Chapter 10: Planning and Strategising
Expedition in Etherthien Arc
Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem, this is just a Fanfiction.
Featured Music: "Behind the Clouds" – Black Lagoon OST. Chapter Briefing.
"Waking Dream" – Last Window: The Secret of Cape West OST. Scene 1 (First Half).
"Ghirahim Battle" – The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword OST. Scene 1 (Second Half).
"Sneak Attack" – Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail OST. Scene 3 (First Half).
"Undersea Palace" – Chrono Trigger OST. Scene 3 (Second Half).
Selthris and his military force of Aselia have finally made contact with the Etherthien military and its leader, King Alaric Etherthien. Seemingly undertaking a test given to him by Sohantha's daunting empress, Jenice Sohantha, Selthris attempts to travel to, and gain, Etherthien's shields first before even considering gaining any military aid from the empire. Thankfully, drawing on his father's previous association with Etherthien's king, Selthris has managed to convince the man to assist their endeavour with Naerith's invasion however, this it would appear, has consequences.
Before King Alaric can spare any military aid, he has requested aid himself for the civil war Etherthien is undergoing at the moment. Having been given a simple task by the king, Selthris and his small Aselian force easily dispatch the supply group on their way to their allies before taking back with them a member from the team, a non-combatant. While King Alaric praises his efforts, some members of the Aselian and Etherthien force alike are not impressed with Selthris' decision; some people are better off dead they surmise.
While he watches the Etherthien black operations force interrogate the civil war aid, Selthris is approached by Etherthien's very king for his next assignment…
Scene 1
Selthris watched through the murky glass and room he stood in, arms lightly folded. His silver eyes faded into light concern as he watched the black op soldiers interrogate the yelling and visibly worried civil war aid they had captured earlier. Behind the glass he could hear no audio, no shouting, no orders…
Nothing.
He supposed it was there for a reason.
"Ah, I thought I'd find you here."
Selthris blinked, turning his head to find the ever well-dressed Etherthien king. He smiled as he approached, tracing the youth's stare.
"Ah, I see," he chuckled lightly, stepping across and standing next to him, hands held behind his person lightly. He put on a light frown as he watched. "I realise it's tough to sit here and watch this but…," the older man began as he turned to face the silvery haired Lord. "You have no obligation to this man."
"Oh, please don't misunderstand," Selthris lied in an attempt at a light and friendly chuckle. He lost his smile as his eyes returned to the three men behind the glass. "I just… want to be here. That's all." He finished in his light frown. King Alaric watched him carefully for what felt like a few minutes before finally turning his head back in a light sigh through his nose.
"You remind me so much of him," Alaric laughed lightly, regaining his old grin. Selthris gasped lightly and turned to face the man. "Sathryon, I mean," he added as he turned his eyes over to the youth before returning to the glass once more. "He was always like that," the man claimed, eliciting a curious raised eyebrow from the youth. "Taking accountability, overly concerned…," he began again before turning to face the surprised youth with a satisfied smirk. "You know. Things like that." He stated in a light chuckle before turning back once again.
"N-No I'm not-" The Lord began again in reply but the light smirk he received from the seemingly all-knowing king managed to make him stop and lower his eyes in defeat. "Y-Yeah I… I guess I am." He admitted, rubbing the back of his head as he did so.
"Believe me he's there because he wanted to be," the wise king claimed, folding his arms as he turned his eyes over briefly. "It is not your fault."
"I know…," the youth claimed, lowering his eyes before re-raising them. "Everyone… they… they wanted to silence him."
Alaric blinked lightly before turning. "Silence?"
Selthris merely nodded, turning to face him once more, a sombre expression on his face.
"Ah," the man acknowledged finally, his eyebrows raised as he did. "It's understandable to be honest," he sighed again as he tilted his head at the interrogation. "The constant threat of payback or such things as that." The man claimed as he stared at the carriage driver sadly behind the wall of glass.
"That's what I was warned about…," Selthris agreed with, nodding lightly as he also watched the interrogation. "I… I couldn't act," the youth managed out, shaking his head in a show of self-disappointment. One of Alaric's eyebrows rose upward in curiosity as he turned his head to face the youth once more. "I knew logically it was the best course of action and yet I…," he began again with a light wince. "I hesitated."
"Don't lose yourself in despair over it son," the older man smiled lightly, turning back. "You are still young after all; we all have issues with leadership."
"Is that what it was like for you?" Selthris questioned. Alaric tilted his head once and frowned thoughtfully.
"I've certainly had to make a lot of unpopular decisions in the past, yes," he answered. "People don't understand that just because you're a noble… it doesn't necessarily mean you lead an easy life," the man claimed, a hard look in his eye as he watched the interrogation. Selthris took a look at the man's countenance, finding years of experience laced through his words.
He only wished he had that kind of wisdom.
"My father, um…," the young Vikeruce heir began, lowering his eyes thoughtfully as he did. "He told me once that being a noble, it's… it's more responsibility than it is a luxurious lifestyle."
"Wise words," Alaric grinned lightly in his folded armed stance, eyes watching the boy for a second or two before turning back. "Life isn't all living in the clouds and being the centre of attention," he sighed wistfully as he watched the brutal interrogation of the crying eyed carriage driver. "I have both been adored and vilified by the very people I have sworn to serve and protect in my tenure as Etherthien's king," he explained briefly, eliciting a shocked, wide eyed stare from the surprised Selthris. "No matter what you do, you will always be burdened with the people's hatred my son." Alaric claimed in his final small speech, his eyes describing a wide field of wisdom and experience in them as he spoke. Selthris watched him silently, stood in a surprising shocked expression.
"How do you…?"
"You sit in a throne long enough and people will do anything to get you off it." The man chuckled lowly and humourlessly as he nodded his head in the interrogation room's direction. Selthris blinked and traced his stare to find what he was talking about.
The civil war.
Of course.
"Why would they…?" Selthris began unsurely, shaking his head however mid-speech as if to rid himself of his words in search of new ones. Finally re-opening his mouth, he re-phrased his words. "Is it… anger…?" The Lord carefully though curiously asked, scrunching his eyes up in thought as he shook his head and raised it to face the frowning king. Alaric sighed lightly through his nose as he lowered his eyes.
"This is more of a conversation that Sathryon would surely have had with you I'm sure but… seeing as he's not here…," Etherthien's king sighed lightly as he tilted his head and re-raised it face the boy. "Yes, in some form it is anger," he began in a positive nod and an ever-serious frown. Selthris raised a curious eyebrow upward. "The people become frustrated with their situations; they work at their problems endlessly and seem to find no way through them. While I try to help any way that I can…," the man started again before shaking his head and folding his arms. "There will always be bad endings."
