The Black Shadow

"So the brother escaped, and the sister rescued by a band of strangers. Is that what happened?" The female voice inquired.

"Yes." Came the male voice in answer. "They ambushed us, and-"

"Keep your excuses." The female voice cut in. "All that matters is the end result."

"Yes ma'am." The male voice assented.

"So what would your plan to recover the siblings be?" The female voice asked.

"We have word that their entire group is heading this way," The male voice explained, "brats in tow."

"Why would they do that?" The female voice asked.

"I believe that they are after this ring." There was a pause, and the faint rustle of fabric. "It's a rare piece that we took from the girl. If it brings them to us like this, then taking it was a stroke of luck. I'll use it to bait the trap, and grab the whole lot of them."

"I see." The female voice said. "Very well. Consider this your second chance. I have business elsewhere, but I will return once I finish it. I expect to see the siblings captured and the others dead when I return by sunrise tomorrow. Is that understood?"

"Yes." The male voice said.

"If you do not have the children within your custody when I return, though, I shall deal you the Fang's punishment." The female voice warned. "You would do well to remember that."

Alysia heard the sound of fading footsteps, and turned to Matthew. Matthew nodded, and the two moved back to where their group was waiting for them. Alysia went first, Matthew following close behind. In the inky blackness of night in the forest that surrounded the abandoned castle, Matthew found himself amazed by how Alysia moved. Despite the speed of her movements, she didn't make the slightest sound, and she made it look easy. It raised Matthew's interest in the tactician. Why couldn't she remember anything? What was she doing in the Sacae Plains in the first place? Why did Alysia move with the deftness of a trained assassin? How had she become so skilled at battlefield tactics at such a young age? And why, Matthew wondered, was the woman wearing what he swore was the armor of a member of the Black Fang underneath her traveler's cloak, when she was about to head into a Black Fang stronghold to do battle? They were all questions that he wanted answered, and he thought he knew just the person to ask.

Had he asked Alysia these questions, she wouldn't have had an answer, try as she might to unearth them for herself. She didn't know why she couldn't remember anything. She didn't know what had brought her to the Sacae Plains. She didn't know where she'd learned her trade as a tactician. She didn't know how she'd acquired the armor of the Black Fang. And she certainly didn't know why the sound of the female voice had sounded so familiar to her.

Matthew and Alysia returned to the rest of the group, where they had gathered.

"Are they in there?" Lyn asked. Alysia nodded.

"Milady?" Nils asked. "Are you really going to try to get the ring back?" There was a noticeable touch of fear in his voice.

"We are." Lyn replied.

"But this is their stronghold!" He cried. "They'll be well-equipped, and the Fang fights without mercy!"

"Please forget about the ring." Ninian said. "It's okay-"
"Ninian, I've agreed to attempt this." Alysia said. "I will see it through. You will get your ring back, I promise."

Lyn nodded. "If Alysia didn't think that we could do it, then our group wouldn't be standing here, ready to do so." Lyn said. "With her guidance, I'm sure that we can do this."

"Milady... Alysia... Thank you." Nils said.

"However, this will be a difficult fight." Alysia said. "There are more enemies within than we'd anticipated. It is important that we move carefully. However, from the few glimpses I've managed through the cracks and holes, the halls within are narrow, barely wide enough for a horse in most places. We can present a smaller target for them to attack, and force them into one-on-one combat, where we all excel."

Alysia turned to face the group. "I can't take all of you in. Not with Ninian's leg the way it is." She closed his eyes in thought for a moment. "Florina, your pegasus won't help in there. It'll just be hampered by the confines. I'd like you to stay out here."

Florina nodded. "OK. If that's what you want."

Alysia looked at Rath. "Rath, please stay with her." She said.

Alysia imagined Rath's perpetual frown deepening. "Why?" The plainsman asked.

"Because, if any reinforcements try to break through, I trust your bow to pick them off before they can become a threat," Alysia explained, "and if anyone tries to escape, you'll be able to ride them down and capture them."

Rath nodded. "I understand."

Alysia opened her eyes, and looked at the rest of their group. The looks on their faces were looks of determination, and of trust. They were putting their lives in Alysia's hands. "We go!"


The front of the fortress was roomy, but just past the entrance, Alysia could see the narrow halls. Their groups split up, moving to cover each of the two halls that led from the entrance. Alysia joined Matthew near a badly-maintained wall off to the side as surprised shouts and the sounds of combat began to erupt. Explosions heralding the usage of fire magic, and the cracks of thunder magic assaulted her ears.

The voice of the commander rang out above the sounds of battle. "How? This can't... They shouldn't be here yet! Everyone!" The voice called, echoing through the fortress. "Get in there and finish them! This is our final chance!" Alysia recognized it as the man's voice from earlier.

"He doesn't sound too happy about our being here." Matthew said.

"At least his trap worked." Alysia remarked. "What's on the other side of this wall?"

"Not sure." Matthew said. "Want to find out?" He asked.

Alysia nodded, and produced the Sylvanas tome. She took a step back, and focused her energy into the book in her hands, then blasted it into the wall. The loose bricks and mortar flew inwards…

And they stepped into the line of sight of an enemy thief and archer, both bewildered. They hadn't expected a pair of enemies to simply step through a wall.

