*Edited name mix up/paragraph wording between Lundgren and Eagler*
Hey everyone! Another chapter up in less than a year! Hurray new record!...wow that's sad…Anyway we're back on to the main storyline and the fight with General Eagler. I hope you enjoy it! But first - READER RESPONSE!
To:
Obiki Doragon: It's totally true. I believe that part of the Triforce of Courage's power is that it brings out Link's full potential very quickly and allows him to instinctively learn how to master various ways to fight. Even without that though Link is by FAR the most experienced fighter around and would be forced to grow strong just to survive. That's not something you can match with only with training. As for anyone having a chance against him…let's just say I have plans.
Wildfire Dreams: Yup I did and I did it again! Can you believe it? I'll try to keep going so you don't have to reread every time I update.
Lazruth: That's something I've wondered about as well and I have come up with a how Eliwood managed to save Ninian but I won't explain that until Eliwood's story. Haha, thanks for the comment on Link's character, too. You're right it is kinda hard to make a guy who doesn't talk OoC. This is just my own interpretation.
Fenix of the light: No problem and thanks for the praise. I'm glad you like the chapter. By the way I never said I had any near death experiences or even death in the family in general. I had to deal with some other issues as well as work before trying to piece together my story plan again. Thank you for your support though: it's greatly appreciated.
Dessel Ordo: Haha it's true and I'm glad you caught the reference to Link's age. I can't wait to get to Link's fight with Hector as well! It's gonna be fun! As for the "brick-shit" you're waiting for…it will happen but even I have no clue when it will pop up! I'll just have to keep pushing along till it does! Haha!
Josh Dragonheart: I'm glad you thought the chapter was worth the wait although I'm sorry you had too. It's true though…life sucks. Best you can do is keep calm and carry on!
Ranma Uzumaki: Thanks!
Darklink1011: Thanks! I appreciate your concern but honestly if I was gonna burn out and let this story die it's be dead by now. I'm gonna try to not let that happen at all.
Overdrive1: Yeah it is hard to keep going at times. Once you start though it's easy to keep going. Now that you mention it though I should go back sometime and correct some mistakes here and there. Probably not anytime right away but it's something to keep in mind. As for the hiatus between Lyn and Eliwood's story (which is what I plan on following for the most part, though I MAY delve a bit into Hector's story as well) I'm still working on it. I do kind of have a side idea though that might be fun that I'll talk about at the end of this chapter.
Herr Wozzeck: Yup. Again. Hopefully for longer this time though and more frequently.
Wraith54: Thanks! I appreciate the comments and I agree with the how difficult the Lyn's situation would be in reality compared to how the game portrays it. I'm trying to keep a foot in reality while playing with my fantasy haha! I am sooo glad you loved the fight and I agree with you completely about most people not realizing what a real fight is like. I can't say I've personally been in that situation but I'm not an idiot when it comes to it either. I hope you continue to enjoy my story!"
OniKiDD: Thanks for your concern and support! I agree with you, although its tedious to write, that background story is very important along with finer details. I've seen A LOT of fics that either don't have enough back story or finer points so that you can't get into them or they have so much that it's hard to read. I'm trying to maintain a balance and I think it's working even if it isn't perfect. Thank you for your input!
The21stGenerationHairstyle: I'm glad you liked the fight and Link's awesome-sauce killing mode! I quite enjoyed writing it. Don't worry Hector will definitely get his due as well!
Calming-seas88: Thank you very much for your input and your vote! It means a lot when people take notice of the finer details of my work and I hope I continue to meet your standards!
Anarion Star-Dragon: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter despite its filler nature. Hopefully this one is a little bit more your speed. I'm full aware I have grammatical mistakes but I do all the proofreading myself since I'm not reliable enough to have a beta reader and no one I know is interested or better at it than I already am. So I miss things even though I try. I'm glad you understand.
Shadow Zeranion: That's what I was going for. There are several holes in the game story that bother me and I hope to fill them to the best of my ability and yes the results of filling those holes do have consequences. As for the time skip thing I do have several ideas although nothing solid and yes one of them does involve Farore's Wind. I do have another side idea that I will expand upon at the end of this chapter though. Thank you for your support and well wishes!
Jetflash: Link's influence is going to greatly affect the FE storyline just as the tactician's influence does. As for how those influences take form, that can only be told by the future. Thank you for you're support!
Animajunki1230: Yup I'm alive! Glad you're still into my story and I hope your own are going well also!
Raikouga: Ha! I love Mushu! And cake. Cake is good. Especially when it's not a lie. Thank you sooo much for your big review! It was a joy to read especially the part about edible chocolate…mmmmm chocolate…Heh All your words about Link ring true and I'm glad that you agree with my line of thinking concerning him. He's so much fun to write about and I just love portraying his fights. I have several big plans for this story concerning him and I hope I can keep going long enough to write them. I also hope that you stick around to read them! Haha!
Well that's it for reader responses so on to the main show! And for those of you who don't read this - I HAVE SOMETHING IMPORTANT I WANT TO SAY AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER!
And now without further ado I present:
Whom She Found
Chapter 14:
Fallen Eagle
xxx
"I've received word from Caelin's neighbours, Laus, Tuscana, Kathelet, Tania, and Santaruz." Eliwood announced. "They will not interfere in Caelin's affairs. This they have promised."
"That's great news." Link grinned.
"Eliwood," Lyn sighed in relief. "I don't know how to thank you…"
The Pharaean Lord chuckled. "All I've done is convince them to remain neutral in this dispute. However, this means that I cannot aid you in any way either. Will you be alright?"
"I will win." Lyn nodded resolutely. "I have to. It's the only way that I can help my grandfather."
"I understand." Eliwood replied. "Although I cannot help you directly, as a friend, I pray for your success. Although with Link at your side I doubt I have too much to worry about."
"Thank you." Lyn smiled. "We won't waste the opportunity you've given us."
"Right then," Link said. "We should hurry back and make our next move."
"Yes," Lyn agreed. "Let's go!"
xxx
Although the ride back was not nearly as urgent and fast paced, they still made good time getting back to the others. Lyn was very pleased to see Kent up and about and not bed ridden. Apparently the combination of Serra's healing magics and Nils's revitalizing music greatly sped up his recovery nicely. He still wasn't at 100% but he was pretty close.