"Bad… endings?" Selthris murmured in a narrow-eyed parrot of the man's words.
"Yes…," Alaric responded in a slow nod. "Despite all our best efforts, some people live and die on the streets of even the wealthiest nation." He explained, drawing a wide-eyed frown from the listening boy.
Suddenly Selthris' mind quickly went back to Sohantha and the streets he and his companions had once walked; he had recalled how dreadful things were for the commoners.
"You've been to Sohantha I presume?" Alaric questioned curiously, turning his head and raising his eyebrow as he spoke, seemingly reading his thoughts. Selthris simply nodded. "Things may look good on the surface in the empire… but I wager their empress has very little idea of how to deal with the issues underlying the higher class' lifestyles." He claimed sagely, narrowing his eyes forward, as if at the very empress herself.
"She… was strange…," Selthris answered for himself, lowering his head in remembrance.
Alaric raised a curious eyebrow upward. "You met her in person?"
"Um… yes…," the young Lord began again in response. "She seemed… so detached from her responsibilities and from her role."
"There are many nobles like that," the king sighed gloomily. "I have never received the honour of meeting empress Sohantha, but I am told she is how you describe," he continued, eyes narrowing forward once more. "She flaunts her vast military strength and treats her royal court as if it were a very game in and of itself," he explained briefly before shaking his head. "We are all very concerned."
"W-Why?" Selthris questioned. "It is Sohantha's matters is it not?"
Alaric turned his head to face the boy but raised his eyebrow as he spoke knowingly. "If a country as huge as the empire makes a move against Dracolius then peace may know no hope," he explained quickly and gravely, eliciting a wide-eyed frown from the boy. "Besides their insane reserves of military strength, their troops are specially trained to combat other countries."
"R-Really?"
Alaric nodded. "Yes," he began again before continuing. "They are well versed in how a lot of our countries fight given all of our war histories, especially Aselia and Naerith," he warned, nodding at the boy. "But there's no need to worry about the empire," he added with a light chuckle and smile. He lost his smile as quickly as he gained it however. "At least not yet anyway."
If this was king Alaric's way of making him feel better… it wasn't very effective, he thought with a small grin.
"With this issue in Etherthien's civil war I fear we may never get to worry about other matters," King Alaric claimed, frowning forward this time as he spoke. "With luck we'll have most of this dealt with."
"Do you have any clue who might be leading this revolt?" Selthris questioned, turning his own silvery head with a hard-eyed frown of his own. Alaric turned to face the youth in response, his arms folded.
"I'm not certain to be honest," the snowy nation's king admitted uncertainly, frowning back at the young Lord as he did so. "There are many who have been unhappy with my policies lately; it could be anyone I suppose." He sighed unsurely before looking back once more.
"Any information at all then?"
"Well…," he began again, frowning and re-turning his head. "I imagine there'll be a lot of peasants fighting under their leader; I've been told they rank in the thousands," he explained briefly, eliciting a wide-eyed gasp from the listening Selthris. Alaric chuckled in a light smile and shook his head at him however, as if to dispel his worries. "They are peasants however, you must remember," he pointed out before continuing. "They know little of war, fighting and discipline."
"That's… that's true…" Selthris claimed, lowering his head in thought.
"Though you are right to worry," Alaric nodded in agreement as he turned his head around. "One would be wise never to underestimate their opponent," he continued before putting on a light grin and eyeing the boy with a humourful look. "You truly are Sathryon's son." He complimented once again, drawing a light wince and obligatory smile from the boy. Before the man could press him anymore however, the door opened once more to their mutual surprise, revealing the two black dressed and hard muscled men from the interrogation room. Selthris took a quick look in and found the carriage driver they had previously taken prisoner sitting tied to his chair, bruised and crying.
He felt a tinge of regret.
"Any progress?" The King questioned quickly, raising a curious eyebrow.
The man on the right folded his beefy arms and raised his scarred face upwards, a hard frown on his face. "Sang like a bird yer highness," he claimed in a hard tone of voice, drawing a low knowing chuckle from his companion on his right. "They been runnin' supplies through that route fer a while now."
"Yeah," his nameless companion grinned in a low chuckle as he continued where his friend left off. "Ye were right sir; they got a lot of soldiers."
"As much as I feared," Alaric sighed lightly, folding his own arms as he lowered his head. He shook it, perhaps annoyed at his fears being realised before re-raising his head and frowning at the two. "Anything more?"
"Looks as if the one leadin' 'em's a former noble yer highness," the man on the right spoke up with a hard growl and frown. "'Gall' somethin'."
"Noble… Gall…," Alaric murmured, perhaps unsure before he snapped his finger in some attempt to recollect. "I'm sure I know who…"
"We can go back in if ye like sir." The man on the right spoke up as he nodded his head in the direction of the room.
"Of course!" Alaric suddenly exclaimed, shooting his head up with a shocked gasp. Selthris raised a silver eyebrow upward as he listened intently and silently. "Gallarus! Former land owner of Cinnario! I should have known." The man spoke, narrowing his eyes forward as he bit on his thumb's nail, seemingly a force of habit. "Ah! Anything else?" He questioned his men. The two merely shook their heads and Alaric finally nodded, waving them off. "Thank you both; dismissed." He smiled lightly, giving them leave.
"Who…?" Selthris questioned, leaving the rest of his obvious words in the air as he shook his head unsurely at the narrow-eyed king. Alaric turned his eyes over and nodded, continuing.
"The man I'm talking about was a former noble; Gallarus Cinnario," he spoke, folding his arms as he did so and turning to face the youth. "For years he's made his position clear against whatever policies I have introduced; it… hasn't been easy." The man admitted morosely, lowering his eyes as he did.
"W-What do you mean; were they a detriment or…?"
"Yes…," Alaric admitted again, wincing lightly. "The policies I introduced were more focused towards assisting the populace of Etherthien; the locals, the commoners," the king explained briefly before continuing. "Unfortunately, however, the nobles suffered because of this," he cringed as he spoke, his tone evident with remorse. "I didn't exactly push them onto the streets myself but…"
"But that's… that's not your fault," Selthris attempted to dissuade the man's words, wincing similarly. Alaric, confused and surprised, raised his eyes to face his. "I mean…," the Lord sighed lowly in light frustration as he narrowed his eyes, thinking hard. "You were looking for your peoples' greater good, right?" The young prince tried desperately, drawing a light smile from the older, wiser man.
