Chapter 26: The Red Claw Persists
Exhausted from the battle and her harrowing flight aboard Tarmon's out-of-control wyvern, Azura fell to her knees panting. Blood trickled out of her many cuts and scrapes, most of which had been glancing blows from the spines of Tarmon's wyvern. She realized, with her stomach seeming to knot, that a clean blow from those spines might've taken one of her limbs off. On the heels of that realization was the certainty that, if it hadn't been for Lartz catching her, she likely would've plummeted to her death. However, she held little concern for these things. Lartz was the one who desperately needed attention at the moment. Although Royce's assault had not been a death blow, it had pierced Lartz's armor and cloven deep into his stomach. The wyvern rider would surely bleed to death if his wounds were not treated.
"Norman! We have to help Lartz right now!" she commanded. "Can you heal his wounds?"
"Of course, milady, but both he and his wyvern will be out of commission for awhile," Norman assessed. "I'm not even examining them yet and I can already tell they're losing a lot of blood. They'll need rest to recover from this."
"And just how the heck are we supposed to carry a wyvern back to the castle?" Cato cut in, having already been healed of his own wounds earlier. "We certainly can't set up camp here; my unit has been delayed too long already and his majesty and General William are sure to be worried by now!"
"We'll think of something while we're getting that floodgate closed," Bryan decided. "Cato, you should let what's left of your men heal up. We'll take care of things from here."
"For once, I'm going to have to agree. But you better not—Hold on… Your shield and armor! Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?"
"Oh, you mean my new look?" Bryan coyly guessed, to which Cato could only gape in response. "Ah, yes, you'd be surprised at how much has changed, wouldn't you? After all, I've been wearing this for a couple months now. And I assume you've heard about the title I've come to be known by as well?"
Cato continued to gape for several moments, his surprise turning into incredulity, and then he threw up his hands in utter exasperation.
"Geez! First the Brave Lance and now this? Some people have all the luck."
"Yeah, I'm the Emerald Sentinel and you're still the Professional Complainer."
"…Argh! Damn it, Bryan! Emerald Sentinel or not, one of these days, I'll finally catch up to you! You'll see!" Cato retorted, leveling a finger at him.
"I can't wait," Bryan replied, though Cato wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic or not.
"Come on, you guys. Quit fooling around," Azura intervened. "I presume you're Sir Cato?"
"I am," Cato replied. "But, don't bother with that 'Sir' stuff. Save it for Pony Boy over there."
He made that comment gesturing with his thumb towards Eliot, who noticed. And, wasn't happy about it.
"'Pony Boy?'" he repeated, as if in disbelief. "That has got to be stupidest insult I've ever heard."
"Nope. The stupidest insult I ever heard was getting my ass kicked by a one-legged old lady," Cato replied as a smirk crossed his features. "Too bad that happened to you instead of me."
"Hey, hey!" Azura spoke up. "I said quit fooling around."
"Sorry about that," Cato apologized. "You must be Lady Azura, the new earl I heard about. Anyway, I apologize. Mister Green Sentinel hereshould mind his manners and Pony Boy over there needs to, literally, get off his high horse."
"What?" Bryan retorted. "You're the one that's pointing fingers!"
"Keep it up, I can have my horse sit on you," Eliot warned.
"Nobody's got a sense of humor anymore," Cato complained. "Besides, I was just getting back at you for showing up late, amongst other things. Ha!"
"For the last time, that's enough!" Azura stepped in. "Cato, go join Raela and see to your wounded. Bryan, have the Royal Knights set up a perimeter and secure the surrounding area while we think of a way to transport Lartz's wyvern."
"Alright, fine…" Cato grumbled and walked off, still grumbling about no one having a sense of humor.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Bryan replied and headed in a different direction.
Azura, meanwhile, decided to check on her other comrades, Leyon in particular. Her comment to Ike earlier about her boot heel had not only been a lecture for him, but also a line Bronwyn used against Leyon in the past. Azura had naturally been skeptical at the idea of Bronwyn kicking Leyon's butt since the older woman had only one leg, but then Bronwyn gave Azura a demonstration.
A very convincing demonstration.
But, Raela did say that the bruise on the young earl's behind would be gone in about a week.
Despite the embarrassment, Azura had hoped that the allusion might jog Leyon's memory as a result, if only a little. However, before she could approach the would-be general, who was still staring intently at Olegxing as usual, Kiel came rushing up to her.
"Azura! I've got bad news!" he exclaimed as he came to a halt. "The controls for the floodgate have been destroyed!"
"What? You can't be serious!" Azura gasped, her eyes widening.
"I wish I wasn't. But unfortunately, those dracoknights got the better of us this time. It looks like one of them must've wrecked the mechanism during the battle, probably when Royce had us all distracted."
"Ugh, curse those Melorans! Is there any way we can close the gates manually?"
"Afraid not," Morris cut in, having approached them moments later. "One of the hinges got busted too and there's really no point in closing a door or gate with a broken hinge. If the weight of the door didn't tear it off of the other hinge, then the force of the water would probably bust door down. There's no way we're closing this gate, even if we had a dozen wyverns to push it."
"Are you sure?" Azura inquired, though she already suspected the answer.
"Positive. I made a thorough examination of both the gate and the controls."
"It turns out Morris was born into a family of carpenters and architects," Kiel added. "So we asked him if it was possible to fix this."
"That's right. My dad trained me in carpentry, and it became my side job after I joined the army," Morris explained. "As much as I'd hate to admit it, though, I'm afraid the gate is totaled for now. I'd have to rebuild the controls completely. The bigger problem is repairing the floodgate itself; that could take days."