"I'm glad to see you've recovered so well, Kent." Lyn smiled at him.
"Thank you milady," Kent nodded. "I am prepared to enter the next battle."
"I'm glad to hear it." Lyn replied. "Although Eliwood succeeded in ensuring that Lundgren will receive no outside aid I fear that we will still have our hands full."
"Indeed you are correct, milady." Kent agreed. "Caelin's army may not be as powerful as Pharae or Ostia but it is still nothing to be taken lightly."
"Have you thought of how best to proceed?"
"I have but it is no easy task." Kent replied uneasily. "As I said before the most direct route would be through General Eagler's estate but he will have it well defended. On the other hand though if we waste time trying to avoid that fight then the chances of us facing the full might of Caelin at the castle are almost guaranteed. If we can finish the battle with General Eagler quickly enough then we will ultimately face less opposition at Castle Caelin."
"I see," Lyn nodded thoughtfully. "Then that is what we will do."
"By your word, milady." Kent bowed and turned away to prepare.
Lyn couldn't help but feel that something was bothering the red knight. His mannerisms seemed even more professional than usual and that was saying something. She hoped that whatever was bothering him wouldn't last long. She looked around for the rest of the Legion and couldn't help but smile at the renewed sense of energy everyone seemed to have. A few days rest had really helped boost morale for almost everyone and it showed as they all prepared to depart and engage in another big fight. Wil was still wrapped up in his self imposed isolated training but he had made improvement in his overall behaviour especially after successfully utilizing the ballista in their last battle. Sain had also thrown himself quite heavily into training while Kent was in bed and wore a very focused, almost angry, look on his face. Lyn could tell that in a way both of them were looking forward to the upcoming battle and the chance to vent pent up emotions; she just hoped they wouldn't get in over their heads.
It took her a few minutes to realize that she couldn't see either Link or Matthew anywhere and she became curious as to their whereabouts. She looked around and finally found them separated from everyone else and talking quietly. Her curiosity rose but before she could approach them Matthew nodded to Link and quickly disappeared. Link stood there for a few moments in contemplation before turning and moved to join the rest of the Legion in their preparations. Again Lyn's curiosity rose but she decided that if it was something she really needed to know then Link would tell her and she quickly suppressed her curiosity to focus on the task at hand. She would not be stopped here. She couldn't be stopped here…
xxx
It was cold. The damp morning fog caused a chill to run through the bones of the Legion as they marched towards the estate. Despite the discomfort the chill in the air was not what weighed heavy on the minds of the warriors. Lyn was both nervous and full of grim determination at being so close to her goal while Sain and Kent, for reasons of their own, had their own negative emotions that were felt by the rest. Despite the air around them morale was not low: everyone was rested, ready, and they knew they were close to their ultimate goal.
"We're close to General Eagler's estate." Kent announced as they marched forwards.
"We should ready ourselves." Sain grunted. "He will be expecting us and I doubt he'll let us just waltz right through his land to the castle."
"Agreed." Kent nodded. "But this thick fog will make for a difficult fight. We cannot fight what we cannot see."
"We can't let that stop us, though." Lyn proclaimed. "We must press on. How should we proceed?"
"If I may suggest milady," Matthew stepped forward. "Perhaps I should take point?"
Matthew?" Lyn blinked. "But you hate direct confrontation, why do you desire to be first?"
Matthew chuckled. "Well, milady, in my line of…work…people such as I find it prudent to carry out or tasks in conditions less than ideal for normal sensory use. As such we develop ourselves to deal with said conditions. In short milady, I can see through the fog better than anyone else so it only makes sense that I go first."
"I see," Lyn nodded. "You have a good point. Very well, please lead us through this fog."
"With pleasure," Matthew grinned cheerfully.
"Might I make another suggestion?" Link added.
"Of course," Lyn replied.
"If you think about it we actually have an advantage over our enemy this time." Link replied. "Matthew has proven himself to be rather exceptional at his craft so his skills will be invaluable in these conditions, however, we also have another way of detecting danger that isn't affected by weather conditions at all."
"That's right!" Nils piped up. "My sister and I can sense the danger through the fog so we'll be able to tell you when people get close!"
Link nodded. "So if we spread our formation around Ninian and Nils with Matthew at point we can essentially create an area where nothing can hide from us and we will be able to deal with ranged attacks as well."
"An ideal strategy, Sir Link," Kent agreed. "That is probably the best situation we can hope for under these conditions."
"Even so I don't think we should bring Ninian so close to the fight," Lyn said. "She is still injured."
The young dancer, who was sitting side-saddle on Epona, was about to protest but Link beat her to it.
"She will be fine," he replied. "Epona will keep her from harm and as an added security I can also do this…"
He turned to the girl and his horse and began chanting the spell for Nayru's Love. Although Link was considered to be the weakest of the three Triforce bearers in terms of magic he was by no means a slouch in the subject. After years of fighting and training he had developed significant magical prowess alongside his inhuman combat skills. Despite learning several other spells over the years, his favourites had always been the first three that he learned during his first quest as the Hero of Time. He had learned from Zelda that his three initial spells - Din's Fire, Farore's Wind, and Nayru's Love, each had three levels of power to be learned. Din's Fire at its first level created a powerful dome of fire that scorched everything in its path. At its second level the flames were not only stronger but could be controlled to destroy only desired things and leave others unharmed. The final stage of Din's Fire allowed the power to be compressed into a ball of explosive flame that could be shot and guided towards a target. Farore's Wind allowed the caster to instantly warp to a precast point. Its second level was much more useful in combat as the caster could warp quickly within an area of sight. The final level of Farore's Wind gave the caster the ability to easily travel to any place they had frequented before as long as they could clearly picture it in their mind. Nayru's Love created an impenetrable protective barrier around the caster. Its second level extended the time it could be maintained as well as allowed it to be cast on someone else. The final level of the spell gave it offensive capabilities as it could reflect other spells and projectiles as well as shatter into hundreds of razor sharp crystalline shards. The final levels of each spell also drastically cut down their Mp expenditure and allowed them to be cast almost instantly. Zelda had easily mastered each spell to their fullest ability and used them to devastating affect when required. Link however had only been able to unlock the second levels of each spell but they still opened up a whole new world of options for him.