"You're still very young and naïve I see," Alaric chuckled, eliciting an unsure blink of the boy's eyes in response. "The problem with royalty son is…," the king sighed lowly before putting back on his light grin. "Most of us can't understand the line between being black and white and finding a grey line."
Selthris merely stared at the man, clearly confused. Alaric let out a bursting laugh, seemingly amused.
"I'm sorry," Etherthien's king apologised, a jollier tone to his voice in his chortling. "I had to do it," he continued, wiping away a tear of hilarity. Selthris sighed in light frustration though kept a small smile of his own on his face. "Now!" The man smiled this time, clapping his hands together lightly as he did so, much to Selthris' relief. "Your next assignment…"
King Alpheus Naerith grinned as he stood high above the challengers' circle, Naerith's 'Ring of Honour', watching his two top generals sparring together. Below sat a small select audience of Naerith's top public watching the duel also. They whooped and roared as they spectated the elevated level engagement. The Masked Man stood decked out in his usual Naerith colours while the glaring faced and well armoured General Cain stood on the other side. The seeming referee stood outside the ring, lingering next to a large bell.
"All right, you two ready?" The man called over, his voice amplified in the large chamber. General Cain glared at the similarly staring Masked Man and merely nodded alongside his opponent. Finally, the referee struck the gong on the side, echoing loudly across the large battle chamber, signifying the beginning of the duel.
General Cain ripped his silver lance out and rushed immediately at the glaring masked man. Cain's own glare matched his opponent's and then some however even as he leapt to go for a fairly direct style of attack, his body seemed to glow and even go transparent. The Masked Man didn't even reach for his sword, his hard eyes narrowing forward before suddenly darting to his right. General Cain suddenly reappeared at his opponent's left side, charging forward, silver lance drawn. He clashed hard with the lightning fast masked general, sparks emitting between their weapons.
"After-image," the masked general's deep voice began lowly before his dark eyes narrowed hard beneath his mask. "Child's play." He grunted angrily before pushing back the wide-eyed and gasping Cain, sending him staggering a step or two backward seemingly from pure strength. The Masked Man followed up his pursuit with a smooth slide forward, smashing the hilt of his unique sword into the General's lower chest. Cain let out a surprised and pained yelp, eyes widening as he did so; the unnamed masked general followed up his attack further by twisting his body around into an effective spin attack; the Masked Man channelled Lightning Style Aegir to his sword and even his body's form, giving him a formidable offence. Cain yelled angrily as he was sent across the field a few yards, rolling across the ground; he used his Aegir passively in an attempt to roll his body around and used his athleticism to side flip upward, successfully landing on one knee forward once more. He gasped as he did so, sweat stricken brow and all. The Masked Man merely glared back at him as he dissipated the lightning from earlier and spun around to a defensive position.
"That Aegir…," Cain began, speaking lowly at first as he scowled forward before raising himself upward to a standing position once more. "I've felt that Aegir before…," he explained briefly, his words so low they were almost a murmur. His eyes narrowed at the Masked Man ever suspiciously. "That lightning… so familiar…" He muttered.
"What are you whispering about over there?" The Masked Man called over, his deep voice echoing in the large chamber. The watching Naerith audience all whooped their encouragement and favour for the hard-expressed leader of the Naerithian knights. Cain's scowl twitched but, otherwise, was impassable to change. "Very well…," he began again, this time in a lower tone of voice; as he spoke those words however, the mysterious warrior bent back forward, narrowed his eyes and disappeared almost immediately. General Cain gasped, his eyes widened once more and darted his head around in search for the missing man, panic slowly growing. Just as he should have expected, he managed to hear his enemy's steel ringing behind his ears; Cain growled as he moved his silver lance to his back in an awkward but effective defensive formation. His defence was true, and he felt the Masked Man's blade strike noisily against his own and he grunted, shaking lightly in his spark emitting stance. "Huh… faster than I thought." The Masked Man spoke once more, rather cheekily. Cain couldn't see him but imagined a smirk across his lips as he spoke those words.
It made him angrier even than before.
With that anger driving him, he roared as he guided his Aegir around his body equally in an attempt to match his opponent's overwhelming strength; with it he spun around and successfully broke the wide-eyed masked warrior's hold and sent him staggering a step backward. Cain grinned, the advantage raising his morale; with that thought concentrating his rising adrenaline he leapt forward and ran his heavy lance in some effortlessly fast swipes and slashes. The Masked Man's eyes widened, and he was seemingly taken off guard; the attack seemed to go through and he was hit by three attacks before Cain finished his third attack with a spin and then, finally, a diagonal upward slash attack. The Masked Man was sent spiralling through the air and crashed to the ground, rolling across it roughly. The watching Naerithian audience all took shocked breaths in as they watched, barely able to believe what they just witnessed. Cain laughed, his ego stroked thoroughly from his earlier offence.
"Is that truly all the Renegade Saints' leader has to offer?" The General laughed haughtily, twirling his silver lance around expertly. "Pathetic!"
The audience all gave him rather loud boos and calls of derision, eliciting an annoyed frown from the General; he opted to say nothing in response however as he awaited the referee's call for his oncoming victory.
Yet it never came.
Cain gasped once again as he was bore witness to his seemingly defeated opponent slowly rise into the air through an art of levitation.
"What the-?!" He hissed in shock, eyes widening.
The Masked Man's body slowly turned as it rose into the air, finally facing him once more, arms folded and all. His dark eyes narrowed hard behind the mask he wore, and Cain gave vent to an angry scowl once more.
"I should have known…," Cain began lowly as he grinded his teeth in frustration. "Even your Aegir smells like a rat." The man insulted angrily.
"If you truly think to defeat me with such low-level techniques…," the Masked Man began, and Cain could almost feel the haughty smirk growing on his lips as he spoke. "Then you're undeserving of even your current post… general." He finished, his arms folded and his tone an insulting one. Cain growled angrily back at his opponent, drawing an excited yell of approval from the watching and listening audience.
"Impressive," King Alpheus Naerith stated as he stalked down the steps from his previous perch, seemingly opting to join the growing rabble in spectating the exhibition match. He stepped lightly around Naerith's Ring of Honour to join a small group of knights; a man and a woman both of contrasting age. "Greetings Renegades." Alpheus greeted in a low grin, turning his head to meet the two briefly before quickly returning his attention to the duel. The surprised pair of knights widened their eyes in similar surprise before bowing in respect, a single armoured arm resting on their chest in a show of their knightly loyalty.
