unaware of that."
"Oh?" Rath raised a brow.
"The Shizu tribe robbed, raped and murdered his wife and his two daughters when the Marquess took a trip to the plains. He and his son were brutalized and every village they came across for help turned them away because they were noblemen. When the Marquess finally reached the Lycian border, he and his remaining child – his young son – were half starved and on the verge of death and needed immediate medical attention. Marquess Helmuth Ostia then agreed to launch an invasion of Sacae to take revenge; naturally Lord Malcolm insisted on leading the charge. Seven tribes were eliminated that year and twenty additional villages burned," Yosef said.
"How do you know all of this? The Lycian Invasion took place years before you came to power," Matthew folded his arms.
"I may not have been a Bernese nobleman at the time, but I've always had connections. Anyway, that was well over a decade ago, so let's move on. Lord Hausen would be lucky to last a week, so we must hurry if you wish to see him before he dies." That snapped everyone out of their thoughts and the Legion proceeded toward Caelin.
"Get out of here! If they are chasing after you, you certainly are up to no good!" the innkeeper said.
"Please sir, we did nothing! The organization is–" Nils started.
"Enough! I will hear none of it!" The innkeeper grabbed the blue-haired bard by the collar and threw him onto the street. An Eliminean monk observed the event in its entirety and did not take kindly to the innkeeper's harshness.
"Finally, a village! We've been traversing nothing but fields for days!" Sain exhaled in relief.
"Someone's coming," Wil looked out into the distance and saw a young boy approaching quickly. He didn't look quite as peculiar as some of the other foes he had encountered in his travels, but he didn't exactly look human, either.
The boy had thick sky blue hair and crimson eyes. He was wearing a dark green doublet over a lighter green kilt and around his neck was yellow silk scarf. On a leather belt he had an ornate dagger, wooden flute, and leather pouch, and on his feet he had blue boots that matched his hair.
"Please! Help!" the boy pleaded.
"Excuse me, but who are you?" Erk asked the newcomer. The mage, like Wil, found the boy's crimson eyes to be rather suspicious.
"Judging by his attire and the flute on his waist, I'd think him a bard," Matthew shrugged.
"Are… are you mercenaries?"
"And if we are?" Lyn frowned.
"Please! I need your help! My sister's been kidnapped!"
"Your sis–"
"Shut it, Sain!" Kent interrupted his womanizing companion.
Hitting on a woman he hasn't even met? Sain is totally in-Sain! Heh heh, I like puns! Wil thought to himself.
"Continue," Erk folded his arms.
"An Mercenary Guild from Bern took her away! Please, I don't know what I'd do without her."
"A Bernese guild? Which one?" Yosef frowned.
"Don't worry, friend, we'll rescue your sister. Just lead us to these men and we'll take care of them," Lyn said before the boy could answer.
"Lady Lyndis, we really must make haste for Caelin," Kent said.
"No, Kent. I want to help this boy. I wouldn't feel right if I didn't," the plainswoman said proudly.
"By your will, m'lady," Kent sighed in defeat.
"Thank you so much! My name is Nils. I'll show you to them!"
"…" Yosef got lost in thought.
"What's wrong?" Erk asked.
"Nils… I've heard that name…" The Duke replied.
"Uh, Lady Lyn, Duke Yos, I don't think we'll have to find anyone," Wil pointed to the black-clad men approaching the group. Some of them were shamans, wielders of Dark Magic, but most bore double-edged shotels, notorious weapons from the Nabata.
"Surrender the boy. He's property of Lord Nergal," the leader said.
"Fairly certain slavery is outlawed globally," Yosef rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, well, we're bein' paid a massive sum to r'trieve the boy, so if ya don't hand 'im over yer gonna be sorry," a second mercenary leveled his sword at the Bernese nobleman.
"There can be only one answer to that!" Lyn drew her sword, prompting the other members of her posse to bring out their own weapons.
"Fools. You have no idea what you're getting yourselves into by protecting him," the lead mercenary charged the boy, but Lyn shuffled over and parried his attack. While the two engaged in a fight, Lyn struggling as she had never fought anyone with a shotel, two shamans approached the group. They would have posed a problem had a lightning spell from an unknown source not felled them. A blond-haired monk appeared from a nearby inn. He almost looked like a woman, but Yosef and Erk could tell by the shape of his body as well as the clothes he was wearing that he was a man. Sain, on the other hand, was not so keen.
