Hey everyone, I'm back with another BoF update. Man, I've been playing BoF 2 on the Wii and BoF 3 on the PSP (I know, I'm a bit behind the times) in an effort to gain some ideas for the story. With everything that's been happening though to tell the truth, it's hard to come up with ideas without forcing them.
Also, sorry for the delays in writing these chapters. I really don't mean to take so long but as you know I take care of my parents and as a result don't have much time to myself these days (except at night when I only really get some time to myself which is also when I do the majority of my writing).
Well anyway, on with the story.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE BREATH OF FIRE UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS.
Chapter 8: An Informative Trip
_*_*_*_*_*_*-88-8-8-8-8-8_*_*_*_*_*_*-8-8-8-8-*_*_*_*_*_*-8-8-8-8-8_*_*_**_*-8
Ryu gazed at the port coming into view and gazed up at the seagulls swarming around the masts. To be honest, he felt relieved to be back on dry land but at the same time he felt cold. Worried. He thought back to what he had been told on the Areta.
'Now lad, I don't know the Silver Knight's name. But there was no one like that on this ship. Besides, all out passengers from Hiro disembarked at either Seaside or Port Haldis. I don't know if the Silver Knight died since then but I can tell you for certain he did not die on THIS ship.'
(If he wasn't on the Areta, then what happened to him? I wonder...What could have caused Father to leave Mother?)
He wondered about that and decided that he would begin asking once they reached Bastiova. That is if he didn't find out anything sooner. He was so lost in thought he didn't notice Sara come up beside him. As usual, he was an open book to his sister.
"Thinking about what the spirit said about our Father?" Ryu nodded.
"I was just thinking...if he was alive all this time...why didn't he come home? Didn't he love Mother...didn't he love us?" Sara nodded.
"He did Ryu, rest assured he did. It's just...Only Mother knew why he never returned." Ryu sighed and gazed at the port and then back to Sara.
"Where do you think he is now?" Sara shook her head.
"I don't know. It's possible that maybe he died after he disembarked from the Areta. Like the spirit said, he may have died elsewhere, just not on the Areta." Ryu gazed back towards the port again.
"I just... I just wanted to believe that maybe there was a chance that we still had a parent... that we aren't orphans..." Sara looked at him sternly.
"Hey, remember this, you have me little brother. And I promise you that, as long as I live, you will never be alone." Ryu looked to his sister and smiled.
"Thanks Sara."
A moment later, Javier came up on deck and stood by them.
"Captain says he's putting into Seaside for repairs. We'll disembark there and then work our way to Lake Town and then from there we go our seperate ways. I just recieved a letter from the King of Wyndia and he's eagerly awaiting his daughter's return. I also promised Aargh that I'll find some work for him in Lake Town or perhaps even Shen or Vilka in Wyndia." Ryu nodded and then looked at the dock.
"Hey Javier! Look at that! There are other people dressed just like you on the docks!" Javier whirled around so fast his helm spun halfway round his head. He caught it, straightened it and then sighed.
"Gods save me..."
_*_*_**_*_*_*_*-8-8-8-8-8-8-8_*_*_*_*_*_*-8-8-8-8-8-*_*_*_*_*_*-8-8-8-8_*_*_*_*_*
As the group stepped ashore, the soldiers Ryu had spotted surrounded them. Each man had his viser down to hide his face except one who approached with his helm off. Javier came forward and snapped to attention and saluted.
"C-Commander Arton, I...uh...I have returned from my assignment sir."
The man now known as Arton grimaced and then scanned the group, then gave a crooked smile as if laughing at some unspoken joke.
"Assignment you say? I was not aware that the Order now sent Acolytes on assignments. Unless you have been granted the title of Knight without my knowledge. What say you Sir Javier?"
Javier coughed nervously.
