Yeah, this took awhile to get out. But I spent most of my time working on my new one-shot, Those We Least Expect. I hope you all will check it out if you haven't already.
On second thought, everyone seems to have read it. 22 reviews! I wish I could get that many per chapter of this story...
The Story Master 125: Thanks for your review!
KingKazul400: A lemon? Ack, no, no and NO! I hate lemons because 99% of the time lemons are unnecessary. You'll never see me doing one, I can tell you that much.
And quite frankly I think DarkLink13 is just a pervert. Anyone who writes as many lemons as he does needs to find better things to do with his or her time.
Morning Mist: Thanks for your review!
Jeanie: That was a connection to Defiance, but it's not the only one that I'm going to have. Wait and see ;)
AmbieChan: Thanks for your review!
Josh: Thanks for your review!
Chapter Eleven
Doubts
The trip to the desert took a few weeks. Nils became noticeably more active after Ninian had helped him regain his strength, in fact he seemed to have become more active than he had been before transferring his power to Ninian.
Ninian had quite a shock when she saw the new recruit, Heath—or more accurately, saw what he was riding. A wyvern...the cousins of dragons. Looking at his wyvern from the ground, it was easy for Ninian to mistake it for a dragon, which she did. She blanched and stopped dead in her tracks, moving only after Eliwood explained to her what she was seeing.
She was rather embarrassed about that misconception, but Eliwood soothed her, saying, "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. Anyone would be overly frightened of dragons after...experiencing what you went through at the Dragon's Gate." He said the last words carefully, as if afraid he would hurt her by bringing up memories of those events.
But he hadn't hurt her. She merely smiled slightly and thanked him for his concern. Eliwood smiled back before rushing to catch up with the group—Ninian's little delay had left them somewhat behind the rest of the army.
"Come on, Ninian!" he called with a playful smile as he ran, waving his arm to tell her to follow. "You're going to get left behind!"
Ninian stifled a giggle and began to run after him.
But the talk of dragons had made her doubts rise again. Eliwood had and continued to help her so much...but would he continue to help her if he found out that she was...what he was trying to defend this world against?
"It's so hot..." Nils complained for what had to be the millionth time since they had reached the desert.
That was true, but the rest of the group was starting to get more than a little annoyed at Nils's complaints, even after he had made the rather clever suggestion to have Heath, Florina, and Fiora fan the army with the wings of their respective mounts.
Ninian couldn't blame him, though. Being part ice dragon, both she and Nils were unaccustomed to such heat. Ninian was feeling the heat herself, sometimes even feeling a little faint, but she had the tact not to complain about it.
Being part ice dragon...why do I always have to think about that?
Ninian's doubts about Eliwood had been heightened when she had realized during the past few days that Eliwood...he was the only person who had ever really cared about her. Both the dragons and humans in the dragons' realm looked down upon her and her brother with disdain, and her exchanges with people of this world had been mainly...unpleasant. Lyn had helped her, too...but even that was a result of Eliwood saving her.
Eliwood was the only person who wanted to do so much for her...but why? And what if—
"Ninian?"
Eliwood's voice jerked her out of her thoughts. She shook her head to clear it, then asked, "What is it, Lord Eliwood?"
"You are looking rather faint," he remarked. He extended his arm toward her. "Please, take my arm. I do not want to see you collapse in this heat."
There it was again. Eliwood was once again being the only one genuinely concerned about her. The thought made her somewhat uncomfortable. "Oh, I couldn't..." she replied.
"Oh, come now," Eliwood said, giving her a small smile. He extended his arm slightly further.
"Very well..." she said, taking his arm.
Having some support helped, but she still felt rather awkward about Eliwood helping her.
Eliwood apparently noticed this. "Ninian?" he asked. "Is everything all right?"
She sighed. "Lord Eliwood..." she said softly, "it's...it's just very strange."
"What is?" Eliwood asked.
She gestured at his arm. "You...you are the only one who has ever helped me and my brother so much. Everyone else..." She thought for a moment. She couldn't just tell him what she was...so she decided on a different approach. "My brother and I are...different...from other people. Our clothes, our looks...other people look down on us for this. But...you do not. And...and it just seems rather strange..."
"Why should it?" Eliwood asked. "There is nothing wrong with being different from other people. When I look at you, I don't see your differences. I just see Ninian." He smiled at her. "I see a beautiful and kindhearted girl."