"Damn it all…!" Azura opined angrily, her glove squeaking when she made a fist. "I guess we have no choice but to—"
The young earl was interrupted by an unfamiliar masculine voice.
"Ahoy there! Are you Lady Azura?"
The group turned to see a dark brown wolf laguz approaching, changing to its human form midstride. The new arrival, was a black-haired man with attire like Kiel's, only he wore sandals in place of boots and bore a strap across his chest. He was followed by several gray wolves. Before Azura could answer his question, Kiel himself rushed towards him, followed by Sara.
"General Derien! Are we glad to see you!" he gasped. "His majesty has been worried!"
"Yeah, what happened?" Sara inquired. "His majesty said you were nowhere to be found when the Red Claw attacked the castle and captured Ike and Elincia!"
"Yeah, I know…" Derien replied, sighing. "I owe everyone a huge apology. I was called away by a raven messenger to help take back a Cilaean fort. It turned out that the message was phony, but I didn't have any idea why when I first met up with General Leyon at Fort Tehya. When I heard about what happened at the castle, that's when it dawned on me that the messenger was only trying to lure me away so the enemy could attack while the castle was unguarded."
"Damn those Red Claw bastards!" Kiel opined, wishing he had something to punch. "They are forcing laguz to do their bidding! I bet the raven who lied to you was the same one that tricked us into thinking Ike was dead!"
"Blast. They really screwed with us then. His majesty was upset with me too, but he claimed that he was also partially to blame."
"So you returned to him to explain the situation?" Azura inquired.
"Yeah, he knows I'm safe now," Derien confirmed. "In fact, King Rothgar himself will be going to Castle Talgria tomorrow. He'll explain when he arrives."
"Works for me," Kiel agreed.
"Also, Kiel, where were you during all of the chaos?" Azura inquired, her tone softening as she suspected the answer. "I noticed you ran off again. I really think you should do something about that fear of yours."
"I was…hiding," Kiel admitted, noting Derien's less-than-pleased expression.
"I can't say I blame you," Azura answered reassuringly. "After that ride I had on Tarmon's wyvern, I'll think twice before letting Faline take me up for a spin."
Kiel smirked at the confession, but hardly seemed to be in better sprits.
"I'm so sorry, I know I need to stop being so afraid of dragons," he admitted. "Would it be okay if I talked to Lartz once he's better? That might be a good way to start."
"That sounds like an idea. Just so long as you're at least trying to conquer that fear."
"Hope you're right," Derien remarked, fixing Kiel briefly with a look of severity. "Looks like you guys have had quite a fight."
"Yeah, we were able to beat the Melorans, but Prince Royce dropped by to give us a parting gift," Azura explained.
"Wait, what? That son of a dastard was here?"
"Yeah, he showed up near the end of the battle and attacked our wyvern rider, Lartz. He should be okay, but he's lost a lot of blood and so has his mount."
"Damn. I wonder why Royce would be out here, it must've been for something Melora considers important. Maybe King Rothgar or King Wencelis would know more? In any case, Royce entering this fight is very bad news."
"I figured as much. He is the prince of Melora after all."
"That's not what I mean. You know about General Shigo, right? The guy they say is the most powerful man on the continent?"
"I…didn't know that second part," Azura admitted fearfully.
"Well, Royce is said to make even him tremble sometimes. In fact, I also heard that Shigo was nearly defeated by him once. We've been hearing rumors that Shigo is at odds with Royce and the Meloran queen these days, though we don't know any specifics or even if it's true. But they also say that any one of them could possibly beat even the dragon king of Orenias."
"Oh… Oh my goodness…" Azura trembled. "Somehow though…we have to beat them."
"Indeed. By the way might I be of assistance? I was headed to the castle myself, so I can get Lartz over there quickly if you'd like."
"Oh, that would be most appreciated," Azura replied. "Lartz lost a lot of blood and he needs rest. We'll take care of his wyvern. I'm still trying to figure out how, but we'll manage."
"Alrighty then. I'll get there as soon as I can."
"Thank you so much! Oh, and one more thing. Could you possibly leave some of your soldiers here to guard this area? His majesty King Wencelis wants to do anything possible to prevent enemy naval attacks but the floodgate's been wrecked, so we can't close it. Could you hold this area until we find a more permanent solution?"
"Ah, I can do that. A little reciprocity for Melora's earlier tricks would be grand," Derien agreed with a smile.
"Oh, thanks again!"
With that, Norman quickly finished healing Lartz as much as he could and worked with Azura to secure the wyvern rider onto Derien's back. The wolf laguz general then ordered most of the group of wolves accompanying him to remain in the area while he transformed and sped off in the direction of the castle with the remainder of his troops, being careful not to drop his passenger. Azura, meanwhile, continued contemplating a way to transport Lartz's wyvern to the castle as well. When she glanced in Marina and Faline's direction, she snapped her fingers.
"You guys, I have an idea!" Azura spoke up, waving the two Pegasus riders over. "Marina, Faline, do you think you two could tie the wyvern to your Pegasi and fly it to the castle?"
"Ah, that should work," Marina replied with a smile. "One Pegasus alone couldn't do the job, but two of them together might be strong enough."
"Yeah, and I bet Lady Bronwyn has lots of rope in her wagon," Faline added. "Let's try it!"