"Did you honestly think that the Order would not receive word of you or learn of this so-called 'Assignment' of yours? You disobeyed the orders of your Knight-Sergeant, went to that backwater nation...what's it called...Rotchilled, Rothshield...whatever it's called on an unauthorized patrol and then have the nerve to send in reports that are so obviously filled with lies it's actually sad. Hah, rescuing Princess Nina of Wyndia indeed. Also how dare you invoke the name of Lord William in your letter. I suppose you should know that he has disavowed you." He then looked to the group.
"As for your group, I suppose I shall have them clapped in irons for aiding you in this...ill-thought attempt to brush off your insubordination with an attempt at heroism."
"You will not, sir."
Arton turned to see Nina came up, a look of defiance on her face. He turned red and pointed at her.
"Just who are you supposed to be? Oh, let me guess, Princess Nina. I must admit the resemblance is uncanny but then again they say that everyone has a twin somewhere. Now that I see that the majority of your 'party' is little more than children I suppose that I could just arrest you and spare these young minds the horrors of Bastiova's dungeons."
At that moment, Aargh growled and came forward, one of the men panicked and fell back.
"Gods! It-It's a werewolf! Javier you fool you've been dabbling in dark magic again haven't you?!" Aargh huffed and crossed his arms.
"Werewolf indeed. Tis a poor human who doesn't recognize a wolf man when he sees one or compares us to those abominations twisted by dark magic. I would suggest either getting out more or removing your helm so that your vision is unobstructed. Oh wait... that's your face." The soldier balked and halfway drew his sword in anger.
"Stop!"
Arton and the knights turned to see a figure in a red cloak running towards them along with three men in green armor and a tall man in what looked to be white and silver ornate plate armor covered in a deep black and red cape keeping an easy stride with them. Arton immediately sheathed his sword (which he had drawn when Aargh spoke) and saluted.
"Grandmaster! As per your orders, we have arrested the traitor Javier and his party!" The grandmaster quickly paled and looked to the knights.
"You fools! You bloody fools! Take a look at that young lady there, do you not see the wings on her back?! That is the real Princess!" The soldiers turned and gazed at Nina as she flared her wings for emphasis. Arton paled and then turned to the man.
"Sir...I assumed that the girl was some other Wyndian that had been kidnapped. I never assumed..." At that moment the knight in silver armor spoke, his voice distorted by the enclosed helm.
"I thought one of the mantra of the Order was to 'Never Assume Anything'? Why do you pass condemnation upon one of your own when clearly he has done nothing to deserve such reprehensible treatment from his fellows?" The grandmaster turned, his doughy face quickly paling.
"S-Sentinel... I.. I.. I.. I.. I.. I had no idea that this was truth until the Wyndian soldiers arrived here. I issued the order in the-"
"In the assumption that this brave young group was actually spinning a yarn? It seems that there are many assumptions coming from the Order these days. First there is the loss of His Imperial Majesty's ship Indomitable in the Great Lake, then the raid on the Takartan Monestary, and now the kidnapping and safe return of the Wyndian Princess. Many assumptions indeed."
Javier gazed at the one the grandmaster called 'Sentinel' and immediately stepped forward and dropped to a knee.
"Sentinel. Is... Is it true? Lord William has disavowed me?" Thre was no motion from the man other than a slight incline of his helmed head.
"It is true. The Grandmaster's assuptions and the wild rumors your fellows spread from east to west did fare to rival the Blight a few hundred years back and reached the ears of the nobility quicker than the spies each noble employs could bring them word of it. Because of this, Lord William has severed all ties to you and has also withdrawn his support to avoid any possible embarrassment. You are, technically, part of the Order. As is such, you must be imprisoned because you were once a necromancer, you also know the arts, and are an expert with the bladestaff."
Ryu frowned and came forward.
"You want Javier? You have to go through me!" Javier went dead white and grabbed Ryu and pulled him back.
"Forgive him Sentinel. He and his sister are new to our lands and do not know our laws and customs."
He was surprised by laughter.
"No apologies nessessary. I would not be a Sentinel is I did not possess a great deal of patience. It is the only way I can deal with the constant screwups and missteps of the nobility and our own guards. What is the lad's name?" Ryu gazed at the warrior.
