Well I finally managed to get this done and boy it sure took long enough. I am sooooo terribly sorry it took so long (wow I say that a lot). I actually had this chapter about half done about a week and a half after my last update but then I hit the dreaded obstacle of writer's block and I could not for the life of me figure out how I wanted this to go. During that time I got caught up in work, school, video games, manga, and other fanfiction. I swear though not a day has gone buy during all this time that I didn't think about this story and how if I didn't get my rear in gear I'd lose all my readers. I got a few motivational spurts from various reviews and I'd crack this chapter open and write a little bit more only to either delete what I wrote or hit writers block again. Finally I got a really good kick in the butt by a reviewer and I resolved to get it done and here it is! Once again I would like to say that I am NOT discontinuing this story. IT WILL BE COMPLETED!!! Like I said I think about it everyday so please bear with me and have patience. I do have other things on my plate, lol.
To Infinite Freedom: Yes I really needed to bring Epona in but I could not for the life of me figure out how I was gonna do that so I finally just decided throw her in now and figure it out later. I actually have an explanation for it now lol. As for the Luna spell we're just gonna have to wait and see, heheh.
To Wildfire Dream: I'm glad you like it and understand Link's skill. Don't worry the others definitely get there glory times! And I love the in game character interactions as well!
To Shardheart: I am so happy that you like my story. Sorry that my updates take so long. I'm very bad at that. (cries). And you will not believe how hard it is for me not to have Link just go crazy on people and kill everything while the Legion just watched in awe. It is sooo tempting but that just can't happen. I hope you continue to enjoy the story!
To Herr Wozzeck: Yup Epona is here! Yay! And as for Link's defeat and Ganondorf/Zelda coming in....we'll see (evil laugh).
To Crazymallets: I'm glad you like my explanation of Dark Link and that you enjoyed the chapter. And Link's invincibility makes a lot of sense to me as well (hence why he's like that in my story) unfortunately I haven't beet FE 10 yet. :( I have it and I'm prolly over halfway through it but I stopped for some reason....gotta pick it back up. As for your fanfic idea about Dark Link I really like it and I have something planned far in the future that you may like. Just so you know though I had this planned out before my several chapters ago. XD
To Xoroth: Don't worry things get harder for Link later on! XD
To Link: Hey a new reader! Thanks for the review! Zelda and FE are two of my favourties as well hence why I'm doing this fic and thanks again for the vote! Hope you continue to enjoy it!
To LinkPGF13: Hey thanks dude and I did look at your story and it's pretty good! Hope you keep it going and I hope I update faster as well. sorry
To Salemstar: How's the fic coming? It's pretty good so I hope you keep with it! And yes I am going to pair Link with someone and Im pretty sure who it's gonna be too. But you'll have to wait and see. And yeah I kinda figure it's much more realistic to have more guys than 10 baddies on the map especially with Link around. I mean who's heard of a castle assault or bandit raid with 5 people?
To Shadow Zeranian: Thank you! We see eye to eye with Link's skills! Totally freaking bad***! Hope you continue to enjoy it!
To Rini Tsukino: One of my favourite reviewers! And as you may have noticed, I'm playing the game as I write for reference so you'll probably recognize a lot of in agme stuff. Lol yeah maybe I'm getting carried away with Link but I have it planned out and you may like this chapter for a particular reason. I hope to hear from you soon!
To Ranma Uzumaki: You bet he will!
To OnikiDD: Thanks for the praise and encouragement! And I apologize again for the late update. Heheh just wait till I bring out ye old Megaton Hammer!!! XD
To Mira: Yup two o the best games eva! I just had to put them together!
To JohnLink-OneshotProductions: Guess I didnt get it up double fast but I hope you like it anyways :) And thanks for the pairing vote! every one helps!
To Soul-Emblem: Hmmm we'll see! you may be on to something.... And I'm glad you liked Link's bridge! And i think you're really gonna like what I have planned for Jaffar!
To Anmynous: Yes I am aware and I'm gonna try and avoid the whole deus ex machina thing but it's gonna be hard until characters get stronger.
To Darklink1011: Thanks for the vote perv! lol! haha sharing would be interesting thats for sure lol! Well I'll take it into consideration but we'll see haha!
To Brian303: Well thanks for the big kick in the butt. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. No hard feelings either but no I haven't heard of the tourettes guy and I hope you don't mind if I remove that last review lol. Anyway here it is as promised! Hope you like it.
Here we go!
Whom She Found
Chapter 12:
Ring of Fate
A dark haired woman stood with her hands behind her back and head tilted down. The assassin Beyard stood silently behind her waiting for her to speak.
"So the brother escaped, and the sister was rescued by a band of strangers." The woman said. There was no emotion in her voice and it sounded like she was merely stating a fact. She turned to face the man.
"Do I understand you?"
Beyard grimaced and nodded.
"Yes..." he said and tried to explain. "They ambushed us, and..."
SMACK
Beyard reeled from a sharp slap to his face.
"Hold your excuses." The woman hissed coldly. "The end is all that matters."
Beyard recovered and bowed low. "Yes, ma'am."
The woman turned away from him again and took a few steps before addressing him again her back still turned to him..
"And your plan for recovering the siblings is?"
Once again she spoke with no emotion not bothering to inquire if he even had a plan. In the ranks of the Black Fang such questions and orders went without saying. All of its members took responsibility for ones actions and setbacks and knew to prepare accordingly. Beyard was no exception to this rule.
"We've word that the entire group is headed this way, with the brats in tow." The assassin replied.
His superior turned her head slightly to glance over her shoulder. "They're coming here?" She asked curiously. "Why would they do that?"
Beyard revealed a beautiful ring in his hand.
"They may well be after this ring..." He said. "It's a rare piece and is apparently a memento of sorts. We took it from the girl. It was a stroke of luck that we did, especially if it brings them to us now."
He closed his fist tightly around the ring. "I'll grab the whole lot of 'em with this to bait the trap."
"I see..." The woman turned her head away again to think for a moment before turning again to face him.