"Nayru's Love!" He cried as he finished his chant and a large crystalline barrier formed around Ninian and Epona. "There now she should be safe from anything that they can throw at us."
"All right everyone!" Lyn announced glad that Ninian would be safe from harm. "Let's get going!"
Like a well oiled machine the Legion spread out into formation; each of them positioning themselves to best utilize their strengths while being close to someone who could cover their weaknesses. With their line set they cautiously marched forward through the fog. After a few minutes of nervous silence Link and Matthew stopped while Shakkar twittered noisily.
"Someone is coming," Matthew said as he tensed himself in preparation. The others followed suit and focused on the direction he was staring in.
"I sense it too," Nils agreed. "But it feels…different than normal..."
Through the dense fog the Legion heard the approaching figure long before they saw it. Heavy footsteps echoed through the air accompanied by the solid clattering of thick steel; whatever was coming was big. Finally a large silhouette appeared through the fog and caused Link's eyes to widen at the massive wall of armoured steel that brought forth memories from long ago.
"Impossible…" Link thought and when the figure finally came into full view he couldn't stop himself. "IRON KNUCKLE!" he roared and lunged forward with blinding speed. The others were startled his sudden shout and could only watch as the Hylian attacked the armoured figure with unmatched ferocity. It was only due to years of experience that the armoured knight was able to raise his great axe to meet Link's charge. A loud clash of steel and sparks filled the air and the Legion watched the wall of steel fall back a few steps from the force but maintained a solid stance. At this Link narrowed his eyes and took a hop back outside of the knight's reach. No Iron Knuckle would be knocked back by such an attack; not to mention that he felt no malevolence or dark magic from the knight.
"Who are you?" Link asked dangerously still on guard.
The armoured man stood up straight and lowered his axe. "Impressive strike, boy…My hand is numb." The knight took off his helmet to reveal an older, bald, man with heavyset features. At the sight of him Sain and Kent's faces fell.
"Aah!" Sain cried.
"You! You're…Lord Wallace!" Kent said.
"Who is this?" Lyn asked Kent.
"He used to be the commander of the knights of Caelin." Kent swallowed. "He's a veteran knight that earned fame as the Wall of Caelin."
"Aren't you supposed to be retired?" Sain asked nervously as he was not eager to fight the mighty general. "I heard you were sowing fields now."
"I am and was." Wallace sighed. "Then I received orders from Lord Lundgren. I was told to capture an imposter and a pair of rogue knights."
Sain stiffened at this while Kent grew defensive. "Lord Wallace! Surely you don't believe us to be oath breakers, do you?"
Wallace did not respond but tightened the grip on his axe. "Bring me the girl that claims to be Madelyn's child!"
Everyone tensed at the announcement. "What are your intentions?" Sain growled.
"If I don't like what I see I will take her." Wallace stated simply.
The two knights manoeuvred themselves in front of Lyn. "We will prevent you."
At this Wallace threw his head back and laughed. "You? Prevent me? HAHAHAH! You honestly believe you can do such a thing?"
"It matters not if they can or can't," Link replied dangerously. "Because I will."
"Oh?" Wallace raised an eyebrow. "You think so, eh? I'll admit your first strike impressed me but it'll take much more than that to take down someone of my strength."
"Heh, I've beaten much stronger than you," Link replied.
"Is that so?" Wallace smirked. "Well then let's see-"
"Enough!" Lyn stepped forward. "I am right here! I am Lyndis!"
"Hmm?" Wallace blinked and turned to her.
"I'll understand if you do not believe my claim," Lyn stated. "But I've had enough of you and your foolish posturing!"
When Lyndis presented herself Wallace stepped towards her to examine her more clearly. Lyn stared hard into his eyes as if challenging him to deny her claim.
"Hmm…" Wallace said after a few moments. "Such beautiful eyes…"
Lyn blinked at him. "Pardon?"
Wallace chuckled. "I've been a knight for 30 years and there is one thing that I learned. A person with eyes as bright and true as yours is no deceiver." Again he gave a hearty laugh. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ah, yes! I like you girl! Why, I believe I'll even join your little band of mercenaries!"
Sain stared at him incredulously. "Are you…Are you serious?
"This old bull's pledged his loyalty to Caelin. I will never allow an usurper on the throne!" He turned and headed in the direction he had come from. "Let's march!"
"Lord Wallace! Wait!" Kent called after him. "He…He hasn't changed at all."
"I like him." Lyn laughed. "He's…honest."
"That he is." Kent nodded. "He deserves our respect."
The Legion resumed its march but it was Wallace that took point this time as the boisterous man gave no opportunity for anyone else to do so. Even Florina found it difficult not to smile in his presence, he was just so full of life and cheer that it was infectious and greatly boosted morale.
"Hahahah! Oh it feels good to be back marching among comrades!" Wallace announced. "I'd planned on living out my days in peace on my farm but there's nothing like a good old fight to rouse ones spirit!"
"Lord Wallace?" Lyn asked. "What can you tell us about the events in Caelin."
"Honestly, my girl, I do not know much." The elder knight replied. "I retired from active duty a few years ago and left Eagler, my second in command, in charge of Caelin's army. After that that I did not keep track of the current events of Caelin so the details about what has been happening are unknown to me. What I do know is that Lundgren is a power hungry fool and he is desperate to stop you; too desperate to be dealing with a simple imposter. He would not have called me back into active duty otherwise."
"Let him try." Lyn stated resolutely. "Nothing will stop me from seeing my grandfather!"
"GAHAHAHA!" Wallace laughed again. "I knew I liked you girl! Well said!"
They marched forwards for a few more minutes before Kent announced that they had entered Eagler's estate.
"Everyone on your guard! We are in General Eagler's territory and I expect we'll see some soldiers soon."
"Aye." Wallace nodded and hefted his axe to his shoulder. "Eagler received the same orders as me, he's waiting for us."
"Yes," Ninian nodded from atop Epona. "I sense danger from many people ahead of us…"
"Over there!" Matthew indicated a group of shadows approaching through the fog. Everyone tensed as several soldiers came into view; a scouting party sent to determine their location. The soldiers all shouted when they saw the group and an archer quickly shot a flaming arrow into the sky – a signal to the rest of Eagler's men. A pair of soldiers raised their lances to the group and lunged forward hoping to slow the advancement of the Legion. However there attack was met by Wallace who stood like a sentinel of steel between them and his comrades and their lances shattered against his heavy armour.
