IceBlade28: Through popular demand (or slight lack thereof), Chapter XXI of Person's Unknown is here and roaring- or whimpering. Either way, it's here.
Serra: You took a heck of a long time putting it up!
IceBlade28: Shaddup. Just give the readers a summary of last chapter.
Serra: Fine.
Last chapter, X tricked Lyn into seeing Kent's headless corpse. She was crying, X felt guilty, so he skedaddled off into the Arena. He picked me up out of bed, dumped me on the rooftop and bent the flagpole to a particular angle. After beating the crud out of me and breaking my ribs, he slashed his wrist and stuck some black misty stuff into the jade stone he stole from me, before dumping it in my hood and putting a noose around my neck.
Priscilla and Erk teamed up to take out a bandit, and Erk deduced that I was on the Arena roof. Priscilla implied that she did not want me rescued, because she didn't want to have to compete for Erk's love. She hit him with a Sleep staff, knocked the back of his head with a rock and sat down crying.
Lowen was conned by Marcus into competing in the Arena, and it turned out he was going to be facing a huge, axe-wielding Warrior. Sucks to be him.
Matthew and Legault teamed up to take out the Black Fang leader, Oleg. He was about a hundred-eighty pounds of axe-wielding, muscular no-nonsense tankage. Matthew got half-strangled, but he was put down in fifteen seconds. Legault's called the Hurricane for a reason. Pointing to the sunrise, Matthew saw me and X standing at the top of the Arena, and so did Lucius and Hector. X pushed me off, and the noose pulled tight. I was hung, my neck was broke, and I died. You absolutely suck, Taylor.
IceBlade28: And you put me in hospital because of it. Finish up.
Serra: Hector, Lucius and Matthew trapped X on the roof. Hector broke X's jaw, he rehinged it and escaped without a word. Down below, Priscilla had fainted because my dead body had landed in her lap, and the rest of the army had gathered around. Then the chapter ended with me mutilating Taylor.
IceBlade28: That hurt a lot- and that was a really short summary compared to your normal speeches.
Serra: It was short because I'm trying not to strangle you.
IceBlade28: o.0 Your point is understood. Let's start the fic, shall we?
Serra: (angry glare)
IceBlade28: Um . . . why aren't we rolling? Start the fic!
Serra: Screw it. (Strangles IceBlade28)
Chapter XXI: My Purest Heart For You
Lucius opened the arena door and stepped into the congregation surrounding Serra's body, his sky blue eyes moistening. Kaira had pushed her way to the front and already removed her cloak, covering the cleric's body with it.
"There's nothing more to be seen or done here," she said quietly. "Everyone is dismissed, except for Hector, Eliwood, Lyndis, Priscilla, and any magic users who can lend a hand." They broke away in ones and two's, with only Matthew lingering a moment before vanishing.
Nobody noticed the small shadow slip away from the army, climb over the town wall and dropped into the forest behind it.
Nils walked forward, his crimson eyes flickering. The two pieces of his ivory flute were in his bag, and he pushed past a tree until he was in deep bushland. There was something about his posture, his innocence, that had changed as he walked into the forest. Nils didn't look like a child anymore.
"I thought we had a deal," he remarked to the night air.
"We did," said the tree on his left. Nils turned to face the source. The assassin was particularly tricky; Nils had thought the assassin was the bush on his right.
"You're a little better than I thought," Nils said, careful not to inflate the assassin's ego any more. The mystery man walked out from behind the tree.
"I aim to please. And to kill, come to think of it," X said, chuckling at his own joke. Nils didn't laugh. He'd seen what X could do when he let all self-disciplined barriers crash down. He could rival the Grim Reaper himself in bloody kills.
"You're making mistakes. I've started to doubt you," Nils said calmly. X frowned. He didn't like Nils' tone. This assassin wasn't going to be ordered around by some ice dragon brat.
"There was no need to kill Kent, no need at all. You're a loose cannon," Nils rebuked, crimson eyes stern and unmoving. "I made the details of our little 'contract' very clear." X had had enough, and slowly unsheathed a dagger inside his sleeve.
"Yes, you did. You made the details of your little idea more than clear. And I'm breaking them. They didn't suit my purposes, so I'm ignoring your deal and making a new one," X said calmly, twiddling a dagger between his fingers and somehow managing not to lose a digit. Nils couldn't believe his ears.
"Ho-Hold on a second. You can't- we had an agreement!" Nils stammered, before internally cussing. He'd stammered. He'd shown weakness. The assassin would walk over him unless he could regain ground. Worse, X knew it, and he smiled wickedly to let Nils know he knew.
