Pebblekit: I'm sooooooooo sorry! I don't like making excuses, so I won't. Just please…. I ask you to forgive me for this horrible update lapse! I don't have a lot of access to a computer, but I still do my best, so please forgive me!On that note… I did it! I made it to chapter 10! So far, my favorite was chapter 8, the one where Shinon and Gatrie left. I love writing, and this story has just made it more enjoyable. Anyway, please enjoy chapter 10! Also, if you have a spare minute, I would really, really appreciate it if you left a review. I don't care what you say! You can flame me to the ends of the Earth, and I will still try to make the story more enjoyable.
Pairings for this Chapter: Maybe a little Mist/ Rolf. Yeah… just maybe…
10 is a Decade Worth of Tears
Prisoner in Reality
Chapter 10: A little push from the outside
The Greil mercenaries marched toward the castle of Gallia. Apparently, some laguz had come the night before and killed off the Daein soldiers that hadn't been beaten.
Although everyone else was running around, trying to see the great fields and grasslands of the foreign country, Rolf was lost in his own thoughts. The boy from the night before had really given him quite a scare. Now, the lime green haired kid had no idea what to do. Usually, he'd ask Shinon for advice. But the sniper wasn't here anymore.
Oscar and Boyd would just baby him and tell him not to worry. Mist probably would too. Commander Greil was dead…
There just didn't seem to be anyone to talk to anymore.
As he walked, completely lost in thought and not really paying attention to where he was going, Rolf was quite surprised when he ran right into someone. Looking up, a bright orange dress with black leggings and boots along with a mass of tangled, dark purple hair told him that it was Mia. "Sorry," he grunted, looking down at the ground. The early morning sun was burning his eyes.
Mia just smiled in response. "S' okay," she said cheerfully. "I thought that you looked kinda down. Now I know you are."
"Huh?" It took awhile to sort out what she had said, as she was talking very, very, VERY fast.
"It's not like you to look so gloom. What's on your mind?"
"Oh. Well, that is… something kind of… personal." Rolf really didn't want to talk to the myrmidon. She had greatly offended him recently by thinking that he was ten years old when he was really twelve. It wasn't his fault he was short!
Mia looked at him intently, immediately absorbed in what the kid was saying. "Ohhhhh… Anything I can do to help?"
"Um, I don't think-"
"Oh yeah, that's right! I know exactly what to do!" Mia reached in her pocket. Rolf didn't say anything. Why bother? It's not like the myrmidon would just leave if he asked her to. "Ah ha, here it is!" Mia pulled out a crushed piece of parchment, which she held out for Rolf to take. "Here ya go!"
Rolf hesitantly took the paper, not really knowing what was going on. "Thank you… I think…" Mia skipped off giddily, leaving Rolf to look down at the parchment, which he now recognized as an envelope. There was no name on it, just a small number '1' in the corner. Not sure what to do, the kid pocketed it.
(Because it bothered two of my reviewers, I changed the scene divider. Right now, I put three little stars here, but I'm not sure whether they'll stay there when I post, or not. Therefore, if there are any random scene changes, it just means that the stars I used were deleted.)
Shinon, Gatrie, and the guy with the hood walked on in silence. The man that owned the cottage had asked if he could tag along. Shinon wasn't complaining. It was painfully obvious that they might need his knowledge of herbs and medicine later on. However, when he and the Gatrie had asked the man what his name was, he said that he didn't know. All that he remembered, oddly enough, was what herbs and plants worked for what.
Apparently, the sniper was allergic to pine. The woods that he and the knight were walking through had been full of the evergreen trees. Gatrie was just happy to have a third person in their tiny party.
Shinon snuck a glance in the newcomer's direction. It was strange. The guy still was covering his face with cloth, and his hood was up even though it was all of 107 degrees outside and as humid as ever.
But now, the sniper could see his companion clearly. His hooded traveler cloak was the same color as his eyes- bright purple, as were the rest of his clothes. His hair, which fell in thick locks around his face, was a dark brown. For some reason, Shinon had a feeling that he had seen the guy somewhere before, but he couldn't think of where.