"My lord." They both intoned similarly. Alpheus put on an annoyed frown and turned to face them once more, opting to raise his fingers at them; a message to raise themselves and they did in response.
"Why would you come all the way down here to spectate with us, my lord?" The woman questioned carefully, raising one of her brown eyebrows upward, seemingly surprised by his behaviour.
"I thought I would come down and see their duel myself," Naerith's king admitted in a light grin as he watched the said engagement. He turned to face the short haired general of his elite army. "You would do well to take from this, general Eliana."
The named woman put on a light smile as she took a few steps toward him, opting to stop next to his person before stopping and watching the duel with him. "Of course, your highness," she agreed, a genuine tone and smile to her face. "The Masked Man's prowess… is incredible." She admitted as she watched the duel, seemingly mesmerised.
"He is very strong," the armoured man, her companion, claimed as he joined the pair arms folded and all. His eyes narrowed forward as he watched them. "He fights like some kind of demon…," the man spoke shaking his head as his blonde eyebrows furrowed at the scene before him. "He definitely does not fight like a Naerith soldier."
"And how is that his problem?" Eliana shot back, her tone clearly angry almost as if she herself had been insulted. She turned her head back, still wearing an annoyed frown upon her expression. "He can hardly help how he fights after all."
"So quick to his defence," King Alpheus chortled as he listened, a smirk upon his features. Eliana winced lightly as he spoke. "No, I agree with general Raymond," Naerith's leader claimed as he turned his smirk back on the fight. "Staying suspicious is our job; we are at war after all."
"Yet he is our greatest asset my lord," Eliana quickly replied, though her speed similar to her previous reply to Raymond, her tone switched however to suit her new partner. "He has managed to push back the fight against those hated Aselians." She said excitedly, grinning as she spoke, watching the Masked Man leap around the arena.
"It is true," Alpheus agreed with as he folded his arms and grinned similarly. "Everything he possesses is strange and of unknown origin; very mysterious indeed." The man chuckled. Raymond watched the king talk like a hawk, scrutinising him with every second he listened.
"People wonder whether anyone can truly best him," Eliana continued, her words coated in honey and of dreamlike style as she joined her gloved hands, watching the fight. Raymond rolled his eyes as he listened. "U-Um b-besides you of course your highness!" The young woman stuttered out, shocked in her own words as she saw the amused smirk on her king's expression.
"Don't worry your pretty little head Eliana," King Alpheus chuckled lowly as he turned his eyes back forward. "I'd like to test those words out at some point."
"Do you even trust him, your highness?" Raymond spoke up, raising a curious blonde eyebrow upward as he did so.
Eliana snorted angrily in Raymond's direction. "What kind of question is that?"
Alpheus chortled knowingly. "A good one," Naerith's king joked with in a light smirk before turning his eyes to face his Dragon Knight general. "I've asked myself that very same question general Raymond," the man claimed. Raymond watched the king for a second or two before turning back. "Even if he were to stab us in the back it matters not," the king continued in a knowing grin and laugh. "No man escapes my watch."
Even as Naerith's king spoke, his two top generals slammed their weapons into each other, sparks emitting from one another once more. Cain glared at the similarly glowering eyed Masked Man from the other side of his offence.
"Why…," he began lowly, his words dripping with hate. "Why are you the Renegade's leader?!" He finished in a battle cry, directing his Aegir to his weapon; the Masked Man was forced backward in a somersaulting recovery. His feet smashed against the magical glass of the arena that they were given, cracking loudly and making a visible dent. Cain gave chase with a slam of his Aegir coated feet onto the ground, vaulting him upward and toward the recovering Naerithian officer. The General let out a low, guttural bellow from his throat as he spun his body around in an offensive spiral, his Aegir colouring his body in a fiery crimson. The Masked Man stood at his awkward angle, glaring back at his fast-approaching opponent before suddenly turning his own body around in a similar rapid circular spin, lightning instead at its core. The two finally clashed and the watching Naerith audience let out shocked gasps and worried murmurs as they watched, perhaps concerned they were outputting too much strength.
"The Lightning and Fire Rotation techniques!" Raymond exclaimed excitedly as he spectated the engagement, hands clenching into fists.
"Yes… there's only one clan in existence that still has Lightning Aegir affinity." King Alpheus agreed in a knowing chuckle, narrowing his eyes suspiciously forward. Eliana listened to him curiously with a suspicious raise of her own eyebrow before turning back to the fight.
General Cain let out an angry, effort filled scream as his Fire Rotation technique was simply beaten out by the Masked Man's own Lightning one, sending him backflipping to the ground once more; he looked up to find his opponent gone. Cain's eyes widened, and he gasped, his eyes immediately darting around for the missing warrior.
Calm down, he thought. The longer you stay out of sorts, the longer he'll have to beat you.
If anything, his anger for always answering to this newcomer to the Naerith military kept him focused on the task at hand. He shut his eyes temporarily and used his Aegir to feel out his opponent. Numerous members of the watching Naerith audience all murmured, perhaps unsure of what he was doing however, the few there of the military watched in similar silence, all knowing.
Eventually, after what felt like ages, the Masked Man finally reappeared, and Cain's eyes burst open; he leapt to his right side in an attempt to evade but barely managed to block the oncoming glaring eyed swordsman in mid-air. The Masked Man slammed his Hero Sword down upon Cain's silver lance; Cain grunted and groaned under the effort of blocking his opponent's surprising and shocking strength. The two got in similar glares though it became increasingly clear whom was under more strain as the battle went on.
"Rgh…," Cain began lowly and angrily, sweat dripping his brow as he glared upwards at the male above him. "I will not…," he continued lowly before letting loose another angry effort filled roar as he used his Aegir to break his opponent's hold. "Be struck down by you!" The General warned in a belligerent bellow; the Masked Man was sent spinning lightly back from the surprising defence he offered, leaving him to the ground once more. Cain pressed on his luck by charging forward, coating his silver lance in fire before leaping and slamming his weapon down upon the narrow-eyed masked assailant. The nameless warrior saw the easily telegraphed attack coming however and side-stepped to his left to avoid the vertical strike leaving an after-image of him on the ring's floor. Cain let out a long and delighted laugh as he watched his fiery lance devour the after-image, unaware of his previous evasion. Only when the rocks and floor spit up from his assault did he widen his eyes in realisation, gasping as he did so. "N-No!" He exclaimed, his defence left wide open.