"There's one big, stupid mistake, boy. You don't trust a mistake, especially not an assassin," X said wickedly, enjoying his own pun.
"This isn't over," Nils said, trying to sound tough. X laughed.
"You're completely right. It isn't over. I will do anything and everything necessary to ensure my various secrets stay that way. Including killing you and your sister, if I have to," X said coldly. For the first time in X's memory, unfiltered anger was obvious in Nils' eyes.
"Are you threatening a thousand year old ice dragon?" he said quietly. X smiled.
"Yes. Yes I am," he replied. "After all, we both know you can't use your powers in this world." The assassin flicked the knife around his fingers, and before Nils could blink it was stuck through his scarf, with the tip of the dagger tickling his throat.
In the time it took to take the blade out and throw it back, X had vanished.
"Sister, forgive me," Nils whispered hopelessly. "I only wanted to protect you . . ."
-----
Kaira stared at Serra's body, lying limp on the cold stone table Priscilla had requested. They were in an infirmary that a local citizen had kindly relinquished, and allowed the army to receive medical supplies and perform the autopsy free of charge. Kaira had thanked the doctor multiple times and ordered that the autopsy be commenced immediately. Serra's body was lying on the table, her eyes blank and staring.
"So, Priscilla, what can you deduce?" Kaira said. Priscilla stared at Serra, hiding her feelings.
"Well, she was obviously hanged, as you can see by the markings around the neck. However, hanging rarely involves breaking four ribs and a wrist in the process," Priscilla said, studying the body before her.
"She was beaten?" Kaira said.
"Quite badly," Priscilla agreed. "The swelling around her wrist, as well as the jagged angle, tells us that her wrist was snapped rather than dislocated, and it looks like someone kicked her in the ribs, probably sending her airborne. There's no sign of continued abuse, however, so perhaps Serra fought her captor and was forced to be subdued." Kaira nodded, digesting each fact.
"Looks like she's definitely dead," Kaira said heavily. Priscilla bit her lip.
"Actually, Lady Tactician . . . Serra is still alive."
". . . . She's what?"
"Serra is alive; that is to say, we will be able to keep her alive if we act soon. If I am lucky, with help I might be able to restore some of the lower brain functions, but it's a gamble I would not like to take. At best, Serra will be a vegetable," Priscilla explained. She'd stopped Erk from saving the cleric, for the selfish reason of her own love. Telling this truth could hopefully make it up to herself, at least in some small part. Kaira nodded.
"Do it," she ordered. Priscilla blinked.
"Pardon, Lady Kaira?"
"Do it. If she can survive, we need her. It would boost the morale of the entire army; especially Erk, and he's one of our few offensive magic users. I am ordering you to heal this cleric to the very best of your ability, and not to hold anything back," Kaira said firmly. Priscilla nodded, rolling open her bag of healing paraphernalia and selecting multiple complicated items and thingamiebobs.
"If Serra's life is to be preserved, I will require the magical aid of every person in the camp, and the presence of my Lor-" Priscilla stopped herself. Kaira's ears pricked.
"Of- of the mercenary whose name is Raven," she said slowly, remembering her brother's alias. Kaira nodded, sweeping out of the room and away to her quarters. Priscilla looked at Serra's body in sorrow.
"Serra," she said quietly. "I am unsure if you can hear my voice, but I would say this to you. I . . . I am in love with Erk. He means the world to me, perhaps more than even my Lord Brother. But if such a love will taint my soul with the darkest cruelty, that I would allow such a kind and honourable comrade as you to die that I might satisfy the selfish desires of my heart . . . I do not want it."
Serra's finger twitched, and she blinked. Priscilla felt a surge of adrenaline; Serra had displayed brain activity. Mobility. The Ostian was alive!
"I will not let you die; and should I succeed in my endeavours, I leave my heart behind. You may be the one to be the object of Erk's love. I surrender," Priscilla whispered, and unsheathed her Mend staff from her bag as she heard the door open.
To her heart's consternation, the very mage she longed for walked into the infirmary. Erk's face was deliberately hard, and he stood to attention in the centre of the room.
"You requested me- what would you have me do? I do not use healing magic," he said stiffly. Priscilla didn't miss a beat.
"That is true. You do not. But you are a powerful user of offensive magic, and through a procedure of reversal of technique and magical flow, such power can be used as a lightning rod for healing magic," Priscilla recited, remembering such a definition from when Count Caerlon had taught her. "This is why I have also requested the presence of Lucius the monk and Canas the shaman, as we need as much magical power as we can get."
