Lyn's Tale Turn One - Footsteps of Fate Part One

(Date: 15 Years Ago)

(Location: Rosewood)

Alexander, back to the house wall, stared up at the soldier in front of him. His hands were raised, clenched into tight fists. The child had no weapon, no magic, not even a stick, yet stood before the knight, intent on surviving to see tomorrow. Fires raged all around him, the acrid smell of burning flesh and the cries of desperate souls poured around him.

"My apologies, child, but by the orders of my Lord, this village shall be put to the sword. Do not worry." the man said as he raised his lance. "I shall make this quick and painless."

Alexander failed to respond, rage and grief cancelling out the noise of the man in front of him. All that mattered to him was the man in front of him, and the need...no the urge to survive. It fueled his every breath, flooded his muscles and blood, infused the young child with newly found power.

With a mighty shout, Alexander threw himself at the man in front of him. Catching the man off guard and causing his spear thrust to miss, the two fell, with the man's spear falling from his grasp. Pulling his small fist back, the child unleashed a furious rain of blows against the armored man's face.

All of which amounted to nothing more than a small annoyance to the man, who moved his hands up to the child's chest, before heaving. The boy stumbled off the man and onto his rear, before immediately scrambling to his feet. Shaking his head, the soldier sat up and saw the child had ran into the woods that surrounded the town of Twilight, capital of the canton of Rosewood.

Alexander ran and never looked back.

(Date: Present)

(Location: Sacae)

Groaning, Alexander sat up in Lyn's tent. Shaking off the last vestiges of sleep, the Fox stretched his arms over his head, while moving his neck back and forth, cracking his bones and stretching his muscles.

Looking outside Alexander saw the sun slowly beginning to rise over the edges of the Sacaean Plains. Climbing out of the sleeping roll Lyn provided him, Alexander grabbed his sheathed sword and stepped outside.

Breathing in the fresh air of the plains, Alexander moved towards a large tree near Lyn's tent. Sitting under the branches, his back resting against the trunk, Alexander removed his sword from its sheath and carefully began his daily ritual of cleaning and examining his blade.

The hilt was curved away from the hand at the end and wrapped in leather straps, making the grip more comfortable to hold, with the pommel being made of silver, designed to look like a fox's head, with a large sapphire stone in its mouth. The hilt was gold, in the design of a rough circle, with two ends extended from the sides. The blade was long, perhaps two and a half feet, with the end coming up in a curve towards its owner.

'Hmph. Looks like Fox's Fire is in decent shape despite its age. I'll have to see if Lyn has any whetstones or cleaning oil. I may have to take it to a smith in the nearest town...'

Alexander continued to inspect the blade, mumbling to himself, before a hand on his shoulder shook him from his thoughts. Looking up, the Fox saw Lyndis staring at him with a small smile on her face.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, but I've prepared food for breakfast. Would you care to join me?"

Nodding, Alexander sheathed Fox's Fire and stood, following her back to her tent, where the smell of warm bread and meat wafted out of. Following her inside, Alexander spotted a small, contained fire with a wooden bowl sitting on top of a metal sheet, placed above the fire. In the bowl was a broth which – if his nose was correct – contained carrots and meat.

"Smells good. Carrots and rabbit?"

"Indeed. I've also mixed in some wild herbs to add a new taste."

"New taste?"

"Ahh well" Lyn said as her cheeks reddened. "I enjoy experimenting with food dishes. I've been doing it since I was young."

Chuckling a little at the blushing swordswomen, Alexander sat down on his jacket as Lyn handed him a bowl, now filled with the broth. The two began to eat in a comfortable silence, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

Once they had finished Alexander stood and bowed with one hand made into a fist, the other clasped over it. "Lyndis of the Lorca, I thank you for nourishing another child of Mother Earth and Father Sky."

Lyn blushed while nodding. "It was nothing, Alexander, but I am surprised at the knowledge of Sacaen culture that someone who is…" Lyn looked him up and down, "clearly not Sacaen possesses."

Raising his head, Alexander gave her a small smile. "A good friend of mine is Sacaen. I supposed I picked some sayings and gestures up."

Nodding, Lyndis continued her questioning. "A friend of yours. So, you're a mercenary?" Not a bad guess, considering many Sacaen warriors became mercenaries in order to find strong opponents and obtain valuable experience in combat.

Alexander thought about the possible answers before deciding to be blunt. "No. I was an assassin."

Lyndis blinked. "An...assassin?" She asked.

"Yes." Alexander nodded. "I was a member of a group that sought out corrupt lords – those who wronged the smallfolk and peasantry of the land – and killed them...or at least we were."

Alexander looked up at Lyn's face to see no small amount of hesitation – along with something that might have been curiosity or pity – and shook his head.

"I've clearly said too much and have made you uncomfortable. If you wish, I can gather my things and leave-"

"No!" Lyndis shouted, startling Alexander and herself with her outburst. "No, I don't think leaving will be best."

