A/N: Another filler chapter featuring our favorite Black Fang members! And Dusk. And Fiora. Am I missing anybody…no….that's about it I think! XD
Chapter 14 – Conversations
Night had fallen, and most of Eliwood's army had retired into their tents. The Black Fang soldiers had volunteered to take watch, which was a huge relief since not only was everyone in the original army happy to get a night's rest, but also because there were far more of them and they were much more likely to detect a potential threat.
Lloyd and Linus were both in their tent, getting ready to retire for the night. Lloyd was about to lay down into his makeshift bed when he noticed Linus wincing in pain as he was doing the same.
"Are you all right, Linus?" Lloyd asked worriedly.
"Yeah," Linus muttered, "but that darkness spell Nergal shot at me…that was the most painful thing I ever experienced. The worst I've ever gotten hit with before were Nosferatu and the occasional Luna."
"Same here…" Lloyd agreed, a bit worried now that he knew exactly how powerful Nergal really was.
"Do you think Dusk or Canas know anything about that spell?" Linus suddenly asked.
"Mhm…it's possible. I mean, they're both pretty experienced Dark Magic users," Lloyd responded.
Linus suddenly sat up. "I've got an idea, Lloyd!"
"What?" asked a bewildered Lloyd.
"What if we ask Dusk to teach us how to resist dark magic? Have him hit us a few times with dark spells until we're strong enough to take them head-on!"
"Are you kidding me, Linus?" Lloyd stared at him as if he had gone drunk. "Do you know how powerful Dusk is? He could end up accidentally killing us if he lets loose a particularly lethal attack!"
"I know he's tough, Lloyd, but if Nergal can't kill us with that spell of his I'm pretty sure Dusk can't either. And we can play it safe by putting on our Iron Runes so that he doesn't kill us off by mistake."
Lloyd stroked his chin. "The more I think about it, the more I actually believe that might not be such a bad idea. As long as we be careful about it, that is."
"I'll talk to Dusk tomorrow, Lloyd. Trust me. This will help us against Nergal in the long run, I'm sure of it!"
"All right, Linus. Have a good night."
"You too, brother."
-the next day-
"You want me to what?" asked a very confused Dusk the next morning. He had never been approached with this kind of request before.
"We'd like you to attack us with some of your darkness spells," Linus repeated the request. "Nergal's spell was one of the most deadly things I've ever experienced in my entire life. I feel like if you hit us with dark magic, we'll start to get used to it and we'll be better off against Nergal."
"An interesting idea…" mused Dusk, "and one that I guess could work under certain conditions. Just make sure that you are wearing your Iron Runes when we attempt this experiment. And also inform the rest of the Black Fang so that nobody thinks I'm actually attacking you." A small smirk stretched across his face. "If I killed you by mistake or anybody got the wrong impression that could cause quite a few…issues. Seek me out later in the evening."
Dusk then left to gather everyone for the march to the resting place of Armads. Linus looked around and saw Nino and Legault playing around. As he approached them, Nino looked up and saw her stepbrother coming.
"Hi, Linus!" she waved cheerily. "Legault and I were just talking about what the Fang was like before Nergal took over. He told me that it was like home, where everybody felt comfortable knowing that what they did was right and that they were all good people. Is this true, Linus?"
Linus grinned. "Legault hit it on the mark, Nino. We were more than just some organization. We were a family. Father always cared about the innocent people who lived in Bern, but he knew that the nobility was full of corruption and that they would never do anything, least of all that scum King Desmond," he scowled. "Hopefully, like Vaida keeps saying, Prince Zephiel will make things better once he becomes king."
He continued on, "Anyway, everyone trusted each other and watched each other's backs. I can't count how many times father jumped in to save a fellow Black Fang member in danger, not to mention how many times Lloyd and I watched each other's backs. We did all sorts of things, like secretly protect people from bandits and, a little less honorably, kill off wicked nobles who were bringing nothing but pain onto their subjects."
"Why didn't we ever come out into the open?" asked Nino.
"Because," answered Legault, "if we did that then every noble who feared us would try to hunt us down and destroy us. You have to understand, Nino, that nobles fear threats to their power more than anything else. If we made ourselves fully known, it would be much easier to try to get rid of us. Sure, everyone knew what we were. But that's all we ever revealed."
"What are you going to do with the Fang now that Nergal and Sonia have ruined it?" Nino asked a bit worriedly.
Linus ruffled her hair and smiled. "Ah, but that's just it! Nergal and Sonia HAVEN'T ruined it. Not yet anyway. Father may be gone, but Lloyd's still here, I'm still here, Legault's still here, and so is everyone who truly cared about what the Fang was meant to stood for. Even Jaffar had a chance to redeem himself and took it because of you. So long as we're all still alive, the spirit of the Fang will never die."
Nino looked up at her stepbrother. "Can I be a member of the Four Fangs?"
Linus laughed at first, but his face soon developed a thoughtful and serious expression. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea, Nino," Linus finally answered. "Being a member of the Four Fangs means you have to accept killing as part of your life, and that's not something you should be directing your life toward. Legault would be a better choice. The path of the Fang is something he's accepted a long time ago, and even without that he's older and more experienced than you are."