Azura nodded excitedly and then checked in with Bronwyn. As Faline had surmised, the elderly instructor had been storing rope in her wagon and, as Azura had come to suspect, Bronwyn proved to be a lifesaver. Apparently, the elderly woman had brought along an improvised ferry system, an assembly of sturdy logs, tall wooden stakes, rope and pulleys used to move supplies across rivers, which meant that the wyvern could be carried on a platform suspended from the two Pegasi. This was quite a relief, as tying the wyvern itself to the Pegasi might prove dangerous. While the remainder of the group prepared to depart, Morris, Bryan and Kiel worked to lash the logs together to make a platform the wyvern could be carried on and to position and secure the stakes so that there would be a place to secure the ropes. Meanwhile, Azura, Marina, and Faline guided the wounded wyvern onto the platform and carefully tied the creature down to prevent it from thrashing or sliding off in midair. After that, the platform was secured with more ropes to the two Pegasi. Once Azura confirmed that the platform was stable and the ropes were secure, but not too tight, she gave the two Pegasus knights permission to take flight.
"Alright, Flower, you'll be earning those carrots tonight," Faline spoke to her steed and patted her neck. "But you can do it, girl! It's only a short trip!"
"Yeah, we have to work together here. Let's fly!" Marina added.
With that, the two directed their Pegasi into the air. Thankfully, Lartz's wyvern was somewhat smaller than some of the wyverns the Meloran dracoknights had ridden, so both Pegasi were successful in their attempts to carry the creature as well as their riders and the wyvern was able to fit, albeit snuggly, onto the platform. Azura and the rest of the army followed afterward, leaving Derien's men to guard the gate. Along the way, Azura finally tended to her own wounds as best she could. The cuts from the runaway wyvern's spines stung quite a bit but, she was forced to concede, she was lucky to come away without missing a limb or getting smashed into pulp when she was flung off. Just about everyone was weary to the bone, and it took every ounce of Azura's concentration to simply keep marching, though they did their best to keep watch for anything untoward. Royce had gotten the drop on them once; they wouldn't let him do it a second time.
Later that evening, the weary army had finally returned to Aracion. While most of the troops, ready to keel over from exhaustion, headed straight to their beds, Ike returned to Elincia's room, hoping that her mood might have improved while he was away. He soon found her room and shouldered through the door to see her standing upon the balcony, staring at the darkened landscape and night sky before her. However, there was a distant look in her eyes which suggested that her thoughts were on anything but the sunset. Curiously, she didn't seem to have noticed his entrance, nor had she changed out of her battle gear. Perhaps she thought she'd be chilly standing outside in her night gown, but whatever the case, Ike was somewhat glad of it. He had recently come up with what he thought was the perfect idea for a marriage proposal, thanks to a chat with Louise. She had been awaiting the return of Azura's army in place of her brother since he desperately needed his rest. The recent events and tragedies afflicting both Talgria and Cilae had begun taxing on Wencelis's health, despite that he was only thirty six and not old at all. He'd insisted that he'd be fine, but decided he needed to sleep regardless.
Lousie hadn't said so aloud, but she wore an expression Ike had seen before on Mist's face after his brush with death following the battle against Arius, the self-proclaimed wolf king in Tellius. Whatever Wencelis was suffering from, it was worse, perhaps far worse, than Louise was willing to admit. Knowing that he could do little more than hope for the best, Ike shifted his attention back to Elincia and approached the woman he loved with a smile.
"Hey, Elincia," he spoke up as he opened the balcony door.
Elincia gasped and whirled to face him, her surprise melting into relief.
"Ike! Oh, Ike, you'd been gone so long that I was beginning to worry!" she cried, throwing her arms around her lover's neck. Ike did not hesitate to return the hug and held her tightly. They exchanged a romantic kiss afterward.
"I know, and I'm sorry. We hit a few snags on the way back, but we're all okay," Ike explained when he pulled away. "But I was worried about you. Are you alright after what we heard from Crimea? I mean, it was quite a shock to both of us."
"Oh, I'm alright. Well, maybe not quite, but I've been trying. I've just been thinking a lot lately," Elincia replied after she let go of Ike. "About…well…what happened to Geoffrey. The letter did seem to imply that he was getting better, but I can't help but wonder. Geoffrey has claimed that he only loved me as though I was his little sister, but there was one thing he said to me that I'll never forget. It was during the Crimean rebellion. He said 'I am yours entirely.'"
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I just… I find it so hard to believe that the very same man who spoke those words to me is also the same man who caused so much havoc in Crimea. All my life, and nearly all of his, all Geoffrey ever wanted was to be a good knight and an honorable warrior. He worked hard at it too, almost as hard as you did to honor your father's legacy. He was just about the last person I'd expect to get himself thrown in the dungeon."
"I can understand that. But are you sure Geoffrey never loved you the way I do?"
"Well…not exactly. I believe he might've during the Mad King's War. But when I never returned his feelings and he saw that I'd fallen for you instead, I felt that he'd grown out of it. Or, maybe he didn't but he just pretended that he had. Either way, I'd imagine that Geoffrey was upset at first to see this, but I still believe he eventually accepted it. He wanted me to be happy, after all."
"Yeah, that sounds like him. He usually came across as a bit too uptight to me, but I always thought he seemed to be an understanding guy."
"That too. And now Geoffrey seems to have found the woman he's truly meant to be with. It warms my heart to know that."
"Agreed. To be honest though, when I thought Geoffrey loved you, I didn't…exactly get the best impression about him. At first, I thought that he only cared about you because you were the princess and the most important figure in Crimea at the time. I overheard him say to Callil once that you were Crimea's treasure and that you're perfect. It sounded as if he was saying, no matter what pretty girl was in your position, he'd love her just the same. And, you remember, back when we were hunting for Ettard and you told me about Lucia's plan in case you accidently got pregnant? Well, the idea of passing our baby off as Geoffrey's seemed even worse. When you told me he'd agreed to it, I almost felt as if he was maneuvering to steal you from me."