She took a moment to compose herself before speaking much more quietly. "I try to avoid judging without proper justification. And" the swordswomen took a breath "you did. You have stated your reasons for joining, reasons which I can understand."

"Reasons?" Alexander asked, bemused, his eyebrows quirking upwards. "I don't recall ever telling them to you Lyn."

"You said the group you were a part of killed corrupt nobles. To me, it seems like you hate the nobility."

Alexander shrugged. "I don't exactly hate all of them. Most of our efforts were in Bern, where everyone and their mother with the rank of Baron or higher are corrupt in one way or another. But they are either incompetent morons sucking up to the king or needlessly cruel. They die faster than others. The Lycian Lords..."

A dark look crossed over the young man's face. "They are some of the most corrupt in all of Elibe. They slaughter the innocent with no remorse and take no care in whose lives they destroy." He closed his eyes. "The Lycian Lords, those I hate."

Lyndis looked away, uncomfortable with the sheer hatred in the young man's voice. Seeing her obvious discomfort, Alexander took a deep breath and gave a small smile. "I'm sorry. I tend to get… passionate about the Lycian Lords. We have a... long history."

"I understand." Lyndis said. "There are... monsters who I despise as well. And if I had the opportunity to kill them I would do so in a heartbeat."

Alexander nodded and fell silent. They sat in silent contemplation for a few moments before Alexander stood and stretched his arms above his head.

"Well, putting aside all of that, could you point me in the direction of Bulgar?"

Shaking her head at the interruption, Lyndis tilted her head in curiosity. "The trading town? For what purpose?"

"I need to head into Lycia and go to Etruria. They'll most likely have a staff of some nature that can cure the poison in my body."

Lyn nodded. "What about an antidote? Most apothecaries would be able to cure it."

Alexander snorted. "Not this poison. The Angel's Dust is designed in the Mountains of Bern, with ingredients taken from both the high mountain tops and the Dread Isle. Due to this, it takes specialized items from the same location and the same relative climate in order to create. An antidote would be near impossible to replicate in normal conditions. A staff? Not so much. Especially when I have a favor I can call in."

Lyn furrowed her brow the pride which had filled his voice during his explanation, her brow furrowed. "You seem...pleased?"

"Well, I'm not pleased with being poisoned, per say, but knowing the ins and outs of the poison make the situation far, far better. If not, I would either be dead right now or rolling on the ground in immense pain while blood poured down my face, and my body would cease to maintain any sort of function."

Lyn was taken aback by Alexander's cheerful smile as he described the, quite horrible, way of dying. Shaking that off, Lyn stood and joined him.

"Would you...mind if I joined you?"

Alexander smiled slightly. "Are you sure, Lyn? Traveling with a man you hardly know. You know the nights get...cold?" he said, jest in his tone.

Lyn returned his smile for her, although hers didn't reach her eyes. "Oh, I know how cold the nights can get. And Alexander..."In a flash, Lyndis leapt forward, snatching her sword from behind her and pointing the drawn blade at Alexander's crotch.

"If you ever suggest that again, I'll start cutting off body parts. Starting with your little dagger."

Alexander looked more amused then anything, as he reached down and gripped the tip of her blade with his index finger and thumb. Moving the blade out of the way and stepping back a step, Alexander bowed with a small flourish of his right hand.

"Lyndis of the Lorca, I would be honored if you were to accompany me to Bulgar." He pronounced with unneeded flair, before continuing with a more normal tone. "But I must ask again, are you sure? You would be leaving everything behind."

Sheathing her sword, Lyndis's face held a tight smile. "Look around." She said, gesturing with her hand. "There is nothing left for me. My people have abandoned me and I live here alone, surrounded by the spirits of old. I...I need to do this. I need to see the rest of Elibe and see life beyond these planes. I love them, and wish to be here when I die, but...I must see beyond them."

Alexander nodded, hesitantly. "I cannot say that I understand your feelings. Yet, if you so wish to join me on my little quest then I cannot stop you. Now,"

Spinning, Alexander threw his coat and sword into the air before raising his arms. The coat fell down them onto his shoulders, while the sheathed blade fell into his left hand. Lowering his left arm, Alexander extended his right.

"Shall we be going?"

(Time Skip)

(2 weeks, Bulgar)

"And that Lyndis is how I scared an innkeeper into staying loyal to his wife."

"But…how did you get that much red silk and goats blood."

"…story for another time. Is that Bulgar?"

The swordswoman stopped her horse and looked up, with the man beside her doing the same. In front of them laid a path of dirt, which slowly transformed into a cobblestone street. Further ahead, the gates of Bulgar stood. Inside the walls, Lyn and Alexander looked on at the thriving town, with merchants lining the sides of the street, stone walls rising up behind them. Aside from the merchants there were various other establishments – inns and mercenary dens, weapons smiths and arcane stores, apothecaries and food vendors. Everything needed for a long journey.