"Gahahaha!" Wallace guffawed. "Is that all you've got? Hahah! My defence is impenetrable! Come fools! Break you're weapons against me!"
The veteran knight swung his great axe and crushed the two hapless soldiers in a single swing. After knocking them aside Wallace continued his march towards the rest of the stunned scouting party but before he could reach them a swift shadow darted through the remaining soldiers accompanied by several flashes of steal. The soldiers all fell as one and the shadow stood amidst the bodies revealing itself to be Matthew, who casually flicked the blood from his dagger.
"Sorry to spoil you're fun, milord." Matthew chuckled. "But I just couldn't resist. They were standing so invitingly unaware…"
"Ah, tis fine m'boy!" the knight replied. "Wouldn't be sporting of me to hog all the fun now would it? Hahaaa! There'll be plenty more!"
"Indeed," Kent nodded. "They know we're here now. This fight is just getting started."
xxx
Florina gripped her lance nervously as she walked forward. The thick fog prevented her from riding her Pegasus into battle as usual so she was forced to march on the ground with everyone else; a position much further from her comfort zone than she was used too. Of course, like Kent and Sain, she was trained in dismounted combat but she relied heavily on her close bond with Huey so she felt extremely vulnerable right now. She was glad that her allies were close but that knowledge did little to quell her fears. Suddenly a figure charged towards her through the fog and she let out a startled gasp as she hastily raised her lance to block the swordsman's blade. Florina stumbled back from the force of the blow leaving her open for another strike but fortunately the blow never came. A ham sized fist slammed into the side of the swordsman's face sending him reeling away from the vulnerable girl. Not allowing the man any chance to recover Dorcas quickly swung his axe and cleaved his head from his shoulders. Florina recovered her footing as the swordsman fell and stared at the quiet axe wielder.
"Th-thank you." She squeaked.
Dorcas merely nodded and turned towards the direction the soldier had come from. He engaged another swordsman who had followed the first and blocked his path to Florina. However the swordsman was able to dodge all of the larger mans attacks. Dorcas was very strong but his brawler style was at a disadvantage against a trained soldier who could avoid his blows. Seeing this Florina steeled herself and dashed forward, her petite frame hidden by Dorcas's bulk. The Pegasus knight thrust her staff from underneath Dorcas's arm and stabbed the unsuspecting swordsman in the chest.
"Thanks." Dorcas nodded to her again and continued his march. Florina smiled slightly before following after him.
Xxx
Ninian's eyes were closed as she concentrated on her surrounding area. Her breathing was slow and rhythmic her countenance that of serene calm. After a few moments she opened her eyes.
"There." She pointed slightly to the right. No sooner were the words out of her mouth when two arrows shot in the direction she indicated. A loud cry of pain rewarded the shooters with a confirmed hit.
"He's no longer a threat." Ninian spoke softly from atop Epona.
On either side of her Rath and Wil nodded and waited for her to locate another soldier. Ninian was proving to be an invaluable asset to the archers when they discovered that if she concentrated she could use her danger sense to pinpoint specific people through the fog. Rath and Wil had since worked out an effective strategy of picking the soldiers off despite the blinding conditions. Rath had taken to the task quite well since his shooting reflexes were higher than Wil's due to the conditions of horseback archery. Wil also welcomed the tactic since he could use the opportunity to silently compete with Rath and train his own reflexes. Although the young archer had recovered somewhat from his depressed state he was still a long way from being back to his normal self. Thankfully this task allowed him to be of use in this battle and he gratefully drowned himself in the tension: anything to free his mind, albeit temporarily, from the guilt and shame.
"There."
Another arrow - another cry of pain.
xxx
Matthew grinned to himself as he slew another soldier before disappearing back into the shadows. Normally he hated direct conflict with his opponents but with the fog obstructing everyone's view the slippery thief was having an absolute heyday with Caelin's soldiers. One by one the soldiers fell as he darted from shadow to shadow. He moved like a wraith dropping from trees, lunging from bushes, and slipping through the fog before anyone could notice him. Every possible way that he could approach from a blind spot he took and it wasn't long before he had lost track of how many people he had killed. In a way it was almost sickening but Matthew had been in his profession for years and he wasn't about to lose sleep over something like this; besides, some of the fallen guards had some decent loot that he could claim. With that in mind he disappeared once again and shortly after another gurgled grunt could be heard through the fog.
xxx
For once, incredibly, Serra was quiet. Even she knew the impairment of the fog and the danger of the many soldiers ahead of them. It took a lot of willpower but she forced herself to stay silent so that the soldiers would be less likely to see them before they did. A few steps ahead of her Erk and Lucius kept their magical enemies at their fingertips, ready to be cast forth at a moment's notice. Erk's fireballs were especially useful since the heat and flashes of light they provided could disperse the fog around them for a few seconds and allowed them to see the surrounding area better. Their powerful spells dropped many soldiers before they could get too close. Soon Eagler's men became wary of the spell casters and sent forth their own mages to combat them.
"Whoa!" Erk hopped back from a fireball sent by an opposing spellcaster. "Looks like they have some mages of their own."
"So it seems." Lucius nodded.
"Step back Lucius." Erk said as he stepped forward. "You're Light magic is weak against Anima. I'll handle it."
"Alrigtht, but be careful," the monk replied as he fell back.
Erk quickly threw his own fireball back at the mage who deflected it with his own magic power. Erk grimaced slightly at this, this mage was much better than the ones he had faced before. The two students of magic soon found themselves trading spells in a dangerous dance of fire with neither gaining the upper hand. Suddenly another fire ball flew at Erk from a different direction. With no time to dodge Erk crossed his arms in front of him and took the blow. He grunted as the ball of fire knocked him back a few feet; thankfully his magical resistance saved him from serious injury.
"Erk!" Serra shouted and ran towards him, her staff glowing.