Erk nodded slowly, recalling his own teacher mentioning such a scenario in which magic could be reversed or transferred from one person to another.
"In short, Serra will die in a matter of minutes and if an almost absurd amount of healing power is not used, Serra will die. Even if it is a complete success, she may never achieve consciousness," Priscilla said quietly. Erk nodded, and was soon greeted by the sound of thumping feet and the remaining three members bursting through the door.
"Wonderful timing," the troubadour said. "Please, Lucius and Canas, may you place your hands on Erk's, and Erk, may you hold onto my own." Confused, the two magic users held the mage's hand, and Erk himself held Priscilla's hand delicately, as though it were a flower petal.
They had formed a human chain, in essence, and Priscilla's Mend staff was resting on Serra's neck.
"Erk, please begin the transferral," she said. Erk shut his eyes and vagued out, allowing his own magic to flow out his hand and up Priscilla's arm, and he soon felt empty and drained. The feeling did not last long, however, as soon a mixture of Lucius' and Canas' own power surged into him. Strangely enough, he felt like Lucius and Canas were sharing his own body; he could sense some of their own emotions and ideas. In a way, they were sharing Erk's body, and the mage had to work hard not to vomit. The feeling was making him ill.
Priscilla felt the sheer 'oomph' of magic charge up her arm and into her body, and the maiden felt giddy and invincible. This power is mine to use, she thought. And I use it that I may save the life of someone I dislike.
Priscilla's eyes actually crackled with the amount of magic power she was harnessing, and she raised her Mend staff high. Raven was leaning against the wall of the infirmary, having arrived late. He was watching the proceedings carefully, and he felt dread at the power that his beautiful sister was channelling. There was something wrong, something bad about this, and Raven could feel it. He could not do anything but meet his sister's eyes, and he did so, watching her watch him. Priscilla's innocent green eyes were blazing brightly, actually illuminating her face. She seemed triumphant, until she caught the worry behind Raven's own eyes. The magical power illuminating her iris' dimmed a moment, and Raven stood up to do something about it. Not that he could have if he tried, as the light from the Mend staff was reaching the brilliance of causing retinal scarring-
When a horrible shattering sound occurred, followed by the sound of a small explosion. Priscilla and the three magic users were flung backwards, and the explosion of magical force blew out the windows and flung Serra's already broken body up to the ceiling and back to the floor. Raven managed to catch his sister in his arms, but was barraged by a clump of bodies that soon buried him.
"What happened?" Lucius asked groggily, unearthing himself from under Canas.
"I'm not sure, but I think Priscilla's body rejected the pure magical power that was being pushed into her body," Erk said, muffled under Canas. The cheery shaman was unconscious. "The question is, why was she storing the magical power instead of channelling it into the Mend staff? Such an action can cause serious damage to the person's mentality- there have been reports of mages dying because of it."
"And so much trouble gained us nothing," Lucius said softly, staring at the Mend staff. The enchanted jewel had completely shattered, and Lucius could make out shards of sapphire stuck in walls or bookshelves around the room. Serra's body was still crumpled on the floor, and Erk ran and kneeled beside it.
"The marks around her neck are gone," he said in wonder. "And her wrist looks normal." Lucius was gladdened for a moment.
"Then it was a success?" he asked, daring to dream.
"Serra," Erk said loudly, snapping his fingers. "Serra, open your eyes. Can you hear me. Serra." There was, almost predicably, no response.
"It won't work," said a male voice from the opposite wall. Erk looked up to see X standing by the blown-out windows, leaning against the wall, arms crossed comfortably.
"You!" Erk said, moving his hands to conjure an offensive spell; Canas was right behind him. To both their surprises, nothing happened. And X obviously knew why.
"You blew both your magic supplies on healing Serra. Her physical injuries are healed, but she won't achieve consciousness unless something is done. Death's finger is still on her," X explained. Erk seethed.
"What needs to be done?" he asked.
"Get me an Elixir, and drop every charge against me. I'm well aware of the manhunt Kaira's put out for me. I want every murder charge, every accusation of theft, all of it dropped. Or I won't heal Serra," X said simply.
"I'm sorry, good chap, but that's not going to happen," Canas said. X shrugged.
"Then there's no point in my being here." The assassin turned to leave, not only placing a foot on the window frame but hiding a cocky smirk. In three, two, one-
"What can you do that we can't?" Erk said finally. X grinned.
"It's not what I can do, it's what I don't have," he said cryptically.