Using his Hero Sword and coating it in Lightning Aegir, the Masked Man vaulted forward first striking the yelping general across the face, burning it quickly and electrocuting him. He was sent flying into the air with him; the Masked Man giving pursuit into the air. He used his next following attack to finish the engagement; the super-fast warrior bulleted forward with unseen speed, seemingly striking at the general's body with a defence piercing horizontal slash attack. General Cain let out a pained gurgle in his throat, blood climbing up to his throat as he dropped to his knees and, finally, fell to the ground. The watching audience grew silent as they watched the Masked Man swish his Hero Sword around, pointing the end at the growling and scowling faced fallen Cain, the pair glaring at one another.
"Scum…," Cain spoke lowly between the gurgles of blood and pain he endured. The Masked Man opted to remain silent as always it would seem as he simply glared back at the watching General. "Not one of us…" He muttered lowly and hatefully, his eyes watching the man like he would an insect.
The gong sounded once more to signify the end of the fight.
2
"Excellent!"
The pair turned their heads around to find the ever grinning faced Naerith king approaching, blessing the two with a show of well-earned applause.
"An excellent show," the man spoke once more before turning and nodding at the watching, nameless priest next to him. The priest nodded similarly before taking a few steps forward and raising his Mend stave upward, clearly directing it toward the fallen Cain. A green aura encased the bloodied general eliciting an annoyed grunt from him before, finally, he was seemingly healed. The Masked Man twirled his body around and stuck his Hero Sword back in its sheath before outstretching an arm for the fallen man. Cain glared back at him hatefully however and slapped the arm away before forcing himself up with an effort filled growl.
"Truly, I agree with his highness," Eliana spoke as she approached also, joining her hands together her eyes focused towards the ever hard-eyed Masked Man. He seemed to notice her hard stare and turned his glaring eyes over to mix with hers temporarily, awaiting her next words. "That swordsmanship was certainly something else." She spoke her words of praise with a low smile, perhaps hoping for a response. The Masked Man merely darted his eyes away from her, perhaps uninterested.
"Of course you'd say that…," Cain muttered as he dusted his ebony and crimson armour off. Eliana turned her eyes over to meet the hard-eyed General, narrowing them in scrutiny as she did so. "I've never seen any woman so enamoured with a walking stereotype." The man spoke in a growing low grin, his words clearly of a sarcastic nature. Alpheus couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and grin in response, drawing a similar smirk from the listening but silent Raymond.
"Oh be quiet," Eliana shot back indignantly, folding her arms at the older man and sub-commander of their unit. "You are merely angry that you lost." The young woman added, her tone quickly adapting to a tone of superiority and smirked alongside it. Cain glared back at the youth and opened his mouth to respond.
"Enough!" Alpheus interrupted loudly, turning his eyes between the annoyed pair. "Both of you," he continued lowly, frowning for the first time in a while. "I have seen far more mature behaviour from animals." The man chided, his tone an annoyed one. Cain almost immediately switched his tone and facial expression alongside his ally.
"Of course your highness, a thousand apologies." The loyal general apologised, bowing respectfully as he always did.
"Yes sire, I apologise; my behaviour was unkind also." Eliana added as she also bowed, putting on a dutiful frown.
"Good," Alpheus said, this time with his old smirk. "You are all part of the Naerith's Renegade Saints' holy knights." The King explained briefly in his ever-knowing smirk.
"How goes the campaign against out most hated enemy, my king?" Cain requested as he bent down on one knee as a show of loyalty and respect; Eliana, Raymond and even the Masked Man all followed suite, as if in response. Alpheus watched them all, a look of satisfaction etched across his expression.
"Aselia you mean?" He questioned briefly, chuckling lowly as he did so. "Yes, as well as we'd have hoped I suppose."
"You suppose?" Eliana asked curiously, raising an eyebrow upwards as she also rose her head up to face him.
Alpheus folded his arms and frowned down at the knights. "Well, while their main hindrance has been dealt with," the Naerithian king claimed in a knowing chuckle as he eyed the hard watching and silent Masked Man. "His son is absent at the moment; we are unable to locate him."
"Surely he can't have escaped the continent?" Cain gasped, his attention suddenly grabbed as he snapped his head upwards. Alpheus grinned, knowing of Cain's fascination with the clan of Aselian warriors.
"No; we'd have seen him trying at the very least," the man shot back in a light grin. "Last we saw hide nor hair of him was in Sohantha."
"So, he hopes to gain Sohantha's shields?" Eliana interrupted, raising a curious eyebrow as she did so. Alpheus tilted his head and grinned.
"It's always possible," he claimed before folding his armoured arms. "But I don't believe so."
"So then where…?" Cain pressed as he narrowed his eyes forward.
"Etherthien, perhaps?" Raymond dared to speak up as he listened, ever the black sheep of the group. The group all fell silent, as if to emphasise this however it was their king that broke the ice once more.
"Yes…," he chuckled knowingly, grinning once more as he turned to face the Dragon Knight on his right. "How is it that it had to be Sohantha's deserter to deduce this before my loyal knights?" The king teased with a grin in the other knights' directions. Cain and Eliana's eyes widened, and they exchanged worried, annoyed glances. Alpheus, satisfied with their reactions, chuckled once more however relaxed his mirth when he saw the ever-hard eyes of the Masked Man on him. "You're very quiet over there… Dark Angel." He accused, finishing his words with another smirk.
"'Dark Angel'?" Eliana parroted, blinking, tracing her king's stare.
"That's what they call him in Aselia's ranks," Cain muttered, annoyed as he eyed their unit's quiet leader. "They say his power is unholy." He explained briefly as he glared hatefully at the elusive warrior on his left.
"I have nothing of importance to add." The Masked Man finally spoke since his earlier confrontation, his hard eyes boring a hole through the similar eyed king's stare.
"Nothing of importance? You?" Naerith's king scoffed with a grin. "Aselia's despair incarnate? The warrior that felled Dracolius' greatest living soldier?" He continued on incessantly and theatrically before finally shrugging in a low chortle. The Masked Man merely stared back at him as coldly as he had done before. "You're such a bore."
"A lucky engagement," Cain undermined with a hard-edged glare of his own as he turned it hotly on the silent sword of Naerith. "That's all that was." He continued, his tone clearly an angry one as he narrowed his eyes at the silent but ever-listening Masked Man.
