A/N: And after two months, we now have Chapter 10 of Lyn's story from the point of view of a teenage tactician from our world! Enjoy!
UPDATE: Fixed an error in the document. My bad!
Trials of a Teenage Tactician
Chapter 10: The Distant Plains
"So, you are the tactician that I have heard so much about," said the armored man.
"Yeah, that's me," I answered.
"My men have told me so much," he smirked. "You and that Sacaen mongrel of an heir, how you've managed to survive up to this point."
"Yeah," I replied. "You've given us a hard time, Lundgren."
"Well, no matter," he smirked. "The girl could not have possibly come here on her own, with only those two knights at her side. No, it took the mind of a mere boy to guide them here." He then grabbed me by the neck and lifted me off the ground, choking me. I couldn't move, the shackles were bound too tightly around my arms. "And now, I have that boy in my grasp."
"G-Gah..." The man's cold hands were tight around my throat, and I could feel my air being cut off. "B-Bas...tard..."
"Lord Lundgren, the imposter Lyndis approaches the castle," a man called from the door. "Allow me to watch the prisoner." At those words, Lundgren dropped me, and I quickly took a deep breath to regain the blocked off air.
"Very well, Sir Balan," said Lundgren. "I know you wish revenge on this boy, so I will leave you. Just make sure he is kept alive." With that, he left the room.
"Kept alive?" I asked. At the sound of my voice, Balan threw a hard punch at my stomach, and I doubled over in pain.
"You don't deserve to be kept alive," he growled, kicking my in the face. I staggered backwards and fell against the wall. I felt blood trickle from my nose. "You... The tactician of those mercenaries that killed so many Caelin men. You deserve to die!" At those words, he punched me in the chest.
"Gah!" I cried. That guy had one hell of a punch. I think I felt one of my ribs crack.
"The tactician of that impostor girl who wishes to claim the Caelin throne," Balan growled again, throwing a right hook at my face. I fell over into a pile of hay. I'm pretty sure I was coughing up blood at this point.
"L-Lyn..." I managed to wheeze. "She's... not..."
"That tactician... who killed my brother!" Balan screamed as he grabbed my tunic and threw me against the wall. "Lord Lundgren may be generous and want you alive but if it were my choice, I would kill you, right now!"
"Y-Your... brother?" I coughed.
"Sir Balin," he said. "Among the finest knights of Caelin. And your men killed him! Those traitors Kent and Sain!" He grabbed my throat. "I may not be allowed to kill you, boy, but I can maim you until you cry mercy!" At that, he threw me to the ground and kicked me in the stomach.
"Balin..." I whispered. "I... didn't... want..."
"Do not speak his name! You dared to storm Caelin as soon as our dear Lord Hausen took ill," he growled. "You are nothing but a coward, boy. Hiding behind your men. You do not know what it means to be a man." He kicked me in the stomach again, forcing me to cry out in pain.
"What sort of man are you then, Balan?" a feminine voice came from a corner of the cell. "Maiming that boy when he obviously cannot defend himself. Who's the more cowardly?"
Balan stopped his attacking, and looked toward the corner. "Do you know who this boy is, Chloe? He is responsible for the death of your father!"
"E-Even so," said the girl. "I cannot sit here and let you brutally torture him. Please, just let him be. He's had enough."
Balan scoffed and spit on me. Yeah, adding insult to injury is real manly, pal. "I will be watching you, boy. Do not even think of escaping. If you do, no daughter of my teacher will stop me."
"Wasn't... on my... mind..." I wheezed. It's really hard to talk after being beat up like that. He kicked me once more, and I was left rolling on the floor in pain.
"Are you alright?" asked Chloe.
"Never better..." I replied. "I roll on the floor because it feels good." I could hear the sound of chains moving closer to me, and a pair of hands touching my arm. Apparently, her arms were shackled in the front. "I thought I was alone here."
"Lundgren uses this cell to keep people he may use as hostages," she replied. "I was one of them. My name is Chloe Eagler."
"E-Eagler?" I asked. "As in, General Eagler?"
"My father," she replied. "Evidently, you are responsible for his death."
"I..." I trailed off. It was true. It was all true. Kent and Sain killed him, but they killed him for me. Their own teacher. "It was my fault," I told her. "I'm so sorry, Chloe." I whispered.
