I want to thank everyone who reviewed that last chapter; and I want you to know that I do appreciate the feedback. Unfortunately, it looks like FF's policies have changed as of late and I'm unable to properly thank everyone who did review here individually (I received a warning over that). But, rest assured, I do take the points and critique provided there to heart.
Begin
Do or die. There is no other option.
Mark, Wraith of the Lorca.
To put it mildly, Lundgren was upset. To put it bluntly, Lundgren was livid.
The scowling nobleman had done his best to eradicate this Sacean usurper, to remove his brother, and to take control of Caelin. He had failed on all three accounts thus far.
The Sacean had proved to be annoyingly difficult to kill- a fact that was made all the more difficult by her inane ability to gather other people around her. According to all reports, she had amassed a small force by the time that the Lorcan had crossed the Lycian border. He could only expect those numbers to increase.
Somehow, someway, that Sacean had breached the Caelin border, and even now was preparing to attack his castle. The latest reports had put her a day's journey to the north.
Lundgren had been tempted to hurl every soldier he possessed at her that same evening he became aware of her whereabouts. Such a maneuver might have been successful, or it might not have been. But it would have left the castle fairly vulnerable, and Lundgren did not want to leave himself open for an instant. He still needed to be cautious.
And like daughter like father, Marquess Hausen, his dear brother, was also refusing to die. The silver-haired nobleman had lost track of how much poison he had forced down his brother's throat, and yet the man just would not die. He would grow sick, and then rally back. It was ridiculous.
Lundgren was extremely tempted to take an axe and just do the deed himself. It would be so much more certain that way... but no, Hausen had to appear to die of natural causes. If the man perished any other way, then the Council might take an unhealthy interest in the events of his death. Evidently, the new Council Head frowned upon this sort of thing.
The aging nobleman caught the creek of a door's hinges and looked up angrily. Two figures stood at the entrance to his throne room, one was the familiar form of Abigail, and the other was Counselor Notham.
Notham paid no interest to the mute servant as he entered the room and bowed to Lundgren. Abigail followed in his wake with a large serving tray, prompting Lundgren to realize that it was the noon degree of the dial. The nobleman waved the food away, he had no appetite, and focused his attention upon the politician.
"And what brings you here?" Lundgren eyed the statesman warily. "I would have thought that you would have thought twice before returning to my presence."
"My Lord Lundgren." Notham continued to eyeball the floor. "You know that everything I have done has been to your benefit. I would never dream of supporting a Sacean savage in any claim to the throne."
"Yes, yes, get on with it." The noble stood and marched over to the closest window. He stared out of the opening and did his best to ignore the groveler behind him. "What do you want? Your last suggestion to stage a coup in Araphen failed miserably. Quite frankly, you've severely disappointed me."
"I have been severely disappointed with myself." Notham admitted. "But if the rumors are true and 'she' is just a day's journey away, what are you going to do?"
"I've worked too hard and too long to turn back now. She's just a baby savage from the plains, if she somehow does make it this far, then I'll rip her apart with my bare hands."
"Are you sure that that is a wise course of action to take? She has been winning battles since the moment that she chose to make this journey. Who is to say that that will change when she engages the Caelin troops?"
Lundgren's eyes narrowed in barely curtailed fury.
"What are you suggesting?"
"I am suggesting that we might be underestimating her." Notham replied bluntly.
"I'm not liking this suggestion, Notham. Are you sure that you're on my side?"
"I am on no one's side." The statesman answered without missing a beat. "I am loyal to one thing only: Caelin itself. All of my actions have been based upon what I believe to be the best for our fair state. I do believe that you would do more to further Caelin than this Sacean nobody, but that is no reason to gloss over the facts. Lyndis has had a most interesting run of luck up to this point, I see no reason for that to change. We must consider the situation for what it is, not what we want it to be."
Lundgren's jaw tightened as he resisted the urge to lop Notham's head from his shoulders right then and there. Was the politician actually suggesting that he would lose in a one-on-one fight with the Sacean? That was dangerously close to treason in his book.
"I'm questioning your advice, Notham. You'd best reassure me that you have my interests in mind very, very quickly."
The politician sighed, and then stood upright. Without any further word on his part, Notham crossed the room and opened the far door. In response to the move, a towering, rumbling figure, who was cloaked from top to bottom in thick armor, marched in from the outside hallway. The newcomer was as bald as could be, and wore a stern, if not mistrustful, expression.
Recognition flit across Lundgren's face.
"You're... General Wallace aren't you?" The aging noble smiled grimly. "The best general Caelin ever produced."
"I am." Wallace replied with little to no trace of emotion in his voice.
"Didn't you retire a few years back? It was hard to lose a man like you; I don't think that we've ever fully recovered from the loss." Lundgren attempted a slight bit of flattery to see if he could swing the general's loyalty any.
"I did. Decided that I'd had enough of this and wanted to work the fields again." The general replied smoothly enough.
"Well, I'm so glad that Notham was able to convince you to come back into the service. This couldn't have been at a better time. Marquess Hausen has taken ill and two knights, Kent and Sain, have used this opportunity to attempt a coup. They've dug up some Sacean savage and are passing her off as Lady Madelyn's long-lost daughter."