"R-Ryu, sir. And this is my sister, Sara."
"Fine names, both. As for Javier, you need not worry. I have no intention of arresting him. As far as I'm concerned, the Order's loss is our gain." Javier looked to the Sentinel in surprise.
"Beg pardon?"
"As you know, Javier, the Lord Sentinel is the Emperor's right hand. He is his protector, his spymaster, his general. He is, as far as anyone is concerned, the only living person he can trust with all things. As such, he is allowed squires to assist him in his duties. He can have up to four squires and Javier, I have been asked to seek out talented individuals who may be the type of person he is looking for. You have proven yourself diligent and loyal in your duties. What say you?" Javier, Arton, and the Grandmaster gaped at the man. Javier simply nodded feebly, still aghast at the chance he was being given.
"I- I'd be honored, Sentinel." The man nodded and turned to the others.
"Now then, may I ask what the reason for your party to come here is? Aside from escorting Princess Nina, that is." Aargh came up.
"I am escorting these children to Bastiova. We thought that they would find their uncle there but, Javier told us he died and that his home was now part of someone's buisness." The knight nodded again.
"I see. Well, I am sorry for your losses. As I am returning to the capital myself, I shall endeavor to escort you all."
The Wyndia knights came forth and nodded.
"That would be much appreciated Sentinel, however, we shall be taking an overland route that will go to New Karn and then cross the Continent Bridge to Shem and continue to Wyndia from there. The Sentinel nodded.
"Very well, then we shall accompany you to Lake Town and then we shall part ways." The guards looked to each other and then nodded, somewhat dubiously until the Sentinel clarified.
"It is a matter of honor. The princess was abducted while visiting our nation and as a Sentinel, I feel responsible for the failure. Plus, there has been an increase of bandit activity as of late for some unknown reasons. It is as if they are growing bolder and more aggressive. There have also been rumors of bandits taming monsters near the Falavian Hills. It would be prudent to go together as, I believe the old saying is, safety in numbers." The guards looked to one another and then looked to Nina who smiled and nodded.
"I never got to finish my tour of the Empire. Plus, I really wouldn't like to experience being kidnapped again. Besides, it wouldn't feel right leaving until I know that Ryu and Sara find their home. They are not just gifted people who aided me, they are my friends." The leader of the Wyndian guards smiled and nodded.
"It is as you wish, Your Highness. Sentinel, we would be honored is you would accompany us." The Sentinel nodded and then motioned for Javier.
"First however, this must be done. Javier Koln, kneel."
Javier came forward and knelt before the Sentinel who drew a longsword from his side. He then set the blade on each of Javier's shoulders, then set it on his head and then hoisted it in a salute of some sort.
"By the Will and Word of the Emperor. In the names of the Gods. By the honor of the Sentinels who guard and protect the innocent and the just. Javier Koln, former Acolyte of the Order of the Magis Knights, rise and be known as Sir Javier Koln, Knight of the Empire and Shield-bearer of the Lord Sentinel."
Javier rose when he said this, his face a mix of shock and disbelief. Aargh gave a smile and crossed his arms and nodded as if assuring him that what had happened really did just happen. Sara and Ryu looked at each other then looked to Nina who, being a Princess, would likely know what such a ceremony meant. She saw their expressions and smiled while she explained.
"Javier has just become a true knight. If I recall correctly, it is only official once the Emperor confirms it but any of those Sentinels of high rank can knight a warrior of exceptional skill if they deem he or she worthy." Nina turned to the Sentinel.
"Since that's the case, may I ask your name and rank, Sir?" The Sentinel nodded.
"I am Sentinel-Lieutenant Welkin Hauser. Yes, before you say anything, I am the younger brother of Duke Hauser, however, for the sake of my father, I hold no claim to the name or the estate. My brother, being the eldest, inherited it and I joined the Sentinels. Once you are in the Sentinels, you leave whatever you were behind be it noble, knight, commoner, your past means nothing."