"It is my fault as well," she sighed. "I was studying in Pherae when I was told that my father was ill. I rushed back to Caelin, and was captured by Lundgren's men." I felt a teardrop on my hand. "If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have fought you. He'd still be-"
"Don't think like that, Chloe," I interrupted. I managed to sit myself up and take a look at her. She had the same sea green hair as Eagler, but looked nothing like him. Thank god. She was actually quite pretty, and looked about seventeen. She had long hair tied in a large ponytail, and was wearing a grey dress which exposed her bare shoulders.
And in taking time to look at her, I managed to forget what I wanted to say.
"You're right," said Chloe. "Thank you."
"Y-Yeah," I replied. There, once again, is my lack of ability to talk to pretty girls.
"What is your name?" she asked.
"My name? It's Sean," I answered. I love how I had to pause there.
"You're a very kind person, Sean," she continued. "I have no doubt that you are not a threat to Caelin."
"Th-Thanks," I replied. "Anyway, um... studying in Pherae?" Typical. I try to start a conversation, and it comes to school. I hate my nerd mind.
"Yes, I am a student at the Royal Academy of Pherae," said Chloe.
"The Pheraean Academy?" I asked. "Yeah, Eliwood told me about that. Said he could get me in if I wanted to."
"Eliwood? Do you mean Lord Eliwood?" asked Chloe.
"Yeah," I replied. "You know him?"
"Well, I know about him," she said. "He is the prince of Pherae, a graduate of the Academy at the top of his class." She paused. "He has flowing red hair and a dazzling smile. Every girl wishes to marry him, and..."
"Okay, okay, I get it," I stopped her. Jeez, that Eliwood has his own fan club! Lucky son of a-
"But, I'm sorry," she laughed. "It is nice to have someone to talk to. I guess there was too much for me to say."
"Yeah, just a bit," I chuckled.
"You are very young for a tactician, Sean," she said. "I was expecting someone older."
"Yeah, I get that a lot," I sighed. "But, I'm not really a tactician. I never was."
"Do not be so modest," she chuckled. "Lundgren considered you the greatest threat to his treachery. You came all the way from Sacae with only a few soldiers and won every battle he threw at you. Surely you have the true mind of a strategist."
"I won those battles because my friends were there," I told her. "I'm really not a strategist, Chloe. My friends were just strong enough to get through every situation that we were in."
"But then... you really aren't a tactician?" asked Chloe. "But, Lundgren said... Everyone..."
"They're wrong about me, Chloe," I finished. "I'm just what I look like, a guy who gets beat up a lot. Apparently, I've got a pretty good brain, but it's not worth anything if it comes down to deciding whether someone lives or dies. It tore me up when Kent and Sain were forced to kill Balin and your father, Chloe. I didn't tell them to, but they did it to protect me and Lyn."
"Lyn?" asked Chloe. "Do you mean the Lady Lyndis?"
"Yeah," I replied. "They all believed in me. They all thought that I was more than what I really was. And because of that..." I paused, trying to gather the words that I needed. "...they killed people. They killed bandits, and assassins, and even the brave soldiers of Caelin. All because of me." I took another breath as the sad memories began to flood my mind again. "And now they know everything. None of them believe in me anymore."
"If you do not mind, Sean, would you tell me what happened?" she asked.
"Not much to tell," I sighed. "It started this morning..."
Flashback - That morning...
We had just finished our light breakfast of bread and fish, and had packed up our stuff. Kent and Sain began to lead us toward our final destination, Castle Caelin, and we prepared ourselves for the inevitable confrontation with Lord Lundgren. I had spent the early parts of the morning studying the map of Caelin that Eliwood had gotten me, and tried coming up with the best way for us to reach the castle.
I had realized a lot about my being sent to Elibe, and about my place. Every battle I took part in, every plan I made, decided our fates. And this was it. Lundgren would not hold back now that we were so damn close. My strategies would involve more death, more losses, and more heartbreak. Caelin's entire military force was after us, and we needed to face them all. And I also realized that it wouldn't end there. The destiny that Professor Dumas had mentioned when he sent me to Elibe implied that I would be instrumental in saving the world. I was a tactician sent to Elibe in order to prevent its destruction... and as much as I hated to admit it, I needed to have the strength of mind to have blood on my hands.