"Oh, my fair maiden, thank you so much for your divine assistance!" Sain shouted out to the monk. Yosef and Erk started chuckling.
"Would you please treasure me with your name, o beauteous dame?"
"Err, I'm a man. My name is Lucius," the monk said uncomfortably. The Bernite and the Etruscan could no longer contain their laughter as Sain screamed and ran off. When he noticed Lucius looked offended, Yosef walked over to him and explained his actions.
"Young Brother Lucius, we were not laughing at you, merely at that knight's plight. He's quite the womanizer, so his folly was ever so entertaining. My name is Yosef; I am the Duke of Thracia. My young mage-friend is Sir Erk of Etruria. We and the soldiers you see around us fighting these assassins were en route to Caelin when we came across a young boy being pursued, who we agreed to help." This explanation appeased the young monk, who smiled and nodded.
"My Lord Yosef, if it would not be a hindrance, may I please join you? My magic would be very useful against these shamans, and after the way the innkeeper treated the boy I feel obligated to help protect him," Lucius bowed. His manners were becoming of a servant to a noble house, yet his cloth was modest, at best.
"It would not be a hindrance at all. I would be happy to introduce you to our comrades once the battle is won," Yosef said, unlimbered his lance and began assisting the Legion.
"Brother Lucius, so long as you take care of the druids, I'll take care of all the melee combatants who attack you," Erk bowed his head out of respect.
"Sounds like a plan, Sir Erk," Lucius nodded. While the two were talking, they did not notice the axeman running at them. Fortunately Matthew appeared out of nowhere and dispatched him.
"You really need to save the banter for when we're not under attack," the brown-haired thief sighed before moving on.
Despite receiving many cuts from the lead mercenary, Lyn eventually managed to fell him and Serra healed all of her wounds.
"Umm, have you seen Sain anywhere?" The pink-haired cleric asked as her staff closed Lyn's wounds.
"I would assume he's with Kent," Lyn shrugged.
"Well, he's not," the orange-haired cavalier galloped over with a gash on his right arm. His horse, Meris, was also looking worse for wear. Serra healed all of their injuries.
"Signal Florina to find him. We already have to worry about Matthew slipping in and out; I don't need another person to fret over."
"Understood, my Lady," Kent left to find the Pegasus Knight. Lyn herself was too tired to reenter the fray and had to bend over and catch her breath.
"Lady Lyndis, allow me to help!" Nils ran over, pulled out his flute and played a short tune. After he was finished, the plainswoman felt completely rejuvenated.
"Wow, Nils, that was amazing! I feel good as new!"
"Thank you, m'lady. It was a pleasure to assist. Whenever any of your friends begin to feel tired, I would be happy to play for them," the young man smiled. Erk, who was watching the whole thing, had a look of unease.
"Master, I've been reading an essay from Marquess Elbert Pherae published last year. In it he said he once came across a traveling dancer and bard in Badon who seemed incredibly scared and were terribly injured. He took them to Pherae and healed them, and over time learned they had special abilities. These were beyond those of typical mages – Lord Elbert said that by playing their instruments or dancing they could rejuvenate allies. How can that be possible?" Erk asked his mentor.
"Erk, there are powers in this world that we don't yet understand. My mentor once told me that some people are just born with special abilities. I know there is more to the story, but he refuses to give me specifics. As a scholar I am on a journey to learn more about these powers, and I suggest you do the same. Regretfully, my studies have not progressed enough that I can provide meaningful assistance," Erk's teacher sighed.
"I will do my best to learn what I can on my next journey. Who knows? Maybe I'll run into them!"
"Wishful thinking, my young apprentice. But you never know."
"Excuse me, Nils is it? Have you ever been to Badon? If so, did you come across Marquess Pherae there?"
"…How did you know?" The boy wore an expression that was somewhere between surprise and fear.
"He published an essay about his experiences with you and your sister. It is quite fascinating, I must say." Erk seemed oblivious to Nils' concerns.
"How much did he say about us?"