Lundgren noted, with no small measure of glee, that Wallace's expression had become just a bit more severe.
"They're on their way here, and we need someone who can stand up to them. I trust that you're up to the task?"
"If Marquess Hausen has been threatened, then I'll do everything in my power to protect him." The bald general replied.
"Good... good..."
At that precise moment, a shout went up from somewhere deep within the castle walls. The alarms of trumpets filled the air, and a moment later, so did the crashing of armored footsteps.
A sentry took this opportunity to shout orders to those about him.
"The rebels have appeared and are attacking the eastern front! Get out there and cut them down, all of them!"
Lundgren heard these words and began to grin sadistically.
"Well, Wallace, looks like you arrived just in time. I'm sure that you're more than able to teach these upstarts a thing or two, can't you?"
"Leave it to me." Wallace growled. "I'll set everything straight."
With that, the towering man turned and marched out of the throne room- his armor was clanking with every motion.
"Yes... if anyone can stop them, Wallace can." Lundgren looked downright pleased with himself.
Notham shook his head. He had miscalculated. If Lundgren couldn't even tell that Wallace was less than thrilled with the entire situation, then what sort of leader was he? It was very obvious that the balding general didn't trust the nobleman at all, and would probably flip to the other side given the first opportunity. If Lundgren couldn't see that, then he was a fool.
Perhaps it was a good thing that he'd been planning for just this sort of contingency.
Caelin was famous among the nobility and infamous among the banditry for the Cavaliers that it produced. The Caelin cavalry was the prime example of mounted combat, and exhibited more skill than any other nation or state's soldiers. This fact was made all the more amazing since Caelin had always exhibited an open enrollment system when it came to their military. Anyone, regardless of birth, ethnicity, or gender could become a soldier, and within any given division there could be a mish-mash of people with any number of backgrounds.
The Caelin citizenry took great pride in their cavaliers, and extolled them at every opportunity. In return, the cavaliers took great pride in using their skills to protect the citizenry that had created them. It was a cycle in which both sides urged the other on.
Thus, when the first wave of cavaliers charged out of Castle Caelin, they did so with vigor and relish. They were the elite force of the military, and they would protect their Marquess with their very lives. If some rugged band of rebels was attempted to start a coup, then they would cut the transgressors down where they stood. This battle would be over in minutes.
Unfortunately, that was not to be the case.
The cavaliers charged upon a tight ring of fighters and was thoroughly amazed to be beaten back. The group of insurgents had holed up within the confines of a tight, mountain pass, and were bracketed in with the cliffs of the Bolm mountains on either side of their army. The end result was that the Caelin cavaliers could not exercise their full mobility, lost their crucial advantage, and were reduced to fighting a pitched battle.
This proved to be to the Legion's advantage, as a rugged axeman stood at point. He did well at avoiding their blows and retaliating with wide sweeps of his axe to force his attackers backwards. A pegasus knight stood next to the burly axe-fighter, just a few inches off the ground, and was also proving to be astonishingly difficult to hit.
The fighter and the pegasus knight were sheltering a pink-haired cleric, who was screaming like a banshee, along with a monk who was wasting no time in unleashing his destructive power upon those who attacked his friends. A purple-haired mage also stood behind the axeman, and was proving to be very proficient at forcing his attackers backwards with his ranged magical attacks.
An outside observer might have realized that the supposed rebels were purposely striking wide or providing openings for their opponents to evade their attacks. But no such realization occurred to the Caelin cavaliers.
Suddenly arrows began raining from the sky.
A rust-haired archer was perched securely up in the mountains and he was wasting no time in unloading his arsenal upon his attackers.
With all eyes focused upon the eastern front, no one paid any attention to a small band of travelers who cut into the woods surrounding the Caelin Castle.
Castle Caelin had been built with the Bolm mountains guarding its north and eastern faces, while a heavy stream and forest cut through the land parallel to its western side. This meant that the only way to make an assault upon the castle was to either waste precious time negotiating the treacherous Bolm cliffs, announce your presence by building a bridge upon the river, or charge straight up the southern plains where anyone could see an army coming.
Because of all this, Castle Caelin was considered very well fortified, and perhaps that is why it was infiltrated so easily.
On the western edge of the castle, which bordered upon the forst, four members of the Caelin Guard appeared. Two of the soldiers looked perfectly at ease within the armor, while the other two looked awkward within its restricting confines. As one, the group approached the castle and studied it critically.
"Castle Caelin... I never thought that I'd be returning here like this." One of the knights remarked.
"Its better than the alternative." Another replied. "We could be fighting our way in."
The other cavalier made no reply, but shrugged his shoulders awkwardly.
"Just remember, you two." The third man in armor commented. "Just keep your visors down and let Lyn or I do the talking. We don't want anyone recognizing you before we reach Lundgren."
"Right, right, Mark. We'll leave it all in your capable hands." Sain's voice floated from the second figure in armor.
The previous day, the tactician had sent Matthew out to spy out the landscape and to swipe several pairs of Caelin-issue armor. Amazingly enough, the blond-haired thief had succeeded and returned with four sets of uniform.