It was somewhere around mid-afternoon, and the sun was at its peak in the sky. The three men tried to stick as close to the trees as they could, trying to take advantage of the tiniest amounts of shade on the forest floor. They had to stop and rest at least three or four times because of the sheer heat. Right now, they were headed back to Crimea. At this point, all Shinon wanted to do was put as much distance between the Greil Mercenaries and himself as possible. Gatrie followed along, his heart now set on a new adventure.
It was around two when it happened. The guy with the hood heard something in the under growth. Convinced that someone was there, he asked Shinon and Gatrie if the three could check it out before they proceeded. Shinon, who has awesome-kick-butt-eyesight climbed up a Sycamore tree and surveyed the area beyond the brush. Much to his horror, he saw Daein soldiers, a lot of them.
Their armor glinted in the sunlight, almost looking grey. Shinon slid down the tree trunk as quickly and quietly as he possibly could and reported back to his team. After he explained the situation, he said urgently, "We need to get out of here, now."
Gatrie visibly paled and nodded vigorously. He wasn't wearing his armor at the moment and really didn't want to get caught up in a fight.
The man with the hood tensed when he heard that it was Daein that they had run into. "Those monsters…" His voice was so quiet that Shinon wasn't sure if he had spoken, or if he was just hearing things.
However, apparently, the goddess hated them because just then, they all heard something that made their breath catch in their chests. "Did anyone else hear that?" A voice came from the area that the Daein soldiers were in. Shinon, Gatrie, and the man with the hood all looked at each other urgently.
"Yeah, I did," another voice sounded.
"You two go check it out," a deep voice commanded.
"Yes sir!"
The three on our side ran. They were flying through the undergrowth so fast that by the time the Daeins saw them, their voices sounded like a bunch of grunts. Shinon and Gatrie ran behind the guy with the hood (that's his name for now), for he seemed to know the layout of the forest rather well, not to mention the fact that neither the sniper nor the knight could keep up with him.
Soon, there was crashing behind them in the undergrowth and Shinon could just picture the swarm of soldiers behind them. An arrow flew past and hit Gatrie, lodging itself in the back side of his knee. Miraculously, the knight kept his balance and kept running, slowing down just a tiny bit in the intense pain. Another arrow grazed Shinon's shoulder as he turned down another path. A spell turned the air around him into a swirling mass of deadly power. The blades of wind licked at his legs and arms as he ran, willing him on faster.
Soon, the group came to a clearing. Much to the surprise of his team mates, the man with hood turned and faced the Daein troops. When he spoke, his voice gave the impression that he really didn't want to be there right then. "Please do not come any closer."
"Why shouldn't we?" As if to prove a point, a myrmidon wearing a blood red tunic stepped forth from the rows of the Daeins. "What are you going to do? You don't even have a weapon!"
Shinon suddenly noticed that this was true. Doubt bubbled up in him at his acquaintance's next words. "Please back off. I do not wish to hurt you."
The myrmidon's eyes filled with confusion. "What are you talking about? Didn't you hear me? I said you don't even have a weapon."
"I heard you. Quite clearly as a matter of fact. That still does not change the fact that you could be wrong and I will mutilate you if your feet happen to take another step forward." Many of the Daeins shifted uncomfortably, not sure what to expect. For the first time, a slight hint of fear entered the myrmidon's eyes. However, not everyone was fooled so completely.
A sage in a black cape with a shoulder guard stepped forward. "Oh, look! I got closer. I guess I'll just burst to flame and die right now, won't I?" A number of his team mates laughed, but a slight gleam of fear was noticeable in the sage's eyes, as though he was trying to lighten the mood with a joke. Shinon and Gatrie looked at each other worriedly, wondering if they should bolt or not. But, they didn't know their way around the forest. They would probably get caught as soon as they left.
A fighter came forward and reached for Gatrie, grabbing his arm. "Hey! This one doesn't look so puny. Maybe he can fight well."