"I'm fine Serra, get back!" Erk shouted and quickly clambered to his feet just in time to avoid another fireball. A lancing spark of light from Lucius prevented the second mage from attacking Erk again but unfortunately did very little damage. Erk attempted to remedy that by throwing a bigger fireball at the mage but it was nullified by a pair of smaller ones from both of them. The young mage gritted his teeth in frustration; they were being matched quite well by the two enemy spell casters and he thanked Elimine that none of the normal soldiers wanted to get in between the magical duel. Still, they needed to do something soon or this would get out of hand.
"Lucius!" Erk turned to the monk at his side. "Try to buy me some time! I'm going try something!"
"Alright, I'll try!" Lucius nodded and began casting rapid blasts of light magic while Erk closed his eyes in concentration. Although they had just started learning about Hylian magic, Erk had a very basic grasp of the concept and despite the risks involved in attempting magic with such limited knowledge he felt he had little choice. He reached deep inside himself and searched for the life energy that powered Hylian magic separate from his own normal spells. The first thing Link had taught them was how to detect and feel their life energy which Erk and Lucius had succeeded in doing while Link and Lyn were in Kathelet but that was as far as they had gotten; they had not practiced anything beyond that. It was a gamble but Erk hoped it was at least similar to how he gathered magic normally. Once he located the energy he mentally pulled at it but he felt no change. He tried again, more forcefully, but still nothing. Erk's frustration and panic grew at his inability to gather the energy that required despite it being within his reach.
"Come on…" Erk panted as he mentally struggled. Meanwhile Lucius continued his magical barrage but he knew he couldn't maintain it forever. The speed of his casting caused his spells to be weak but they fulfilled their purpose in keeping the two enemy mages occupied.
"Hurry, Erk!" the monk urged.
Erk knew that Lucius was tiring and even if he could keep his pace indefinitely his Tome of Lightning would not. The purple haired mage desperately clutched at his life energy and with every fibre of his being willed it to be gathered. Miraculously he felt a sliver of the energy bend to his will and he forced himself not to cry out in relief. However, his relief was short lived when he suddenly felt the energy fluctuate. Erk gasped and fought to maintain control of it; he couldn't believe how powerful it was! His life energy had felt so warm and welcoming when he first touched the source but as soon as he had separated the small bit of energy from the main pool it had turned wild. Worse still, now that he had gathered it, he had no clue what to do with it! He didn't know any Hylian spells and he certainly wasn't expecting it to be this hard to control. With no other option he tried to form his normal fireball with the energy but found that it would not cooperate, instead it became even wilder than before. Erk panicked when a sudden realization hit him: if he couldn't release the energy what would happen to him when he lost all control of it? It was then that Erk decided to do something crazy. He started to gather the energy he normally used to power his spells hoping to dilute the sliver of life energy. The task stressed his mind to its very limits and Erk knew that he was going have one hell of a headache after this. As he prepared his fireball he forced the life energy to mingle with his normal magic, diluting it, and hoped to bring it under control. To his surprise the energies started to combine with each other, albeit roughly. The life energy greatly thickened his normal magic and made it extremely difficult to channel, but that was where he found his victory. He could channel it.
"Lucius! Get back!" Erk cried as he focused this new energy into his fire spell. The monk gladly ceased his magical barrage and dashed behind the young mage. Erk's fire spell slowly took form in his hands and the pain from wielding the potent mixture of energies almost caused him to black out. He forced himself to maintain consciousness and after what seemed an eternity he finally finished.
"HAAAAA!" Erk threw his spell towards the two opposing mages and the force of the magic leaving his fingers blew him back several feet. The enemy mages were not so lucky. Though they tried to defend, the fireball exploded at their feet and completely obliterated them. The force of the explosion blew gale force winds in all directions which forced all nearby to brace themselves. When the dust settled Lucius gaped at the destruction wrought before him by a simple fire ball. The remaining soldiers scattered from the blast fearful of a repeat. Lucius turned back to find Serra standing over Erk, her glowing staff pointed at his hands. The monk winced when he saw the mage; his hands were scorched and black.
"What did you do?" Serra screeched while trying to mend the damage.
Erk winced from both the pain of his burns and the ringing in his ears. "I tried doing something I shouldn't have…"
"You tried using what Link taught us, didn't you?" Lucius knelt beside him and picked up Erk's Tome of Fire. It was charred black and as the monk lifted it into the air it crumbled into ashes.
"Yes," Erk nodded. "And I don't think I'm ever going to attempt it again without MUCH more instruction."
"Link's been teaching you magic?" Serra asked surprised and a little put off that he hadn't done so with her.
"Not yet," Lucius shook his head. "He only taught us how to find the source of his magic inside ourselves. He hasn't shown us anything beyond that yet."
"For good reason too," Erk winced again. "Lucius don't try to do anything with it on your own yet. It's completely different from any magic I've ever done!"
"Really?"
Erk nodded. "I can see why Link was hesitant to teach us. The power…it's unreal! It refused all my efforts to gather and when I finally managed to pull a sliver of it away, it went wild and nothing I did allowed me to control it!"
He indicated the damage his fireball had done. "That is the result of a small portion of life energy mixed with a lot of our normal magic power."
"You mixed magics?" Lucius and Serra cried at the same time. "What were you thinking?"
"I had no choice!" Erk yelled back. "The only way I could get rid of the energy was to mix it with my own magic and hope it would dilute enough to form a normal spell! It worked…but you can see the results…"
Lucius sighed. "Perhaps we should fall back. You're in no condition to fight anymore and my tome is almost spent."
"Ugh," Erk groaned as he tried to stand. "I agree."
The monk helped Erk to his feet and led him away followed close behind by Serra. He was glad that they had succeeded in their efforts but as they walked Lucius couldn't help but think about the power of Hylian magic and his resolve to treat the knowledge with great care increased tenfold. If he had the power to read minds he would have discovered that Erk was thinking the same thing.
xxx
Spearheading the Legion's march, Kent and Sain flanked Lyn on either side while they followed closely behind Wallace. The old General was proving himself to be an unstoppable juggernaut as he lived up to his famed reputation as the Wall of Caelin. His slower speed meant very little when his titanic defense was combined with his great striking power and wide area of attack. Any would be attacker that managed to get close enough to hit him was unable to do any damage before being swept away by Wallace's ever swinging axe.