The thought of that made me want to lose my breakfast.
"Lady Lyndis, you should be able to see Castle Caelin once we pass these mountains," said Kent.
"Grandfather... I'll be with you soon," whispered Lyn.
"Everything rests on this next battle," said Kent, turning to me.
"I know," I sighed.
Sain continued. "Lundgren will not be receiving the reinforcements he expected. He'll move against us with everything he has soon."
Lyn kept a firm stare at the mountain that separated us from Castle Caelin. "Let him come! Let them all come!" she shouted. "I will not be turned away! I will see my grandfather... I've come too far to let anyone stand in my way." She turned to me. "This is it, Sean. This is our final test. My friends, for one last time, lend me your strength!"
"As if there was any way that we wouldn't," laughed Wallace.
"I'll do my best!" said Florina.
"We're ready, right Erky?"
Erk's response was a nod.
"We're almost there," smiled Wil. "Let's do this."
"We'll help in any way we can," said Nils.
"If you need me, I will be happy to aid you," said Ninian.
"So long as Hausen's got a reward, I'm up for anything," chuckled Matthew.
"May St. Elimine be merciful to our cause," said Lucius.
"I have yet to repay my debt to you, milady," said Dorcas. "Let us proceed."
"I said when we started this journey that we'd stick together, Lyn," I said. "Let's go face your uncle."
"No."
That last answer shocked all of us. We turned to the stoic nomad who gave the only nonsupporting answer to Lyn's request.
"Rath?" asked Lyn.
"I refuse to follow that false strategist any longer," Rath replied simply. "And I suggest you do the same, Lyn of the Lorca."
"Wh-What?" I stuttered. "But..." Oh, this was really not going to end well.
"Rath, what is the meaning of this?" demanded Kent.
"Did you truly believe that you couldn't be heard last night?" he asked me. "When you and the pegasus knight were talking? You have much to learn about the ears of a Sacaen."
Oh, shit.
"R-Rath..." whispered Florina, stepping away.
"Rath, listen," I told him. "There was a misunderstanding..."
"Your words were fairly clear," he replied. "That you were keeping the fact that you aren't a real tactician secret."
"I..." I began, looking around at my friends. Every one of them, staring at me, waiting for an answer. Man, I hate being put on the spot.
"Sean..." Florina began.
"Tell me the truth, Sean," said Lyn. "Are you really a tactician?"
I looked at them. What could I do now? If I told them the truth, at this vital point in time, I had no idea how it would affect them. But Rath heard me. And, knowing him, it would be easy for him to know that I was lying. And either way, I had dragged Florina into this. How would they treat her if they found out she was keeping this secret from them?
"The truth is..." I began. I had to take a breath, this was getting to the point where my fate might be decided. "...I'm not really a tactician. I never was. Lyn, when we first met, I said that to impress you." I fell to my knees. The truth was relieving, and I decided to continue. "My life was... comfortable. I've never seen war, or death. My strategies have been a combination of intuition and dumb luck. It was... just lucky that none of you have died yet." I took another breath and waited.
The silence after everything I said was a long one, and one that began tearing at me. I had said it, to all of them, before their biggest battle. And once it had been said, there was nothing else I could do to take it back.
"It can't be true..." whispered Sain, breaking the silence.
"Oh, laddie," sighed Wallace, shaking his head.
"You kept this from us?" asked Kent. "How could you? We all believed in you! We... We killed our teacher for you!"
"I know," I replied. "I'm sorry, none of this was supposed to happen. I just wanted to get Lyn back to her grandfather, I never wanted any of this to happen!"
"Sean, you lied to all of us," said Dorcas. "I... don't know what to think right now."
"I can't believe this," said Wil.
"This is troubling, Sean," sighed Lucius. "Friendship is a gift, and abusing it is a crime."
"No kidding," muttered Serra.
"Guys, wait!" I shouted. "I know that I lied to you, and I'm sorry, but look at where we are! I'm learning! We've all made it here because we stuck together. Please, don't-"
"I still have the honor of a Sacaen, boy," said Rath. "I will not pursue you for revenge, because of how well you have served us up until now. But, I will not hesitate to put an arrow through anyone who desires to harm Lyn."
"I'd never hurt Lyn!" I shouted. "She's the reason I came to Elibe in the first place!" I trailed off, realizing that I revealed a little too much. Too late, the words were already out.