Before anyone saw anything. Before anyone could do anything. Before anyone could comprehend what was going on. It happened.
The fighter was on the ground, grasping his wrist. Where his hand had been just a second before, there was only a mountain of blood and a stub of the guy's arm. Shinon took a step back in surprise.
"My hand! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY HAND?!"
"I told you, did I not?" There was icy calm in the hooded man's voice. Shinon saw a look of intense hatred in his eyes that he had never seen before. "Get too close, I will kill you. It's as simple as that."
The myrmidon took a step back, horror on his face. "What… What did you do? Where did his hand go?"
The sage, however, stepped forward. "You little… I'll teach you for hurting my brother!" He whipped out a tome, but before he could utter a word, a long thin line ripped through his cloak. The man fell forward as the blood started to run. The fighter, seeing what happened to his sibling, picked up his ax in his left hand and ran at the man in the hood.
"Why? Why didn't you kill me instead?" The hooded man's eyes filled with surprise. Shinon could also saw something like sympathy in their depths, though he couldn't fathom why an emotion like that would be there. A knife protruded from the fighter's chest before he could get remotely close to his target, and the guy tumbled over, dead.
The man in the hood walked forward and leaned over his enemy. "Go and be at peace with your brother." He said quietly as he closed the guy's eyes. Shinon and Gatrie, along with all the other men in the clearing, were utterly confused and terrified.
"When did he throw that knife?"
"How did he kill the sage?"
"Takuto! Izumi!"
Who appeared to be the general of the Daein group stepped up. "How did you do that?"
The guy in the hood, still squatting on the ground, looked up. "What do you mean?"
"How did you move that fast?"
He cocked his head to the side. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
"How did you cut off Izumi's hand without us seeing? How did you kill him and Takuto?"
The guy closed his eyes and looked down. He looked very much like Rhys did when he was praying. "Goddess, please take and accept the souls of these men. Take them in your unyielding arm of light and let peace enter their hearts. Free them of this cruel world and disintegrate the chains that bind them here."
The general looked impatient. "Are you ignoring me?"
Gatrie, for once, looked dead serious. "Hey you! Yeah, you with an ego the size of Begnion! You don't interrupt someone while they're praying!" Shinon looked in surprise at his friend. Whatever had happened had definitely struck a cord in him. As the sniper surveyed the clearing, he noticed that many of the Daeins behind their general had their heads bowed.
The guy in the hood turned his head almost completely around to look at Gatrie. Shinon could see the shine of tears in his eyes. When the man spoke, his voice was thick with remorse. "I once had a brother. And a sister, too. But, we were separated. I don't remember why, but… I can relate to these two a bit. They were forced to fight. They knew not what they did. Thank you, dear friend, for understanding."
The general walked forward and stomped on the hooded guy's hand. "Do you think you can say whatever you want and get away with it?"
The hooded guy glared at him. "No, I don't think that. However, I can say what is true. This boy tried to fight with his non dominant arm to avenge his brother. You Daeins always teach your soldiers to fight with both hands, right? His ax was unsteadied and his hand was shaking. He didn't know how to fight with it well. Therefore, he was one of the ones that were drafted, right?"
The general spat on his enemy and ground his foot into the guy's hand. "Shut up. You don't know anything. That boy and his brother both were eager to fight; otherwise, they never would have been enlisted."
"That's not true. You're just mad because you're one of the generals that were told to train draftees and teach them to fight."
"What did you say?"
The hooded man's face was full of sadness as he spoke again. "Even now, many of these men mourn their comrades' death. No real soldier of Daein would do that."
The general lost it. He pulled out his sword. Then, in one swift movement, he swung it down.
But, before he could get hit, the hooded boy slid his hand out from under the guy's boot and rolled to the side. "Is this your final decision? Do you wish for bloodshed so much?" The general looked over in surprise. The hooded man bowed his head again. "Then I guess I have no choice." He held up his hand and raised his head, looking intently at the Daein man. The air around the clearing grew still.