Elincia's gaze drooped and her features contorted in pain as if she'd just been slapped. Ike was about to apologize for his rudeness, but his lover held her hand up to silence him.
"Don't worry, Ike… I used to have the same thoughts, that Geoffrey only saw me as a ward, and I nearly brushed him away for it once," she admitted. "And, I didn't much like the idea of him posing as our child's father either. Personally, I was hoping he would refuse and, when he didn't…I was hurt. Don't get me wrong, I still care about him and I still regret that what I'd done had harmed him so. But every time I worried for his safety, it felt like I was scared for an older brother who was trying to protect me. It felt awkward to think of him as a potential husband, and even more so when he and I were 'married.' But with you, Ike, I couldn't help but love you like I'd never loved a man before. It felt so different. You remember how, when you admitted that the idea of us raising a family was 'appealing,' and how you said I was the only person you'd even consider spending your life with? I felt the same, and I have ever since."
Ike couldn't prevent himself from shooting Elincia a warm smile.
"Well, I'm very glad to hear that. Hey, why not go to the castle garden for a little while? It might make you feel even better."
"Oh, that sounds like a great idea!"
"Then let's go!"
With that, the couple lost no time making their way downstairs and towards the doors to the garden. Ike smiled as he had laced his fingers with Elincia's, as this was all part of his plan to propose to her. It was growing quite late, but Ike knew he did not want to miss yet another opportunity to pop the question. He'd already been thwarted twice, once by the Venoxic and again by the news from Crimea, but he would not be stopped a third time. Within the next few minutes, the pair had stepped through a large wooden door and out into the beautiful inner garden of Castle Talgria. Everywhere they looked, flowered hedges and bushes rose from the soil, and decorative stone paths snaked through the foliage. Along the edges of the paths were beautiful flowers of many kinds, such as tulips, daisies, marigolds, bluebells, pansies, petunias, primroses, and more whose myriad hues seemed as if to form an earthbound rainbow. Small, well-tended trees had also been planted while several arches, dimly lit candle lamps, and marble benches dotted on the pathways. At the center of the garden stood a magnificent tiered fountain carved with bas reliefs of exotic and beautiful sea life such as dolphins, seahorses and sea turtles while lily pads and flowers floated in the water. Fireflies flittered about, seemingly by the dozen, with their subtle glow adding to the garden's seemingly enchanted atmosphere. Though most of the flowers had closed their petals at this late hour, it hadn't taken away from the beauty of the garden.
"Oh, this is… This is so beautiful! It's very different from Castle Crimea's garden as well," Elincia observed.
"Heh, I'm glad you like it," Ike replied with a smile. "Are you cold at all?"
"Oh no, not at all. In fact, it feels rather nice out tonight," Elincia replied with a smile.
"Ah, I'm glad. I really wanted to show you something. Oh, hey, there it is," Ike commented, pointing at a beautiful arch nearby. The arch had been decorated with vines that coursed their way over every inch of the stonework and had sprouted numerous red roses and blue hydrangeas, all of which emitted a beautiful aroma. Elincia's mouth dropped open when she laid eyes on it.
"Oh, Ike! That arch is so gorgeous! How'd you find out about it?"
"Lady Louise told me of it. She said it's the most romantic spot in the garden."
"Ah, I quite agree with her!"
"But…stand right here for a minute," Ike insisted when the two were underneath the arch.
"Okay."
Ike then knelt to one knee, quite a few butterflies fluttering about in his stomach. Still, he knew he had to do this now while he had the chance.
"Elincia…" he began.
"Yes?"
"I know I won't be very good at this, and I know I've kept you waiting too long because I got sick and because of everything else that's happened…but I love you more than anything in the world. And I want to do this. I'm very touched that you traveled so far to find and be with me, and I was honestly rather surprised that you did considering your love for Crimea. I can't even guess how hard it was to leave behind everyone and everything you cared about, and I still have no idea what I did to deserve that kind of devotion and loyalty."
"Ike…"
"When I heard about your marriage to Geoffrey, it was as if my life had turned to ashes. I just kept thinking about how all those dreams we had, of being able to love openly and to raise a family, were all gone. I left behind the only home and family I'd ever known and just wandered, wondering what I could've done differently and forming regrets. But then, when you found me, all I could think about was how lucky I am to have gotten another chance. And, I'm not going to waste it." Here, Ike paused and then produced a small jewelry box made of green velvet. To his relief, it had survived his various misadventures. He opened it up to reveal the engagement ring Bryan had acquired for him. A small gasp escaped Elincia's lips.
"My love for you has no limit," Ike admitted. "And I…I want to spend my life with you. To fulfill all of our old dreams and whatever new ones we might want to make real together. Elincia…will you marry me?"
A loving, excited smile formed on Elincia's face as she gazed upon Ike and the ring.
"Ike, you're being ridiculous, you know that?"
Ike merely arched one eyebrow in response.
"Oh for goodness sake, of course I want to marry you!"
Elincia then threw herself into Ike's arms and pressed her lips against his. Ike was caught off guard at first, but returned the embrace regardless. When they slowly let go several moments later, Ike took the ring from its case and took Elincia's left hand. He then gently slipped the ring upon her ring finger. Elincia's smile grew bigger as she admired the gemstones sparkling in the candlelight of the lamps and the orbiting glow of a halo of fireflies. Ike couldn't help but grin ecstatically himself. He was now officially engaged. He was finally going to marry the woman he'd loved for over three years. It had been a long wait, and that wait had been painful for them, but for both of the lovers, it was well worth it.