"Very well, I'll give you another chance. I've business elsewhere, but I shall return once it's finished. You have until sunrise tomorrow. Do you understand?
"Yes, Lady Ursula." Beyard bowed again.
Ursula stepped close to him to glare into his eyes. "If you do not have the children when I return...my hand will deal you the Fang's punishment."
"Remember that. Bear it closely in mind." She warned before dismissing herself.
Beyard watched her leave in silence and then set about to make preparations. He would not fail. He could not fail...
xxx
With the much needed addition of the horses procured from the old fort Lyndis's Legion now made fast time chasing after the assassins. Shakkar soared high out of range of a bow shot but easily visible to Lyn and her group. The hawk's sharp eyes effortlessly picked up the trail of the fleeing men and led the group after them, surprising a few once again with its intelligence.
It had taken them a few minutes to ready the new animals and get everyone mounted but Kent, Sain, and Rath worked beautifully to organize everyone as fast as possible. Even Serra had little time to complain or ask questions when she got caught up in the urgent atmosphere. The only real hitch was deciding what to do with Ninian and Nils since neither of them had much experience on horseback. Sain of course planned to show everyone what a gallant and chivalrous knight he was by offering to allow Ninian to ride with him but Kent beat him to the punch and asked if Rath would take her before the green knight could even open his mouth.
Link, on the other hand, was absolutely elated to be reunited with Epona and was just itching to cut loose. Before anyone could ask he had already scooped up Nils and placed him on top of his beloved mare and swung himself up a second later behind him.
"Alright! Let's go!" He cried with a surprisingly childish grin.
Lyn had to suppress a giggle at the sudden change in her friend. In a way it was kind of like how Florina acted concerning her Pegasus. But now was not the time for that and she also mounted her own horse and soon the legion was giving chase; not on foot, but on swift steeds.
Nils gasped and squeezed his eyes shut in fright at the speed of the bumpy ride and he clutched tightly at Epona's mane. Ninian wasn't doing much better having to sit side-saddle with Rath, her delicate arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
"Don't be scared, Nils!" Link laughed encouragingly. "Enjoy the ride!"
"I'mgonnafallI'mgonnafallI'mgonnafall!" Nils cried repeatedly.
Link laughed again. "Hey now you're not going to fall! Riding a horse is easy!"
"Maybe for you!" Nils shot back.
"It can be for you, too! You're a musician so you know about rhythm right?"
"Of course!" the young bard shouted.
"Well then shift your body with the rhythm of Epona's movements."
Nils blinked in confusion at this advice but tried to apply it. To his surprise he quickly noticed a definite rhythm to the before frightening motion of the horse. It didn't take him long to adjust and once he did he was greatly surprised at how less scary the ride seemed. In fact it was fun!
Nils began to laugh and Link grinned at his adjustment. His laughter caught the attention of the nearest Legion members who could hear him including Ninian who opened her eyes and relaxed somewhat from his positive influence.
Link's grin widened when he noticed the others watching him and the boy.
"Hey! You wanna have some fun?" Link asked the young bard.
Nils craned his head to him and grinned. "Sure!"
"Hold on!" Link smirked. "HYAA!"
The Hero of Time spurred his horse faster. With a loud whinny Epona responded beautifully and the pride of Lon Lon ranch launched forward, easily outstripping the rest of the Legion leaving them with open mouths.
Nils gasped at the sudden burst of speed but was soon whooping with joy along with Link who quickly joined in.
"What a horse..." Rath breathed.
xxx
"So this is where they went, is it?" Lyn stared at the large fort.
By the time the rest of the Legion had caught up with Link and Nils, the Hero of Time had already explained their reason for being here to the curious boy.
"Milady, are you really going in there to get the ring back?" Nils looked at her in awe. Ninian was very startled to hear this.
"Yes, we are." Lyn smiled.
"But this is their stronghold!" Nils cried. "They're bound to be well defended not to mention well armed!"
"Please forget about the ring." Ninian was frantic. "It's OK...."
But Lyn shook her head and indicated her friend who was discussing something with Kent.
"Link's agreed to attempt this...recovery." She said. "I wouldn't be here if not for that."
She stared at the Hylian for a brief moment before turning back to Nils. "Link believes we can do this and I'm sure that decision was not made lightly. I trust his judgment more than anyone else."
"So with that said let's get your ring back Ninian." She smiled at the dancer.
"Milady..." Nils breathed in gratitude, his sister was speechless.
"Now we just need a plan. It's imperative we move carefully."
Kent stepped forward. "The narrow corridors will help us deal with numbers. In small confines battles come down to skill more than open field tactics and numbers. At least as long as we can cover our backs..."
Lyn nodded in understanding. "So we draw them to us then and engage them with superior skill."
"Even so these people are not to be underestimated." Link announced. "I'm sure you all noticed but we're not dealing with typical bandits. These men are good and they have some strong magic users among them. It stands to reason there will be more."
"Right." Lyn agreed somberly remembering their recent near death experience.
"Corridors and halls will also make it hard for us to support one another as we spread out so we all need to keep our guards up and avoid dangerous situations. Horses may be out of the question as well." Link added but then grinned. "However the same holds true for the enemy."
"Then what do you suggest Sir Link?" Kent asked.
"Let's take the entrance and then we'll decide once we see what it's like inside."
Everyone nodded and readied themselves for battle. The four horsemen Link, Rath, Kent, and Sain charged the fort while the others caught up from behind. They met with surprisingly little resistance and entered the fort, senses all alert for an ambush. They were met with several hallways and passages that took different paths from each other.
"As I thought." Link said as he looked around. "We're going to have to split up and search."
He turned to Lyn. "Well Lyn how do you want us to split?"
Lyn blinked in slight surprise. She was sure that Link would be the one to take charge of this situation but the Hylian had other plans. After all he wasn't going to be around forever and he didn't want them to rely on him too much.
Seeing her surprise Link answered the question he knew she was going to ask.