"If you are concerned he revealed any of your history, I can assure you he did not. He mentioned that you wanted to keep your background a secret, and admitted he knew little about your origins."
"Oh… I'd like to read this paper some time," Nils smiled.
"When this ordeal is over, I would happily escort you to Etruria and we can explore the libraries together," Erk said, bowed his head and rejoined Lucius.
The mage and the monk continued supporting each other, cutting through shamans and swordsmen alike. Serra stayed close by to heal any wounds they received and Nils didn't tread too far so his allies could hear his music.
"Shamans by the dozen…. Fortunately for us, they don't seem to be too experienced. Just watch out for purple sigils appearing below you. If one appears, run out of the way," Yosef instructed his allies. Moments later Florina arrived with Sain and rejoined the fray.
"Florina, good to see you back. Try to keep to the air, and only descend when you strike, that way the shamans won't be able to hit you," Yosef turned his attention to who appeared to be a druid and swore when he saw what was in his hand.
"EVERYONE STAY AWAY FROM THE LEADER! HE HAS A LUNA TOME!" the Thracian shouted as he and Nowi rushed toward the new enemy to draw and deflect the dark orbs coming from the tome. Yosef knew all too well that if any member of the legion was hit by one, he or she would explode.
"Bloody sow!" Heinz, the druid in charge of the force sent after the siblings, kept firing spells. He focused all his energy on maximizing speed rather than damage. If only he could just HIT the Wyvern Rider he might stand a better chance. Unfortunately for him, the Bernite was an experienced flier, attracting but dodging all the magic Heinz sent his way. What was curious was that he didn't seem to be trying too hard. It was almost as if he were toying with him.
"It'll take more than a few orbs to end me!" the Thracian chuckled and began to close the distance between him and the druid. Heinz was now thoroughly irritated; he mustered as much energy as he could and fired off a special variation of a Luna spell he recently invented. The orbs flew at the Bernite, homing him as he tried to dodge. To the druids dismay, when the orbs got close enough, the wyvern spun around and released draconic fire from its maw, destroying the spell. He screamed with rage as the rider descended and allowed his mount to devour the druid.
The Legion reached the Thracian just as Nowi was chewing the last chunks of the enemy druid.
"Alright, that appears to be all for now. We'll probably encounter more of them at some point in the future," Yosef sighed.
"If I were a guessing girl, I'd say your sister is being held captive somewhere in that fortress," Serra told Nils. The bard nodded, and the legion ran into the building.
"Ninian? Ninian? Are you in here?!" Nils called out.
"…" Yosef paused, Ninian… I wonder… no, it couldn't be… she never…
"Are you looking for this girl here?" a blue-eyed, red-haired man appeared carrying a blue-haired girl in his arms.
The man wore a blue doublet, white trousers and blue boots. Over his doublet he had round shoulder pauldrons, a cape that was blue on the outside and red on the inside and had a leather belt with a rapier attached. On his head was a circlet; clearly this man was a noble of sorts.
"Ninian!" Nils shouted and ran up to the man.
"Young Master Eliwood! Haven't seen you since the last Etruscan Gala," the Duke bowed his head politely.
"Ah, Duke Thracia. It has been far too long," the younger noble reciprocated the Bernite's gesture as he set the girl down, "Don't worry, she's just unconscious. She was being forcefully taken away by some ruffians, so my knights and I dispatched them. Were we wrong to intervene?"
"No, not at all," Lyn sighed in relief, "you may have saved this girl's life."
"I don't know why, but I have a feeling this girl would have suffered a fate far worse than death had you not saved her," Erk scratched the back of his head.
"I feel the same. Those druids looked a bit like cultists," Yosef sighed.
"Oh, that reminds me! I uncovered some Lopto relics up last year in the Nabata when my master and I went there on an archaeological expedition. Some of our enemies definitely matched the descriptions in the text."
"I can believe that. I've uncovered many things myself searching that desert. It wasn't always barren, you know." Yosef and Erk were enjoying their little conversation, but everyone else was completely lost. Ninian let out a moan as she awoke and attracted the attention of the Legion. Especially that of Sain.
"Oh, how lovely a sight! If there is anything I, Sir Sain of Caelin, can do to assist you, fair maiden, just let me know!"