The hooded man said one word.
One word that brought the general down to the ground.
"Flux."
Rolf and Mist huddled on the damp ground, mud splattering their legs. It was a warm, almost hot morning. The sun was beating down on their near-red skin. Off in the distance, they could hear Ike yelling commands for getting in a battle formation. Mist edged slightly to the left, so that her arm brushed Rolf's. She looked extremely worried.
Rolf felt goose bumps pop up all over his body at the soft touch of Mist's skin. For some reason, his face grew incredibly warm. The two of them were sitting at the base of a mountain, and Rolf's bow felt like it was cutting into his back. Mist had a heal staff in her lap. According to Titania, she was apparently holding it for Rhys.
Once again, the small mercenary group had run into Daein soldiers. Once again, Rolf and Mist had been left behind. Once again, they both felt completely useless and wanted nothing more than to know what was happening on the battlefield.
Mist was the first to break the uneasy silence. "Do you think they'll be all right?"
"Sure." Rolf said, though he couldn't help but share her misgivings.
"You're lying. I can tell you're worried."
Rolf silently cursed. It was beginning to be a real drag when Mist could tell what he was thinking. Oscar was like that too. You couldn't talk about anything that was personal around them, because they always asked what was wrong, or something along those lines.
The young boy inwardly sighed before answering. "Okay, I am slightly worried. After all, Titania isn't able to battle in this one with her arm like that."
"I know that! I'm the one that told her it was broken!" Mist sounded angry, but Rolf could tell that she was just worried about her brother. Still, the way she yelled at him made him feel stupid, as though he had done something wrong. He had never liked that feeling, especially back then…
"You don't have to yell at me, you know!"
Suddenly, a shadow fell on them. Rolf and Mist looked up to see a Pegasus flying over them. There was a person sitting on it, but the sun was so bright that neither of them could tell who it was.
Anyway, it ended the two kids' squabble pretty effectively. Once the animal passed, Mist looked back to Rolf. Her face was red as she spoke. "I'm sorry. I really am. This must be so hard for you too… I'm just worried, that's all."
Rolf smiled at her. "I know. It's okay." He stood up, attempting to stretch his cramped legs. Mist followed suit, her knees popping as she reached the upright position. From below them, they could hear Mordecai's rumbling voice. Rolf felt a rising tension in the pit of his stomach. This was worry. "I'm going to go check on them." With that, he ran off over the gravel toward the sound of his brother's voices, which he could hear clearly now.
He heard Mist say, "Wait! I want to go too!" He felt the vibrations she sent through the ground with every step she took.
The two were on the top of a big hill, the ground littered with stones. As they ran down the trail, it got steeper and steeper. Rolf stepped on a loose rock and felt it slide out from under him. Worry bubbled up in his throat as he didn't see anything to grab on to. Thinking fast, he leaned back as far as he possibly could and fell on his back, instead of his head. But, the hill was so steep that he slid down it, as though he were on a giant slide. Mist squealed behind him, not able to do anything.
About halfway down, a root came into view, and Rolf grabbed it, closing his fingers around the coarse bark as hard as he could. His body skidded to a stop almost right after he snatched it. Mist ran carefully down the hill, avoiding any rocks that popped up in her path.
Rolf groaned. His leg felt as through someone had taken a knife to it. When he looked, he was shocked to see that all the skin along the side of it had been torn off. Blood welled up and started running into his shoe. His right arm wasn't much better. It was hard to move because his elbow had been injured, along with a scrape that ran down to his wrist.
His entire side stung. Mist kneeled next to him and inspected his wounds. Then she pulled out a water skin and poured some of the clear liquid on them. Rolf grabbed the water skin and pointed it up, stopping her from dumping it all out. "What are you doing?"
Mist pulled the leather from his fingers and grabbed his wrist. "This hill has a lot of dirt, and dust from the rocks too. I need to wash out the wound before I heal it, other wise it might get infected."