"Ike…" Elincia spoke up moments later when they stood up. "It doesn't matter how long we waited. I'm just so happy that this has happened. That we're finally able to be married! And it wasn't your fault you were so ill. It wasn't your fault we had to wait so long and that we got caught up in this war either. We both went through a lot of hardships to continue our love. And I know you'll be the best husband in the world…"
Elincia slipped her arms around Ike's neck as she spoke her words.
"…Thanks, Elincia," Ike replied, a loving smile dawning his features. "You don't know how much that means to me. I know you'll be the best wife in the world too."
"Hee hee… I'll try to be just for you, my love…"
"As will I…"
On that note, their lips met once more, and this time, they did not part for a long, long time.
The next morning, however, was far less harmonious. Azura and Bryan had been roused just after sunrise by frantic knocking at their doors and shouts that there had been an 'urgent development,' and that they were to report to the audience chamber immediately. Though groggy and incensed at being awoken so early, they had quickly gotten dressed and made their way to the audience chamber. The pair had considered heading down to the main hall quietly so the others were not disturbed, but then realized that the guards' frantic knocking had probably woken everybody up already. It didn't take long for the two warriors to find reach the audience chamber, but to their puzzlement, there was no one there. In fact, the only thing out of the ordinary in the lavishly decorated chamber was that one of the tall windows had been hastily thrown open. Then, to the pair's astonishment, two black forms streaked through the open window. Once Azura and Bryan had snapped awake, Janz and Lauren were revealed. However, the expressions on their faces were not pleasant. This immediately worried both Azura and Bryan, for it could only mean that the two did not have good news. Had there been more to the plot behind the framing of Bryan than they originally thought?
"Ah, Lady Azura. And Bryan," Janz greeted, though his tone turned rather sour when he mentioned the green-clad Sentinel.
"Aw come on, don't tell me you're still annoyed at what happened on the island!" Bryan grumbled. "You're the one who started it!"
"Guys, let's not argue," Azura cut in with a sigh. "Janz, Lauren, just tell us what you found out. We have to know."
"Of course, milady," Lauren replied, glaring at Janz. "As we were instructed, we investigated Keanu and the villages that had been attacked by the platoon that falsely claimed to be Bryan's. Thankfully, the townsfolk were quite cooperative."
"Yeah. It didn't take us long to locate Flozell's quarters and do a search of the place," Janz added. "However, what we discovered shocked us."
"What?" Bryan wondered.
"Well, the townsfolk said they weren't all that surprised at Flozell's behavior," Janz explained. "They claimed he had always been a good leader who wanted the best for Cilae. He won several victories and was well-respected."
"But what we found in his quarters revealed something very different…and very troubling," Lauren continued. "It turns out that Flozell had secretly been a member of the Red Claw."
"What? But…how does that even make sense?" Azura gasped.
"Easy. Flozell was hiding his true alliegance," Janz replied. "When we searched his office, we found a number of documents written in what looked like some sort of code. And, we also found that one of the drawers in his desk had a false bottom. When we opened that up, we found a hidden compartment with a few more papers and some of them were stamped with the Red Claw's insignia. We took the papers to an Allied cryptographer and, sure enough, they were coded orders from the Red Claw. This suggests that Flozell had been working as a double agent for awhile. The soldiers you guys fought really were Cilaean troops, but Flozell had duped them into thinking Bryan was the enemy."
"Those coded orders not only prove that Bryan was framed, but also that Flozell knew it all along," Lauren revealed. "When the cryptographer deciphered the coded orders, they revealed that Flozell was commissioned by the Red Claw to disguise a group of their members as Bryan's platoon and send them to attack a few random villages. That way, he could frame Bryan and have an excuse to kill him while keeping his image as a 'respected and devoted leader' intact."
"Errgh, THAT BASTARD!" Bryan exclaimed, his rage building quickly. "He deliberately tried to kill me!"
"Who tried to kill you?" a familiar voice spoke up. The group turned around to see Owen had entered the audience chamber, doubtlessly having overheard Bryan's shouting.
"…D-Dad! I, uh…" Bryan gasped, and then brought a hand to his face. "Dang it…"
"Bryan," Owen coaxed sternly, folding his arms and tapping a foot on the floor.
"Alright, alright, I'll explain…" Bryan gave in. He then told his father of the incident that had occurred in Keanu and how Faline had saved him.
"I see… It angers me that you went through that horrible experience," Owen commented once his son was finished. "But Faline is quite a lovely young woman. It warms my heart to know that my son has a girl who loves him so much. I'll have to thank her for what she's done for you."
"Heh, yeah…" Bryan replied, his cheeks turning pink with embarrassment.
"Well, sorry to interrupt, but there is more," Janz spoke up. "King Wencelis has a new mission for all of us, milady."
"Oh?" Azura wondered.
"Yeah, on our way back here, we discovered that the Red Claw built another large encampment near the northern border at the foot of the mountains," Lauren replied. "We informed King Wencelis of it just before we came in here. We do not know if there are enough Meloran and Red Claw troops there to invade Aracion, or how many other camps there might be, but he wants your army to raze the camp before the forces there can mount an assault against the capital."
"What? But how did they return so quickly after…?" Azura began, but couldn't finish. "This is bad. We'll leave right after we gather our troops. You both may join us if you want. Bryan, I want the same group we had before with the addition of Cato and Elincia if the two of them are ready. We'll also leave Lartz behind to rest. Let's go get everyone!"