"What do you mean... came to Elibe?" asked Sain.
"I... I..." I couldn't find a straight answer after that.
"You came here... for me?" asked Lyn. "But... I found you by accident. How?"
"And outsider with knowledge of Lyn," said Rath. "And she happens to have a secret heritage that even she didn't know about. Somehow, I don't believe this is coincidence, boy."
"I swear, I had no idea," I tried to defend myself.
"Lies!" shouted Kent. "I will have no more of this, Sean! After everything that we've done for you, you still kept this from us!"
"And Florina kept this secret as well," said Matthew. "What did you do, Sean? Hold her at knifepoint?"
"No, I wouldn't do that!" I shouted. "Please, trust me. What I want is the same as you guys. I want to get Lyn safely to Caelin and stop Lundgren." I turned to the one who had trusted me just the night before. "Florina..."
"Sean, I... I'm sorry," she whispered. "If you originally came for Lyn, then I-I'm not sure I can trust you anymore either."
"No..." I whispered.
"Sean," Lyn spoke up. "You've been a good friend for these past weeks. I'm... grateful for everything you've done." She paused, as if trying to find the right words. Man, I hate silence like this. "But... given this new information, I know what the best course of action is. Thank you for everything, Sean, but... I have to ask you to leave."
Her words were enough to completely silence me. She pretty much paraphrased what I had said to her some time ago. I looked at the group that I had traveled with for so long, and couldn't stand it anymore. They were my friends, and I betrayed their trust by lying to them. Not knowing what to do, I turned and ran away, not looking back.
End Flashback
"And pretty much right after that, I managed to get caught by Lundgren's forces," I finished.
"They are your friends, Sean," said Chloe. "Yet, you did not beg them to forgive you and let you explain? I know that you are not with Lundgren, after all."
"I'm bad at social situations," I sighed. "Didn't come to mind until it was too late."
"So, the Lady Lyndis is battling without her strategist," sighed Chloe. "Perhaps there is no hope for us after all."
"I wouldn't go that far," I replied. "Lyn is strong. So are the rest of my friends. They'll be fine without a fake strategist like me anyway." I rested my head against the stone wall of the cell. "It's better this way. I'm not cut out for this whole war strategist thing. I can't be the one who decides who lives or dies." I leaned against the wall and looked at the ceiling. "Somehow it didn't even cross my mind until we had to fight Balin and Yogi once we reached the border. Didn't even consider it when we killed all those bandits. Guess that says something about me, huh?"
"Bandits? Would you hold sympathy for them?" asked the girl.
"Have you ever watched a man die, Chloe?" I asked.
"Well, no," she replied.
"I have," I sighed. "It's like, I watch as the life that began from when they were babies end. As they grew up, they made relationships with other people, and the number of those grew, and in dying, not only do they lose themselves, but part of everyone they've ever known. No matter who they are, in death, they are only human, and have interacted with other humans." I stopped and thought about what I said for a bit. "Huh... never thought I could be so melodramatic."
"I guess I've never thought of it that way," said Chloe. "I guess growing up under the arm of a general gives me a different view of the world."
"I guess the world I grew up in is really different from yours," I chuckled.
A world that I don't know if I'll ever get back to...
"So, you truly believe that the Lady Lyndis can defeat Lundgren?" asked Chloe.
"I know she can," I replied. "She never needed my help, really. Lyn's really strong, not just in her fighting, but as a person. She's been through a lot, but is still determined to see her grandfather. I know her. I believe in her."
I love her...
The thought just came in sequence to what I was saying, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. I did, though. She may have made me leave the team, but she was still Lyn. She was still the girl that saved my life, and that protected me from the bad guys that wanted my head. She was still the girl that I talked to at night. She was still the one who had shown me both a hardened warrior and a vulnerable girl who had lost everyone she cared about. And apparently, she was still the girl that I was in love with.
Wow, I'm a sappy teenager.
I had to agree that it was for the best that I left, though. If Lyn had let me stay, the dynamic of the group would've been all out of whack. Who would trust the fake tactician anymore? At least this way, they could focus on taking Caelin back from Lundgren.
A shout from Balan interrupted my thoughts. "Hey! Who are-?"
WHAM!