Alysia and Matthew reacted first. Matthew produced a throwing knife, and hurled it at the archer. The knife found its mark, and embedded itself into the archer's skull. At the same time, Alysia launched one of the larger bricks on the ground into the thief's head. The thief dodged the missile, and rushed forwards, choosing the mage over Matthew, closing with incredible speed, knife raised to strike.

Matthew watched, amazed, as Alysia replaced the Sylvanas in her satchel, took hold of the rouge's forearm with one hand, and drew a knife of her own across the thief's stomach with her other, all in one fluid motion. The thief's eyes widened in shock and horror as she let him stagger backwards, and he collapsed on the stone floor, blood beginning to pool. She stepped forwards, and delivered a quick kick to the side of his head, knocking him out.

Alysia turned to Matthew, who stared at her wide-eyed. "There's a chest right there." She said.

Matthew seemed to refocus, the mischievous gleam returning to his eyes. He crouched near the chest, and Alysia heard the tinkle of metal within. The lid popped, and Matthew drew out a war-hammer.

"Hand that off to Dorcas as soon as you can." Alysia said. As if on cue, a thrown axe flew across the open doorway on the other side of the room. Dorcas appeared to retrieve it, and saw Matthew and Alysia.

"How's the battle going?" Alysia asked.

"Erk, Serra, Kent, Sain, and Wil split off from our group to hunt down a group of enemies that escaped our notice." Dorcas explained. "Other than that, your blitz took them by surprise. The only thing left for us to do is to get Ninian's ring, and meet up with the others."

Alysia nodded. "Good to know." She said. Lyn appeared in the doorway, and noticed Alysia.

"Where is the ring?" Alysia asked.

Lyn motioned for them to follow, and led them to a closed door on the other side of the hallway. Alysia tried the handle. Locked.

"Dorcas, take the hammer Matthew found and break this door down!"

Dorcas nodded. Matthew handed off the hammer, and went back to rummaging through the chest. Dorcas and Lyn stood on either side of the door. Dorcas brought the hammer back, and swung it with all of his might. The door shattered under the blow, and Lyn, Dorcas, and Alysia entered the room.

The man was blonde, with a beard and brown eyes. He wore a red scarf, and his armor was the same black that the rest of the fighters wore. The same black that Alysia wore now. She shivered. Lyn moved forwards to face the man, the Mani Katti drawn and held in front.

"Give us back the ring and we'll spare you your life." She said forcefully.

The man shook his head. "I can't do that. If I do, then I'll die anyways." He lifted his sword, a broadsword. "You want the ring so badly? Then come get it!"

Lyn moved forwards, and struck quickly, but her foe's broadsword blocked her strike. Lyn moved back quickly, just in time to avoid a sweep of the man's sword. The man recovered quickly from his swing, and quickly moved to the offensive, using his momentum from the swing to chain two more attacks into his assault. The second, a vertical strike, barely passed under the high ceiling and drove Lyn further back, where his third strike, a lunge, pushed her off balance.

However, he'd made himself vulnerable with that third strike. Alysia threw a pair of knives at the man. One of them, he managed to duck, but his dodge put his shoulder in the path of the second. He grunted as the knife dug into his flesh and hit bone. "Is that all you-"

The spike of rock erupted quickly, stopping its ascent just below the man's chin. "Surrender." Alysia said simply. "You're outnumbered, outclassed, and out of luck."

"No. I will not." He said adamantly.

"Give us the ring!" Lyn barked. "And swear that you will leave Nils and Ninian alone! Maybe then I'll spare your life!"

He laughed. "You don't get it, do you?" He asked. "My failure means my death! There's no saving me!"

Alysia moved, too late to prevent the man from drawing something from his pocket and putting it into his mouth.

"Poison?" Lyn said, shocked as the man slumped to the ground. "He... He took his own life? Why would a brigand-"

"These aren't ordinary brigands." Matthew said as he entered the room.

Lyn looked quizzically at him. "What do you mean?"

Matthew held up a bundle of papers. "Black Fang." He said simply. "It's a guild of assassins. These men live by a code: failure means death."

"What would they want out of Nils and Ninian, then?" Alysia asked.

"That, I don't know." Matthew admitted.


They left the fortress behind, and emerged with the sun still hanging in the sky.

"Rath, Florina. Was there any trouble?" Alysia asked.

Rath shook his head. "No trouble at all." He said. "Not a peep."

Florina moved over to Alysia, and helped Ninian to the ground. Nils ran to Ninian, and the two embraced. Tears came to their eyes.

"Don't cry." Alysia said, putting a hand on Ninian's shoulder. "As long as you're with us, you'll be safe. Our victory here proves it."

Lyn nodded. "Between Alysia's planning and our skill, there's nothing we can't overcome." She said confidently. "I don't care who comes after you two. I won't let them take you."

"Really?" Nils asked.

"On my honor." Lyn replied.

Alysia nodded. She put a gloved hand into her pocket, and withdrew a ring. "This is yours, right?"

Ninian looked at it wide-eyed. "You... It's..." She stuttered.

"You called this Nini's Grace, right?" She asked as she gave it to Ninian.

"Alysia! Thank you!" Nils said.

Ninian nodded. "I cannot tell you how happy I am." She said. "This ring... My mother..."

Alysia smiled, and nodded. "You're welcome."