"GahahaHAAAA!" Wallace roared boisterously. "Keep coming fools! It's been years since I've had this much fun! WHOOHAHAH!"
The vivacious knight's personality was a stark contrast to Sain and Kent's, who were still of sombre mind, especially with Nils's empowering music filling his ears.
"I've enjoyed the peaceful life of a farmer, but I never thought I'd miss being on the battlefield this much!" Wallace laughed as he crushed another soldier. He then used the time following that victory to glance at his comrades around him. His eyes fell upon the young lady Lyndis and he smiled broadly as she watched the swordswoman flow through the battle. IF he had harboured any doubts about her heritage beforehand they would have all been dissolved by watching her fight. Her movements were nimble and graceful, her strokes swift and precise: it was like watching a feather dancing on the wind. Her style brought many old memories back to the knight for he had seen it before; it was her father's style. Though Lyn possessed neither her father's power nor his experience Wallace could easily recognize Hassar's swordsmanship adapted to Lyn's constitution. And though she had several of her father's features, such as his green hair, Lyndis was almost a mirror image of her mother and held the same eyes. To Wallace, who had been close to both of her parents, Lyn needed no other proof of her heritage.
He watched Lyn lunge forward and slice a swordsman before he could raise his guard and then immediately leapt high over a pair of charging soldiers with a half-twist back layout. The instant her feet touched ground she spun into a half moon slash across both soldiers backs, ending in a low crouch while returning her blade to its sheath. The two soldiers were still falling Lyn when sprung forward and used her favourite battojutsu slash on an archer before he could raise his bow.
"Ah! A splendid display of swordsmanship!" Wallace remarked to himself. "And she has yet to scratch her full potential! Heh, milady I think seeing you on the throne might just bring this old knight out of retirement." He grinned at the thought and turned his attention towards his fellow Caelin Knights. He could tell that both of them had great potential as well despite their forlorn attitudes in this battle. With the circumstances of the battle however he could hardly blame them for their moods. Even so they were doing well although Kent appeared to be a bit more sluggish than he should have been. Perhaps recovering from an injury? If that was the case Wallace felt proud that the younger generation had such promising men to fulfill their knightly duty.
Lastly, the Wall of Caelin's gaze fell upon the strange warrior with pointed ears. Now this was a man that Wallace was immensely curious about. Though he hated to admit it, the initial clash between the two of them had rocked Wallace more than he had let on. The former Knight Commander prided himself on his immovable defence and the fact that the elven swordsman had knocked him back a few steps was a stinging blow to that pride. As he watched him the veteran knight made note of several facts about the warrior that only years of experience allowed him to pick out. The biggest of which was that as far as Wallace could tell Link had not received any formal training, yet his style had no flaws. The man displayed no weaknesses to exploit, no vulnerabilities of any kind. His style held no discernible form yet was a flawless blend of speed, precision, and power perfectly suited to adapt to any situation. He was in control of every aspect of the battle around him. Such ability could only have been developed through years of constant fighting; a style of combat created solely from experience in countless life or death situations. Without similar experience no amount of training would be able to match it. Wallace was forced to admit that he had underestimated the man at first glance but as he watched the green clad warrior dominate the field he acknowledged the fact that the Lady Lyndis could have found no better ally. A man such as him was easily worth a small army and Wallace could tell that he was not going all out either.
"Hmph!" Wallace snorted. "Well I may be old but I'm not about to let some welp out do me!"
With that he once again raised his axe and charged forward.
xxx
As the battle waged on the warm rays of the sun slowly began to break through the fog increasing the range of visibility for everyone. The Legion was nearing the mansion and soon would be upon the Knight Commander of Caelin. Even with the fog lifting General Eagler heard their approach before he saw them. The clash of steel and cries of fallen men carried far through the air and made many of his men nervous. The general grimaced at the noise, saddened by the needless deaths of many brave men for the sake of one. He was even more forlorn when he learned that he was turning his hand against his most promising students. He watched the group of fighters he was sent to stop appeared through the fog before him. He was surprised that a band of that size was doing so well against his troops but he quickly put those thoughts aside and hardened his gaze.
The Legion paused when they saw the line of troops in front of the estate mansion. There were many of them; all standing in formation and ready to attack. At the center an armored man atop a horse stood out from the rest. He held a javelin in one hand and had a hand axe holstered at his hip.
"That must be General Eagler," Lyn thought when she saw the Paladin. Although her resolve was set and she planned on giving the man no quarter she couldn't help but think back to the villagers who had seen them off earlier.
xxx
"You're…You're them…aren't you?" An elderly man approached the Legion with a group villagers as they prepared to leave.
"Excuse me?" Lyn blinked in confusion.
"You're the "imposters" that Lord Lundgren is trying to find, aren't you?"
Lyn shook her head. "I am no imposter."
"We know," the wizened man smiled. "We all, well…Not one of us believes what Lord Lundgren is saying about you. That man has never cared for the citizens of Caelin, we all want to help the marquess…and his rightful heir. We wish you good luck."
"Thank you," Lyn smiled gratefully and bowed. "You're support means more than you can know."
"The forces of Caelin are led by General Eagler." A woman who looked on a few years older than Lyn spoke up. "He's an honest man who has always treated us well. A good man and good general. He…he must be aware of Lundgren's evil plans…but he doesn't do anything to stop him. For the General to be reigned in like this…I can only imagine that Lundgren's holding someone dear to him hostage."
"That man's cowardice knows no bounds!" Lyn spat.
The woman nodded. "We want to help you but there isn't anything we can do but pray for your success. Why is it that the innocent people are always the ones hurt in the foolish games of nobles?"
Lyn shook her head. "I do not know…I am…a stranger to the ways of "nobility,"" she spoke the word with venom. "But I swear to you, Lundgren will pay for his crimes."
xxx
"So you are finally here," General Eagler called to them. "Bring forth the imposter who calls herself "Lyndis"! She shall not pass beyond this place!"
At his call Lyn stepped forward proudly. "I am Lyndis and I am no imposter! General I'd ask that you and your men stand down so we can avoid this unnecessary bloodshed!"
"You are a fool if you think I will allow a nameless pretender to approach the throne unchallenged!"
"Is that what you believe? Then why do you allow an usurper to do so?" Lyn demanded.
"Please listen to her, General!" Kent called.