Now, while the rest of the Legion caused a distraction along the eastern front, he and a few others could don the Caelin armor and infiltrate the castle in disguise. With luck, they would be able to make their way entirely through the castle undetected and maintain their element of surprise until they were ready to confront Lundgren.
All of which would hinge heavily upon Kent and Sain's ability to remain incognito, which, theoretically, should be possible as long as either Lyn or Mark handled all confrontation.
-I just hope that the rest of Lyndis' Legion can hang in there without us.- Mark thought silently to himself. -With Kent and Sain gone, they're going to be missing an edge that's served us well so far... maybe I should have honored Florina's request and allowed her to come in Sain's place.-
That, in and of itself, had been a large surprise to the tactician. Earlier that morning, after the initial assignments for the invasion had been handed out, Mark had been making sure that weapons had been properly distributed and that the Caelin armor was in readiness when he'd had that strange feeling that someone was watching him. He had then whipped around to find out who was spying on her, and in the process had scared the living daylights out of a very nervous Florina.
The tactician was still reeling from the conversation that had followed.
"Sorry about that." Mark admitted, realizing that Florina had probably been trying to work up the courage to say something. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"That's ... ah... alright." The lavender-haired Illian returned in her native dialect. "I... had something that I wanted to... ask you. If... you aren't busy."
Curiosity sparked the tactician's interest. He picked up the conversation in the same tongue as the pegasus knight.
"Of course, go right ahead."
"Well... its... about today's raid. Could... that is... I'd like to, need to, go with Lyn. She's my friend, and I want to help her... This is the most important battle that she's ever faced... and I don't want her to do it alone."
For a brief moment, Mark was tempted to change his plans to honor Florina's request. He knew that the Sacean and the Illian were fast friends and would probably want each other's support in the coming battles. It was also fairly certain that Florina would probably would feel more relaxed around Lyn and Kent than she would around anyone else. If it weren't for a few different points, then the tactician probably would have agreed with her.
"I... could..." Mark admitted in Illian. "But I don't think that would be for the best."
"... W-why?"
"A few reasons: the first is that we're going up against Castle Caelin, Kent and Sain's old home. If I put you in with the infiltration team, then one of them would have to stay behind with the diversionary force... which means that Kent or Sain would end up fighting their old friends and acquaintances. That's something that I'd rather not put anyone through."
A small gasp left Florina's throat as she realized what the man was saying. She hadn't considered the fact that this was the cavalier's home- and the struggle that this would have caused them. The pegasus knight couldn't even begin to fathom what she would feel if she had to fight a fellow Illian, but she didn't think that she would enjoy it.
"Then there's the fact that we're going in with only our weapons and the Caelin armor, no horses or anything such as that. If you go with Lyn, then you'd have to do it alone. Huey would have to stay behind... You're strong, and you're improving every day, but none of us have seen you perform unmounted combat... I'd rather not take that risk if we can do without it."
Another realization flooded the Illian's mind. It was one thing to say that you were going to go with Lyn to storm the castle, it would be quite another to try and do that without her pegasus. While she did have some training in ground-oriented combat, Florina had to admit that she found the idea of battling without Huey to be unnerving.
The tactician continued with a voice of gentle understanding.
"Florina, I understand that you want to help Lyn; but I believe that this is the best way. By helping Erk and Dorcas draw the castle's attention, you'll be providing us with the opportunity that we need to reach Lundgren and put an end to this madness. You won't be by her side, but you're going to be helping her in a great way. I need you to be strong and do all that you can to buy us the time that we need to get inside."
"I... I will, Mark. You're right. I... would do better to help Erk and Dorcas. I'll do everything that I can to slow the army down..."
"I know you will, Florina. You've done very well thus far, and I'm sure that you'll do well here."
At that moment, Lyn's voice broke through the memories and brought her friend back to the present.
"Mark!"
"Huh? Sorry... Last minute planning." The tactician fibbed about the reason that he had lost all sense of the present. He came back to what was truly going on, and realized that they were about to enter the castle.
"I'm glad you're thinking ahead," There was a strange tone in Lyn's voice, betraying the fact that she wasn't altogether serious with her comments. "but we need to stay focused on the current task, alright?"
"Right." Mark agreed.
The tactician reached up and pulled his helmet's slatted faceplate down over to cover his features, obscuring them from view. Kent and Sain followed suite, as did Lyndis.
Now that their identities were hidden, it was safe to proceed. The group moved to the entrance of the castle and slipped inside unchallenged. The four fugitives moved through the castle gates and past the sentries into the castle's main hallway.
No one took a second glance at the group of disguised soldiers- this was something that Lyn counted as a great blessing.
Earlier, Mark had had Kent and Sain provide detailed directions to the throne room, where Lundgren would most certainly be. There was no need for questions or banter as all four continued on their journey. They all knew where they were going and how to get there, there was little else to be said.
The group continued to negotiate the corridors and hallways of the castle. They had almost reached the throne room when everything fell apart.
A hulking, mountain of a man in gleaming silver armor emerged from a nearby room and filled the hallway with his presence. The general crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at the quartet of soldiers who were approaching him. The man shook his head in disgust, and then his loud booming voice rocked the castle to its very foundation.
"Kent, Sain, you've got some explaining to do."