"Really?" Eliana spoke up for her reticent superior. "Raymond, please, refresh our memories for us," the Sniper began again, a contrasting business-like frown adorned on her face as opposed to the grin on Raymond's. Cain's scowl grew ever worse as he listened to the exchange. "Who was it that failed the initial campaign our highness assigned?" She questioned rhetorically, eliciting a mischievous grin both from the listening Naerithian king and the Dragon Knight Raymond. Cain's left eye twitched angrily. "Who was it that challenged Sathryon Vikeruce to a duel and-"
"Enough!" Cain vociferated, his angry passion showing when he forced himself up on his two feet. All eyes were now on him; he swiped his armoured hand to his right diagonally as if for effect as he spoke his next words. "I will not be undercut by a sub-ordinate!" The hot-blooded General exclaimed loudly, proudly and angrily. Even the watching and listening Eliana frowned up at him silently. "Especially by a child." He finished in a low toned growl, narrowing his eyes down at her as if he would an insect. A several number of awkward, silent seconds passed between the small group of five before, finally, Alpheus decided to break the ice once more by walking forward, his boots clicking loudly in the silent chamber.
"General Cain." He merely began, his voice as low as his own sub-ordinate's earlier. The hard-frowning General in question softened the earlier creases in his face appropriately as he raised his head and eyes up to face his king.
"My lord?" He began curiously however, he had very little time to react when the seemingly calm and restrained king drew his armoured hand across the shocked knight's face coarsely; hard enough to send the strong willed General tumbling to the ground. His crimson and ebony armour clinked and clunked boisterously, echoing across the halls of the duelling chamber. Though Cain gasped as he swerved his head around to face his hard-frowning tyrant-king, the watching and listening remaining Saints opted to stay silent, seemingly knowing. "M-My king, p-please-" He tried desperately, eyes widened in shock and bewilderment as he crawled away from the slow approaching warrior king. Alpheus merely glared down wordlessly at the man as he would a disease.
"This is no way…," the king finally spoke, his words like freezing air cutting through the humid day. "For my generals…," he continued before grunting once as he kicked the yelping across the chamber, his armour clunking noisily through the large room. "To behave." He finally growled his last words through gritted teeth, smacking the howling man's curled up body once more, sending him rolling across the ground. Suddenly realising the deathly silence that had fallen around the group of four warriors, Alpheus turned his head around slowly to face the group and frowned over at them disapprovingly. Their faces bore simple, unassuming frowns; he wasn't sure if they were either used to this or they were simply frozen stiff.
He resisted himself from grinning at them.
"Come now; you are all my Renegade Saints… are you not?" He claimed, this time opting to put a grin in his words. His eyes shot between each member of the silent and ever-watching soldiers, as if waiting for one to speak out of turn. "This is a celebration, after all," he dared to chuckle before bending down and picking up the large man with impressive strength. Cain grunted and placed his hands on Alpheus' own raised right, bleeding and visibly bruised just from his small attacks earlier clearly indicating his power. Cain stared down at his king fearfully, eyes widened and trembling. Alpheus smirked up at the previously irate General above before opening his mouth to speak once more. "I hope you'll take this seriously, general Cain," Naerith's king spoke in an initial grin before lowering the man slowly. Cain, unsure how to take this change in behaviour, simply stood trembling watching him carefully. "You are the Renegade Saints' sub-commander after all," he continued in his chilling smile and tone, nonchalantly dusting the man's clothes and armour off as if to clean him from his earlier attack. "T'would be a shame to lose you to your… shoddy demeanour." He finished, this time in another hard, frigid frown, eliciting a wide-eyed silent gulp from the listening and watching Cain. He nodded, still trembling.
"Y-Yes, your h-highness."
"That goes for all of you," Alpheus continued lightly, his tone brightened but his hard frown still adorned on his face as he turned to face the group once more. He narrowed his eyes lightly at each watching member. "You're all part of an important unit; do not embarrass me."
3
"This better be important…," Gallarus muttered, his words caked in an annoyed tone as he marched alongside the gargoyle faced man on his right, the armour he wore clunking noisily across the room's walls. "I'm a busy man."
"Please, do forgive me, my lord," the robe dressed man apologised in a low smirk as he walked alongside, bowing respectfully as he did so. "But your forces-"
"Our forces." Gallarus quickly corrected him, turning his head and narrowing his eyes at the strategist angrily.
Cadil nodded in agreement, though his grin remained as ever evident upon his face. "A-Ah yes, of course my lord," he said, his smile breaking through the cracks in his very expression itself. "Our forces are finding difficulty in dealing with a new menace."
Gallarus rolled his eyes in childish annoyance, sighing loudly as he did so. "I don't have time to be-"
"You will for this Gallarus," Cadil suddenly interrupted the man, causing him to stop moving entirely and turn around as he halted. He stared back at the contrasting solid expression on his companion's face and raised a curious eyebrow. "I guarantee it." Cadil continued, his voice lowering to a small whisper as he spoke. Perhaps initially intrigued by the man's boldness and sudden change to his behaviour, Gallarus narrowed his eyes lightly before shaking his eyes and turning to continue down the castle hall.
"As long as this is dealt with," Gallarus responded in a low mutter as he marched forward. "I'd rather this coup be finished as soon as possible; my family need food."
"Of course… my lord." Cadil simply replied with, his smirk returned. Finally, as they approached and entered the castle's briefing room they were met with numerous men, all donning similar war gear clearly decked out for battle.
"Finally…," one of the men muttered from the far end of the room, dressed in dark indigo armour; Etherthien colours. "We were wonderin' when you'd show face. Thought you'd taken off."
"Now why would I do that?" Gallarus shot back, etching a superior grin across his own expression as he watched the hard-frowning man ahead of him. "Etherthien is, after all, my home much as it is yours," the man replied, speaking as if he were rehearsing for a play. "Do not fear, my loyal citizens!" He continued, drawing a confident grin onto his face as he raised his arm to wave at the cheering folk in the previously quiet room. "Your true king has returned!"
"Could we possibly get to strategizing, your highness?" Cadil interrupted softly, his words cutting through the tension like a warm knife.
"Who's this?" The earlier man blurted out, raising a half-curious, half-annoyed eyebrow upwards as he examined the gargoyle-like robed man before him. Cadil noted his stares and grinned over in his direction before bowing respectfully. Gallarus frowned in disapproval but introduced him nonetheless.
"He is the reason we have come this far," Gallarus claimed as he folded his arms and narrowed his eyes in the Necromancer's direction. "He is our-my strategist." The Baron quickly corrected himself, narrowing his eyes threateningly at the earlier, nameless man. The soldier merely glared back in response.