"Kent…Is that you?" Eagler looked at him. "
"Yes, sir," Kent nodded. "We found Lady Lyndis on the orders of the marquess. We've worked so very hard to return her safely to Caelin. Please do not oppose us!"
"Yet you have no proof of the girl's identity. Is that not true?" Eagler replied
"Yes," Kent admitted. "but..."
"Then our talk is finished!" Eagler cut off. "Draw your weapon and come!"
"So you really wish to fight us…" Sain spoke softly.
"Sain…" Eagler looked at him before shaking his head and sighed. "I never imagined you could turn traitor…"
Sain's eyes lit up with anger. "Who's the traitor here? I am following orders of my sworn liege lord. Not Lundgren, but my true liege, the marquess himself! I AM NO TRAITOR!"
"You speak with conviction." Eagler stated approvingly. "I think it's time to test the bounds of your loyalty!"
"Eagler!" Wallace roared and gave pause to the General once more. "You are a fool! Have you fallen so low as to resort to this?"
"General Wallace…" Eagler acknowledged his former mentor with respect and dismay. "So you've sided with the girl, too, have you?"
"Of course!" Wallace replied. "I fight for Caelin's honor, not for Lundgren's lies! This girl is the rightful heir! Of that I have no doubt!"
"Ah…Is that so?" Eagler spared Lyndis another glance. "You are the sa… No! Enough! There's nothing more to be said. I name you traitors all! Come! Do your worst!"
"Fool…" Wallace growled. "At the very least, leave your men out of this fight. They do not need to lose their lives so senselessly. Eagler! I challenge you to a Duel of Succession! Let mine be the blow that finishes you!"
"General Wallace?" Kent gaped. "You're not serious?"
"What is it Kent?" Lyn asked.
"Lord Wallace is challenging Eagler for the title of Knight Commander." Kent replied. "If he wins then he will be in direct command of all Caelin's soldiers."
Lyn's eyes widened. If Wallace succeeded then they would not have to fight the rest of Eagler's men; he could conclude the battle with no more casualties. All Eagler had to do was accept the challenge…
"Is that so?" The Knight Commander narrowed his eyes. "You would come out of retirement and take your position once again after all these years?"
"Of course," Wallace replied. "If this is the position that the Knight Commander I left in charge has taken then it is my duty to correct it."
"I see," Eagler nodded. "I am honor bound to accept your challenge. Fine, we will duel!" He then raised his voice and turned to his soldiers. "Men! Whatever the outcome of this duel, know that I have officially accepted the challenge! As such you are bound as soldiers of Caelin to follow the orders of the winner!"
"Come Eagler!" Wallace challenged and readied his axe. "Let us see how much you have grown!"
Eagler gave his own battle cry before spurring his horse towards the Wall of Caelin. He threw his javelin at the older knight, who dodged the spear, and drew his axe. Wallace met his charge head on and their respective weapons clashed in a loud union of steel and sparks. Eagler's momentum carried him past the unmounted knight and he quickly turned his steed around to face Wallace again whilst retrieving his thrown javelin sticking out of the ground. This time Eagler charged using the throwing lance, hoping to use its range and momentum to pierce Wallace's heavy armor. The older knight in turn braced himself for the charge. As Eagler thrust his javelin towards him Wallace dropped his axe and seized the end of the incoming weapon. With a loud roar Wallace heaved upwards and used the leverage plus Eagler's momentum to lift the Paladin out of his saddle and throw him to the ground. Eagler grunted heavily as he struck dirt and rolled a few times before stopping several yards away from the larger knight. He rolled over to see Wallace drop the javelin and pick up his axe once again. Eagler slowly rose to his feet as well and drew his hand axe from its holster. He knew that throwing the weapon was far too risky to attempt now and so his only course was to meet the Wall of Caelin head on. He knew his chances were grim since he had lost his biggest advantage against the towering knight but he wasn't about to back down.
With another cry Eagler charged forward and engaged Wallace in a deadly clash of axes. They traded blows with skill and speed surprising in a normal axe battle but it was apparent that Wallace was easily the better of the two. Not only was he stronger and much more experienced than Eagler but he also had far greater armor. Any blow that Eagler managed to get through Wallace's guard was rendered useless before the heavy steel. Growing frustrated and desperate Eagler attempted a wide two handed overhead cleave. Wallace countered by thrusting his gauntleted hand forward and grabbing the shaft of his hand axe. In a show of great strength Wallace wrenched the axe from Eagler's grip before swinging it around back up at him. The axe bit into flesh and Eagler fell to the ground with a cry, his sword arm falling limply the ground.
"You've lost Eagler," Wallace stated.
The now former Knight Commander clutched at the bloody stump where his arm used to be and held his head down. Despite the pain the general managed to speak.
"I admit my defeat and surrender." He acknowledged before raising his head to the reinstated Knight Commander. "General Wallace…Kill me."
"Hmph, you would throw your life away so easily?" Wallace snorted.
"I have disgraced the Knights of Caelin." Eagler nodded. "I knew of Lundgren's plot yet I have done nothing to stop it. The marquess…there is no illness…Only poison. I have allowed this to continue despite my knowledge, my knightly vows are broken and I deserve death."
"Under normal circumstances you would be right," Wallace agreed. "However, I doubt you had much choice in the matter, did you? Lundgren has your daughter does he not?"
Eagler's eyes widened. "How did…No, I don't know what you are talking about."
"Don't play dumb with me, Eagler!" Wallace glared. "I trained you! I know you better than that!"
"It's true, milord," Matthew spoke up from the shadows. "Lundgren is keeping Eagler's daughter at the castle as an unspoken hostage."
Everyone turned to the thief questioningly. "How do you know this?" Lyn asked.
Matthew chuckled. "While you two were in Kathelet, Link asked me to do a little research on General Eagler. I discovered that just as those villagers said he was a good and just man. I dug a little deeper and discovered that his wife had passed away last year leaving Eagler to raise their young daughter alone. Several months ago she was invited to the castle by Lundgren under the pretense for training as a lady of the court. She has not been outside the castle since then."
"Why did you not tell us this earlier?" Lyn demanded.