"Which is?"
"A mind bound by the parametres of perfection," X said. "Plus a few tricks you pick up over the years."
"We'll talk to Lady Kaira on your behalf, but no guarantees," Erk said. X nodded.
"That's fine by me. And Raven, kindly step out from behind the bookcase and drop the four knives you're carrying," X said, before pulling the bookcase aside and exposing Raven to the dim light. The mercenary scowled and tossed the four knives onto the ground as X lifted Serra back onto the concrete table with exaggerated care.
"Actually, pass me one of those knives," X said, staring at Serra. Raven smirked, and threw the knife hard- X didn't move, and it stuck deep into his shoulder. The boy grunted, stooping over, before reaching with the other hand and pulling it slowly out of his body. He wiped it clean on his cloak, ignoring the growing wetness of blood running down his back.
"Maybe getting rid of you was a bad idea," he mumbled, poking a small hole in his palm and opening a smaller wound in Serra's carotid artery. (a/n: The place where you find the pulse just under your cheek bone. Try it some time.)
Placing his palm to the open wound, he shuddered as the black mist was pulled from the cleric's body and back into his own.
"Easy now," he murmured, forcing back rising feelings of sickness. Soon the mist was back into his own body, and he sipped the Elixir handed to him by Canas to close up the hole in his palm, and dripped a little to close up the hole in Serra's neck.
"She'll wake up in five minutes," X said simply, bowing low. "Lady Priscilla, my fondest regards." He turned abruptly and leaped out the shattered windows, quickly vanished by the night. At the mention of her name, Priscilla opened her eyes and stared dazedly around the room.
"I . . . where am I?" she asked. "Why did that boy call me Lady Priscilla?" Raven turned abruptly to his sister.
"Priscilla- are you feeling alright?" he said, with Erk at his side. Priscilla blinked slowly, looking down.
"I-I can't remember who I am," she said quietly. "Is this normal?" Erk and Raven shared a look.
"You can't remember who you are?" Erk said, worried. "What about your age? Where you were born? Any siblings? If you're in love with anyone?" That last one made Raven turn to Erk with a dark and questioning look.
"Strong emotions like love and matters of the heart are often recalled even when one's own memory is compromised," Erk explained quietly. Raven nodded slowly, not quite understanding but willing to rely on the mage's magical expertise.
"I am sorry, but there is nothing I can remember at all," Priscilla said sadly. Erk bit his lip, the uneasiness plain to read. Priscilla ran her eyes over her arms, her legs, her torso and frame, familiarising herself with the body that was apparently hers.
"Is my behind really this large?" she said curiously. "It feels an awful lot bigger than I think I should remember." The male occupants of the room embarrassingly silent, though Erk noticed that Priscilla's derriere was indeed particularly sizeable. He made sure not to say it, however, since the look of mortification on Raven's face told him that saying such a thing would have him separated from his innards.
-----
Rebecca tossed and turned restlessly on her bed, brushing a strand of green hair out of her eyes and staring at the roof of her room. She was doing her best to drift away to sleep, but the adrenaline from the battle kept her heart pounding and the image of Serra's broken neck did a better job of keeping sleep away than the adrenaline. At least the possibility of peaceful dreams.
Besides, the sun was starting to rise- it was about four o'clock in the morning and she was wide awake. Tactician Kaira would probably let them sleep in, but what good was extended time if you couldn't use it? Finally Rebecca tossed the covers back, slipped on a small skirt and shirt and a pair of long, soft boots over her feet and exited her cabin, heading for the town wall overlooking the sea.
To her surprise, she wasn't the only one there.
"Fairest Rebecca," Sain said half-heartedly. The Green Lance was sitting on the wall, watching the sun rise slowly over the water. The view was picturesque at worst, but neither lad nor lady appreciated the beauty on display for them.
"Sain," Rebecca regarded, climbing onto the wall and sitting near him. She didn't look at him, nor he at her bare legs or any part of her.
"Couldn't sleep?" Sain asked, staring at the water.
"Not a wink."
"Thinking about Serra?"
"Trying not to. You?"
"Can't get her out of my head."
"Already mourning so many missed flirty comments?" Rebecca said scathingly; though her remark was a little meaner than intended, she didn't want the cavalier to think he was anything special in her books. Sain stayed silent for a moment.
". . . Missing a friend and a cheerful, funny comrade who somehow always lifted us up when we were down," Sain said quietly. "And . . . well, and then there's Kent." Rebecca was the first to break the don't-look-at-the-other-person rule first, and shifted awkwardly to stare the cavalier in the face. He refused to meet her look.