Lyn's stomach dropped to the level of her knees. They had hardly started and they'd just been discovered.
Despite their early success against the Caelin army, the Legion was now in a fair amount of trouble. Dorcas and Florina were both skilled in evading the blows of the Caelin Guard's lances, but they were still two fighters holed up against an army. The cavalry continued to press on through sheer strength of numbers, and forced the Legion to give up precious ground.
Erk was well aware of this. The purple-haired mage was doing his best to ignore the screaming basket-case that was Serra and to calculate their current odds. He didn't like what he was coming up with. They were being pushed back much too fast for his liking.
The mage spun around and unleashed a sphere of fire upon an unsuspecting cavalier. As Dorcas darted forward and pushed the mounted enemy back with a broad axe swing, Erk readied his tome for the next assault.
A loud cry drew the mage's attention. He looked over to discover Florina slumped atop her pegasus- with blood pouring down her uniform. The girl wasn't moving. The winged horse immediately began creating a concerned fuss over his unresponsive rider and accidentally trampled a soldier who came too close. The pegasus then turned and bolted into the skies- taking his lifeless rider with him.
The mage's heart froze. He didn't have time to feel anything about the death of one of their comrades- he was too busy running the logistics and realizing that Drocas was now all alone at point, and would soon be in serious trouble.
Something had to be done quickly, or they would all be overrun.
"Lucius!" The purple-haired mage shouted above the din of battle. "At the third count, pour everything that you've got into the rock face just above us!"
The blond monk turned and looked up at the towering cliff-side that bracketed their left flank.
"I understand."
"One!" Erk poured all that remained of his magical stores into one final attack. He brought down a bolt of luminous lightning from the clear, midday sky to crash into the ground just before Dorcas.
"Two!"
The burly axeman jumped backwards as the thunderbolt created a large crater in the center of the narrow pass. The Caelin horses reared in fright as the ground opened up before them.
"Three!" The mage shouted.
Lucius wasted no time in following the order. The monk unleashed blinding daggers of holy light that ripped into the craggy peaks and gouged rock from the wall. Suddenly, a large hole had been created in the side of the vertical mountain.
The inevitable occurred.
A large section of the cliff shattered and collapsed in and upon the two groups of fighters. Stones, rocks and dirt showered down upon the Caelin cavaliers as Lyndis' Legion ran for their lives. The sound of roaring thunder filled the area, brought on by the crashing of boulders.
When the dust settled, the pass had been filled in with the landslide- creating a makeshift wall that now separated the Caelin Guard from the Legion. So great was the barrier that the two sides were now split for the duration of the battle.
For a long moment, no one moved or spoke. They were all too busy being grateful that they were alive, and allowing their scattered heartbeats to settle back into some semblance of normalcy. Slowly, the individual members of the Legion calmed themselves and became rational again.
At length, Lucius looked up at those assembled. He spoke the question that was foremost on everyone's mind.
"What happened to her?"
"Hand Axe." Dorcas admitted with a sorrowful expression.
Understanding and sorrow came over the Legion. Only a few could claim to have known or considered Florina a friend, but her loss was felt almost immediately. They had all banded together and vowed to protect one another, and a loss in battle, no matter how well-known that person was, was a loss to them all. They had overcome so much together, that for one of them to fall here when their victory was so close was... maddening.
This emotion was compounded as Ninian and Nils emerged from their hiding places in the nearby forests. The two teal-haired children slowly approached the remaining survivors of Lyndis' Legion and, in total innocence, asked that fatal question.
"Where's Florina?"
Kent stared in shock at this huge general who blocked his path. Of all the confrontations that he had expected to have within the confines of Castle Caelin, he had never expected that the first would be with his old, supposedly retired mentor: "General Wallace!"
A satisfied smile passed across the large man's lips. He knew that voice very well, and was pleased to have it confirm his suspicions.
"Ha! So, you thought you could fool your old teacher did you? You should have known better. When a fight's going on outside, then it makes no sense for soldiers to run inside does it? Now..." Wallace examined the group with a critical eye. He abruptly turned towards Lyn and, despite the fact that they were all still wearing full Caelin uniform with their faceplates down, continued. "I imagine that she's the Sacean I've heard so much about?"
Instantly, Kent and Sain were standing before their liege with swords drawn. Neither of them had any hope of actually defeating their mentor in armed combat, but they would not go down without a fight.
"If you're working for Lundgren," Sain stared hard at the balding general. "then I'll not let you touch one hair on my Lady Lyndis' head."
"We've acted only on Marquess Hausen's orders to escort the Lady Lyndis to see him. The Lady Lyndis has made no claim to the throne. If you intend her harm, we will not hesitate to defend her." Kent agreed.
Wallace laughed loud and long before replying.
"Ha, you boys have done alright. You're still a bit on the scrawny side, but you've got mettle. Let me see her; and I warn you not to trifle with me on this."
Kent and Sain exchanged a quick look, but neither of them backed down in the face of this order.
Lyn, however, had had enough of this exchange. The Sacean had no clear understanding of what relation her two friends had to this mountain of a man, but she had no desire to see the three go to blows. Something about Wallace struck her as odd, and that gave her hope that he could be trusted.