"Good heavens, the resemblance is remarkable…" Yosef stared.
The woman was a sight to behold. She had sky blue hair and crimson eyes, just like her brother, and wore a silk dress that was full enough to allow for easy movement but close enough to show off her beautiful frame. She had elegant jewelry and a white silk scarf draped over her shoulders. Like Lyn's outfit, Ninian's dress covered her neck, causing Yosef and Erk to start making assumptions.
These two siblings are certainly worthy of further study, the two scholars thought.
"To whom, may I ask?" Nils asked.
"The High Priestess of Ylisse," Yosef's gaze did not stray from the woman's face. "The only differences are their ages… and their ears."
"Ears?" Nils raised a brow.
"Nevermind. If you ever go to Ylisse or Valm, you'll see what I mean."
"Oh!" Erk raised his brows, "do you mean–"
"Uh, can someone please fill me in?" Matthew butted in.
"No," Yosef, Erk and Nils said concurrently. Matthew in turn rolled his eyes.
"So, Miss Ninian, your brother informed us he is a bard. Am I safe to assume you are a dancer that he plays music to accompany?" Erk asked as gently as he could, noticing that the blue-haired woman had a sprained ankle.
"…Yes, Sir, umm…"
"No 'sir'. Just Erk," the mage bowed his head.
"NO!" Serra shouted, "he's my escort, so only I get to address him casually!"
"Right…" the mage groaned.
"Anyway, I'm going to go catch up with Lord Eliwood. Why don't you introduce Brother Lucius to the Legion?" Yosef walked off leaving Erk to fulfill his task.
"So, how've you been? Ever since hostilities escalated, we haven't received much word from your Kingdom," Eliwood sighed.
"I'm doing well. The International Trade Summit was a complete success and my standing as a diplomat has improved. That's why I've been able to make any contact whatsoever," Yosef said as he leaned against a wall.
"I miss the days when we would have monthly galas and representatives from all over the land would come and mingle. Araphen held a particularly large one two years ago and it was a blast. Lord Helmuth was still alive, Lord Hausen was still healthy and no-one worried about wars and the like. Now they only happen once a year and comparably few people attend."
"Then Lord Helmuth died and Duke Fafnir became aggressive, causing Lord Uther to respond in kind, I know. I'm sure it will affect Caelin's upcoming Gala, I just hope not too much so."
"When is the gala supposed to take place again?" Eliwood said.
"10 Archer, which is about three weeks away."
"Ah, yes, of course. I'm sure by then Lord Lundgren will have officially been crowned Marquess and Lord Eagler's children will be next in line."
"Indeed. You know, I don't think I've ever met Lord Eagler's immediate family."
"Neither have I."
"Umm… Lord Eliwood?" Ninian came limping over, with one of her arms over Nils' shoulder (the other over Sain's).
"Yes, Miss Ninian?"
"I'd like to thank you for saving me from those brigands."
"Oh, it was no trouble at all. I always want to help those in need."
"(You're so much like your father…)" Ninian muttered under her breath.
"Pardon?"
"Oh, it's nothing, m'lord. Um… is there any way I can repay you for your kindness?"
"Hmm… would you be interested in being my dancing partner at a gala in three weeks? It will be at Castle Caelin, and I'm afraid I am yet to find an escort."
"My Lord?" Ninian blushed. Yosef chuckled and walked away, giving the two a degree of privacy. Lyn and Nils were not so courteous and walked into the room to listen in on their conversation.
"Err, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so forward. I apologize if it came out that way," Eliwood blushed in return.
"Oh no, don't worry about it. I… I would be honored to dance at your side, m'lord."
"Then it's settled! If you wish to travel with me, you may, or I can simply meet you in Caelin. There will be public service announcements in every canton regarding the exact time and date, so you shouldn't have to worry about memorizing such things."
"Well, my Lord," Ninian started playing with her fingers nervously, "if it would not be a hinder– oh no!" A look of dismay marred her face.
"What's wrong?!" Lyn and Nils shouted simultaneously.
"The assassins… they took the ring!"
"Not Ninis' Grace?!" Nils groaned.
"The very same," the dancer sniveled.
"What's Ninis' Grace?" Lyn asked.