"I won't be going in with you. Their target is Ninian and Nils and Ninian cannot come with us right now. I will stay here and guard her while the rest of you go in."
Silence fell over the group as they realized the truth behind his words and knew that this would be their first big fight without the Hylian Warrior with them. To say that some of them were a little nervous would have been an understatement. Sure they had fought before and they could take care of themselves but even so it was only now that they were beginning to feel just how much they relied on him and his strength to assure their victory and they were sure that the realization would only increase from that moment on.
The most nervous one out of all of them - even Florina - however; was Lyn. Her previous confidence had left her at Link's announcement.
"You're...not coming?" She said quietly.
"Not this time..." He shook his head.
Lyn looked downcast; she was not sure if she had the capability to lead this mission without him. Link easily sensed this and walked up to her putting a hand on her shoulder.
"You'll do fine." He reassured her. "You're stronger than you think Lyn. You don't need me to win."
"But..." She looked at him fearfully. "You said yourself...they're not to be underestimated..."
"Then don't."
Lyn blinked. "What?"
"Don't underestimate them. Never underestimate your opponent – that's one of the first rules of being a warrior." Link stated. "However...it's just as bad to underestimate yourself."
He fixed her with a powerful piercing gaze that locked her whole body in place and shrouded out everything else around her. His next words were spoken with such strength they felt almost tangible.
"You have the ability and you made the decision to come. Now see it through."
Lyndis's mind shook and she could only return his stare with empty eyes while she tried to wrap her thoughts around what he said. It didn't take long for her old confidence to resurface and a small smile slowly graced her lips.
"You're right." She said softly.
Link grinned in return. "Good luck."
"Thanks." She replied before turning to the rest of the group to take charge. Link knew the challenge they were up against and yet he still believed in them enough to handle it on their own.
I trust his judgement more than anyone else...
She repeated her own words in her mind and faced this new challenge with determination. Link believed in her and she refused to disappoint him.
"Alright everyone! Let's do this!"
xxx
"Beyard! They are attacking!" A Fang member announced.
"So they did come." The commander nodded.
Beyard let out a deep sigh in mental preparation for the task to come. His fate would be determined by the outcome of the coming fight.
"Then let us deal with these meddlesome mercenaries!" He announced. "Failure is not an option."
"Yes sir!"
xxx
Lyn stared intensely at the small group of soldiers before them. Having previously split up the Legion had taken their first tentative steps into their assigned corridors. It hadn't taken long for Lyn's group to run into the first wave.
Although nervous while doing so Lyn had divided the Legion into three groups with Kent's help. They tried to keep a well balanced level of strength between them as well as having someone to help even the playing field should they run into any more magic users. Currently, Lyn stood with Kent, Lucius and Nils.
"You're fools if you think you can defeat us here!" One of the Fangs challenged.
"We shall see!" Lyn narrowed her eyes in defiance. Her mind was still focused on Link's encouraging words and her determination to live up to them burned through her veins.
She moved to meet the challenge; with every step she moved slightly faster than before.
You can do this! Focus...focus...!
She watched as the swordsman came to meet her. Her gaze hardened and she focused on her father's teachings.
Flow with the wind...Be as light as a feather...
She sped up further; her feet barely touching the ground.
Gather your energy...Let it take form...
Shadowy flickers danced around her body creating vague afterimages.
Read your opponent...Find an opening...
She nimbly dodged her opponents attack.
Focus your intention and STRIKE!!
She slid smoothly along the floor two complete afterimages of her followed.
THERE!!!
Lyn whipped out her sword and vanished from sight.
"SHADOW DANCE!!!"
Three quick flashes and the Sacaean heir appeared behind her opponent and smoothly slid her sword back in its sheath. The Fang swordsman whom she struck fell in spurt of blood; victim to the deadly technique of the Eastern Style.
Without turning to acknowledge the man she killed Lyn focused her attention on the others who stood in her way and charged. Kent followed close behind to provide support while Nils was still trying to wrap his mind around what just happened.
"Wow...she's strong."
"Indeed..." Lucius agreed.
xxx
"So tell me again why we're doing this?" Serra asked.
Matthew sighed as he rubbed his temples and silently cursed his luck. He had been grouped with Rath, and Dorcas; two people who were of a more reserved and quiet nature. At first he had been glad to be paired with them until he found out that a certain pink haired and loud cleric would be joining as well. Now Matthew was a very patient and carefree person, even for someone in his line of work. He could wait hours for just the right moment to slip through a window and follow someone for days waiting for a chance to act. But even with all that patience (as well as past acquaintanceship) ten minutes with the girl had ground his nerves so much that he was seriously contemplating either knocking her out and claiming she was hit from behind or tying her up and offering a trade. The ring for an admittedly attractive young woman - fair trade right?
"Because…" He replied slowly through gritted teeth. "Lady Lyn and the others will draw the most attention and the enemy will focus their forces on them. This will keep the pressure off of our group while we try to search for any possible traps and the whereabouts of the treasury. Odds are that the ring in question will be there. If not then we can liberate any supplies that we need and then make are way around to join up with the others."
"As such," he continued. "This is supposed to be a stealthy assignment. In other words being as quiet as possible…"
He hoped that the girl would catch his blatant hint; however, he was not so fortunate.
"That sounds soooo boooring!" Serra whined.
Matthew smacked his forehead in frustration.
"Will you pleeeaase shut up?!" He hissed.
"Huh? What's that?" a voice down the hall rang clear.
"There they are! Over here!" An assassin shouted signalling the group had been found.
"Oh great! Look what you did!" Serra huffed. "They heard you!"
Matthew groaned and pulled on his hair.
Rath, the only ranged fighter in the group, had his bow ready and swiftly launched an arrow into one of the assassins. Unfortunately he was not fast enough to stop the chanting of a pair of mages who each conjured fireballs.
With wide eyes Serra raised her staff and focused her magic. The opposing flames struck a pale shield of light that appeared in front of them. Gritted her teeth, Serra was strained to maintain the barrier but managed it nonetheless as both attacks dissipated.