"He was like my brother," Sain said, trying to hide his voice cracking. "We went through the army together when we were younger. Him and me, all the way . . . we were the ones who found Lady Lyn and the Tactician Kaira, back in Bulgar those years ago. It was always the two of us- we were buddies, you know?" Rebecca already felt tears of sympathy creep forward, even though she didn't even know the knight.
"But he was such a pain in the neck!" Sain complained. "Always bossing me around, telling me to leave the women alone, straighten up, swing that sword harder, thrust properly with the lance, and everything! He was so uptight!" Rebecca was taken aback for a moment while Sain turned his back to Rebecca.
It was only a few seconds before Sain's shoulders began to shake and stifled tears began to sound.
Sain was crying.
Rebecca watched the weeping cavalier, unsure of how to react. It wasn't the first time she'd felt this way. After all, weren't men the ones who were supposed to be the comforters? But seeing Sain torn down so badly like this was almost reassuring for Rebecca. This was the kind of man she wanted in her life. Raven was cute, sure, and he had his nice moments and he seemed like a gentleman, but he just didn't show his feelings. Sain wore his heart on his sleeve, and Rebecca realised she appreciated that.
She scooched closer to Sain, shivered once as the cold stone touched the high underside of her thigh, and she held the cavalier in a tight embrace, nestling her chin on his shoulder. Sain kept crying, but his countenance seemed questioning.
"You've still got me," Rebecca whispered. "And I'm not going anywhere." She gave him a gentle kiss on his salty cheek and slipped off the wall. Once she landed, she fixed her short skirt and walked quietly off. She felt like she could sleep now.
-----
Lyn refused to go to the funeral scheduled at dawn, simply because she knew the emotional pain would be too great. She was in love with Kent, and the boy who was almost as close to her heart for a reason she knew but did not know had killed Kent.
It was also for this reason that she knew she had to go. If this assassin boy was consistent in any way, he'd be at Kent's funeral, just to seal the deal on Lyndis' emotional damage.
It was there that she would confront him. There was no choice left; X had crossed a serious line. The assassin would be spoken to; interrogated, rather. And then, if he was still alive, Lyndis would kill him. She would kill him in front of the entire army, and release herself from the phantom memories that haunted her.
"Lyn?" Said a quivery voice by her door. The Sacaen princess turned to see Florina standing close to the door, trying to smile. Lyn wiped her eyes to push away the tears and smiled at her shy Ilian friend.
"Florina, it's nice to see you. Please, sit down," she said, patting a spot on the bed close to her. Florina nodded, sitting on the bed and scooting close to her long-time friend until they were close. The Ilian opened her mouth to say something, but instead let out a sob and buried her face in Lyn's hair. Lyn patted Florina on the back and held her close, feeling hated tears trickle down her own face.
"I know, Florina," she choked. It was hard enough shouldering her burdens, but nearly impossible to push her own heartache away to comfort someone else. I guess that's what it means to be a strong person.
"After so much, he's taken . . . it's n-n-not fair," Florina cried. Lyn let out a choking sound before nodding. There weren't any more words that needed to be said. Just grief that needed to be satisfied. The two girls held each other tight and cried, letting the rage and frustration and sorrow out. The sobs faded to whimpering, and finally to a quiet hollowness. Lyn was hyperventilating, and hating the way her larger chest bounced and jiggled as she gasped for air.
"L-L-L-Lyn," Florina mumbled. "I see X a lot . . . i-in my dreams." Lyn bent slightly to look Florina in the eyes. The Ilian was looking away, and allowing her lavender hair to hide her gaze.
"Your premonitions?" Lyn said quietly. Florina nodded.
"A-And everyone else. Everyone that's died so far . . . I saw Kaira, once, and Dorcas and Guy and Wil and a girl with pink hair . . . I-I-I'm afraid I'm going to see Kent," Florina stammered. Lyn froze. Florina could see Kent?
"I don't w-want to see h-him . . . I don't think I could take it," Florina mumbled. "Sometimes, in m-my dreams, my ch-chest starts to hurt, and I'm scared . . . I'm scared to go to sleep," she wailed. Lyn nodded, holding her Ilian companion close. She'd always believed that everything happened for a reason, but she couldn't see the faintest bit of logic in this.
"Florina, I know I shouldn't ask this of you," Lyn said slowly. Every thought about what she was about to say told her it was a foolish, selfish notion. But she loved Kent. And he loved her back; he'd confessed to her, on that foggy day in the Dread Isle, placing in jeopardy his own feelings and his knightship. Lyndis had to speak to him.