Rolf tried to wrench his arm from her grasp, but her grip was too powerful. "What do you mean, 'heal'?" He asked.
Mist steadied his jerking arm and dumped water on it again, making it sear with pain. "I mean heal you. With my heal staff."
Rolf stopped struggling in his shock. "Your heal staff? You mean it's not Rhys'?"
Mist kept her gaze fixed on his arm as she answered. "No. It's mine."
Rolf tried to process this through the stabbing pain in his dripping wet arm. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Mist glanced up. "You never asked. Besides, why should I tell you when you didn't tell me about being able to use a bow?"
Rolf didn't have an answer. Mist let go of his arm and took hold of his ankle instead. "Hey! Don't put water on that too!"
"Why not?"
"Because it hurts, and because you'll run out of water if you do."
Mist shrugged. "I'll get more later." Then, before her friend could complain, she poured the rest of her water over his leg. Rolf stiffened in pain and started to wriggle uncomfortably. "Don't move." The girl said as she pulled out her heal staff.
The warm glow that came from the item surged throughout Rolf's body, and soon, his arm and leg were glowing faintly. It took a few attempts to close the wounds completely, as Mist wasn't very experienced yet. Soon, however, the archer's limbs were as good as new. "Thanks a lot, Mist." Rolf bent his arm back and forth. It felt stiff and worn, but it was better then not being able to move it at all. All that was left of the tear was a thin scar where the skin had been sewn back together.
Mist had her gaze fixed on her friend, but the faraway look in her eyes suggested that her mind was elsewhere. Rolf noticed this fairly quickly.
"Um…Mist? Are you okay?" Worry was etched in his face. "Do you feel bad? Oh no! Did you overexert yourself trying to heal me? I'm so sorry!"
Mist looked at him, her eyes slightly glassed over. "Huh? Oh. No, it has nothing to do with you."
Rolf cocked his head to the side, confused. "Then what's wrong?"
Mist shifted uncomfortably before answering. "Rolf, do you ever wish that you could fight?"
This question completely caught the archer off guard. "What do you mean?"
"You know. Do you ever wish that you could fight with the mercenaries? With your brothers?"
Rolf looked down and studied the ground. His response was very quiet. "Yes. I do sometimes wish that I was out there with them. But… Oscar and Boyd- especially Boyd- would never allow it. Even if they knew I could use a bow."
Mist looked at him intently. "Why not just go out there and tell them you're going to fight, no matter what they say?"
Rolf looked at her in surprise. "But that's-"
"That's what I'm going to do."
Silence passed between the two of them.
When Rolf found his voice, it was garbled, as though the words had been forced out of his throat. "You mean… You're going to…?"
"I'm going to fight."
"Are-are you sure?"
"Yes. As a matter of fact, the reason I'm heading down this hill is to fight."
Rolf tried to process this information. "But what about Ike? What will he say?"
"What about him? I'll fight whether he tells me to or not. I've already decided what I'm going to do."
Rolf felt sick. Everything was changing. His home was now on the move in Gallia. Greil had died. Shinon was gone. Now, even Mist was going to fight. Something was set to life inside him. It was the same feeling he had gotten at Gebal Castle when he heard Mist on the battlefield. The same feeling that arose whenever his friend was in danger.
He had to protect her. He didn't want her to get hurt. He wouldn't allow it.
Not even if it cost him his life.
"I'll fight with you."
His voice was full of determination as he stood up and led the way down the hill.
A shadow passed overhead, causing him to look up. A Pegasus flew right over where he was standing, blocking the blinding sunlight for a moment. Once it was gone, his eyes seared with pain as the sun hit them. He drew his face into his forest green traveler cloak, trying to get rid of the stars that blinded him.
After a few moments, he heard a small squeal from lower down the hill. His heart sped up when he saw what was wrong. Rolf had tripped on a rock. Now he was sliding top speed down the hill. Commander Greil's daughter ran after him, being very careful with where she set her feet.