"Behold the divine protection of Elimine!" The cleric proclaimed brightly.
Matthew was a little stunned. "I didn't know you could do that."
"Of course I can!" she exclaimed. "It may not be the right stave to do so but any cleric of Elimine can create a barrier to deflect magic!"
Although this was true, she didn't admit that without the proper staff the barrier was a weak one and she barely managed to maintain it. That and the fact that it was basically useless against physical attacks.
"You three are lucky I'm here!" she continued. "Without me you'd be getting burned right now!"
Matthew sighed again and drew his dagger.
Without you we wouldn't be in this mess…
xxx
Ninian was deep in thought while she waited for her brother and the Legion to return. Her mind barely registered the tune her green clad guardian was playing on his ocarina. She felt so strange and she couldn't place what was causing it. Could it be the questions circling through her head? Maybe it was part of it but that couldn't be everything. There was something familiar about the feeling and yet alien at the same time. It was as if she had experienced it once before but hadn't felt it in so long that she had forgotten. She turned her attention to the one called Link. He was sitting on the ground leaning against his horse, who was also laying down, her ears twitching to the music. This strange feeling had persisted since she had awoken in the company of his companions and persisted even now.
Could she trust these people? Why were they so willing to help them? Could it be a trick? If so what could they do to escape? If not then what would happen if they were caught?
These questions and many others raced though her mind. Part of her was screaming to flee; while another kept her firmly rooted in place. She tried to reason with herself – saying that even if it was a trick she couldn't go far on an injured leg. Plus these people were fighting the Fang so they couldn't be working for Nergal could they? No, that can't be it. After all they're going out of their way to get my ring. Anybody working for him would take them straight back.
She continued to stare at the man. Scrutinizing his features and trying to sort out her thoughts. There was something about him that felt…different. What was it? Oh!
She blinked. His ears!
Her eyes widened in shock. Could he be a morph?! No, he's not as pale and his hair is golden. What color are his eyes? They're closed, I can't tell!
She tensed and suddenly felt very afraid. She wanted to say something, anything, to get him to open his eyes. Her fears were relieved when Link, as if sensing her anxiety, stopped playing and raised his head to her.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
Ninian sighed in relief. Blue. The deepest, most piercing blue she had ever seen. She then blinked again as her mind registered his question.
"Huh? Pardon?" She replied.
"I asked what was wrong?" Link repeated.
"Oh! I'm sorry…It's just…why…why are you helping us?"
Link chuckled. "Is help from others such a strange thing for you?"
Ninian lowered her head. "No…but you don't know us or why we're being pursued. Why are you risking yourselves to aid us? Not only did you save my brother and I; but now you're trying to get my ring back. Why? What do you hope to gain?"
Link laughed at her response. To this the young dancer blinked in surprise. She watched in silence as the pointed eared man slowly composed himself.
"I'm sorry." He said once he had calmed. "You and your brother must have gone through some hard times."
He looked at her and smiled warmly. "You don't need to worry. Despite your experience there ARE people who don't require payment for what they do. Lyn and the others are doing all this because they want to, not because they expect something in return."
Ninian stared at him. "But…why are you so willing to risk your lives?"
Link merely shrugged. "When you have the power to make a difference is it so wrong to help people who need it?"
With that the elven warrior returned his attention to his ocarina and left the mysterious girl to her thoughts. Ninian continued to stare at him for awhile, listening to his music, and digested what he had told her. She blinked a few times when suddenly it dawned on her.
That's it! This feeling! It's…
xxx
"Ho!" Sain grinned widely as he twirled his lance before thrusting it at his opponent. Truth be told he was rather enjoying himself now that he was in charge of this merry band, the only real downside was that Link wasn't around to compete with him. Not that it was really much of a contest he mused, but it was still fun. Wil and Erk were doing very well as ranged support; the mage seemed especially glad to be rid of a certain cleric, albeit temporarily.
Florina was, well, Florina. She had started out hesitant and slow as usual but slowly built up her momentum as time carried on. She seemed especially nervous since neither Lyn nor Link was anywhere around. Like before, though, she had managed to work up the courage to contribute her share of fighting as well.
Wil fired arrows with his usual cheerful demeanour and was also getting caught in Sain's enthusiasm. However, this euphoria and overconfidence was beginning to have consequences. He didn't realize that gradually his shots were becoming less and less lethal…
As they made progress through the halls Sain and his group came to a more open area where they met with heavier opposition. Sain grinned again and charged forward parrying a swordsman's strike and cracking him over the head with the butt of his lance before spinning and thrusting the spear into the gut of another assassin.
A fireball flew towards the green knight but Erk stepped forward and raised his hands to block the attack similar to how Link had done it before. The mage then conjured three fireballs himself to counter the opposing magic wielder who attempted to block as well but suffered some damage.
Sain broke away from the duel of magic not wanting to get hit by a stray fireball and continued his melee frenzy. You wouldn't know it from his usual behaviour and the constant pownage handed to him by Link but Sain was indeed a Knight of Caelin and as such he knew how to fight; both on and off a horse. He may not be the best and he may technically be lower rank than Kent but he was still good. The constant humil-er-practice with a certain someone helped as well.
Right now he was the point man of his group and he knew it. It was the most dangerous position but he was also the most suited. He had to keep his position as best as possible to provide cover for the ranged support as well as stave off the brunt of the opposing force. He knew intimidation and morale were key factors in a fight and he knew it was important to keep his cool while trying to affect both of these aspects and not get caught up in them himself. Unfortunately knowing what to do and executing it are two different things.
The Legion, as skilled as they were or had the potential to be, was new and admittedly ragtag. With the obvious exception of Link; Sain, Kent, and Rath were the only ones properly suited and trained for battle. Florina, although she was trained, was ill suited for combat. Lyn was skilled but lacked experience and her confidence was constantly shifting. Erk was a simple escort and student of the magical arts, ill equipped for physical fights; Dorcas, a woodsman turned bandit brawler. Nils was a bard and Lucius an acolyte. Matthew was a thief (and spy) who could fight but preferred not to and Serra was Serra. Wil was a hunter who failed at the life of a mercenary.