"Alright, here I am." The plainswoman stepped forward, putting herself before the two cavaliers. With one smooth motion she removed her Caelin helmet and dropped it to the floor- allowing her hair to spill free of its tight confines and her features to be plainly seen.
Wallace studied the Lorcan for several long moments, and then a grand smile passed across his face as his eyes lightened considerably.
"Well, well, looks like I was right after all. Alright, girly, grab your men here and stay close. I'll get you up to Lundgren without a fuss, and once we arrive, we'll gang up on the whelp and teach him a few things."
Lyn was struck speechless. She'd hoped that the general could be reasoned with, but hadn't expected him to change sides so easily. Had he really just offered to help them defeat Lundgren?
"Wh- What?"
"You gotta problem with your ears? I said that I like you, girly and that I'll join you." The bald man explained. "The only reason I agreed to work for Lundgren was because I knew you were coming and had hoped to lend you my strength."
"You did? How?"
"That..." Wallace paused dramatically before visibly deflating. "... I don't really know. Someone slipped this letter under my door a few weeks back, and that explained everything. Here, I figure that this is rightfully yours."
The large man produced a thick sheet of folded paper from within the folds of his cloak and extended it to the plainswoman. Lyn took the offered letter without a word and squinted at it doubtfully.
"Its a letter from your mother to your grandfather that was sent... oh... a little over four months ago. She explains that she had a daughter and wants to introduce the two of you. When I saw that letter and heard that Marquess Hausen had gotten ill at the same time that some supposed Sacean impostor had surfaced... it didn't take much to realize what was going on."
Mark did his best to stifle a gasp. Four months ago? Wasn't that about the time...?
"So you came out of retirement to try and stop Lundgren from within." Kent summarized the exchange.
"Precisely! Now, let's go show Lundgren that no one messes with our Marquess and lives to tell about it!"
Kent and Sain exchanged a sharp look. The two then nodded and turned back to their former teacher.
"Lead the way."
Florina made two startling realizations. The first was that she was not dead; the second was that everything from her waist up hurt- a lot.
Those were about the only two things that the pegasus knight was able to discern in her present state. The lavender-haired Illian was currently in some sort of bizarre limbo where her brain was fogged and she was only dimly aware of her black surroundings. Eventually, Florina came to realization that her eyes were still closed, and that was probably the cause of her induced blindness.
The Illian knew that it would probably a good idea to actually open her eyes and take a look around, but the effort required to carry out such an action was more than she was willing to exert at the moment. All she really wanted to do was rest.
Gradually, Florina became aware of... voices? Someone else was about?
Under any other circumstance, the lavender-haired pegasus knight might have panicked. But as it was, she just wanted to ignore the intruders and return to the slumber that currently eluded her. Instead, Florina was just forced to lay there and listlessly listen to the banter of the other people who were nearby.
"Y'know... stop meeting like... beginning to talk."
"Matthew! What ... here?"
"Same as you, I ... Uther must really... here too. Hey... to her?"
"... landed in the courtyard... carried her here unobserved..."
"She'll be alright?"
"She should be, as long as ...vulnerary prevents any infection... The blow was messy and deep... no lasting effects"
"That's a relief."
By now, the fog in Florina's mind had thinned to the point that she was beginning to feel curious. Who was Matthew meeting with and what were they talking about? She was tempted to wait and see if she could hear any more of the conversation, but any such decision was swiftly taken from her. Something square and firm jabbed against her wounded shoulder, drawing a cry of surprised pain from her lips.
Instantly, the two voices became hushed and subdued.
"She's waking up, you'd better go... I've got to get back."
"Alright, alright. But when you're done here you're going to drop by this nice little inn I found, they make the best pastries in all of Elibe."
"Oh?"
"Yep, and it'll be my treat. By the way, don't keep that wig. I think your natural color suits you better. Ciao!"
"Wha- Matthew!"
Florina slowly forced her eyes open, and discovered Huey anxiously standing over her. She supposed that the pegasus had pressed against her wound earlier. The lavender-haired Illian then looked about and discovered that she was laying in the middle of a large horse barn, while a black-haired woman in servant's clothing was entering the room through the far doorway.
After a lengthy pause, the Illian decided to ask one simple question.
"Where'd Matthew go?"
Bewilderment passed across the other woman's face. When no answer came, Florina decided to try another tack.
"Where am I?"
The servant girl didn't reply verbally, but instead drew a rough picture of a castle in the air between the two.
"A castle? Caelin? I'm inside Castle Caelin?"
A nod affirmed Florina's suspicion.
The lavender-haired knight tried to sit up, drawing a frightened nicker from Huey, and discovered that her shoulder had been carefully and almost professionally bandaged.
At that moment, memories of all that had transpired came flooding back to the pegasus knight. Florina realized what had happened: how a stray hand axe had torn into her shoulder and how she had blacked out moments afterward. She was quick to realize all that must have occurred during the time she was unconscious.
"Oh... Huey..." Florina twisted about and used her uninjured arm to lay an affectionate pat upon her pegasus. "you saved me, didn't you? Thank you."
Huey neighed in response, but seemed content to know that his rider had survived.
"But... if I'm here..." The Illian's mind switched back to the reason behind their attack on Caelin in the first place. "... where are the others?"