A groan could be heard, and then the jingling of keys. The door opened, revealing a hooded young woman. She wore an indigo tunic and had a leather skirt underneath. Her legs were covered with leggings that ended with some leather boots. As she pulled her hood back, I could see her face better: shoulder-length pink-purplish hair covered one of her eyes, but overall a fairly attractive woman.
"Are you the tactician called Sean?" she asked me.
"Um... yeah," I replied. "Considering you beat up the guy who was guarding the cell, I'm going to assume that you're here to rescue me?"
She smiled. "Your assumption would be correct." She walked over to my shackles and used a piece of wire to unlock them. "I have been sent to ensure that you escape from Castle Caelin."
"Escape?" I asked. "Why?"
"The battle outside has been brutal," she told me. "The mercenaries of Lady Lyndis have pushed past many of Caelin's forces and have very nearly reached the castle. If Lundgren becomes desperate, he may try to use you as a hostage. That could mean the end of your life, and that is not allowed."
"Why?" I asked. "You're not one of Lyndis's Legions, and I doubt that they'd send someone they don't know to come rescue their fake tactician."
"You are an interesting one," smiled the woman. "Not many would doubt their own rescuer."
"Call me crazy, then," I replied.
"He accepts your rescue," said Chloe from behind me. "Please, take him away from here."
"Chloe, what are you doing?" I asked her.
"You don't deserve to be in here, Sean," she told me. "I... won't allow Lundgren to kill you. Please, leave."
"You don't deserve to be in here either," I told her. "I'm not leaving if that means you're stuck in here alone."
"Are you saying that if I let her go, you'll come as well?" asked the woman. "That's fine by me. So long as you come with me."
"Well..." I trailed off. Why was I hesitating? Did I want Lundgren to use me as a hostage? No, I didn't want to be a burden on my friends anymore, but something about all of this made me feel uneasy. Who would want me alive that much? A single name popped into my head: Darius.
But, if I declined the woman's offer, I'd also be forcing Chloe to stay in the cell with me. The poor girl didn't deserve that, she had already lost her father because of me. My decision was made at that.
"I'll come as long as Chloe gets to leave as well," I told the woman.
"Such a chivalrous boy," smiled the woman, taking the wire and opening Chloe's shackles.
"Thank you," said Chloe. "If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?"
The woman answered after unlocking my shackles. "My name is Leila," she smiled.
"Am I releasing everyone in this prison?" Leila said with an exasperated voice. "I only have one lockpick, and Lundgren could send one of his men down any second!"
"Oh come on, it's just the chancellor," I sighed. "I may not be a tactician, but I know how to help my friends. Besides, I'm pretty sure I looked really horrible after Balan beat me up, and it was a miracle that Chloe knew how to use a heal staff."
"Oh, thank you," said the man as Leila undid his shackles.
"Are you alright, Chancellor Reissmann?" asked Chloe.
"I am. Thank you, Lady Chloe," the man smiled, and then looked at me. "And you must be the legendary tactician."
"L-Legendary?" I think my jaw nearly fell off my face. "No way, I'm no-"
"He is," Chloe interrupted me. "Chancellor, this is Sean. He is the one who traveled with the Lady Lyndis that we have all heard about."
"Chloe!" I groaned.
"It is an honor, Sean," Reissmann bowed.
"Th-The honor is mine," I replied. Okay, to be honest, it wasn't a bad feeling to be praised like that. It's not every day that I'm legendary. Still, I didn't deserve it, and when that thought reached my head, my guilt felt all the worse.
"Alright, can we leave now?" asked Leila, interrupting my thoughts. "My assignment was to rescue you, Sean. Not to save Caelin."
"Is killing two birds with one stone so bad?" I asked. "Anyway, Reissmann, I'm sure Lundgren's got more men down here who would be willing to fight. Do you know where they are?"
"Yes, of course," said Reissmann. "I'll release them myself." He walked over to the unconscious Balan and removed his sword from his belt. "You three can move on. I will shortly have reinforcements for Lady Lyndis. We will have Caelin back by the end of the day."
"Very well," said Leila. "Come Sean, Chloe. It is time for us to escape from this castle."
With that, the three of us made our way out of the prison. We passed by several unconscious guards along the way, presumably knocked out when Leila first got to the prison. I made a note to myself never to get on the bad side of that woman.