Though he hated to admit it Sain knew in the back of his mind that they had been lucky to only encounter bandits thus far, men who were more ragtag and unskilled than them. The one time they had faced a planned trap by said bandits Link had bailed them out. But now, they were fighting assassins - a group skilled in their craft and experienced in teamwork; a whole different league.
So far they had been doing well. In fact their success was surprising…almost too surprising. Something about it bothered the green knight but he couldn't figure out what nor did he have the time to dwell on it. He had to continue fighting and he hoped that his gut feeling would be wrong.
xxx
"It's time to end this." Beyard grunted.
xxx
Lyn breathed heavily while watching her latest opponent fall. Several cuts adorned her arms as well as a few scrapes on her knees. No doubt about it, these men were good. So far they had been winning but the assassins the Legion were fighting showed great discipline and efficiency. When one fell another immediately took their place and they moved together well. Although he was unharmed Kent's armour had noticeable marks where he had been struck and he was beginning to tire as well. Lucius was panting heavily since he was not used to combat and although he had managed to vanquish a few more people he was noticeably trembling again.
They would be faring much worse of Nils had not been there constantly playing his invigorating music. But he was only a boy and he too was tiring greatly. He could normally perform with his sister for hours but he did not charge his music nearly as much as what was needed in battle. It was very taxing.
"How…many of them…are there?" Lyn panted.
"It is not their numbers milady," Kent replied. "They work well in a group and it is their skill and efficiency that is wearing us down."
Lyn gritted her teeth while she thought about that and realized Kent was right. Each one she killed had traded blows with her for a few moments before she either found an opening or the enemy backed away for another to dart in. In a group that all wore similar outfits, it gave the illusion there were more of them than there really were.
She hopped backwards to avoid the swing of an axe and landed back near the rest of the group.
"Ah! Milady Lyn!" Nils cried in precognitive warning. Too late.
Suddenly a cracked wall to the left was blown open by a pair of axes. The group whirled in surprise at the sudden distraction and saw the glistening of arrows through the dust.
A trap!
Lyn's eyes were wide as she heard the twang of bows being fired; her mind did not even fully register the action. Acting purely on reflex alone she pivoted on one foot and barely dodged an arrow meant for her heart. The manuever would have worked fine if that had been the only arrow. Time seemed to slow for her, however, when she noticed another arrow flying towards her halfway during her spin. She had no time to move, no time to change momentum; she was spinning right into a fatal shot.
xxx
"EEEEK!!!" Serra's panicked shriek rang down the halls causing many, including the Black Fang, to wince.
Matthew's brain was working a mile a minute trying to find a solution to their new problem. Just as they had managed to finish off that last group of assassins a squad of archers had appeared from behind them through a damaged wall. All of them lined up and prepared to fire. Matthew desperately ran through any option available during the few seconds it took the newly arrived bowmen to draw and release their bowstrings. Luckily Serra had, unknowingly, bought them an extra precious two seconds.
If Matthew had been anyone else they might have died right there. Fortunately he wasn't; he was who he was – Matthew the enigmatic and slippery thief who just happened to be one of the best spies in Ostia. As such he was one to exploit every possible means for a safe getaway and it was here that his experience and sharp eyes served him well for just ahead of him on the wall he saw a thick, old and moth eaten hanging tapestry. Acting fast Matthew darted to the opposite wall and sprung off it to reach the top of the cloth. In one swift motion he sliced through the bindings holding it up, grabbed the top and then shot down in front of his friends swinging the loose cloth in front of him with perfect timing as the arrows flew towards them. The thick and free flowing tapestry wrapped around the arrows and easily deflected their path.
The shocked faces of the assassins afforded the time necessary to turn the tables and as the tapestry finished its descent Dorcas heaved his mighty axe at the archers; taking out two of them and injuring a third. The rest were quickly incapacitated enough by Rath for Matthew to dart in swiftly and finish them off.
"We better find the others, quick!" Panting heavily the thief stood up and turned to the group. "Odds are they ran into something similar to this and they may need our help."
He turned to Serra. "Let's hope that they made out as well as we did, otherwise that staff of yours is going to be working over time."
xxx
There was a reason Kent wore armor. It was protective and allowed a knight to take more punishment in a fight than normal. There were many different types of armour in even more styles and made out of a variety of materials. Kent's cavalier armor was strong and moderately heavy but still let him move pretty fast. It was these traits and his training that saved his life. Upon seeing the archers lined up for the kill he turned sideways to minimize exposure and held his sword up in reverse, his left hand supporting it near the tip, and used the broadside as a makeshift shield to cover his face and reinforce his side. Three arrows sailed towards him. One glanced harmlessly off his sword and into the wall, another gouged at his chest plate but the angle he was standing also caused the arrow to be deflected as well. The last arrow struck him square in the thigh. He cried out in pain but his discipline kept him firmly in place. The arrow hurt but did not penetrate as far as it could so it was only a flesh wound, it would heal fine.
Nils was lucky that no one intentionally shot at him; after all the Fang were not supposed to kill him. Nevertheless he was still in danger and he reflexively crouched low and covered his head in an attempt to protect himself. Lucius however was so surprised by the sudden attack that he stumbled over his own robes and fell. Perhaps it was divine intervention that caused this since the one arrow meant for him sailed over him as he fell in a heap. But perhaps the most lucky one this day was Lyn.
Lyndis saw the arrow come towards her almost painfully slowly and she could do nothing consciously to save herself as the bolt struck home.
CHING!
Unconsciously was another matter.
The Sacaean heir blinked in sheer disbelief and astonishment. During her spin she had pulled her sword tight to her body and the blade, despite all probably and chance, was brought into the path of the deadly missile. Her momentum carried her through so that the deflection was just enough to avoid injury.