Rolf stuck his arm out and caught a root just before the boy dressed in green jumped down to help him. Eventually, the girl successfully healed the wounds inflicted on Rolf by the fall. The two exchanged a couple of words, and then Rolf ran off, the girl not far behind.
The boy sat down again, relieved that Rolf hadn't been hurt too seriously. He lay on his back and closed his eyes, making sure not to fall asleep. Right now, all he wanted to do was listen. Listen to the sound of the woods around him. It was quite peaceful as the sun hit his face and warmed it.
However, that feeling didn't last long.
He felt a presence. One that he had felt a few nights ago, but still succeeded in driving a chilling feeling up his spine. He flipped over onto his stomach and opened his eyes, surveying the clearing with all of his senses. The soft wind that blew brought the sour taste of metal and sweat to his mouth. He heard the clinking of armor right before he saw the glint of light reflecting off of it. He smelled blood and felt the ominous presence that passed through his body magnify. Then, the man emerged in the clearing.
"Greetings boy. It has been awhile."
The boy narrowed his eyes. "Lord Black Knight. What an… unpleasant surprise."
"Don't mock me."
"What makes you think I would do something like that?" He asked with sarcasm.
"Let's get to the point. You're the one who tipped off that stupid myrmidon about my troops in the forest, aren't you?"
The boy pulled a dagger out from the inner pocket of his cloak, sat up, and started to twirl it idly. "Maybe so, maybe not. Either way, you wouldn't know, now, would you?"
"You also were the one that healed that Priest the day before Gawain's death, were you not?"
"I could be."
"You test my patience. You are working for Daein, correct? Why did you slaughter those troops in the forest? Are you a traitor? If so, than I have the joyful right to kill you here and now."
"I'd like to see you try. That being said, I don't work for Daein. Don't say stupid things."
"Is that so? What a shame. Your skill would be much better applied with us. Why fight for a losing country? What is the point?"
"I will never fight for Daein," he stood up at this point and glared at the Black Knight with all the hatred he could muster. "If you think I would, then you are sorely mistaken."
"That is a strange thing to say, considering that you did once."
The boy looked down. "I had my reasons. That was a long time ago."
The Black Knight took a step closer, his armor making an odd scraping noise as the joints rubbed together. "You fool. Do you not realize the position you are in? If you don't do as I say, that boy… Rolf, was it? Will pay for your incompetence. I will personally see to that."
"Leave him out of this! And his team mates! They've got nothing to do with this."
The Black Knight drew closer. "They guard Princess Elincia. They have everything to do with it. Besides, how else would I persuade you to work for me?"
The boy didn't answer.
The Black Knight was now standing in front of him, a mere two feet away at most. He took his sword from his sheath and held just so as to let the sun hit it and reflect blindingly around the clearing, showing an insanely sharp point. The boy closed his eyes. "Go ahead then. Do it. Kill me."
He felt the blunt edge of the sword under his chin. Once he opened his eyes, the Black Knight raised the blade, forcing their eyes to meet. "My dear boy, why would I do that? You alone know the secret of Greil's weakness. Not only that, but you're quite a useful pawn, or at least you will be. And you better be, other wise, Rolf might not live to see dawn the day after you disobey an order. By the way, I heard that you were the one that recommended me to be sent to fight Gawain the other night. Because of you, I got to kill him."
The boy averted his eyes from the hard, cold stare. However, the Black Knight grabbed his chin and forced their gazes to meet again.
"Thank you so much." The kid struggled to get away, but the man held tighter, his grip threatening to break the boy's jaw. "Once I get the medallion, all my goals in life will have been met." The boy would have spat a retort, but his mouth was in serious agony when he tried to move it. The Black Knight drew his face so close, that the kid could feel armor touching his forehead. "Let me make one thing clear to you, little boy. Your friends' lives are in my hands. I. Own. You."
"Ike!" Oscar looked up from his lance to see Mist crash through some bushes into the clearing.