We made our way up the stairs to a walkway, with one side overlooking the throne room. "There's a passageway that leads to the mountains at the rear of the castle," said Leila. "There's a tunnel through them that will lead us safely away from the battle."
"That's good news," said Chloe. "It will feel wonderful to be outside again after living in that prison for so long."
"Yeah," I replied, and then stopped. I looked over toward the throne room, by chance, and saw her. She had her Mani Katti unsheathed, and was soaking wet from what was presumably the rain, and, by god, she was beautiful. "Lyn..." I whispered. She was facing Lundgren, who had his lance readied.
"Sean! Let's go!" shouted Leila.
"You poisoned my grandfather," said Lyn. "You've tried to kill me and my friends so many times, and forced us to kill so many of your own good men. I will not forgive you for this."
"Come now," smirked Lundgren. "Do you truly believe you can take the rule of Caelin after my brother? I am the only one worthy of its throne!"
"You just don't understand," growled Lyn. "This has nothing to do with the throne of Caelin!"
"This is my realm and you have entered without permission!" shouted Lundgren. "You will not leave these lands alive!" With that said, he readied his lance and threw it at Lyn. She managed to dodge and took the opportunity to charge at him, thrusting her blade forward and catching Lundgren on the shoulder. With a grunt of pain, Lundgren threw his fist into her stomach, knocking her off of him. I could see Lyn clutching her stomach in pain as she picked up her Mani Katti again.
"Leila, I have to go help her," I said. "Everyone else must be holding the entrance, so she's fighting alone."
"Tell me, how well can you fight?" asked Leila.
"I... can't," I replied.
"You came from Sacae all the way to Caelin without knowing how to fight?" asked Chloe.
"Impressive, isn't it?"
"Foolish is the word I'd choose," said Leila. "How can you possibly help her, even if I allowed you to?"
She was right. There had to be a way! I watched as Lundgren approached Lyn, his lance readied, and Lyn was getting up. The girl made her move, doing a battou-jutsu on the man, cutting a bit of his armor off. Lundgren countered by swinging his lance in a full arc. Because Lyn was too close, she only got with the blunt part, but it was enough to knock her over.
"He's too big," I realized. "Lyn will have to chop off most of his armor to make a fatal hit. She's really fast, much faster than him, but can't make a decisive blow on him. There has to be a way to-" I looked up at the ceiling, at an iron chandelier. "Well, there's an idea. Cliche, but an idea." I turned to Leila. "I'm going to need some help."
"No," said Leila. "I was to make sure you escape from this castle."
"Darius sent you, right?" I asked.
She paused, which was enough to confirm that I had hit the nail on the head. "Y-Yes," she answered.
"I know a little about how he thinks," I told her. "His purpose for my escape from Caelin was to ensure that I survive so he can have an apprentice. However, he also knows that if I go unwillingly, it is likely that I will escape from him. I've done it before. Darius wanted me to leave with you willingly, Leila. And that's not going to happen anymore. But, at the very least, I will still survive if you help me. So, what do you say?"
The thief just shook her head. "Darius had much praise about your brilliant mind, Sean," she smiled. "Very well, I will help you."
"Thanks, Leila," I smiled. I turned to the other girl I was with. "Thank you for everything, Chloe. I'm not going to keep you here. Leila told you where the passage was, so you can leave now."
"No," she replied.
"Chloe, ple-"
"I said NO!" she shouted. Well, that shut me up really well. "I'm not leaving without you, Sean. Also, I... I want to help defeat Lundgren as well. It's what my father would've wanted."
"The lady has spoken," said Leila. "What do you want us to do?"
"Okay, Lundgren's armor makes him nearly invincible, but also really slow," I explained. "Look above him. There's a chandelier, which is held by a rope on the other end of this walkway. We cut the rope, and the chandelier crashes down on him without him being able to get away."
"Do you think that will work?" asked Chloe. "It seems so... simple."
"He's the tactician," said Leila. "Very well, I will cut the rope."
We ran over to where the chandelier was tied up, and Leila took out her dagger and began cutting. I watched as Lundgren thrust his lance at Lyn, which she dodged, and countered with an upwards slash of the Mani Katti.
"Just keep him there, Lyn," I whispered.
"This rope is rather tough," muttered Leila, sawing away at it. "It may take a little longer than I thought to cut it."