"It was a gift from our dead departed mother. I can't believe those bandits took it…." Ninian hung her head in shame.
"I'd be happy to track them down and help get your ring back!" The plainswoman said proudly.
"As would I," Eliwood added.
"Lady Lyndis, we haven't the time." Kent said. At that exact moment, another voice addressed one of the nobles in the building,
"Lord Eliwood, we haven't the time," A purple-haired, red-clad Pheraen Paladin approached.
"I want to help these children," the two nobles said in unison. There was a moment of silence as everyone was afraid they would interrupt someone else. Eliwood was the one to break it.
"So, Lyndis is it? My name is Eliwood. I am the son of Marquess Elbert Pherae. The Paladin is my vassal and more importantly my friend, General Marcus. Anyway, your vassal addressed you as a noblewoman, but your garments are Sacaen. Would you care to share your story with me?" Lyn nodded and told Eliwood a complete account of her recent adventures.
"Fascinating. They say the proud people of Sacae tell no lies, so I believe you," Eliwood smiled.
"Eliwood… thank you. Now, if we are to recover Ninian's heirloom, we better move quickl–"
"ELIWOOOOOOOOOOD!" someone screamed angrily; Matthew started laughing.
"Uh, a-actually, now that I think about it, Marcus was correct. I made an appointment with an old friend and I am several hours late, so I need to go. I'll be in Kathelet for the next few days if you need anything further; see you around!" the Pheraen noble and his vassals scurried off. Kent stepped up to his Lady Liege and reiterated his opinion.
"Lady Lyndis, your grandfather is dying. We must get to him soon if you want to see him before he breathes his last!"
"I understand that Kent, but I cannot sit by and let these children suffer. However long it may take, I will help them," the plainswoman smiled. Kent, again, sighed in defeat.
"Wait, what's going on?" Yosef walked over.
"The mercenaries stole a family heirloom Ninian received from her mother. We're going to get it back for her," Lyn said.
"Well then, it's a good thing that I just searched for the remaining soldiers using my scrying crystal. Their base is less than ten minutes from here on foot, and I by then I'm sure we can come up with a strategy that will make sure the battle ends quickly. Whatever heirloom you're searching for should not take long to find," Yosef smirked.
"Alright! I don't want to give the assassins too far a head start, so let's go!" Lyn said charismatically and Yosef, using the information he gathered from his crystal led the group to the fortress.
Beyard could not believe his group was humiliated by a young Pheraen princeling and his vassals. The only good thing that came out of this was an elegant ring he appropriated from the girl. It seemed to emanate with great magic, but the mercenary could not figure out how to use it. Perhaps Lady Ursula might have an idea.
"Sir Beyard! I have great news! The group that routed us is approaching our fortress," one of the mercenary's subordinates ran up to him.
"Perfect! We can lure them into a trap and reclaim the siblings. I have to deliver a report to the Blue Crow; set up our defenses," Beyard smiled proudly.
"Yes, sir!" The subordinate ran off. Beyard left for the briefing room, where Ursula, the Blue Crow of the Four Fangs, and four of her golden-eyed servants were waiting. Those inhuman things really frightened him.
"So, Beyard, you lost the two siblings to young Lycian noblemen and their vassals? How disappointing," Ursula prepared a spell.
"Wait! All may not be lost. They seem to be en route to our position. It seems they're after this magic ring I took from the girl. If we can lure them into our guild hall, we'll be able to kill them all and return the siblings to our employer."
"How fortuitous… alright then, I'll give you one more chance. Fail, and rest assured I will deliver the Fang's judgment swiftly."
"Understood, m'lady," Beyard bowed his head and Ursula warped away, to the former's relief taking her creatures with her.
"How exactly are we supposed to do anything but die in there? It appears to be a very defensible hideout, given all the alleys and pathways guards can hide in," Erk groaned as he surveyed the layout on Yosef's crystal.