Lyn was stunned for a moment; her mind tried to process why she wasn't dead. By all rights she should have been but she wasn't. Her stillness may have cost her if Kent hadn't thrown himself towards the archers to break up their formation. Lyn managed to recover quickly enough to aid him and together they were able to successfully route the assassins.
"That was close." Lyn shuddered.
"Indeed," Kent agreed. "Let us hope the others fare better than that."
xxx
Wil ran as if the very hounds of hell were nipping at his heels; tears streamed down his face.
"It's all my fault! It's all my fault!" He cried repeatedly. "My fault!"
He completely ignored the pain in his shoulder where an arrow protruded. He didn't care. He had far more important things to worry about. He ran harder than he ever had and probably would ever run again.
The reason for his distress lay in the limp form of the lavender haired girl in his arms; blood dripping from the hole in her chest.
xxx
"Ah Lady Lyndis," Matthew sighed in relief when they came upon their leaders group. "Are you alright?"
"Ah Matthew, everyone…" Lyn smiled. "Yes we are alright. We had a close call but we made it out alive."
She indicated Kent who had pulled the arrow out of his leg and was applying a vulnerary to the wound. She was still a little shaken from her own ordeal but she was trying to focus on the task at hand.
"Thank goodness." The thief sighed. "We were worried something may have happened to you."
Lyn blinked. "Oh, did something happen to make you think otherwise?"
Matthew nodded gravely. "Yes, we ran into a bit of a trouble ourselves but we managed to pull out of it. However; Sain's group…"
He indicated the back of the group where Lyn noticed, for the first time, an unusually quiet and solemn Sain leaning against the wall.
Lyn's eyes widened as she looked around at her friends. It was only then that she noticed several people missing. Sain was the only person in his group present.
"Wh-what happened?" She asked, her voice trembling. "Where is Wil? And Erk? And Serra?"
She gasped again. "Where is Fl-Florina?!"
Sain winced and then smashed his gauntlet on the stone behind him. "I'm…sorry." He said quietly.
Lyn's heart raced. "What happened?"
Sain turned his head away in shame.
"WHAT HAPPENED?!"
xxx
Wil grinned as he knocked another arrow into his bow and sent it into the shoulder of a man running towards him. The assassin stumbled back and was quickly torched by Erk. As he drew another arrow from his quiver he watched as Sain traded blows with a fellow lance man. Wil shot the man in the leg allowing Sain to finish him off.
They were winning the fight and he felt good about it. These men may have been better than bandits but Link wasn't even with them and they were still doing just fine. Wil shot and reloaded again. Florina killed the man whom he struck. Yes things were going fine.
It was at this point that Wil learned a valuable lesson in combat. Never underestimate your enemy. Never grow overconfident.
"Aah!" Florina cried out drawing the attention of her comrades. They turned to see a squad of archers positioned at the start of a hallway preparing to fire. Florina had managed to spot them just as they were setting up. Sain quickly heaved his lance and impaled one of them while Erk through two fireballs at another pair. Florina; however, froze - the sight of multiple bows striking great fear in her heart. One of the archers aimed directly at the paralyzed Pegasus knight. She watched him draw the string back unable to bring herself to move.
Wil drew his bow faster hoping to continue what the others had done and stop the surprise attack. He released the arrow confident that the man would fall. The unthinkable happened.
He missed.
Wil watched in horror as the assassin safely released his own bolt. Time slowed for him as he saw the missile fly. His heart wrenched as it struck home, burying deeply into Florina's chest. Wil heard no other sound but the piercing of her flesh and the sound of her fall deafened his ears. His mind did not even register when another arrow struck him in the shoulder.
He was in shock. He could not think, could not speak. All he saw was the beautiful girl on the ground, her eyes closed and an assassin's arrow in her body. An arrow he failed to stop.
Silence fell upon the room as the Erk and Sain joined in his shock. Sain was the first to break free. He roared with rage and charged towards the archers like a mad berserker. He drew his sword and ignored the arrows pointed at him. One sailed past his ear and another glanced off his armor, not nearly enough to stop him. Sain fell upon the men and brutally slaughtered them, giving them no quarter and showing no remorse. He spat on the ground before dashing to where Florina lay. Wil was kneeling beside her, his bow forgotten on the floor.
"No…" He whispered softly. "It's all my fault…"
Erk on the other hand had also knelt beside the girl but he was checking her pulse instead.
*babump*
His eyes widened.
*babump*
"She's alive!" He said. It was weak but her heart was still going.
Sain reached for the arrow to pull it out when Erk stopped him.
"Don't!" He cried. "If you pull it out now you could cause even more damage! We don't have the necessary medical supplies for that!"
"Then what should we do?!" Sain demanded. "We can't just leave her like this!"
"No we can't." Erk agreed. "We should carry her back quickly and find Serra. The best course of action would be to do this separately so we don't waste time looking for her. In other words someone should take her back while another find Serra."
"I'll carry her!" Sain said quickly.
"No!" Wil finally spoke. "I'll do it! It's my fault!"
Before any word could be spoken against him the archer quickly gathered the girl in his arms and took off back down the hall they came from.
Sain gritted his teeth. "You better go find that cleric." He turned to Erk. "I'll continue on and see if I can join up with the others."
"But what if you run into more of them? It's not safe for you to go alone, you could meet their leader."
Sain narrowed his eyes and growled menacingly. "For his sake he better hope I don't."
xxx
"After that Sain ran into us and he sent Serra back to help." Matthew finished. "We then hurried on to see if we could find you."
Lyndis eyes flashed with a mixture of anger and worry. She started moving back towards where her friend would be but Kent stopped her.
"Let me go, Kent!" She demanded. "I have to see her!"
"No, Milady!" Kent was stern. "We have to finish this before anything else goes wrong! If you head back now then what happed to Florina will have been in vain!"
Lyn waged an internal war trying to decide what to do. She knew Kent was right but the other part of her demanded to see her friend. It was here that Matthew stepped in.
"Come, Milady." He said. "If you turn back you won't be able to see the face of the man who planned this."