"Just go as fast as you can," I told her. "Lyn's keeping him busy."
Lyn made another lunge at Lundgren, but the general was ready, and managed to use the long reach of his lance to force her out of the direct attack and to the side. He then swung, and the tip of the lance made a nice cut on Lyn's leg. She cried out in pain, clutching her leg.
"Lyn!" I shouted, and then clapped my mouth shut. Both Lundgren and Lyn looked up to see me. "Okay, made my presence known a bit too soon," I sighed.
"You!" shouted Lundgren. "You escaped from my prison?!"
"Yeah, apparently I did," I shrugged.
"It was my mistake to keep you alive, boy," said Lundgren. "I'll kill you myself!"
"Leila, any time now..." I muttered to her.
"There's the escaped prisoner!" I heard another voice shout. I looked and saw a mage begin casting a Fire spell at Leila.
"Look out!" I shouted, but Chloe was faster, and tackled Leila out of the way of the fireball... which hit the rope. I watched as the part of the rope that Leila was cutting charred, and the strength of it quickly weakened. Leila got up and landed a hard kick on the face of the mage, whose Fire tome flew out of his hands onto the floor next to me, and I picked it up. The rope finally weakened enough, and snapped, sending the chandelier crashing down on Lundgren. The man didn't have time to move, and was knocked out by the falling iron.
"It worked," whispered Chloe. "Sean! Your plan worked!"
"Good job knocking me away, Chloe," smiled Leila. "Well, boy, you did it. Lundgren will not be standing up for a while."
"It's the irony of the situation that gets to me," I said, and then realized that Lyn was still down there. I ran down the nearest set of stairs to the throne room, where Lyn sat clutching her leg. "Lyn!" I shouted. She looked at me.
"Sean," she whispered. I knelt down next to her. "What are you doing here?"
"Lundgren's lackeys caught me and imprisoned me," I told her. "But I got out, and I saw you fighting. I... I really wanted to help you, and, well, things kind of worked out for once."
"You wanted to help me?" asked Lyn.
"I promised that I wouldn't let anyone die, remember?" I replied. "Now, as long as no one outside has died yet, I think I've kept that promise."
"Sean, thank you," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."
"About what?" I asked. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I lied to you for so long about being a tactician. I promise, Lyn, I'll tell you everything about myself. No more lies, okay?"
"Okay," she replied. "It's cold..." she said.
"Oh god, you're soaking wet," I realized. I unbuttoned my cloak and put it over her. "There, should make things a little better." I then managed take a good look at her. She was so beautiful, and nearly passed out from exhaustion. Somehow, showing me her vulnerable side made me feel like she trusted me again. I brushed a stray hair from her face. "Lyn, I'm glad you're safe."
"I want to say the same thing, Sean," Lyn replied. "I suppose this can be treated as a repayment for finding you on the plains?"
"I suppose so," I chuckled. "The plains. It seems so long ago, doesn't it?"
"I never thought that things would turn out like this," said Lyn. "But, I'm very happy to have met you, Sean. I don't regret the times we had together." She moved her hand to rest on top of mine, and my face was probably like a tomato at that point.
"Ahem," I heard a familiar voice from behind me. I looked up to see Chloe holding her heal staff. I take that back, now my face was probably like a tomato. "Shall I treat her wounds now or do you two want to be alone a little longer?"
"Heh, sorry," I chuckled and moved aside. "Lyn, this is Chloe, General Eagler's daughter."
"Eagler's... daughter?" asked Lyn. Chloe pointed the tip of her staff at Lyn and closed her eyes. The staff began to glow and Lyn suddenly seemed to have more energy. "Thank you, Chloe," she said. "I'm... very sorry about what happened to your father."
"I do not blame you, milady," replied Chloe. "Lundgren kidnapped me, and forced my father to fight you to save my life. It was not your fault."
"The loss of family is a tragedy I would not wish on anyone," said Lyn. "I never want the despair I faced to be given to any other soul."
"I am sorry to hear about that," said Chloe.
"Hey, where's Leila?" I asked. Chloe and I looked around and realized that the thief had disappeared. "Damn, I wanted to thank her."
"I think you'll meet her again," smiled Chloe. Just then, two familiar knights rode into the throne room, with more familiar faces following them.