"Mist!" Ike, who had been surveying the enemy troops, turned his gaze to his sister. "You and Rolf clear out of here! Stay back, no matter what!"
Mist shook her head vigorously and looked intently at him. "No, Ike! We're going to fight with you- both of us."
Oscar dropped his lance at this statement, but nobody noticed. Boyd's mouth fell open and his arm, which he had been using to fit in some last minute practicing, fell to his side, nearly causing the ax in his hand to chop off his leg. Soren looked over in interest, his scarlet eyes barely visible over his wind tome which he had been reading through. Mia, for once, fell silent and stared at Mist in mute surprise. Ilyana, who didn't know the team very well yet, just looked about her in utter confusion. Titania, who was sitting on a nearby rock with her arm in a sling, narrowed her eyes in disbelief. Rhys, however, had an odd expression that didn't bear much surprise, but more humility. Oscar wondered what in Tellius Rhys would be ashamed of, but that thought quickly dissipated as the conversation continued.
Ike sounded annoyed and worried at the same time. "What? No. That's not going to happen. Be serious Mist… the two of you can't even use weapons."
"I've got this!" Just about everyone's faces filled with surprise as Mist raised a staff to show everyone, all except Soren, who just looked more interested than anything else.
"A heal staff?" Ike's voice portrayed so much shock that Oscar wondered where his brain fit it all.
"Yeah! I made Rhys teach me to use it. I can heal injuries! Just little ones, but still…" About half the heads in the clearing turned in Rhys' direction, who quailed under the stares. Oscar figured that this was why the priest had been so ashamed. Ike, however didn't seem to be thinking about that at the moment.
"Little ones? No. There is no way I'm letting you on this battlefield…huh?"
At that moment, Rolf entered the clearing through the bushes that Mist had crashed through earlier. Boyd, who face was full of the utmost anger, threw his ax at a tree, narrowly missing Titania's head as it lodged itself in the trunk. "Rolf! Stop being such a brat, you little twerp!"
Rolf, whom everybody expected to run away at the hatred in his brother's voice, didn't even flinch. Oscar wondered vaguely where his youngest sibling had gotten so much nerve in the past few months. However, that the thought was completely lost as Rolf shook his head and spoke. "I'm going to fight too! I'm good with a bow!"
Boyd spat in irritation. "Really? That's news to me. Is that the best lie you can come up with?"
Oscar, who was starting to worry that Boyd was going to go too far, stood up, preparing himself to jump into action.
"It's no lie!" Rolf's eyes were clear and sincere when he said this.
Mist walked over to stand next to her friend and looked defiantly at Ike and Boyd. "That's right! He's not lying!"
"Of course he is!" Boyd practically screamed, pointing at Rolf. Rhys kept peeking out of the bushes, apparently watching for any enemies that heard the commotion.
Ike, unlike his usually jolly self, sounded dead serious as he asked, "What are you talking about, Mist?"
"Rolf's always practicing with his bow! And he's really good! Aren't you?!" These last words were directed at Rolf, who nodded.
"I sure am!"
Ike cocked his head to the side. "And when did you learn to use a bow?" His voice wasn't as heavy now.
Oscar saw Rolf swallow uncomfortably. The small boy averted his gaze somewhat as he answered. "Well let's see… um…I guess I just… sorta…picked it up naturally?" He sounded really discombobulated, and Oscar could tell right away that he was lying. Boyd obviously did too.
"Stop lying, you booger-eating brat! You can't just pick up a weapon and start firing away! Someone has to teach you the basics!"
"Well, maybe I'm just a prodigy, 'cause I learned all by myself!" The look in his eyes was so guarded that not even Oscar could see through them. Rolf must have a pretty important secret… the lance knight thought.
"You little…" Boyd dove, and Oscar grabbed him around the waste and hauled him a few feet back just before the fighter hit Rolf. The ax-man was literally quivering with rage. Rolf took a step back this time, fear evident in his face.
Then, Mist ran over and slapped the guy Oscar was restraining. "You don't know anything, Boyd!" That calmed him down fairly quick. Apparently, the shock of being hit by someone half as tall as him overran his fury.