"Greetings," Cadil introduced himself with a respectful bow, his etiquette as high as always. "My name is Cadil and I will be our battle planner."
"This guy know how to fight?" The soldier asked in his folded armed, raised eyebrow frown. Gallarus opened his mouth to respond but Cadil replied for him instead.
"No, I'm afraid I am a non-combatant my good sir," the robed strategist claimed in a slow nod. "I'm sorry, your name is…?"
The soldier huffed lightly but frowned as he responded. "Lachlan." He simply said, introducing himself with a hard, suspicious narrow of his eyes.
"Excellent," Cadil smiled, his features drawing an unnerving expression upon his face. "Now that we are all acquainted, why don't you start us off Gallarus?" He spoke suddenly, directing his arms toward the annoyed expressed Baron.
"Yes," Gallarus responded, narrowing his eyes at the grinning faced Cadil before walking forwards. "Very well," he muttered, directing his words towards the watching and waiting Cadil as he approached. He placed his beefy arms to rest upon the table before him and turned his eyes around his soldiers. "Now… what's the situation out there? Any progress with Alaric?"
"No," Lachlan responded, arms still folded as he pulled away from leaning on the wall, walking forwards to join them. He unfolded his arms as he approached and sighed lightly, placing an arm to rest on his hip as he did so. "He ain't listenin' to us."
"I hear he's brought in some foreign soldiers too," a woman spoke up as she stood around the table, arms also folded. "Couple men and one woman from some other country."
"Is that who hit the supply convoy?" Lachlan questioned as he turned his head to his left to face the woman, eyes narrowed.
"Yeah," the woman replied, nodding in agreement. "Well, I mean, we think so," she claimed as she shook her head lightly in thought before continuing. "We don't even know their names. We just know the supply convoy was hit by a small group of foreigners."
"Then let's find that out, shall we?" Gallarus shot back smarmily, a faux smile upon his face before bringing it back down in favour of a hard frown as before. "Cadil?"
"Yes, my lord," the named man stated, his words rolling off his tongue as a snake's would. He approached the table and put on another chilling grin as he always seemed to. "Aselians."
Lachlan blinked at him dumbfoundedly. "I-I'm sorry?"
Cadil simply nodded in his grin. "Aselians." He answered again, repeating his reply.
"I'm sorry, what are you saying?" The nameless woman sighed as she shook her head at him, annoyed.
"The supply convoy was hit by Aselians; those foreigners you're talking about?" Cadil finally answered, grinning as he did so. "Soldiers all wearing Aselian colours."
"But… so far from their country?" Lachlan questioned, unsure as he tilted his head. "Why?"
Gallarus put on a look of confusion of his own, instead turning to his advisor, raising a curious eyebrow.
"It would seem that Naerith's invasion has forced the Aselian royal family into hiding," the robed man explained, turning his grin on every member in the meeting. "Spies report their forces entering the walls of Sohantha and now, our land of Etherthien."
"Sohantha… the empire…," Gallarus murmured, lowering his eyes thoughtfully. "Do you think they were turned away?"
"Most likely," Cadil agreed, nodding his head as he turned to face the leader. "The empress is a shrewd one; she would not simply loan Aselia's brat troops for their friendship."
"I'm sorry, who's this 'brat'?" The woman questioned, narrowing her eyes at the man. Cadil turned to face her and smirked.
"General Rouka… is it?" Cadil asked, raising an eyebrow before regaining his grin. "Please forgive me, I was unsure," he apologised in a light, well meaning chuckle. "Do any of you at this table know the name…," he began again, raising an eyebrow. "Sathryon Vikeruce?" He finished with a knowing smirk to his words.
"Wasn't he Aselia's hero?" Rouka questioned, unsure as she turned her eyes around the room.
"Yeah…," Lachlan murmured, folding his arms briefly before placing them at his side and narrowing his eyes at the strategist before him. "Widely believed to be this continent's greatest warrior."
"No way," Rouka snorted before narrowing her eyes up at the man, shocked. "Seriously?"
He nodded his head as he turned to face her. "Oh yeah," he shot back, turning his eyes back to the group as a whole. "Apparently, he struck fear into the Naerith army all by himself on numerous occasions back in the golden age days, that is… until he was finally murdered."
"So… who's leading Aselia now?" Rouka asked curiously.
"That would be his only son," Cadil answered for the woman, a grin growing back on his lips. "Selthris Vikeruce."
"He had a son?" Gallarus asked, his anger clearly showing in his tone. "What are going to do if Sathryon's son is-"
"Calm down, Gallarus," Cadil interrupted, his own displeasure voiced and firm. His sudden change managed to sheath the cringing Gallarus as intended however, allowing him to continue. "Okay… good," he said, frowning as he turned on the other two members of the meeting. "Selthris Vikeruce is nothing but a pale imitation of his father; he has not the battle prowess nor the intelligence of the rest of his clan."
"Then how do you explain his assault on our supply convoy? Hm?!" Gallarus shot back, his impatience growing once more.
"His force got there because you let it Gallarus," Cadil countered, narrowing his eyes back at the Baron with a hard look. Gallarus blinked in surprise before turning his eyes away from the gargoyle-like man. "Now… as long as you three do as I advise… then you will all achieve your ends," he spoke, this time in a low grin. "Then king Alaric will fall," he promised with a grin, watching the frowns on the three members of the rebellion council. "I guarantee it."
"How can you be so certain?" Lachlan asked as he folded his arms once more, raising a curious eyebrow ever upward. "This is hardly an easily predictable situation, friend."
"I have seen it happen," Cadil hissed back as he glared back at the taller man. "The Wheel of Fate itself calls to me; Etherthien will fall."
"I can vouch for his abilities," Gallarus spoke in favour of the man, still frowning as he turned with his companion. "Everything has unfolded as he has told me."
Lachlan and Rouka both exchanged unsure shrugs before turning and nodding, seemingly in agreement with the two men.
"Excellent," Cadil chuckled lowly before turning to their leader. "Our next course of action is to organise our forces."
"What do you mean?" Lachlan interrupted, turning his curious look between the frowning Gallarus and his strategist. "What's gonna happen?"
"Well…," Cadil began again, grinning as always. "Alaric is no doubt interrogating your supply driver-"
"S-Shouldn't we rescue him?" Rouka interrupted, a concerned frown adorned on her features. Cadil lost his grin almost immediately as he was interrupted and turned a stony cold glare on the woman. "I'm serious!" She pleaded, turning her looks on the other soldiers.