That did it. Lyn stopped, whirled around and stormed towards where she knew the leader would be.
"Let's go." She commanded darkly. The legion quickly followed. It did not take them long to reach the room where Beyard was standing. A pair of magic users stood between them and him. The quickly raised their hands to chant a spell but they never got the chance. Lyn slew them before the first words were out of their mouths.
Beyard glared at them and reached for his sword.
"How?" He growled. "How can you still be alive?! You should all be dead!"
Lyn's body trembled with anger. "You'll pay for what you did to Florina!"
She was about to lunge towards him when she felt a hand on her shoulder stop her.
"No." Sain spoke softly. "Let me do it."
Lyn whirled at him. "But, Sain! I have too! Florina…"
"Was hurt while with me." The green knight interrupted.
"I was the leader," He continued seriously, stepping in front of her to face Beyard. "She got hurt while under my responsibility."
"Forgive me, milady," He brandished his lance dangerously. "But this… is my fight."
"Sain…" Lyndis stared at his back. This was a side of him she had never seen before and one she had doubted really existed. But now it was undeniable and she could not bring herself to refuse.
"I…" She said slowly and relaxed her stance. "Understand."
"Thank you," Sain nodded before charging straight for Beyard.
Sain thrust his lance forward with a loud cry, his eyes burning with intense focus. Beyard dodged right and countered with a slash. The knight quickly drew his lance back to block and responded with a slash of his own. Beyard parried and hopped back a step before leaping forward into a front flip slash. Sain raised his lance to block again and grunted under the force. The assassin pressed his sword harder against the lances shaft trying to push him back. Sain gritted his teeth and pushed back. The struggle continued for several long seconds before Sain cried out again and pushed harder. He deflected the Beyard's sword towards the ground and swiftly brought the butt end of his lance up into Beyard's chin. The man reeled back as Sain continued with his momentum and spun quickly while turning his lance. Again he thrust with the butt end of his weapon into Beyard's chest causing him to stumble to the ground. The assassin recovered just in time to roll away from a leaping thrust from Sain. The lance head struck stone and Sain had to block again when Beyard sprung back up to counter again.
Both men were fighting with tremendous resolve and passion; Beyard for his life and Sain for his honor and friend. Both men were driving themselves to their limits; however it is a common knowledge that when someone is fighting for someone else, their strength greatly increases beyond the level that they would be at fighting for themselves. In this case – Sain had the advantage.
The green cavalier once again shoved Beyard back and then rained a flurry of thrusts at the man. Beyard was forced to back pedal rapidly while trying to block allowing Sain to gather increased momentum. With a loud cry Sain whirled in a fast spin and slashed with his lance knocking Beyards sword to the ground. Beyard landed on his back and was prevented from sitting up by a lance tip at his throat. Victory for Sain.
"Aah…No…" Beyard growled. "I…I cannot…"
Lyn stepped forward and glared at the man. "Give us the ring! And swear us this oath…You must promise to leave these two alone. If I have your vow, we'll spare your life…"
Lyn gritted her teeth as she spoke. Truthfully she didn't want him to live. She'd rather kill him now for what happened to Florina but her honour would not allow for such a cold blooded kill without the option of surrender.
Beyard stared at her with hollow eyes.
"Failure… "He spoke slowly. "Means death…"
With that a crunching noise was heard as he bit something in his mouth and a few seconds later Beyard collapsed – dead.
"What?!" Lyn gasped she peered into his mouth to see the remains of some sort of vial. "Poison? He took his own life…"
She was stunned. She had heard tales of such behaviour before but she had never imagined running into someone willing to kill himself rather than surrender.
"These are no common brigands we're dealing with." Kent stepped forward. "This man and his soldiers were trained by a well organized group."
"If that is so then…what do they want with Ninian and Nils?" She asked.
Nils didn't speak. He wanted to say something but he found that he couldn't nor would he allow it if he could. He just couldn't bring himself to speak. Luckily he didn't have too.
"Milady!" Sain broke the silence. "Please, we must see what became of Dame Florina!"
Lyndis blinked and turned to him. "Yes! Your right! Let's go!"
She dashed quickly away followed by the rest of the legion.
xxx
Serra wiped her brow from sweat while she sighed with relief. Florina was going to be ok. She just needed some rest. She had been worried when she came upon the archer Wil and the girl. The wound by all accounts should have been fatal but somehow she had survived.
When they had arrived back at the entrance where Link and Ninian were waiting, the green clad warrior wasted no time in taking the girl from Wil and setting her on the ground. He retrieved a bottle full of some strange red liquid from his pouch. His next action caused everyone watching to blush. The handsome warrior uncorked the bottle and filled his mouth with the liquid before lifting Florina's head and pressing his lips to hers. Serra squealed to herself despite the situation and Ninian cupped her hands to her mouth. After a few seconds Link had forced all of the liquid down Florina's throat and then he instructed Serra to get her staff ready. Serra nodded and charged up her staff just as Link pulled the arrow from the girl's chest. Serra's healing light quickly washed over the girl, causing her wound to glow. Slowly the girl's injury began to heal and finally closed. Once she was stable they wrapped a blanket around her and placed a pillow under her head.
Wil sighed in relief but then wandered off somewhere with his head down. After a few minutes Lyn and the others rushed out of the old fort and Lyn demanded to know where Florina was. She too also felt great relief when she was told her friend would be fine. She sat beside Serra who was watching over to her while she slept and who proceeded to explain to her the situation.
"By all rights she should be dead." Serra said somberly. "It's a miracle she's still alive. Her life force must be surprisingly strong."
Lyn blinked at this news and then smiled when she remembered something. "You're right, Serra. I had forgotten this until now but…Link gave her an Angelic Cloak a few days ago."
At this point Shakkar fluttered down to sit on Lyn's shoulder while Serra's eyes widened. "He did? Well that would certainly explain it then. She's lucky."
Then she giggled.
"Actually she's really lucky, Link seems to give her a lot of special attention," she grinned. "Even when she's out cold."
"What do you mean?" Lyn stared at her confused.