A wide wave from the servant drew the knight's attention, and Florina looked up to find the servant frantically pointing outside. A puzzled expression passed over the pegasus knight's face.
"Y-y... What's wrong? C- can't you tell me?"
The servant shook her head to the negative. She then pointed to her throat, then to her mouth and shook her head again.
"You... can't talk. I'm sorry... I should have realized sooner."
The girl shrugged and then pointed towards Castle Caelin again.
"Wait... you mean that Lyn is still in there?"
A nod confirmed that statement.
"Oh no..." Florina scrambled to her feet, wincing as her injured shoulder screamed in protest. The wound hampered her and slowed her down, but didn't render her immobile.
The lavender-haired Illian was momentarily torn about what to do next. A fairly large part of her wanted nothing more than to just lay back and wait for her wound to heal. Besides, she'd talked to Mark and the tactician had pointed out more than a few reasons why she should avoid entering the castle.
And yet, Lyn was still in battle... could Florina really ignore that? If she were out here and something happened to Lyn inside, then the pegasus knight would probably never really be able to forgive herself.
"I've got to go help them."
The mute servant girl picked up a narrow sword from the barn's floor and handed it to the wounded pegasus knight. She then pointed from herself to Florina and then to the castle. Her intent was clear, she would guide Florina through the castle and escort her to her friends.
"Lundgren!"
Wallace put all of his impressive build into one powerful kick that sent the throne room doors flying open- and almost off their hinges. The armored titan lumbered inside the central chamber with Kent and Sain flanking him on either side. Lyn (having shed the restrictive Caelin armor) stood right beside the retired general, and held her Mani Katti at the ready. Mark brought up the rear and was watching everything with a critical eye.
The silver-haired monarch turned and looked at the quintet of interlopers through hate-filled eyes. Deftly, Lundgren stood up from the Caelin throne and snatched up his personal lance. He hefted it twice to get a feel for its weight and then flourished it defensively.
"So... you betrayed me, did you Wallace?" Lundgren scowled at the general in question.
"My loyalty has always been to the rightful Marquess of Caelin, Lord Hausen!" Wallace barked back without missing a beat. "You have no authority over me."
"You lying dog, I'll gut you where you stand!" Lundgren seethed before turning his attention to the other two present Cavaliers. "You must be Kent and Sain, I presume. Listen, if you'll swear your allegiance to me, then I will forget your trespasses and accept you into my service."
The two Caelin knights shook their heads in unison.
"I think not!" Sain smirked with his trademark style. "I could never turn my back on a Lady so beautiful as Lyndis, she is certainly much more worthy of my devotion than your foul visage."
"I serve Marquess Hausen and Lady Lyndis, it is my duty and honor." Kent declined the last-second offer. "I would willingly give up my life for them, for they have proven themselves worthy of it."
"You're both fools." Lundgren spat before sweeping his gaze over the rest of those assembled. The aging noble studied those present, and realized that there was a fifth member that he did not recognize. "Wait... who are you?"
The raven-haired tactician's eyes narrowed as he studied the source of his friend's hardships. Words could not describe the emotions that he felt at this particular moment.
"Mark." The shaman admitted.
"Mark, eh? I guess you're a member of this fraud's group too? I'll show you the same generosity- pledge yourself to me and I'll let you live."
The raven-haired man spoke slowly and deliberately as a smile spread across his lips: "No. I will stand by Lyn, just as I always have. I would never work for an... ena gowet!"
A full-fledged smile broke out upon Sain's face in the light of that comment. After all that he'd gone through, that insult carried a lot of weight with him. The green knight of Caelin could hardly think of a better recipient.
That brought the conversation full circle, and at long last Lundgren was forced to confront the proverbial elephant in the room. Up to now he had ignored Lyn's presence, hoping to talk one of the others into betraying this Sacean savage. Now he had no hope but to confront her.
"So you're Madelyn's baseborn daughter. Do you have any idea the trouble you've caused my brother? For his sake, I'll cut you down before you can usurp his throne!"
"So... you're still playing this farce." Lyn growled as she raised the Sword of Spirits and held it defensively. "If that is the case, then you will receive no mercy from me. I am Lyn, Wraith of the Lorca, and by this blade, I will save my grandfather!"
With that and a war-cry, the green-haired Sacean tore through space and fired her blade at Lundgren's skull. The aging noble brought his lance up in a tight spin and batted the assault aside, he then tried to take advantage of the maneuver by trying to bring the blunt end of his weapon around to crack it against the Lorcan's skull.
His attack was unsuccessful.
The moment that Lyn had felt the blade jerk in her hand, she had rolled all of her momentum into following the blade's sudden change of course. As a result, she had darted aside as Lundgren struck at empty air. Lyn came out of her dodge and leaped forward to attack again.
Their weapons met in a shower of sparks.
Florina stifled a low moan and clutched at her injured shoulder. She was doing her best to keep up with the mute servant girl who was guiding her through the castle corridors. The lavender-haired Illian was moving slowly, but surely, after the girl on account of her wound.