"With carefully planned tactics and more importantly paying careful attention to one's surroundings," Matthew responded. Yosef then directed his attention to the Legion as a whole,
"Alright, since we can't use our mounts indoors, Florina and Wil will stay back and guard Natalie, Serra, Ninian and Nils. Dorcas, take Erk and and Lyn down the central corridor and clear out any guards who happen to be around there. Rath, Lucius, Kent and Sain go through the side corridors to locate and extra enemies who may be hiding; Sain, Kent, I suggest since you don't have your mounts, you should stick to your swords, as it will be easier to maneuver with them in the narrow halls of this fort. Matthew, you and I will scout around for chests or other containers that might give us some clues as to what's going on. Whatever you find is yours to keep."
"Why thank you, m'lord," the thief smirked.
"You're very welcome. After we clear all the passages, the lot of us will meet up in the back rooms and take care of the leader. Now, let's go," Yosef finished and Natalie tended to the mounts. Ninian struggled to sit down.
"I'm sorry if I am a burden."
"You're no burden at all," Serra smiled, "here, let me take a look at that leg." The cleric took out her staff and tried to heal the dancer's wounds.
"Now, I suggest you keep off of it for a while to let the tissue heal."
"Umm, how long?"
"Oh don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to dance quite well for Eliwood by the time the gala comes to pass."
"Wait, what are you–" the dancer stammered.
"Oh, please, we all saw the way you were looking at him! I'm sure if your skills on the dance floor are up to par with you're looks, Lord Eliwood will fall for you instantly!" Serra winked, causing Ninian to blush profusely.
"Oh, for the love of Ninis…" Nils put a hand over his eyes.
"Ninis… hey, I've heard that name before! It's in one of my people's prayers! I don't know what the prayers mean, for I learned the words, not the language," Florina said with uncharacteristic confidence in her voice.
"Prayers?" Yosef raised a brow.
"Err, Ninis is a central figure in Ilia's religion. Ninian and I were raised in a village not far outside Edessa," Nils responded.
"Before the Scouring, a powerful Dragon named Ninis lived in the Ice Temple, a holy place atop the tallest mountain in Ilia. This Ice Dragon was very kind, and helped the humans brave the cold winters. However, when the Scouring broke out, he disappeared, never to be seen again. Many of my people go to the mountain frequently to pray and offer gifts, hoping for the Ice Dragon to return. When I was young, I once stayed there overnight praying to him. When morning came, I returned home with an awful cold; my sister was quite upset." Suddenly, Yosef broke out laughing.
"Oh good heavens, just wait 'till I tell the Priestess; she's going to love this! The expression on her face when she finds out people worship Ninis will be worth a hundred first-age dragonstones! Hell, it might even convince her to come back, if only for a moment! The only thing that could excite her more is if she got her old signet ring back!" his laughter died down into a sigh. Florina's eyes widened.
"Are you suggesting Ninis is still alive?"
"Not Ninis, but a relative of his."
"Oh…" Florina hung her head dejectedly.
"But… Ninis was a dragon! I thought they were banished from this world!" Ninian's jaw dropped.
"In Ylisse and Valm, there was no Scouring. If you're interested in dragons, take a trip overseas and visit any library. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do," Yosef said and ran off.
"I wonder how the others are doing…" Natalie said, changing the subject as she was tired of being confused.
Matthew couldn't help but grin once his group entered the treasure room. There were a dozen chests ripe for the picking, and he took advantage of his luck. Yosef, Kent and Sain were struggling, however, as they were all trained in mounted combat and were not used to fighting on foot. Yosef's refusal to use his sword made his life even more difficult. Still, they held their own decently and Lucius and Wil backed them up from behind, which proved to be a great help.
"Why don't you use your sword like you told us to do?" Kent asked.
"Trying to impress any ladies that may pass us by?" Sain chuckled.
"If I need my sword, I'll use it," Yosef replied cryptically.
Lyn rushed up the central column, cutting through all the axemen that stood in her way. The few lance- and swordsmen that came from behind were quickly dispatched by Dorcas and Erk. Then came the mages. Three of them emerged from a hidden corridor and nearly burned off Lyn and Dorcas' arms. Erk managed to deflect the fire balls and launched a few volleys of his own. Erk, being an Etruscan mage with military training, proved to be more than a match for the measly Bernese mercenaries. Once Erk felled the enemy mages, the two melee fighters whipped out vulneraries. Matthew's group emerged from around the corner, mostly unscathed but needing some medical attention.