Passing through the gates, Alexander and Lyn dismounted and proceeded to lead their horses through the streets of Bulgar, continuing to gaze around at the sites before a voice rang out.

"Oh, what dazzling beauty! A wondrous vision of loveliness!"

The two turned to see a young man around their age clad in the green armor of a knight. Said knight trotted forward on his horse before disembarking in front of them and falling to one knee. The man's hands shot forward and gently grasped Lyn's left before she could react, dragging it down so that he could lay a gentle kiss upon the back of it.

A large grin spread across Alexander's face, and he stepped back to watch the entertainment as his shoulders shook with the effort to maintain his composure. Lyndis, on the other hand, had gone bright red in the face, her mouth ajar as her hand flopped to her side once the knight had released it. She sent a look of such helplessness towards her companion that caused Alexander to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from bursting out in laughter. Before she could respond in any way, the pompous knight continued.

"O beauteous one! Would you grace me with your name, or, better yet, your company?" The man had raised his head so that the two could see his features. Brown eyes that gleamed in the sun and a large smile revealing blinding white teeth. A green headband was wrapped around his forehead, which kept his brown hair from falling onto his face, as his eyebrows waggled back and forth.

Lyndis stuttered, flustered with both embarrassment and, at the suggestion, a little bit of anger. She took a deep breath to regain her composure before responding. "Tell me, sir knight, where does one such as yourself hail from, to ask so boldly for a ladies name?"

"Ha!" The man laughed. "I thought you would never ask! I hail from Lycia, from the canton of Caelin. Men there are filled with passion and fire, but I have no equal in those regards!"

Lyn hummed before her face turned to mock curiosity. "Shouldn't that be the home of callow oafs with loose tongues?" Nudging her horse forward, Lyn moved around the knight. "Let us go, Alexander!"

Chuckling, Alexander moved to follow with his horse even as he heard the knight mutter.

"Oh, such beauty; even when she's so cruel."

Snorting loudly, Alexander picked up his pace as Lyn turned towards a merchant stand. Following, Alexander saw Lyn discussing with a merchant clad in blue, with equally blue hair.

"No no no! Madame I must say that the price you are asking for is too low. I will not sell any maps for less than 350 gold pieces."

"Sir, I believe that is much too high for a map of Elibe. 200 gold pieces."

"325!"

"220."

"375!"

"…you just went up." She stated, her eyebrows raised

"Oh!" The merchant clutched his hair and looked to be on the verge of ripping out large chunks. "Fine! 290 gold pieces! That is my final offer!"

"Deal!" Lyn said as she gave the merchant her gold whilst receiving a large, rolled up map of Elibe. "Thank you, sir. Have a wonderful day!" She said in a self-satisfied manner.

"And thank you, my dear! And be sure to tell everyone you meet of the merchant Mer-"

"290 gold pieces for a map of the continent? Lyn, I do believe you were swindled."

Lyn's tight smile flattened at the realization. "He was trying to sell it for 600 gold pieces."

"Ahh…well bully for us."

The two continued to make small talk as they went about gathering supplies, before eventually following the path leading out of Bulgar. At the exit of the town, the two saw a pair of mounted men in armor arguing about something while blocking the path. Recognizing the knight in green from earlier, Lyn scoffed before moving forward, while Alexander followed.

"Excuse me, Sirs, but you appear to be blocking our path. Could you please step aside?"

The second knight, who wore similar armor to his companions', though it was red in color, stopped his conversation and looked at the pair. Nodding, the man complied wordlessly.

"Ahh, thank you. It appears that Caelin does house some men of honor."

As Lyn and Alexander moved past the knights, the man in red made a small gasp.

"Could it be… excuse me, Miss."

Lyn turned to the knight with a raised eyebrow.

"Forgive me but…might we have seen each other before?"

Now both of Lyn's eyebrows were furrowed with confusion. "What?"

Before the knight in red could explain himself further, the one in green spoke up. "Hey! No fair Kent, I saw her first!"

Affronted at what the knight in red intended, Lyn yanked on her horses reins and began to move away from the knights. "Let's go, Alexander! It appears that I was wrong. There are no men of honor amongst the knights of Caelin!"

Hurrying along, Alexander couldn't help but chuckle as he heard the red clad knight berate his comrade, calling him a "lout".

Catching up to the huffing swordswomen, Alexander decided to speak up. "Quite the odd pair of knights, wouldn't you agree?"

"The nerve of those two! Honestly, such louts are no better than brigands and thieves."

Alexander was silent at that, knowing better than to touch on this topic. 'The gods know we avoided that she-skunk Ursula and Sonia like the plague whenever something like this happened.'

The two continued to trot in silence, admiring the rolling hills and plains of Sacae, relishing in the majesty of the now setting sun as it cast its parade of colors across the sky. Unfortunately the silence was broken by a gruff voice.

"You Lyndis?"