The two encountered almost no one on their trip, and those who did appear were quite willing to look the other way. It turned out that Lundgren's hold on the castle wasn't as complete as he would have liked to think, for more than a few soldiers just ignored the pegasus knight's presence... or was that just because this servant girl was with her?
The Illian looked at the sword that had been given to her and wondered just what she had gotten herself into. She knew that Lyn was somewhere within the confines of this castle and was probably confronting Lundgren right this moment. What Florina didn't know was what she could do to help, or even if she could. She wasn't much of a swordswoman, and without Huey, her battle skills were limited... if only she'd had a bow instead. (1) But then... even if she had a bow she probably wouldn't be able to use it with her wound weakening her left shoulder.
Was she even going to be of help, or was she just going to be a hindrance? She didn't know, but she knew that she had to at least do something. Lyn deserved to reunite with her grandfather, and Florina wanted to do everything in her power to make it so.
A large crashing sound echoed down the hallway.
The mute servant girl immediately looked up and down the corridor that had carried the sound. A shocked expression passed across the woman's face before she broke into a run and raced off towards the source of the ruckus.
"What?" Florina scrambled to keep up with her guide's sudden change in direction. "What's going on?"
That question went unanswered for obvious reasons.
The pegasus knight chased after her mute guide, and eventually happened upon the strangest scene she had seen that day.
The corridor ended at two thick oak doors. Standing before the wooden barriers was a muscular man with a large sword and the bearing of a mercenary, who was in the middle of a fight with the silent servant girl. Large gashes and holes had been put into the thick doors, indicating that the mercenary had tried to force his way through them. Whatever was on the other side of that doorway, it was important enough to the servant that she would enter into unarmed combat with the mercenary. The raven-haired girl had both of her hands locked about the mercenary's sword arm in a death-grip and was straining to keep the man's weapon away from her.
Florina's vision blurred over for a few seconds, prompting her to blink several times to clear it. She noticed that her breath was coming in shallow spurts as well, what was happening to her?
The pegasus knight shook her head and tried to refocus on her surroundings. Now wasn't the time to worry about her own affairs, this girl needed help.
The silent servant, Abigail, continued to keep both of her hands locked about the wrist of her opponent's sword arm- and it took all of her strength to keep that lethal blade at bay. The mercenary she had engaged was growling curses and obscenities at her, but the raven-haired girl didn't care. Her entire focus was on keeping this sellsword away from that room.
The two thrashed back and forth from one end of the hallway to the other- upsetting tables and crashing into walls as the mercenary tried to free his weapon and Abigail refused to grant him his wish. The two twisted about as the man sought leverage to wrest his sword free and the woman to keep it captured. It looked like some bizarre dance to the observer.
And then, as abruptly as it started, it ended.
The mercenary looked down to find the tip of a sharp blade protruding from his chest. He then immediately looked over his shoulder to find a gasping, lavender-haired girl standing behind him... with a blade in her hands... a blade that currently speared his torso.
The man, through sheer force and will, spun around and knocked the two women away from him. In one desperate moment he tried to get his weapon up to administer some sort of revenge to the two who had doomed him- but he failed. The mercenary dropped to the ground and lay still.
Florina was panting heavily as she realized what had just happened. She stumbled backwards and dropped against the hallway wall as all of her strength fled her in wake of all that had just occurred.
Then a wave of dizziness hit the pegasus knight like a backhanded slap and her vision blurred over anew.
Something told Florina that she was in trouble.
That something was proven right moments later when the pegasus knight crashed to the ground and the world went black.
As one, Kent and Sain charged forward and stabbed at Lundgren with their spears, forcing the aging noble to break off his assault on Lyn to bat their attacks away with his own lance. The two cavaliers immediately darted aside, providing Wallace with the opening that he needed to send a large axe crashing against Lundgren's chest.
The silver-haired general grunted as the force of the blow knocked him backwards, but was relieved that his armor held. He would be sporting a bruise and maybe a cracked bone or two after all this was over. However, the blow wouldn't doom him.
Enraged, Lundgren stepped forward and swept his lance's razor-sharp tip about in a tight arc- forcing his attackers to retreat lest they be bisected. A blur of movement then caught the aging general's attention, and he turned just in time to parry an attack from the Sacean.
The Lorcan was rapidly proving to be annoying. Her blows weren't strong enough to be considered a threat to his armor, but she was remarkably fast and agile. Her own attacks were, for the most part, quick and accurate, while his were unable to connect with the girl at all. But then, given their differences technique, all Lundgren needed was one good connection and the savage would be gone.
Lyn continued to dart and weave her way around her opponent as she struck out with every opportunity. Her main concern was to buy Kent and Sain enough time to mount another attack.
The cavaliers did not disappoint.
In a reverse of their original strategy, this time Wallace attacked first. The balding general charged at the nobleman and put all of his might into one long swing of his axe. Lundgren shifted his stance and brought his lance about- the weapon's steel shaft hooked beneath the curve of the axe's handle and halted Wallace's attack.
A grin and a laugh radiated from the bald general. The mighty man had all the leverage he needed to effortlessly twist his axe- pinning the aging monarch's lance between the axe's shaft and hooked blade, and wrest Lundgren's weapon from his grip. The lance was sent spinning across the floor where it clattered against the far wall.
Kent and Sain swept in and lashed out.