"You got it. I'm just as worried about this as you are, so I'll make it snappy. Father, I apologize, but we're going to be leaving again soon."
"Don't worry, you're doing what you have to do," Owen replied with a smile.
Bryan nodded and with that, he and Azura went to gather their comrades. Janz and Lauren quickly alerted some of the troops as well and prepared to depart. Faline, Marina, and Kevin's group in particular were shocked to hear of Flozell's true colors, but it came as no surprise to the hot-tempered Skye. As usual, he expected as much from his enemies. As Azura descended the stairs to reach to the main gate sometime later, she was stopped by a familiar voice ringing out behind her. She turned around at the bottom of the staircase to see Leyon descending towards her.
"Hey, Azura…" he spoke up. "Can we talk for a bit?"
"Sure, what's on your mind? Did you remember anything yet?" Azura inquired, hoping that his memory might have improved.
"Well, I'm not sure what to make of this exactly…" Leyon admitted. "But this dream I had during my sleep… It seemed so familiar, but I couldn't figure out where or when I'd experienced those events before. In the dream, I was with those two knights… Natalie and Eliot, I think? They were, well, quarreling a bit. And for no apparent reason, I just rolled my eyes. It was pure and simple instinct, as if I'd seen it a hundred times before, but I don't understand how that could be. And there was another man who we'd never seen before, yet he seemed the most familiar of all. He seemed to know me very well too, I could tell by the way he looked at me. But still, I have no idea who he was."
Azura's eyes widened slightly upon hearing Leyon's words, for she had a very good idea who that apparition might be. His brother…
"Really? Well, we'll keep working on this," Azura assured him. "Just keep fighting as well as you have been and perhaps in time you'll remember."
"Yeah, I hope so."
"Oh, hey there, General Leyon," Derien spoke up from a nearby doorway. "I have to apologize for disappearing suddenly after we took back Fort Tehya. I needed to return to King Rothgar and explain myself to him right away."
"…Huh? Who are you? What are you talking about?" Leyon inquired, arching an eyebrow.
"What? What do you mean, 'who am I?' What's the matter with you?"
"Um, Derien… This might come as a shock to you, but an injury caused Leyon to lose his memory," Azura explained.
"Yeah, I can't remember much of anything right now," Leyon admitted. "I'm sorry."
"Oh wow, I see…" Derien commented, unable to hide a cringe. "If there's anything I can do to help, let me know."
"…Actually, it just might be helpful for you to come with us on our next mission," Azura suggested. "I think working with people he knew might help to jog Leyon's memory. And we could use your help in any case, so it would be very appreciated if you joined us."
"Ah, then I'm glad to be of service."
"Great! Leyon, I'm going to go find out how Lartz is doing. Be sure to talk to me whenever you need to or if you remember anything."
"Of course," Leyon agreed.
Azura then continued to the royal clinic where Lartz had been resting since his return to Aracion. When Azura arrived at his room, she found him sleeping peacefully and chose not to disturb him. Instead, she headed for the main hall to meet with her comrades. She definitely had to tell Eliot about Leyon's dream later as well. She didn't know if Leyon had seen Russell in his dreams, but she strongly suspected it and that could be a good sign. Perhaps Eliot could provide some insight into what events occurred in the dream and bring them that much closer to restoring the general's memory. And, ludicrous though the idea seemed, they might even reenact one of the pranks which Bronwyn had told her that Leyon and Russell had played with their pet lizards. Azura also suspected that talking to Leyon about where he had gotten Olegxing was likely a critical step, only she was loathe to make him relive the depression he went through after Russell had disappeared and was given up for dead. Still, she decided to use it as a last resort in case nothing else jogged his memory.
When she arrived in the main hall, Azura was pleased to see most of her chosen group already waiting and ready to depart. The only ones who hadn't appeared yet were Faline, Janz, and Lauren, whom Azura assumed would show up soon, and Cato, who had said earlier that he would rejoin the group outside because he wanted to do some early morning training before departing. Azura then briefed her comrades on their latest mission and awaited the arrival of their absent troops. After glancing in Skye's direction, she noticed him gulping again at the sight of Raela's ever-present Sleep staff. She then arched an eyebrow, wondering why in the world anyone would fear such a thing. Bryan must have noticed her gesture as well, as he approached her soon after and brought the matter up.
"Hey Azura, if you're wondering, I can tell you why Skye's so afraid of Sleep staves."
"Oh?" Azura wondered.
"Yeah, he's just as afraid of them as you are of spiders and Kiel is of dragons," Bryan began. "See, the only time he was ever hit by one of those staves, he had a horrible nightmare in his sleep. Now, I don't think Sleep staves really cause nightmares since the staff causes a trance rather than real sleep, but I still can't blame him. Though, seeing him squirm around Raela is admittedly hilarious."
Bryan then chuckled.
"Heh, I see," Azura replied. "Raela has obviously figured out this fear of his too, I notice."
"Haha, yeah. In fact, not long before you came down here, she taunted him with the staff again and—"
"BRYAN!" Skye's voice thundered from nearby.
"Ah, hi there, Skye," Bryan greeted, though rather nervously.
"Bryan, were you telling Azura about my thing with Sleep staves?" Skye demanded. "I told you to keep that between us!"
"Well, sorry, but I figured Azura should know about it," Bryan replied, his own annoyance growing. "I want you to avoid Sleep staves as much as you do."
"Yeah, well, it's embarrassing! I knew I shouldn't have trusted you with this! You've always been bad at keeping secrets!"