"Please, do this thing for me," Lyn said, trying to look Florina in the eye. "I want you to go to sleep. Meet . . . meet with Kent in your premonition. Tell him-" Lyn choked on the words. "Tell him I- I still love him, and I won't stop. Tell him I'll wait for him, and I'll see him again, and . . . a-and tell him I'm sorry," she stammered. Florina stayed silent and let the tears run down her face.
Finally, she shook her head.
"I-I-I can't do it, Lyn," she whispered. "I th-think I nearly died . . . the dreams o-of mine, they hurt me . . . I've alm-most died once. I don't want to die. I don'-don't want to be alone," Florina wept. Lyn felt her heart sink.
"Florina, please . . ." she pleaded. "It's . . . It's Kent. I love him." Florina shook hard, fighting an internal battle.
"N-No," she said, and Lyn had to strain to hear her. But when she did hear it, it cut her almost as deep as Kent's death. Florina sensed the pain she had caused Lyn and fled the cabin crying, running for the area her sister Fiora was sleeping in.
Lyn shut her cabin door quietly and fell upon her bed, sobbing hard. Florina was the one link she had to her dead lover, and she wouldn't do this for her. After everything Lyn had done to protect Florina! What was worse was the little calm voice in the back of her mind telling her that these feelings of anger and hostility had no place in a beautiful woman like her. It was her mind's image of Kent.
Lyn cried harder and scratched away the tears, enjoying the pain of fingernails against flesh. It helped dull the pain of Kent's passing, at least a little.
The air sang as her Mani Katti was pulled from it's sheath. Lyn squeezed the handle tight as she let out a cry of anger and cut deep into the wooden wall of her room. It hacked out a piece of oak. Lyn ripped the blade from the wall and repeated her action, watching the blade bite deep into the beautiful wood. Out. Chop. Out. Chop. Out. Chop, out, chop, out, chop out chop out chop out chopoutchopoutchopoutchopout-
Lyn screamed as she threw her blade to the floor and beat the mangled mess of wood with her fists, uncaring as splinters drove deep into her fists. Sliding to the floor, Lyn lay there and wept, though her eyes stung and had run dry of tears. Why Kent? Why her loved one? Why her knight, the one who had confessed to loving her in return?
Worst of all, why X?! Why was her familiar enigma his killer? X had saved Kent on the Dread Isle- he'd taken a killing blow for him. Why kill him now? Why kill him at all?!
Lyn curled into a protective ball on the ground and slowly cried herself to sleep.
-----
Guy slashed at the cool morning air, watching his breath fog in front of him. Mentally he was rehearsing his manoeuvres, and you could tell as you watched him move slowly through the space in front. And one, two three, lunge jump slash followthroughtwirl, he thought, executing a rather nice trick of swordplay. He landed perfectly too, sinking to one knee to block a downwards chop from his invisible opponent.
Silently complimenting himself on this little display, Guy got to his feet and wiped the dirt from his leg as he faced his invisible opponent again. Time for one of the more brutal displays he'd been practicing. He did a couple of feints, before spinning towards the target, grabbing the invisble opponent's sword hand and slashing brutally. With a quick leap away, he swept his hand back and flung the sword in one fluid motion. With a look of glee, it passed straight through his imaginary foe's head.
And it took a few lavender locks off Florina's head as she ran by, narrowly avoiding killing her.
Guy's eyes widened and he ran towards Florina, who was standing still and shaking like a leaf on a tree branch.
"Florina! Gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't even know you were there!" Guy babbled. "Are you okay?" Florina was still shaking tightly, and having a little conversation with her conscience. It went something along the lines of:
Faint now. Right now.
But it's Guy. Guy's charming, and sweet, and nice to me.
You were nearly killed. Again. And you haven't slept for thirty-six hours.
Good point. Fainting works well, then.
Florina fainted. Guy panicked and kneeled by her side, rubbing his hands over the grass to collect dew and splashing the cold water on her face. He told her to wake up, and panicked a little longer before he checked her pulse. She was fine- a strong beat told him she was sleeping soundly. Guy smiled at the petite Pegasus Knight asleep in his arms, before shifting her to a more comfortable position and moving until he could sit down and lean against a tree. She was remarkably light, and smelt like strawberries. Guy smiled gently at the slumbering Ilian before sitting down against the tree and starting to doze off himself.