The untrained observer might have assumed that the two cavaliers were identical in all of their prowess and style, but that observer would have been wrong. While their styles were closely tied in ability, their fighting styles differed in one fundamental way: Sain tended to put a large amount of power into his attacks while Kent opted for speed and accuracy in his strikes. It was this respective difference in their fighting patterns that served them well here.
Sain powered into Lundgren with so much force that his lance snapped in two upon contacting the nobleman's armor. A wince passed over the monarch's face as he was pushed backwards beneath the assault.
For one critical moment, Lundgren took his eyes off of the battle and wondered if it was possible for him to lose. That one instant was all that Kent needed.
With supreme speed and skill, the red knight of Caelin charged in and expertly planted his spear within his opponent's shoulder. The sharp tip of the weapon burrowed between the armored plating that shielded the noble from harm and stabbed at the flesh beneath.
Lundgren howled in pain and wretched backwards to try and evade any other coming attacks. All he succeeded in doing was providing an angry Lorcan with the prime avenue to attack. Lyn swept in and struck out with the Mani Katti.
The plainswoman's face was the last image that Lundgren ever saw on the earth. He crashed to the ground with a shriek of tormented steel and crash of metal plating. He could feel it, death was nigh.
Where had he gone wrong? He had plotted, schemed and angled to overthrow his brother for so long... and just when he had been ready to strike, this woman had appeared and messed everything up. How had she done it? All of the odds had been in his favor; the distance had been so great, the contracts so much... by rights, she should have died halfway through Bern... and now he was perishing while she would succeed him. It was not right.
A wellspring of hate burst forth in Lundgren's chest to replace the slowing beat of his heart. If only she hadn't lived...
"If... only the Taliver... had done the... job right... I would have... won." The silver-haired usurper rasped.
Immediately, the individual members of Lyndis' Legion stiffened. None of them knew what to make of that statement, but they didn't like the sound of it. Lyn took another look at Lundgren and allowed her eyes to narrow suspiciously.
"What did you say?" The Lorcan demanded an explanation of that statement.
A small amount of satisfaction took root within Lundgren's heart. Yes, this would be his ultimate revenge. Let her live with the knowledge that would torment her for the rest of her life.
"Your people died... because of you." The silver-haired noble's vision began to cloud over- he knew it would not be long now. "I paid them... to... do... it..."
Then Lundgren died.
For a long moment, no one moved or spoke. None of them had expected this sudden revelation, and now they were all scrambling to try and understand it. At length, the plainswoman overcame her sudden shock.
"Mark..." Lyn spoke slowly as she felt tears build at the corners of her vision. "... do... was that... the truth?"
The raven-haired tactician hesitated for a moment, and then admitted to that which he had suspected since the moment he'd seen Wallace's letter.
"I believe so."
"Mother Earth... I... I... did it..."
There was no describing the sense of relief that poured through Lyn- to say that she felt as if a great weight had been removed from her was an understatement. A few weeks ago, she had been bent upon destroying the Taliver and had sworn to destroy those responsible for her tribe's death. Through many revelations and discussions, she had come to realize how foolhardy such a notion had been, and gone back upon a promise made to her Mother Earth to follow through with it. Had her tribe been alive, they would have disowned her for rescinding on a vow that was life-binding. She had given up one wretched state to adopt another.
But now... now she had fulfilled her vow without ever meaning to. The Taliver had killed her people, but the one responsible had been this monster who now lay dead. She had fulfilled both her promise for vengeance and avoided becoming a monster in the process. Now... she was truly free of all her rash decisions.
Since leaving the Terawin, Lyn had tried hard to be strong. She had told herself that strength would be obliterating the Taliver and never crying again over the loss of her kinsmen. But now... she was beginning to understand just how flawed her ideas had been.
"They can rest... Their blood is finally at peace." The Sacean closed her eyes and tried her best to stem the tide of coming tears.
Lyn's eyes jerked open as she felt a gentle hand come down onto her shoulder. She looked up to find Mark standing before her with a face of understanding.
"Its alright, Lyn... you can let it out... you have the right to now."
And she did.
Lyn burrowed her face within the folds of the tactician's green cloak and finally allowed herself to grieve- to truly cry tears of pain. There was no hate or malice twisting her sorrow, but just the pure expression of loss. For the first time, the plainswoman realized just how tangled up she had been inside in bottling up her emotions and using them to feed her desire for revenge. That had not been a wise choice of action, and had merely caused the pain to fester within her. Now that it was finally being released, Lyn was finally beginning to feel some measure of peace about her life- and the possibility for a fresh start. She would never be able to fully move past the destruction of her people, but no longer would it dominate her life so.
She was finally free.
End
(1) In Marcia's supports with Rolf, she talks about how all Pegasus Knights receive some training and understanding of bows. Granted, its a different universe, but its a point I'll borrow.
Some have asked about the status of this book, and I'm currently noodling it. As you can probably tell, I've been setting things up to explain what happened during that gap between Lyn and Eliwood's stories. I'm not sure whether I'll write that story as a part of Wraith or as a different work. If I do include it in Wraith then this 'book' will extend a little while longer. If not, then it'll wrap up next chapter.
Next: Epilogue