Ninian felt an intense blush creep into her cheeks as she was stunned once again by Eliwood's comment. Nobody outside of her family had ever called her beautiful before...but Eliwood had just done it for the third time. "L-Lord Eliwood..." she stammered. "Is...is that t-truly...what you believe?"
Eliwood's smile grew larger. "It is," he replied. "Ninian, do not fret about being different from other people. Even if some people look down on you for it...others will find it very—"
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Both Eliwood and Ninian whirled around as they heard Nils scream.
He was fine, however. Hector had merely hoisted Nils on his shoulders.
"PutmedownputmedownputmeDOWN!" Nils shouted frantically.
Hector just laughed at him. "You'll be fine," he said. "I just don't want you collapsing on us like you did the other day."
Nils kicked him in the chest, but due to his armor Hector didn't even notice. "Put me down!" he repeated. "I'm going to fall! I'm going to fall!"
Ninian couldn't help but laugh at such a sight.
Ninian continued with Eliwood further into the desert feeling decidedly better. Granted, she still had her doubts about what might happen if Eliwood learned what she was...but after Eliwood told her that there was nothing wrong with being different...
Maybe...just maybe...he would accept her for what she was.
But of course he also might not, so she decided to keep her identity secret.
After some time, Ninian saw something off in the distance. It looked like...explosions?
She squinted at the sight in the distance. She could barely make out a man's form...and several other forms rushing at the man.
"Lord Eliwood?" she asked, tugging on his arm slightly.
"What is it?" Eliwood replied.
"Over there," she pointed with her free hand. "I think...someone is under attack."
Eliwood narrowed his eyes to get a clearer view. "You're right," he said. "Could it be the living legend?"
Lyn walked up beside Eliwood. "Even if it is not, I despise seeing someone have to fight overwhelming odds. We should help him."
Eliwood turned to the tactician. "What do you think?" he asked.
The tactician watched the battle for another moment before replying, "We can do this. Let's help this man out."
Eliwood turned back to Ninian. "Come with me," he said. "I will make sure you are protected."
Ninian couldn't think of anything to say to that, so she just smiled at him.
The battle was over quickly; the man had been under attack by only simple bandits. As it turned out, he was not the "living legend" Uther had spoken of.
"Then do you know where we can find the living legend?" Eliwood asked the man.
The man laughed. "Living legend...that's a good way of putting it. Yes, I do know where he is."
"Can you lead us to him?" Eliwood asked.
"Of course," replied the man.
The man led Eliwood and his army to a strange building. It was very large, and Ninian wondered how she had not seen it before. It seemed as though the building had just appeared out of thin air once they had gotten close to it.
As they stepped inside, Ninian and Nils saw two people. One was a young blonde woman wearing a pink shirt and skirt. The blue-haired man Eliwood and his army had rescued earlier quickly went over to the woman as he entered and kissed her. Ninian assumed that she was the man's wife.
The other person, however, was far more intriguing. He seemed as though he must have been at least a hundred years old. His completely white hair framed his aged face and flowed into a beard that nearly reached his waist.
Ninian, Nils, Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn all approached the aged man.
He looked at the three lords. "Welcome, children of Roland."
Hector coughed rather loudly. "I think you mean Lycia, old man."
"Hector!" Eliwood reprimanded. "Don't you know who Roland is?"
"Roland is one of the eight legends," Lyn answered for him. "He is the one who founded Lycia. But...I am from Sacae..."
"Correct," the man said, "daughter of Hanon and Roland." Lyn seemed satisfied by that title.
"Who are you?" Eliwood asked.
"I am Athos," the man replied.
The three lords all gasped. "But...aren't you one of the eight legends?" Lyn asked.
"If you were," Hector continued for her, "that would make you...over a thousand years old..." He looked at Athos, bewildered.
"The world is full of mysteries," Athos explained cryptically. "Solve one, and along comes another..."
Ninian and Nils were also staring at Athos, but for a different reason.
Ninian herself was rather surprised. This was Athos—one of the eight legends, one of the eight...who had driven her from her homeland to the dragons' realm. She had expected to feel angry, furious at a man who had done such a thing. But she did not. Athos gave off a sense of calmness—he seemed like he could not possibly be the sort of person who would banish an entire race of beings to another world.
Athos turned to Ninian and Nils. "And welcome, children of—" he paused briefly, "—destiny."
Ninian instantly could tell that Athos knew what she and her brother were. But he made no motion to reveal that knowledge to the lords, so Ninian was not worried.