"Would it have changed anything?" Matthew asked. "Link and I agreed that at the moment there was nothing we could do. Since Lord Eagler stood between us and Castle Caelin there would be no time to try and secretly rescue her before meeting him. With his daughter in Lundgren's hands, General Eagler is bound to try his hardest to stop us despite knowing the truth. If he were to turn against Lundgren then he would risk his daughter's safety."
"I see…" Lyn nodded slowly. His reasoning did make sense; even if they knew they could do nothing and the knowledge would only serve to hamper them emotionally when faced with the man. Being a daughter herself, she couldn't fault Eagler's actions either.
"I am curious as to how you knew though, Lord Wallace," Matthew inquired curiously. "I've made no mention of it since talking with Link."
"Do not take me for a complete fool," Wallace chuckled. "I may be retired but I do hear certain things. I was aware that the girl had been invited to the castle. It doesn't surprise me that Lungren would use such a tactic and Eagler's actions only served to confirm my suspicions. That is why I challenged him. Now that he is no longer the Knight Commander, Lundgren's hostage holds no power and he did not have to die."
Wallace turned his attention to Eagler's injury. "Although, if he isn't treated soon, he's going to bleed out. You! Girl!" He called to Serra. "You're a cleric right? Come tend to his wound."
"Huh?" Serra blinked. "Y-yessir!" The pink haired cleric hurried forward to tend to the Eagler's injury.
"Good," Wallace nodded before turning to the Eagler's former men. "Now that that's settled… As the Knight Commander of Caelin I order the rest of you to stand down!"
The troops stiffened at the command but after a few moments of hesitation they lowered their weapons.
"Now then spread out and tend to any injured and gather the dead to be buried. They are innocent victims of treachery and will not be left to rot in the fields!"
Wallace then turned to Lyn. "We should rest for now and discuss our next move."
"Yes," Lyn agreed. "We have much to prepare for."
xxx
That night the core members of the Legion sat around the large dining table of Eagler's mansion to plan their final battle against Lundgren. Although weak from blood loss and the trauma of missing an arm, Eagler sat with them. Serra had managed to close the wound but reattaching limbs was far beyond her current skill level, he would spend the rest of his life as a cripple. Even so Wallace had given him an option that spared his life and presented on opportunity to save his daughter; his arm was a small price to pay.
"Word will soon reach Lundgren that you are still alive." Eagler said. "He will be prepared for tomorrow and I regret to say that he will have soldiers that are loyal to him standing in the way."
"Let them stand in our way." Lyn challenged. "We will crush them."
"Hah!" Wallace cheered. "I agree completely, milady! It would do us good to route all the traitors in one fell swoop."
Lyn nodded and turned her gaze back to Eagler. "What will you do?"
The former knight commander sighed. "I've lost all right to being the leader of the knights and with this injury I am physically unable to do so regardless. Lundgren still has my daughter so until this is over my hands are still tied. Let Lundgren believe I am dead; it will keep her safe."
"Very well." Lyn replied. "I promise you'll see her again."
"Thank you," Eagler sighed graciously. "And with my men at your command challenging the castle will be much easier for you."
"Indeed," Kent agreed. "We would have had a tough fight otherwise."
"Maybe," Eagler said. "But with the way you handled yourselves today I would not be surprised if were to succeed without them."
"Perhaps," Lyn replied. "But I will use every advantage I possess to see my grandfather. Too many people have suffered because of Lundgren. Let him never know the peaceful embrace of Mother Earth! I care not what others do but I WILL stop that man!"
"And we will help you to do so, milady!" Sain heartily agreed.
A resounding chorus echoed from everyone causing Lyn to smile at them.
"Thank you everyone!" She said. "I could not have come this far without you. Please lend me your strength for one final battle!"
"Then let us make our plans and rest for the coming fight," Wallace said.
xxx
At Castle Caelin a certain noble strode arrogantly down the hall and entered his brothers bed chamber.
"How are you feeling today, my dear brother?" Lundgren asked acidly.
The bedridden marquess turned his head weakly. "Lundgren…You…You fiend…"
"Why do you still cling to life?" Lundgren growled. "Your granddaughter is dead by now. And soon you will join her."
"Lyndis…" The marquess's eyes widened in shock. "You! Why did this happen? I …only wanted to see her once…"
"You killed her the moment you sent those two foolish boys to find her," Lundgren spat. "Had you let her be then she would still be alive. But now she is dead and you have yourself to blame for bringing her to my attention."
"You…you…bastard…" The marquess coughed.
"Have you lost all hope? Has your life lost meaning?" Lungren laughed. "Then hurry up and die, you miserable old dotard! You and your precious granddaughter are in my way! I curse your name! I despise you! My worthless wretch of a brother!"
With that Lungren turned and slammed the doors behind him leaving the marquess to rot with shame and guilt.
"Lyndis…I'm sorry…"
xxx
A/N: Well there we go! I didn't manage to get it done in the month that I promised but I was pretty close! Midterms threw a wrench into the works. Well, only one more chapter until Lyn's story comes to a close! Hopefully I do it justice. I apoligize if this chapter feels a little rushed. I couldn't help but feel that way during the proofread but I'm not sure what to do to fix it...Anyway I thought about this chapter a lot and I realized that it's kind of unrealistic for Lyn to challenge a castle army with a small group of mercenaries even if they are skilled. The game also talks about Lundgren holding a hostage dear to Eagler but it's never explored. So I came up with this plan to have some of Eagler's men join with the group to bolster their ranks and give them a more realistic fighting chance while still removing Eagler from the overall picture. I hope it worked out. I also wanted to throw in a little bit of Erk and Lucius messing with Hylian magic as well since I really like how the concept is going in my head. I'm not really going to explain much but suffice to say that magical abilities are going to be played with a lot by both Link and the FE mages. Heh, well that's it for now! See you next chapter!
P.S: I mentioned to a couple people in my reader responses about a side idea concerning the year long time skip between Lyn and Eliwood's chapters. I was wondering how many people would be interested in a One Shot Writing Challenge where participants would follow a couple of constraining guidelines to write a few one shot adventures that Link has while traveling in search of his way home. Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to present any form of reward so it would be purely for fun, although if someone writes a really good one I might figure out a way to incorporate it into the main storyline. Anyway it's just a thought but I would like to know if you think I should issue the challenge anyway and solidify the guidelines.