-----
Florina wiped a hand over her forehead and removed an imaginary layer of sweat. Still, sweat was the least of her worries. She was back in the firey caverns of the volcano, in the dream world. This was one of her premonitional states; who cared if she was a little hot?
"Good to see you again!" chirped a voice behind Florina. The Ilian spun to face someone familiar, but as unwelcome as you can generally get without attempted strangling.
"Are you alright? I know your journey's here tend to be a bit bumpy," X said, the concern clear in his voice. Florina scarcely noticed the grey jacket and pants he was wearing before slapping him hard across the face and scuttling backward from fear of her own anger. X rubbed his cheek, dissipating the pain.
"Hello to you too," he grumbled.
"St-st-st-stay back," Florina stammered, barely able to enunciate anything. Remembering the Slim lance in her hand, she held it in front of her to protect her from the evil scary assassin boy, but the point was shaking more than she was. X smiled endearingly.
"You don't have to worry, Florina. I won't hurt you. Not here, at least."
"L-Liar. You said that before!" Florina said firmly. A good act, despite the obvious discrepancies between speech and body language. X thought about replying in the negative before remembering that he had indeed said that before. And he had lied.
"Oh, right. I forgot," X said lamely. "But the whole thing with the shadows, and pushing you into the pit of fire- I did it to protect you, not hurt you." Florina managed a shaky laugh.
"Oh, right," she said sarcastically. X briefly pinched the bridge of his nose before turning the full charm of his deep blue eyes on the pretty maiden.
"Can you trust me?" he asked quietly, being deliberate to sound humble. Florina lost herself in a moment in the shining, sapphire-blue orbs of X's gaze. Fortunately for her and most unfortunately for him, they were interrupted by a party of angry spirits.
"You!" Kent bellowed, charging across the acrid soil. X stared at the enraged knight before unsheathing his Keyé Li'ink. Seeing the nasty-looking sword made Kent stop in his tracks, but did nothing to dispel his anger.
"You saved my life on the Dread Isle and then you behead me?!" he demanded. "What's your agenda? Why are you so fascinated with Lady Lyndis!" he yelled. Florina couldn't stop staring at the spirit of the chivalrous redhead, and gasped as the souls of those she had contacted before joined Kent.
"You can calm down, Kent," Dorcas said quietly, placing a ghostly hand on Kent's arm. "The assassin boy visits frequently- he is not an evil person. Were it not for his efforts, in fact, Leila here would have died much sooner." Kent faced the pink-haired spy, who nodded and winked once at X. X smirked in reply as Wil joined the trio, and the quartet of departed friends stood before Florina and the assassin.
"X cut my head off after I saved his life," Kent said quietly, and his spirit visibly seethed. "And he hung Serra from the battlements of the Arena." With that remark, the tides of compassion reversed. It's funny how one sentance like that can completely change someone's disposition towards you. X took a defensive stance with his Keyé Li'ink as the angry people advanced on him. Even Leila had sided with the angered souls, and X was the one who'd nearly saved her. The boy took in multiple angles, trying to think a way out of this conundrum. The one recurring thought he had was along the lines of 'Well, this sucks'. All he needed to make this scenario worse was his father's interference.
And if you go and throw a bone like that in front of Lady Luck, she's gonna bite on and rip you for everything you've got. As soon as that thought crossed X's mind, a tall black shadow gleaned into existence to the right of the party. It was followed by a second, and a third, and more continued to appear and drift towards X.
"Mistake," they hissed, gliding above the barren dirt of the floor. "Destroy . . ." The party of deceased people turned to the new threat. Leila sweatdropped.
"Mind telling us what those are?" she asked, feeling very vulnerable. X stared at the shadows with hate.
"Father," he said, striding to the front of the group and scowling at the shadows. They glided forward and stopped just in front of him; the front-most shadow flickered.
"No," X said firmly. "I'm not coming back!" The shadow reached slowly out with a shadowy limb and attempted to grab X's arm; X scowled and cut the shadow's own limb away from it's body.
Florina and the rest had to cower from a piercing shriek that eminated from the creature. X somehow didn't bat an eyelid and set about destroying the source of the sound. Kent cursed.
"What are they?!" he yelled. X growled and hacked the next two apart, their spirits vanishing in bursts of dark energy. One thing was clear to the souls of the dead: X had a serious grudge. Florina ran forward with her Slim lance, intent on helping the boy.
"Stay back!" X shouted, cutting a fourth spirit apart and ducking a scything arm from another. "You can't do anything!" Florina stood still.