"Alright, now that we've mostly cleared the place out, I'm going to fetch the others," Wil said and ran back to Natalie's group. When he got there, he saw that they were relaxing, and there wasn't a single enemy around, dead or alive.
"Well, you guys seem to be enjoying yourselves. Meanwhile we've been doing a boatload of work clearing out the place for you," the Pheraen rolled his eyes.
"Uh, well… we did most of the fighting in, uh, the last… few… encounters…" Florina said shyly as usual.
"What you mean is that you did plenty of fighting back at the Sacaen border like a real pro," Wil smiled, "but what about the rest of you?"
"Yosef told us to stay put, and he's our strategist," Natalie said.
While the rear group continued to bicker, Yosef and Matthew approached the back room, where presumably the leader was hiding. Rath, Lucius, Sain and Kent decided to cover their flanks.
"Let's go finish off the boss!" Matthew picked the lock and he and Yosef kicked down the doors, if for no other reason than style. The two made short work of the so-called elite guards, leaving one swordsman standing in the back of the room alone.
"Damn it! How is this possible!" the leader grunted, noticing that he was the last man standing. The Bernese noble and the thief at his side approached him slowly.
"You took an heirloom off of a young woman under my protection. I'll have it back now," the Bernite said and assumed an attack stance.
"Over my dead body!" the leader shouted and charged the pair. He batted the Bernite's lance out of the way, spun, and prepared to deliver a blow to his neck, but the nobleman released his grip on his lance and swiftly pulled out a long dagger to block the mercenary's blade. Before the mercenary leader could make any further moves, Matthew stuck his shamshir through his hip, immobilizing him, but not quite killing him.
"I applaud you for fighting to the end, but as you can see, it's over," Yosef sighed.
"Hand over the item and you can walk free," Matthew offered.
"I am Beyard of the Black Fang. Failure means death," Beyard broke his incisors, which were coated in cyanide poison, and collapsed dead on the floor.
"Well, that happened…" Wil said, having stumbled into the room as the mercenary keeled over. Yosef ignored him and walked to the corpse, finding an ornate ring on his finger.
"Well I'll be…"
"I take it you found the heirloom," Matthew raised a brow.
"Perhaps… but even if Ninian was the last person to bear this ring, it was never hers to have," Yosef showed his associates what he found. The band was silver and had an odd blue gem embedded on its peak.
"That looks valuable!" Wil whistled.
"The gemstone itself is quite common, but the enchantment placed on it is unique," the Bernite responded.
"Well, if that's the case, mind if I… have a look?"
"The enchantment can only be utilized by people of a very particular bloodline, of which I assure you no one here is a part of. I happen to know who can take advantage of its power, and I plan on returning it to her in exchange for a favor," Yosef smirked.
"Why do you get to give it to her? Don't you already have enough of strings to pull?" the Ostian pouted.
"As a treasure hunter, you of all people should know to respect the rule 'first come, first served'. If people start stealing the finds of others, it will become common place and result in needless violence. Living by a code is best for everyone."
"Can we go to Caelin now? I'm getting pretty bored with all of our sidetracking as of late," Wil interrupted.
"I'm up for that. Hopefully nothing else will cause Lady Lyndis to delay," Yosef shrugged.
"All we can do is hope," Kent sighed as he, Sain and Rath entered the room, followed by the rest of the Legion.
"Did you find my mother's ring?" Ninian asked.
"…No. You may check the mercenary's corpse yourself, if you like. And there are plenty of other rooms in the fortress it might be in," Yosef said.
"I already checked everywhere… I guess I must have dropped it…" the dancer sniveled.
"It was all we had left of our parents," Nils hung his head.
"You will always have your memories of them. Cherish them, for they are more valuable than any physical remnant," the Bernese nobleman said, doing his best to console the two. Lyn and Natalie hugged them, but could find no words of comfort to offer.
And so Lyndis' Legion proceeded to the canton of Caelin, where much political intrigue and plenty of battles awaited them…
Yes, I reintroduced the dismount mechanic. It's more realistic that way.
The Ice Temple Florina mentioned is the IceTemple from the Akaneia games. At least, it is in my rewrite. Falchion's not there, though; more on that later.
See you soon! Hopefully it will not take me as long to come out with future installments, thought don't expect expedience.