Nina nodded that she understood and Ryu and Sara joined a beaming Javier as the group walked on leaving the group of dumbfounded Order knights to be publicly and thoroughly berated by the Grandmaster. As they exited the city, Javier found himself alongside Sentinel Hauser and took the opportunity to ask him some questions.
"So, the Lord Sentinel, I've never met him just heard about him. Is it true he once slew shade demon with one strike? What about the story that people talk about all the time that he single handedly held off an enemy attack during the war, saving both the Emperor as well as the shattered Second Corps? Or the story that he actually fought alongside the Silver Knight?"
Hauser chuckled as he heard the questions and answered them all good-naturedly.
"To answer your questions. Yes, the Lord Sentinel is one of the strongest Light-magic users in the world, only the famed healer Paracelsus is greater. He did indeed slay not one, but three, shade demons with one swing of his sword but the strike was enchanted with some of the holiest light magic he knew of at the time. Yes, during the war he single handedly held off the army of the Bandit King, even going so far as to cut down the Bandit King personally and present his head to the Emperor once the enemy host had fled. That was what made the Emperor award him the title of Lord Sentinel." Then, he went silent about the third question and sighed.
"Javier... There are matters that the Lord Sentinel doesn't discuss with anyone. Not even the Emperor. Yes, it is said he fought alongside the Silver Knight but never, under any circumstances, ask him about it. I will not go into detail but suffice it to say that it is a sore subject with him. Neverask the Lord Sentinel about the Silver Knight. Am I clear?" Javier nodded, Hauser coughed.
"Now, if there was a rumor floating about that was as to why the subject is forbidden in the Lord Sentinel's presense, it is rumored that he was a soldier who volunteered to fight in the war only because he believed the Silver Knight would be around to protect his nation from monsters. However, both the Silver Knight and the Silver Tempest vanished, leaving the land open to the monsters." Hauser took a moment to make a mark as if he were asking a divine for forgiveness for speaking rumors of his Commander.
"The Lord Sentinel lost his wife and daughter to a monster attack in the last days of the war. After recieving news of it, he abandoned his name, went to the Empire and since then has only been called Lord Sentinel. Only the Emperor knows his true name but he doesn't speak it for fear or reopening old wounds." Javier nodded slowly and then glanced back at Ryu who was playing with Nina and Sara a little ways back with the Wyndian guards and Aargh watching them.
"So, what will my duties be?"
"Ah, an easy question to answer. You will be one of the Lord Sentinel's shield-bearers. Meaning that while he protects the Emperor, your duty will be to protect him. You will also be responsible for assisting him in whatever ways needed such as paperwork, training, audiences, inspections, things of that nature. All boring stuff anyway as the Lord Sentinel is the strongest warrior in the Empire. Well, ever since Albriech died." Javier looked to him curiously.
"Albriech?" Hauser nodded.
"Indeed. Albriech Cutter, he was a Sentinel. In fact it was he who held the title of Lord Sentinel before the new Lord Sentinel replaced him. I don't know the details but he was killed while fighting a necromancer of some sort near Sepulcher. His body was returned home to Azfrozov where he was born and that was that. He had a unique fighting style, the way he wielded a halberd was nothing short of impressive. To see him fight was to see a masterpiece of motion. Every move was fluid, flawless, and precise. He never passed down what he knew so his fighting style died with him." Javier thought of something and looked back to him.
"What of the current Lord Sentinel? What is his fighting style?" Hauser actually laughed at that, getting the attention of Ryu and the others.
"The Lord Sentinel's fighting style is as unique as he is. He is a master of the blade in more ways than one. He can wield all manner of swords but prefers a sword and shield approach. However, he... 'overdoes' it a bit. His sword of choice is a bastard sword but he also uses a claymore and can wield both with one hand easily. He also has a preferred shield. A tower shield to be precise. There's a reason why he's never lost a practice match in training and why he's the most sought after instructor in the art of swordplay. Physically, he's stronger than any man I've ever met. His motions, even when wearing his battle plate armor, are almost too swift to follow. He can batter a guarding opponent into complete submission within seven strikes. He can destroy an attacker ever quicker." Hauser seemed to stop for a moment as if remembering something with reverence.