"That's right!" Rolf said, gaining back his nerve.
Boyd started thrashing again. "This is ridiculous!"
Ike intervened at that point. "Enough. You two go back."
Mist shook her head and tears came to her eyes. "No! We don't want to! All Rolf and I do is sit and wait and worry about you. We're tired of waiting! We want to fight by your side!"
Ike's gaze softened. "Is that so?"
Oscar felt a little hint of sorrow for the two children. After all, it was true. Their only family could die at any minute, and all they could do was sit there. That would be enough to drive anyone to the limit. The lance knight started to understand his youngest brother's emotions. Boyd did too, as he stopped moving again. When he spoke, his voice seemed a little suppressed, as though he were trying to banish the anger from his tone. "How about it, Rolf? Is that how you feel too?"
Rolf smiled and nodded. "Uh-huh. No doubt, we'd rather be with you."
Boyd sighed heavily. "What now, Commander?"
Ike thought for a moment, which was a rare sight. "We take them with us. We're too pressed for time to sit around here bickering. And at least if they're nearby, they'll be easier to protect."
That brightened the kids up quite a bit. "Are you serious?!" Mist asked.
"Yes! You won't regret this, Ike! I promise!" Rolf said.
"I hope not." Boyd mumbled.
Oscar wasn't sure whether to be disappointed or relieved. It was true that he was worried about Rolf and Mist, but it was also a fact that the two of them would be easier to watch on the battlefield. Looking around, the lance knight saw mixed emotions in the faces of his comrades.
Ike looked resigned to have made the decision he did.
Titania looked slightly worried and unhappy. She kept glancing down at the sling around her arm and frowning deeply, as though she wanted to be there when the two kids joined the fray.
Soren looked impassive. As soon as the conversation had ended, he just buried himself behind his tome again.
Boyd was literally quivering in rage. Oscar was starting to wonder what was wrong with his middle sibling. After all, the two of them should have known it would only be a matter of time before Rolf insisted to join the fight. Was there something wrong with that?
Ilyana still looked very confused.
Rhys was staring at the ground, probably beating himself up for teaching Mist to use a heal staff, even though he technically wasn't allowed to without Ike's permission. After all, it's a big deal to break rules, especially if you're a priest.
Mia was jumping up and down in excitement again as she kept glancing at the battlefield, continuously checking their enemies' movements.
Mist and Rolf both looked content, sitting next to each other against a tree, waiting for orders. Rolf was holding his bow securely in his lap. As Oscar watched, he started to think that he had seen the weapon in his little brother's hands before, though he couldn't think of where.
As he sat and pondered about it for awhile, Ike gave a call, ordering everyone into positions. Rolf and Mist jumped up as soon as they heard and rushed forward. Oscar followed behind more slowly, trying to get a good grip on his lance. As he mounted his horse, the man got an odd feeling.
He spun around in his seat, surveying the area around him, but no one was there. Even though he tried to convince himself that he was just imagining things, the feeling of eyes boring into his back didn't go away.
Ike gave a battle cry, signaling the start of the battle, and all of Oscar's thoughts were cut off as he nudged his horse forward. However, he still felt the presence behind him, even as the boy in green turned away to look elsewhere.
Author's Note
Pebblekit: Hey guys! It's me again (obviously). I'm sorry for the ending, as it was kinda sudden, but I didn't really have a choice. From now on, expect to see more than one chapter for some of the battles, for I have… what? Three different storylines to write about? If you're unhappy with this, please forgive me. I'm sorry to those of you who are angry. But, I do promise you one thing. Have you noticed how the chapters are steadily getting longer? This one was over fifteen and a half pages and over 6,500 words long. Anyway, in exchange for you being tolerable with my road map for the story, I'm going to start to try and make each chapter over 6,000 words long. I hope this makes up for any disappointment. Reviews are appreciated! Please tell me if you have a problem.
We've made it to page 121 in this story!