"Then how do I get out of here?!" she yelled, her eyes wide. If X was hurt or killed by whatever these things were, then she could be stuck here. Which would mean the only way out of this premonitional state would be jumping into the molten fire herself; last time she did that, a heck of a lot of crazy stuff had happened to her. So it was best that she helped X, at least a little.
With a yell, she held her lance like a javelin and hurled it at a creature that had broken away from the self-made barrier consisting of a green-cloaked assassin and was creeping towards them. The shaft punched through the creature effortlessly and the creature reared back before vanishing.
"No!" X bellowed before breaking away from the group. He ran over to Florina, who cowered at his approach. "What have you done?!"
"Get away from her!" Kent yelled angrily, shoving the assassin off balance. X stared at Kent with a peculiar emotion in his eyes; upon reflection, Kent would discover that it was pity. X was feeling pity for Kent.
"Florina has a message for you, Kent," X said quietly, before taking a single step backwards. The Crimson Shield stared in shock as the youth fell gracefully away into a pool of fire, where he was incinerated on contact. Kent checked on the shadow creatures: they were wandering aimlessly, and some of them were starting to fade into oblivion, exactly as they had arrived. Now that they were out of danger, Kent turned his attention to the shaking Pegasus Knight; the rest of the group of dead people had stayed back, realising that this message was for Kent's ears alone. He'd left a lover behind- he deserved a little privacy, at least.
"I-It's from Lyn," Florina sniffed, already starting to cry. Kent felt a hole open inside him, but he listened intently.
"You can tell me. There's no danger, everything's fine," Kent said quietly. Florina nodded, but the tears still poured down her face.
"Lyn s-says that sh-she still loves you, and she says she w-won't ever stop. She'll wait for y-you, and she kn-knows she'll see you again . . ." Florina said, until she choked and started crying. Kent was fighting back tears of his own; Lyndis was so much to him. He loved her, he'd placed her over his knightship.
"And she says she's sorry," Florina whispered, hiding her face in her hands. Kent nodded, standing up.
"Tell her I love her," he said, before turning away from Florina and walking away. Florina curled into a ball on the soil and cried into her hands, wanting everything to be over.
-----
Legault crouched on the walltop, catlike, peering around him before he slipped down behind the brickwork. Breaking into the estate wasn't hard, and if his information source was right, his prize should be to the northeast.
The Hurricane bounded into the brush, identifying everything and being nothing. Turn past the tree, slip under the branch, climb up here, twist around and perch. Pefect. There he is, Legault thought.
This is how a former member of the Black Fang found the youthful assassin that had been murdering the camp's soldiers. Legault unsheathed his dagger- he'd had about fifteen years of knife throwing, and the target's head was clear and obvious. There was no way he could miss-
"Looking for me?" X said, sliding a dagger across Legault's throat and yanking the Hurricane's own weapon out of his hands. One thought crossed the thief's mind.
Crap.
IceBlade28: Well, there's another chapter done. Hope you all liked it.
Serra: If it turns out I still die, I'm going to put you in hospital again.
IceBlade28: (gulp) Why not tell the nice readers about the next chapter?
Serra: We're trying out a new format of preview this time: tell us what you think in your reviews! Next time, on Person's Unknown . . .
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"You don't remember anything?" Raven asked. "Your name, your skills, your parents- nothing?" Priscilla shook her head.
"I appreciate your concern, dear sir, but I cannot remember a thing."
---
Sain stood to proud attention as he watched Kent's casket float gently out to sea. This was the end for them, and no amount of words could change that. He was his own man from here on.
"You're doing great," Rebecca said quietly, and gave his arm a gentle squeeze. Sain tried to smile. At least someone was rooting for him.
---
Legault froze, hiding his feelings with years of expertise.
"Glad I found you." X scowled. "What do you want?"
"A purchase." The boy's curiousity was piqued, but he kept it to himself; the mark of a good assassin was the ability to keep oneself in check.
"What do you have to buy with?"
"Information." X was intrigued, but kept his dagger tight against the Hurricane's throat.
"Information about what?"
"Information about who's standing behind you."
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Kaira sat up suddenly and nearly knocked herself out on the beams of the bottom bunk. Mentally she cursed herself for being so stupid. Why hadn't she seen it before?! X's involement, his own agenda- his own agenda! X was the key!
"Nergal!" she cried, launching herself off the bottom bed and dashing for the meeting room.
"The boy is working for Nergal!"
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Serra: Tune in next time for Chapter XXII: Grieve, For Your Innocence Is Lost.
IceBlade28: Drop a review on your way out; feedback always appreciated!