Athos turned back to the lords. "You are here because you want to stop Nergal, aren't you?"
"So," Athos said to the lords, "you have understood all that I have told you?"
"Yes," Eliwood replied. "We are to go to Bern and search for the Shrine of Seals. But—we do not have much time. Nergal will regain his strength soon...how can we make it to Bern in time?"
Athos's eyes seemed to twinkle. "I will take care of that," he said. "Pherae is the closest territory to Bern, correct?"
"Yes," Eliwood replied.
"Good. Now, Eliwood, I want you to close your eyes, and concentrate on a person you might meet in Pherae."
Ninian watched as Eliwood did so.
"You must reach the Shrine of Seals," Athos said, addressing the entire army. Then everything went black.
When Ninian was able to see again, she found herself in a castle along with the rest of Eliwood's army. She turned to see Eliwood and a purple-haired woman in a tight embrace.
"Mother..." Eliwood said, releasing her from his hug.
"You look so tired," Eliwood's mother said.
"Mother..." Eliwood repeated, "about Father..."
She closed her eyes. "I heard his last moments were glorious. Even though he is gone, he will always be...my life's joy." Ninian could see she was fighting to hold back tears.
"Come," Eliwood's mother went on, "I will prepare rooms for your companions..."
"Mother," Eliwood said, "I'm sorry...we must hurry onwards..."
She looked at him despairingly. Ninian knew why—after her son had been gone for so long, now he had to leave again.
"I know that!" she said finally, nearly screaming. "B-But just for one night...Eliwood, please...I do not know when I will see you again."
Eliwood remained silent, thinking.
"One night's not going to hurt us," Hector said.
"Yes, we should stay," Lyn continued.
Eliwood turned to look at Hector, then Lyn, then—surprisingly enough—at Ninian. He stared at her for awhile before Ninian realized he wanted to know what she thought of staying at the castle.
"I-I think we should stay," she said quickly.
That seemed to decide the matter for Eliwood. "Very well," he said. He smiled at his mother, who smiled back at him. "We will stay."
As the army began to disperse, Ninian wondered why Eliwood had asked her opinion, of all people...
Um...yeah. Not sure what to say about this chapter. I will try to have the next chapter up sooner, but knowing my current schedule it may still be awhile.
Please review!!!
-TheOneAndOnlyT
On second thought, everyone seems to have read it. 22 reviews! I wish I could get that many per chapter of this story...
The Story Master 125: Thanks for your review!
KingKazul400: A lemon? Ack, no, no and NO! I hate lemons because 99% of the time lemons are unnecessary. You'll never see me doing one, I can tell you that much.
And quite frankly I think DarkLink13 is just a pervert. Anyone who writes as many lemons as he does needs to find better things to do with his or her time.
Morning Mist: Thanks for your review!
Jeanie: That was a connection to Defiance, but it's not the only one that I'm going to have. Wait and see ;)
AmbieChan: Thanks for your review!
Josh: Thanks for your review!
Doubts
The trip to the desert took a few weeks. Nils became noticeably more active after Ninian had helped him regain his strength, in fact he seemed to have become more active than he had been before transferring his power to Ninian.
Ninian had quite a shock when she saw the new recruit, Heath—or more accurately, saw what he was riding. A wyvern...the cousins of dragons. Looking at his wyvern from the ground, it was easy for Ninian to mistake it for a dragon, which she did. She blanched and stopped dead in her tracks, moving only after Eliwood explained to her what she was seeing.
She was rather embarrassed about that misconception, but Eliwood soothed her, saying, "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. Anyone would be overly frightened of dragons after...experiencing what you went through at the Dragon's Gate." He said the last words carefully, as if afraid he would hurt her by bringing up memories of those events.
But he hadn't hurt her. She merely smiled slightly and thanked him for his concern. Eliwood smiled back before rushing to catch up with the group—Ninian's little delay had left them somewhat behind the rest of the army.
"Come on, Ninian!" he called with a playful smile as he ran, waving his arm to tell her to follow. "You're going to get left behind!"
Ninian stifled a giggle and began to run after him.
But the talk of dragons had made her doubts rise again. Eliwood had and continued to help her so much...but would he continue to help her if he found out that she was...what he was trying to defend this world against?
"It's so hot..." Nils complained for what had to be the millionth time since they had reached the desert.
That was true, but the rest of the group was starting to get more than a little annoyed at Nils's complaints, even after he had made the rather clever suggestion to have Heath, Florina, and Fiora fan the army with the wings of their respective mounts.