"Oh yeah? Just be glad I haven't told anyone about how your name's just an alias!"
With that, the entire room fell silent and Skye's face turned beet red with anger. Bryan's eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he realized what he'd said and he slapped his face in aggravation.
"DAMN IT, BRYAN!" Skye retorted angrily. "…Fine. I suppose that secret would have eventually gotten out anyway."
"Skye… What was Bryan talking about?" Azura inquired, puzzled over this revelation. Although Skye had opened up to her at times about his relationship with Kye, the sniper did seem to play his hand quite close to his vest. How many secrets was Skye hiding?
"Well, I'd tell you, but Kye would throw a hissy fit if I did," Skye replied. "It's complicated…and unpleasant."
"Skye, no…" a familiar young voice stepped in before Azura could respond.
"Kye! I…" Skye uttered, but couldn't finish. His brother had approached moments later.
"Skye, you can tell them the truth. I won't get mad anymore," Kye assured his older brother. "I decided that it's time to let go of the past. Nothing will change it, after all, and I agree with what you said earlier, we would have eventually been found out anyway."
"Kye… Well, alright, little bro, if that's how you feel," Skye replied and turned to Azura. "The truth is, Skye isn't my real name. It's just a nickname I've been passing off as my birth name. My actual name is Skyler."
"And mine is Kyle," Kye added. "We both passed off our nicknames as our true names."
"Precisely."
"But why?" Azura wondered.
Skye then explained that not long after he had joined the Talgrian army, his parents, who worked as spies, were sent on an important mission outside the country. Since Skye was away, they had little choice but to take the young Kye with them. Since the brothers' parents had gone on so many missions, they had quite a few contacts abroad who could offer them lodging and back up their cover stories. Having no one else to take care of Kye, the two spies had hoped one of their contacts might be willing. Unfortunately, during the journey, their parents met a terrible fate, and worse still, Kye had disappeared. Skye received a message that they were killed by assassins near the Cilaean mountains and that Kye was missing. After several days of searching, Skye had found his brother. The young thief was bruised, battered, and unconscious in the woods not far from their parents' encampment. Skye was furious at this, and Kye was just as angry when he awoke from his coma and heard the story. They later became resentful towards their parents, angry over how they had given their jobs more attention than their own children and for nearly getting Kye killed by taking him along on such a dangerous journey. That's when they decided to only go by their nicknames, as their real names reminded them too much of how their parents would address them.
"And that's the story," Skye finished. "We still don't know how my brother ended up in the middle of the woods, but we hated that our parents' negligence nearly got him killed."
"Exactly. I will never forgive them, but I know I must look more towards the future," Kye added. "It's not as if the past was ever appealing."
"I see…" Azura replied, her tone soft and soothing. "I'm sorry your parents didn't raise you the way they should have. I can see why you did what you did. But you don't mind if I keep calling you both Skye and Kye, do you? I've gotten pretty used to those names."
"Not at all," Skye replied with a small smile. "I rather like the nickname anyway."
"Yeah, me too!" Kye agreed.
"I'm sorry for blurting that out though," Bryan cut in. "You're right, I've never been the best at keeping secrets…"
"Don't worry about it, Bryan. I've put up with it since I met you. It's not a big deal," Skye assured.
"Really?"
Skye then put an arm around his friend's shoulders and yanked him towards him.
"Hey, would I lie to my best bud?"
Bryan shot him a smile.
"Heh, I guess not. By the way, we'll still be best friends even after I become king of Astryn, right?"
"Well, duh, of course we will! You having royal blood won't change a thing! I was quite surprised to find that the kid I grew up with was actually a prince all this time, but it doesn't matter as long as I'm still his number one buddy! Of course, I won't ever try to get between you and Faline, though."
Skye let Bryan go as he spoke his words.
"Thanks, Skye. That means a lot," Bryan replied with a smile. "Here's to a lasting friendship!"
With that, the two pumped fists.
"Yeah!" Skye blurted happily.
"…Hey, speaking of Faline, where is she?" Bryan wondered. Before anyone could reply, a familiar voice rang out from somewhere nearby in undisguised agony.
"What the—!" Bryan blurted, alarmed and bolting in the direction of the sound. He crashed through a nearby doorway and about three paces beyond the threshold, nearly bowled over a near-hysterical Faline.
"Bryan! Oh, Bryan!" Faline sobbed aloud as Bryan skidded to a halt, tears streaming down her cheeks. She fell against his chest and continued to weep.
"Faline, what's the matter?" Bryan worriedly inquired. "If there's another man bothering you, just point him out to me. I'll beat him to a pulp with his own legs."
"N-No, it's not that…" Faline gasped out between sobs, her tears beginning to wet Bryan's chest plate. "Janz and Lauren pulled me aside in the hall as I was coming down here and said they needed to talk to me privately. One of the villages the Red Claw razed in Cilae…was my hometown. And they've killed my mother! They took her away from me! My mother's dead!"
Faline then wailed into Bryan's chest.
"Oh… Faline… I am so sorry…" Bryan replied, giving her a comforting hug.
"My relationship with her wasn't the best it could've been…" Faline admitted with a sniffle. "But she was still my mother and the only person who ever cared for me and my sisters while we were growing up… And now she's g-gone!"
Faline's words were choked away as her weeping grew louder.
"What about your father? Is there any news about him?"
"No… But there hasn't been for a long time. He abandoned us when we were very young. At first he cared for my mother, but he was a very impatient and demanding man and eventually began to think she was worthless and weak. He was also disappointed that she never gave him a son. He was never satisfied at anything she did either, including raising me and my sisters. He thought we were worthless and weak as well and, when he realized Mother would never bear him any sons, he left her to raise us all on her own."