"Tell me, has Florina ever kissed anyone?"
Lyn blinked. "Uh…not that I know of. Why?'
Serra giggled again. "Haha poor girl. Not even awake for her first kiss."
Lyn did a double take. "What?!"
Serra laughed. "Well I guess you can't really call it a kiss but still…"
"Explain." Lyn demanded.
Serra did and told Lyn about Link's little mouth to mouth application of medicine. Lyn in turn was stunned as she pictured that in her mind and she felt her cheeks get hot. Serra noticed this and took her silence into account. Her grin widened.
"Aw Lyndis…" She chided playfully. "Are you jealous?"
"WHAT?!" Lyn blinked in surprise. "N-no! I was j-just – you know!"
She stammered for a comeback while Serra laughed. "Aw c'mon! Admit it, your jealous right now!"
Lyn glared daggers at her and Serra wisely got up left while still laughing. Lyn huffed to herself and reached up a finger to stroke Shakkar's chest. She thought about what Serra said and pictured that image again.
Was she jealous?
xxx
Late that night Link found Wil sitting on a rock away from the others. He was clutching his bow and staring at it with a blank look.
"You blame yourself, don't you" Link sat next to his friend.
"How can I not." Wil said after a few moments. "I could have stopped him, but I missed! I got too caught up with myself and when it came down to it I blew it!"
"These things happen, Wil. No one is perfect."
"Feh. Don't I know it." Wil spat. "My whole life as a mercenary has been a failure. I may act cheerful and happy all the time but I really only see myself as a weakling who can't cut it."
Link let the silence hang for a moment before he replied.
"Do you really believe that?" he asked.
"Yeah, I do." Wil nodded. "Since I joined the Legion I thought maybe my luck had changed but this still proves that I'm no good at this stuff."
"You can't change overnight, Wil." Link replied. "It takes a lot of work to improve yourself in any area. If what happened to Florina hurts you so much then don't let it happen again."
"How?!" Wil looked at him. "How am I supposed to do that?!"
"Train." Link said simply. "Make yourself strong enough that you can prevent it from ever happening again."
He walked up to a large tree some fifty or so paces away and made an X mark with his sword. He then walked back to Wil.
"I want you to shoot three arrows as fast as you can manage while maintaining as much accuracy as possible. I do not want you forsaking accuracy for speed though."
Wil complied and shot his three arrows quickly. They all struck within the X but none of them hit the center.
Link nodded. "Pretty good. Now let me try."
Wil turned to him in surprise as the Hylian drew his own bow and three arrows from his magical pouch. Link turned towards the target, took a deep breath, and fired off all three arrows in a fraction of the time it took Wil. The Pheraen archer gaped at the speed but even more so at the precision as we watched all of his arrows hit dead center, the newer arrows splitting the shafts of the previous ones.
Link lowered his bow in silence and then turned to his friend. "That will be your goal. Practice until you can imitate that. Even if it takes you ten years, if you're serious about improving yourself then try to reach that level and surpass it."
That said he walked away to leave Wil to his thoughts. The archer in questions stared at his back, then at the arrows he shot, and back again. He stood in silence for a few minutes before turning to the tree and drawing his bow.
xxx
Ninian and Nils sat in silence at the edge of the camp until Lyn approached them.
"Why are you two sitting way over here?" She asked.
"Ah, Milady." Nils stood up from rubbing his sister's ankle. "We were just thinking, that's all."
"I see." Lyn nodded before smiling gently. "Nils, Ninian. Please do not worry. Everything is going to be fine. As long as you're with us, you'll be safe."
"But…" Nils tried to protest.
"You witnessed our victory, right?" Lyn asked. "Florina is ok and everything turned out just fine. With our swords you've no worries. If we all work together there's nothing we can't overcome."
"I don't care who comes after you; I'll not let you be taken." She declared.
"Really?" Nils looked at her.
"Yes on my honor." She grinned and turned her head to the person walking up behind them. "Right Link?"
"Of course." Link returned the grin.
"Milady…" Ninian smiled and then focused on Link again for a second.
"Oh yes …" Lyn snapped her fingers and withdrew a ring from a pouch at her hip. "This is yours."
"Ah…its…" Ninian's eyes brightened
"You called it Ninis's Grace, did you not?" Lyn smiled again. "That lout had it."
"Milady Lyndis! Thank you so much!" Nils cried.
Ninian tenderly slipped the ring back on to her finger. "I have no other words save thank you."
"Think nothing of it." Lyn nodded. "Come on Link. Now that he's calmed down I think Sain said something about a spar again and I need to continue my training as well." She thought back to her own close call and she refused to let it happen again. The two of them left the siblings to their thoughts again.
"Are you sure we should stay?" Nils asked his sister after awhile. "Even with your ankle injured I'm still not sure."
Ninian smiled at him. "I had those thoughts as well. But then something reassured me while I was with Sir Link."
"Oh?" Nils blinked. "What's that?"
"You tell me." Ninian continued to smile. "I felt strange the whole time I was with him and I still feel that way now. The closer he is the stronger that feeling gets. Do you feel it as well?"
Nils looked at her confused and then closed his eyes for a moment. "Hmmm…you're right. I do feel strange but…I can't put my finger on what."
"It's weird isn't it?" Ninian replied. "But at the same time…"
"Familier." Nils finished. "It's almost like…something is missing."
Then he gasped and his eyes shot open. "It's gone!"
Ninian smiled again and nodded as Nils continued. "The warnings! The danger!"
"Yes," his sister replied. "For the first time in a long time, I feel…safe."
xxx
A/N: Well how as that? A little different from my previous chapters but I hope you liked it. Once again I apologize for the late update and I'll try to get things going better and much quicker. As usual if you have any critique, ideas, or opinions please let me know and I will be happy to hear the. Who knows you might very well greatly affect the story! I hope to hear from everyone soon and that you continue to enjoy my story!
P.S: Is anyone a good deviant artist or know someone who is and would be willing to do some artwork for my story?