"I don't like it either but…" Lachlan let hanging as he turned his eyes away from the woman, arms folded.
"That man is dead weight," Gallarus spat out venomously as he regarded the woman's comments quickly. "We simply do not have the manpower or resources to waste on his useless-"
"He wouldn't be in jail if it weren't for your choices!" Rouka shot back angrily, thrusting an accusatory finger at the wide-eyed Baron. He gasped in recoil and glared back at her.
"How dare you insinuate this is my fault," the nobleman muttered belligerently in response. "I'll have you know-"
"People!" Cadil interrupted with a sarcastic grin plastered over his cracked expression. The three soldiers turned their heads to meet his. "While you all bicker we lose precious time," the strategist claimed in a sarcastic chuckle, eliciting an annoyed grunt from the listening Gallarus. "Now… we know how they react to our previous… 'strategy' of a supply convoy," the man snorted at the idea, turning his eye on the annoyed faced Gallarus. "So… what if we do that again?"
"What are you even talking about, you senile old fool?" Gallarus insulted angrily, spitting his words with obvious venom. Cadil merely grinned back at him however and turned his eyes over to the inquisitive Rouka and Lachlan.
"What do you mean, what's different about this one?" Rouka questioned, narrowing her eyes at the old man.
"Glad you asked," he chuckled initially before continuing. "We plan a route into the mountains further up this time; this will pull the Aselian forces upward with us,"
"But how's that gonna help us?" Lachlan interrupted, raising a curious eyebrow as he did so. "Unless you're talking about…?"
"Yes…," Cadil chuckled back, nodding in his low and hunched position. "An ambush."
"Didn't I already suggest that?!" Gallarus shot back angrily as he turned to glare at the now frowning faced Cadil.
"No." He replied simply, eliciting an annoyed growl as he turned his eyes away from him once more.
"It's simple enough," Lachlan murmured before re-raising his head up to face the strategist's. "But how do we know they'll take the bait?"
"Because I know him," he began in a low smirk. "The son of Sathryon is weak, untested, unsure; he relies purely on instinct and previous success; he is not like his father."
"Being pragmatic has its advantages I suppose…" Rouka surmised aloud as she folded her arms and frowned at the ground in thought.
"And we're just certain he'll fall for this ruse?" Gallarus questioned angrily, turning his eyes on the Summoner next to him. Cadil turned back, this time in another frown.
"I am certain he will," Cadil merely answered, glaring back at the faltering nobleman. "And you will listen to me," the Summoner warned lowly. Gallarus put on another annoyed expression but dutifully turned his head away from his strategist, seemingly complying. Cadil put back on his grin and faced the rest of the soldiers. "So… are we agreed?"
"Sounds good to me," Lachlan nodded in his own folded armed frown. "Long as you can guarantee all this."
"I can," Cadil answered positively, nodding in his ever-eternal grin. "I have seen the future and he falls very soon in his adventure." The Summoner claimed in a low, knowing chortle.
"This is the guy that got us this far, right?" Rouka questioned as she turned her head over to the frowning and surprised Gallarus.
"Um… well yes…"
"Then I'll back that," the soldier spoke once more in a positive nod, agreeing with the man next to her. "Lachlan and I are on board."
"Excellent," Cadil chuckled before turning his grin on the listening and watching Gallarus. "And you, my lord?" He asked, tilting his head lightly as he did so.
Gallarus turned his annoyed frown onto his neutral expressed allies before rolling his eyes and simply nodding in response.
"Magnificent; then we are all agreed," Cadil claimed, his head moving from each of the council members. "We shall place an ambush force of roughly around fifty men dotted around the Wrulz mountains… is this acceptable?" He asked, eliciting nods from both Lachlan and Rouka. He turned to receive the hasty nod from the annoyed frowning faced Gallarus and grinned before taking the map he had placed on the table beforehand, rolling it up and placing it inside his robes. "Excellent," he grinned again before waving the two off and turning to leave. "You are dismissed."
Even as they left together, Gallarus' hard frown never left him. He walked down the hall with the grinning faced Summoner.
"I resent you sometimes," Gallarus finally spoke up as they walked down the same road they had earlier, his face contorted into a childish-like scowl. Cadil raised an amused eyebrow upward as he listened. "You treat this Rebel Alliance like it would be your own army," he muttered again, eyes glaring forward before suddenly turning on the strategist. Cadil merely continued walking, a grin adorned on his face as he did. "Listen to me!" He roared down the hallway; Cadil finally stopped and Gallarus continued. "I am in command here!" The Baron exclaimed angrily. "If not for me then-"
Before he could even finish his sentence, the wide-eyed nobleman found himself lifted into the air through either magic or Aegir; he quickly surmised his companion did so and placed him up against the wall before finally turning around and advancing on him menacingly.
"If not for you, you say?" Cadil repeated, tilting his head as he approached him, putting on an amused grin. "If not for you, your family would not be slowly dying to hunger and poverty," he began again, his grin still plastered onto his cracked, gargoyle-like face. Gallarus' hands went up to his neck and he gasped continually, as if being strangled. "If not for you, then you simply would have no need for this little revolt of yours," he continued in an amused smirk before, suddenly, his amused look gave way to a more sinister one. "This Rebel Alliance is my own army," he claimed boldly, his dark eyes turning yellow mixing in the terrified stare with the lifted Gallarus'. "And you are all my little pawns," the robed man claimed before raising an eyebrow, this time in curiosity. "Are we understood?"
"C-C-Ca-Cadil…," Gallarus managed out in a strained gasp, struggling against the wall. "L-L-Let g-g-go-"
"If you want your family alive and as well as they were before this revolt…," Cadil began simply in reply, his frown still thick and unyielding as he glared up at the armoured man above him. "Then you will listen to me," he threatened, his voice held low as he raised an eyebrow upwards. "Am I sounding clear to you?"
Perhaps unable to speak in his harsh rasps, Gallarus simply nodded, wincing as he struggled in his hold.
Cadil put back on his earlier smirk and, like magic, the wide-eyed Gallarus let out another gasp as he was dropped to the ground roughly, his armour clunking loudly as he did so.
"Come now, lord Gallarus!" Cadil simply called out as he turned to leave, eliciting the fallen man to raise himself upwards slowly and carefully. "We have much to plan!"
Gallarus could only gulp down the remaining saliva that had gathered in his mouth before walking on after the strategist.