"I faced him once myself in the practice arena. I had the distinction of lasting the longest against him ever. It took him fifteen attacks to finally knock me to the ground. To date though, no one has ever touched him. That goes back to that subject I told you about earlier. Only two people could have ever matched the Lord Sentinel. The Silver Knight, and Albriech Cutter; and one's dead and the other's missing. I suppose that may be overexaggerating a bit but to my knowledge it is the truth. No one in our current ranks has ever been able to touch him with a practice weapon. His defence is unbreachable and his attacks border on superhuman." Ryu smiled and came foreward.
"Do you think I may get a chance at facing him one day? I practice I mean. My sister was always sparring with me but it would be good to actually train against someone who knows the sword and doesn't use magic when the tide turns against them." Sara huffed as she overheard that.
"Since when little brother have you ever gotten the upper hand against ME? Never. As for me using my magic, I just have a natural affinity for it and feel that, in order to offer a stronger challenge to test yourself, I should not hold back. If Father or Mother were here, they'd both say the same thing." Hauser got a glimpse of Ryu's expression and chuckled again.
"Well, if magic is your preferred ability, I would suggest applying to the Imperial Academy of High Magic. If you have a lot of potential, they'll gladly accept you. However, Ryu, no one simply meets with the Lord Sentinel. You must first be given an invitation from him personally and that only happens if some one passes along your name or he happens to see you in person by chance on the streets. Even on the streets he is an extremely busy man and oftentimes cannot be stopped by simply anyone wanting to speak with him. Suffice it to say that with the Emperor growing older by the day more and more responsibility has been piled onto his shoulders." Sara thought that odd and gazed at Hauser.
"Does the Emperor not have an heir?" Hauser gave out what seemed to be a sigh and again gazed upwards to the heavens before answering.
"The Emperor indeed has an heir but... there is something... off with the young man. If I had to guess he's about the same age as young Ryu here, or perhaps a little younger, but the boy tends to be... eccentric about some things. For example, he will not eat a meal unless everything is in a certain place, the servants are in certain clothes, and the guests are in certain seats. Furthermore, when he practices against his tutors, he insists on using actual swords instead of wooden practice blades." Hauser gzed around and then continued.
"Most tutors, once they've had enough of his attitude or have lost their last shred of patience... or the last finger on their sword hand, whichever comes first, leave the palace and are seemingly never heard from again. The Prince does not take failure easily and firmly believes himself to be the greatest swordsman in the world and is daily training himself to one day be the first man to 'strike a blow' against the Lord Sentinel. If not for the Blood Rite, I dare say the Emperor would have relinquished the throne to one of the nobles rather than risk his son taking it." Ryu looked to Hauser curiously.
"Blood Rite? What's that?"
"It is said that in ancient times when dragons soared through the skies and fought one another for dominance over the land, a mighty blacksmith forged a weapon specifically to slay dragons who fought for evil. This sword was enchanted by good dragons to be used against evil dragons or whatever demons they dragged up from the underworld. The ancestor was said to be a great swordsman and the only one who could wield the sword's true power. So it was that the blood of the swordsman was used to quench the blade, binding it to him and his bloodline alone. The sword is known as Lohengriin, and has been passed down from Emperor to heir for as long as Bastiova has stood."
"It is said that the day Lohengriin's enchantment fades and the sword shatters, the Empire will fall. However, it is said that the enchantments will only fail if an appropriate heir is not found by the time of the celestial equinox which happens only once very ten years or so. The sword's enchantments start fading the day the Emperor breathes his last."
Ryu nodded like he understood but then went back beside his sister as they continued onwards. Thankfully, the rest of the trip was rather uneventful and as the sun rose on their fourth day in the Empire, they found themselves on a hill overlooking Lake Town, the only place on the massive inland lake that you could catch a ferry to Bastiova.