"Milady!" shouted Kent, dismounting his horse. He then looked at me. "Sean..."
"H-Hey, guys," I waved. "I guess you all made it?"
"Yes, we have battled valiantly!" smiled Sain, but his expression changed after a moment. "Wait, what are you doing here, Sean?"
"He rescued me," said Lyn. "Sean was imprisoned by Lundgren, but he escaped, and then rescued me."
"Ha! You escaped?" laughed Wallace. "Laddie, you never cease to amaze me!"
"He is still a liar," growled Rath. Yeah, rub it in, jerk.
"Oh, just let him be," grumbled Serra. "He's not a bad person! Plus, we all made it here! I say we forgive him!"
"The girl may be annoying, but I have to agree with her," said Matthew.
"Yep!" smiled the pink-haired cleric. "Wait... what do you mean 'annoying'?!"
"What I've been trying to tell you for the longest time," grumbled Erk. All of us shared a laugh.
"I-I think we should forgive him," said Florina. "H-He never meant any harm."
"And we never would've made it here without him," said Dorcas.
"St. Elimine does teach forgiveness," smiled Lucius. "I believe Sean deserves a second chance."
"I never had a doubt in my mind about Sean's character," said Ninian. Nils nodded as well.
Rath sighed. "I suppose if Lyn trusts him, then I will too." He then glared at me. "I will not let my guard down, though."
"Wouldn't have it any other way, jerk," I replied. I was happy, my friends were back, and they all forgave me for lying to them. All that time together was not for nothing, I had made real friends. And I was perfectly content in the wonderful moment.
Which of course meant that it wouldn't last.
I felt a familiar cold hand clasp around my mouth and a cold blade pressed against my throat.
"You have all trespassed on my realm!" Lundgren shouted, pressing the blade closer to my windpipe. "If you wish for this boy to live, leave now!"
"If you kill him, Lundgren, we will make sure that you do not have a peaceful death," said Kent.
"Let him go," said Sain, readying his lance. Everyone else got into a fighting stance as well.
"I will not let you harm him, Lundgren," growled Lyn angrily. "I will kill you myself if you lay a hand on him." My friends and Lundgren seemed to be at a stalemate. We were superior in number, and in power, but somehow, because of me, Lundgren still had a hold on all of them. I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't want to be a burden on them.
And I had a plan, just in case this happened.
I pulled out the Fire tome of the mage that burned the rope. I began wriggling about, but Lundgren had my mouth covered. I did the one thing I could think of...
"OUCH!" shouted Lundgren, letting my mouth go. "You little savage, you bit me!"
"Your hand smelled horrible," I replied. "And the taste was even worse." I opened the book, and Erk realized what I was doing right away.
"Sean! Stop!" he shouted. "You have no control over magic! Using the Fire tome like that is dangerous for both Lundgren and you!" I heard his words, but didn't pay attention. I read the chant, and dropped the book, which began glowing red and shaking violently.
"SEAN!" cried Lyn.
"No! This is suicide, Sean!" shouted Chloe.
"Fool!" screamed Lundgren. "You've doomed us both!"
"And that's fine with me," I smiled. I looked at everyone, who were all staring at me in horror. I smiled and breathed what was possibly the last thing that I would ever say to them. "Goodbye, my fri-"
BOOM!
End Chapter
A/N: Two months of waiting for a new chapter, and I end it with a cliffhanger. But don't worry, Lyn's story will not end with an ambiguous fate. I am most definitely going to write an ending. The original plan was to end it on this chapter, but after I got this great idea to really diverge from the game chapter, but still flow with it, it kind of went out of hand and ended up being way too long. However, I kind of liked how this one turned out, though how good it is should really mostly be decided by the readers.
I also realize that I have an annoying habit of adding original characters to the storyline that weren't present in the game. In this one, I introduced Chloe, General Eagler's daughter. I looked back at the dialogue from the previous chapter and realized that we never actually found out about Eagler's motivations, so Chloe was born. I also added Balan, the brother of Balin, just for the sake of making connections between characters. And then there's Darius and Kal...
Anyway, this is the final chapter corresponding to the game, so the next chapter will be the final chapter in Trials of a Teenage Tactician, and I do plan on writing a sequel. I threw in so many loose ends that really need to be tied, so sequel will be written eventually. Until then, review!