"What? That's just... I can't believe him. That's just plain wrong."
"I couldn't agree more. After my father left, we remained poor for a long time. Mother had a few friends that supported her as best as they could, but they were busy people and they had their own problems to deal with. They did give us gifts out of pity, though, and occasionally let my sisters and I do work for them so we could earn some money. But because our family was in such bad shape and Mother had to work so hard to get money, I became a Pegasus knight as soon as I could to help feed and clothe my family. My sisters have been doing the same, and they should be okay since they've been in Jerusa training all this time, but… With this war going on, who knows how long that will last…"
Faline's dire words struck a chord with Bryan. Meloran and Red Claw forces had been running rampant in Cilae for months now, not only robbing and killing innocent people but cutting off and surrounding the bulk of the Allied armies at the Cilae-Melora border. If things didn't turn around, and soon, both Cilae and the entrapped allied troops would be lost and, after that, the rest of Allied Command would surely crumble.
There was little time left to avert this, but that time would have to be enough.
"…I'm so sorry to hear this. But don't worry. I would never abandon you, Faline. You mean the world to me and you've always helped me and the rest of us when we were down. It's time I did the same for you."
"Oh, Bryan… Th-Thank you…"
"You're very welcome," Bryan replied lovingly.
Glancing back the way he came, the Sentinel saw that Azura had followed him but had the sense to close the door and give the pair their privacy.
"Azura, " Bryan spoke. "If I may suggest, Faline should probably stay behind this time. She's in no shape to fight at the moment."
"Yes, I absolutely agree," Azura seconded. "I, too, am terribly sorry about all of this, Faline. Would you be alright remaining here while the rest of us head out?"
"Huh? Oh, of course," Faline stammered, turning to face Azura. "As much as I'd love to tear the Red Claw to pieces right now, I just can't find the strength…"
"I understand," Bryan added, wiping a tear from Faline's cheek. "Not many could after hearing news like this. But I promise that I'll return as soon as possible. The first thing I'll do when I get back is find you."
"Okay… Thank you so much, Bryan," Faline replied, a hint of a smile finally dawning her face. "I love you…"
"And I love you. We must depart soon, alright?"
"Of course… Oh wait, Janz and Lauren also said that they have business to attend to here, but that they'll meet up with you guys later."
"Oh, alright then, we'll depart immediately," Azura decided.
"Indeed. Faline, that means I'll be leaving now, alright?"
"Yes. I'll be okay…"
With that, the couple allowed their lips to meet in a passionate farewell kiss.
"Be careful out there, my handsome prince," Faline whispered once they parted.
"Always," Bryan replied with a grin as he and Faline clasped hands.
With that, the group headed out while Faline headed back upstairs. Azura didn't like losing another flying unit, especially since Faline was promoted while Marina wasn't and that Lartz would likely be out of action for awhile, but she knew it would be wrong of her to try persuading the saddened Falcon Knight to join the group. And even if Faline had agreed to it, she couldn't possibly have her head on straight after such a blow. Instead, Azura focused on collecting Cato and getting her army out to the Red Claw encampment near the border. Her earlier question also rang through her mind again. How had the vicious bandit army constructed a new camp so quickly after the first one near the river had been destroyed? Was Melora really able to reinforce them that much and so quickly? Perhaps the camp had been there for some time now and had gone undiscovered until now? Or had something else happened, something that Azura's army was not yet aware of? She had hoped to find the answers once they arrived.
Thankfully, since Aracion was not far from the mountainous portion of the Talgria-Eraghoa border, the group spotted the mountains within a few hours. And just as Janz and Lauren reported, there was another large Red Claw encampment waiting for them at the foot of the nearest mountain. However, this one was even bigger than the last and included units of every kind, even thieves, healers, mages, and to Marina's dismay, Pegasus knights were once again amongst the enemy as well. Some of them were even promoted to Falcon Knights. What's more, there were also large boulders, catapults, and ballistae waiting for Azura's army at the tops of the nearby mountain cliffs and trails, each stocked with a prodigious cache of ammunition. It was clear that Melora and the Red Claw were making a second attempt of what they had planned at the river, renewing their efforts to invade Aracion. Azura and her troops did have one thing in their favor though. Beorc and laguz could only climb so far up these mountains, as they were impassable where the Eraghoan and Talgrian borders met those of Astryn. If the group could make it up to the enemy camp, then the Red Claw would be effectively trapped.
"This…will be a tough fight," Azura surmised. "Alright, I have a plan. The more heavily armored units and the healers will stay down here and draw the enemy's attention! The rest of us will slip past and knock out the guys on the cliffs!"
"That sounds good to me," Bryan agreed. "Marina should stay down here too though. Those ballistae would cut her to pieces."
"Yeah, I had the same thought. Anyhow, after we take out the enemies manning the siege weapons, we can use them ourselves," Ike added with a wry grin. "'Do unto others.'"
"But seeing all those Pegasus knights sickens me! I can't believe how many are siding with our enemy!" Marina blurted angrily.
"I agree, but I don't think they're Cilaean," Bryan replied. "Call me crazy, but I have a feeling at least most of them are coming from Astryn. I'll explain why later."
"Alright, then let's get this party started!" Azura commanded. "And Kiel, there aren't many dracoknights here, so please go fight this time."
"I-I'll try…" Kiel stammered, transforming nervously.
"Good. Now everyone, CHARGE!"