Legault looked away. "I'm not that good of a fighter, Linus. You, Lloyd, and Jaffar were the real masters of the blade."
Linus shook his head. "You're a lot more skilled than you give yourself credit for. I saw you sign the Fell Contract that Dusk gave you. Given time, I'm sure you'll reach Jaffar's level with your newfound skill as an Assassin."
"Thanks, Linus. Coming from you, that means a lot," Legault replied gratefully.
"You guys, everyone's packing up!" Nino suddenly noticed.
"Flux, we better get moving. We're going to the resting place of Armads!" Linus burst into action. Legault and Nino quickly followed suit. It wouldn't do to hold everyone back when time was of the essence.
/
Lloyd walked quietly by himself on the road to Armads. So much had happened in the past week and he still found it extremely hard to comprehend it all. He needed some time alone to think, and now was as good a time as any.
"Lloyd?" a voice asked. "Are you all right?"
Lloyd turned to see Fiora nearby. Apparently, she had elected to let her Pegasus walk this particular road so that she could rest her wings. He smiled at her. "Yes, I'm fine. Just thinking about everything that's happened recently. It's a lot to take in."
"I know how you feel," replied Fiora. "I've finally met both of my sisters again in ways that I never really expected. Although," she laughed softly, "neither of them were trying to kill us at first."
"Linus is my brother and I love him like one," Lloyd answered, "but I will admit that he's very bold and rash. Whenever we were going to have a battle back in the days of the Old Fang, Linus would always be the one who wanted to jump in and chop up some evildoers. Father and I were the ones who came up with the plans."
"That sounds like my sister Farina. She ran away from home so that she could make money as a mercenary," Fiora explained. "For a long time I was angry that she abandoned our family like that out of greed, but eventually I learned that she had only done so in order to help our family, especially Florina. I couldn't stay angry after that."
"Her heart was in the right place, and that's what counts in the end," Lloyd replied.
"I know…even though it still tore a hole in our relationship that to this day hasn't completely healed…" Fiora said, regret in her voice. "But I don't want to burden you with all of my problems, Lloyd."
"Don't be sorry, it's no problem," Lloyd shook off the apology. "That's what friends are for."
Fiora smiled. "I'm glad that I can count on you. But I have another question I've wanted to ask you."
"What might that be?" asked Lloyd.
"Where did you learn to fight with a sword like that? I honestly think you're the best swordsman I've seen in my entire life, and that includes the Sacaen ones that I've met."
Lloyd chuckled at the complement. "I don't think I'm THAT good, but I'll answer your question anyway. You see, I was out in Sacae at one point long ago."
Fiora gave Lloyd a confused look. "All the way out there? I thought the Black Fang did their work in Bern!"
"That's true," Lloyd laughed, "but I don't actively serve the Fang all the time. Even my father took breaks once in a while. Anyway, I was already a decent enough sword fighter, but I wanted to expand my abilities, and the Sacaen swordsmen are legendary for their proficiency in that area. While I was there, I encountered one that was legendary not only for his skill, but also his bloodlust. He called himself Karel, if I'm not mistaken."
Fiora gasped. "The Sword Demon is your teacher?"
"Was my teacher," Lloyd corrected. "He taught me skills that gave me the potential to excel far past most other swordsmen of the time, but he also warned me that if I became too powerful then he would destroy me. I took his warning seriously and ended my training early to avoid getting killed, but I taught myself from there and, well, here I am."
Fiora stared at Lloyd in awe. "That truly is amazing, Lloyd. You really are a superior swordmaster."
"Thanks. You're pretty good with a lance yourself."
"I know, but it isn't the same story with my sword. I only recently became a Falcoknight, and even though I know the basics of the sword, they really are just the basics."
Lloyd frowned. "The downside of being a swordmaster is that I'm fixed in the Weapon Triangle. Lances are always a bit of an uncomfortable spot for me, unless I'm wielding a Lancereaver," he laughed, "and we all know how rare reaver weapons are. You at least have some versatility. As limited as your sword skill may be, it's better than no sword skill at all."
Fiora smiled. "Maybe you could teach me how to improve with the sword. And in exchange, I could show you how to fight more effectively against lances."
Lloyd nodded. "It's a deal, Fiora. We'll both become even better through helping each other. The next time we have some free time we can train."
"Thank you, Lloyd. You really are a good friend. It's no wonder everyone else in the Black Fang looks up to you."
/
A small smile was etched across Legault's face as he watched Lloyd and Fiora. He had never seen Lloyd talk so closely with another member of the Black Fang, unless it was one of his relatives or himself. "So, Lloyd…" he spoke in almost a whisper. "You've finally found someone you can really connect to outside of the Fang. The question is…will you simply become good friends with her? Or will it become something more?"
/
A/N: Linus's plan revolves around the whole "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" concept. It does not work in real game for obvious reasons, but I suppose if we were to incorporate some real-world element into this fic then it does make sense if you think about.
And yeah, I know, this whole "we train together to help each other get better" thing is already in quite a few B Supports and is borderline cliché, but it does make sense. And yep, Legault's keeping tabs on Lloyd's "love life." It's Legault, what did you expect? XD
Read and review please!