Ninian couldn't blame him, though. Being part ice dragon, both she and Nils were unaccustomed to such heat. Ninian was feeling the heat herself, sometimes even feeling a little faint, but she had the tact not to complain about it.
Being part ice dragon...why do I always have to think about that?
Ninian's doubts about Eliwood had been heightened when she had realized during the past few days that Eliwood...he was the only person who had ever really cared about her. Both the dragons and humans in the dragons' realm looked down upon her and her brother with disdain, and her exchanges with people of this world had been mainly...unpleasant. Lyn had helped her, too...but even that was a result of Eliwood saving her.
Eliwood was the only person who wanted to do so much for her...but why? And what if—
"Ninian?"
Eliwood's voice jerked her out of her thoughts. She shook her head to clear it, then asked, "What is it, Lord Eliwood?"
"You are looking rather faint," he remarked. He extended his arm toward her. "Please, take my arm. I do not want to see you collapse in this heat."
There it was again. Eliwood was once again being the only one genuinely concerned about her. The thought made her somewhat uncomfortable. "Oh, I couldn't..." she replied.
"Oh, come now," Eliwood said, giving her a small smile. He extended his arm slightly further.
"Very well..." she said, taking his arm.
Having some support helped, but she still felt rather awkward about Eliwood helping her.
Eliwood apparently noticed this. "Ninian?" he asked. "Is everything all right?"
She sighed. "Lord Eliwood..." she said softly, "it's...it's just very strange."
"What is?" Eliwood asked.
She gestured at his arm. "You...you are the only one who has ever helped me and my brother so much. Everyone else..." She thought for a moment. She couldn't just tell him what she was...so she decided on a different approach. "My brother and I are...different...from other people. Our clothes, our looks...other people look down on us for this. But...you do not. And...and it just seems rather strange..."
"Why should it?" Eliwood asked. "There is nothing wrong with being different from other people. When I look at you, I don't see your differences. I just see Ninian." He smiled at her. "I see a beautiful and kindhearted girl."
Ninian felt an intense blush creep into her cheeks as she was stunned once again by Eliwood's comment. Nobody outside of her family had ever called her beautiful before...but Eliwood had just done it for the third time. "L-Lord Eliwood..." she stammered. "Is...is that t-truly...what you believe?"
Eliwood's smile grew larger. "It is," he replied. "Ninian, do not fret about being different from other people. Even if some people look down on you for it...others will find it very—"
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Both Eliwood and Ninian whirled around as they heard Nils scream.
He was fine, however. Hector had merely hoisted Nils on his shoulders.
"PutmedownputmedownputmeDOWN!" Nils shouted frantically.
Hector just laughed at him. "You'll be fine," he said. "I just don't want you collapsing on us like you did the other day."
Nils kicked him in the chest, but due to his armor Hector didn't even notice. "Put me down!" he repeated. "I'm going to fall! I'm going to fall!"
Ninian couldn't help but laugh at such a sight.
Ninian continued with Eliwood further into the desert feeling decidedly better. Granted, she still had her doubts about what might happen if Eliwood learned what she was...but after Eliwood told her that there was nothing wrong with being different...
Maybe...just maybe...he would accept her for what she was.
But of course he also might not, so she decided to keep her identity secret.
After some time, Ninian saw something off in the distance. It looked like...explosions?
She squinted at the sight in the distance. She could barely make out a man's form...and several other forms rushing at the man.
"Lord Eliwood?" she asked, tugging on his arm slightly.
"What is it?" Eliwood replied.
"Over there," she pointed with her free hand. "I think...someone is under attack."
Eliwood narrowed his eyes to get a clearer view. "You're right," he said. "Could it be the living legend?"
Lyn walked up beside Eliwood. "Even if it is not, I despise seeing someone have to fight overwhelming odds. We should help him."
Eliwood turned to the tactician. "What do you think?" he asked.
The tactician watched the battle for another moment before replying, "We can do this. Let's help this man out."
Eliwood turned back to Ninian. "Come with me," he said. "I will make sure you are protected."
Ninian couldn't think of anything to say to that, so she just smiled at him.
The battle was over quickly; the man had been under attack by only simple bandits. As it turned out, he was not the "living legend" Uther had spoken of.
"Then do you know where we can find the living legend?" Eliwood asked the man.
The man laughed. "Living legend...that's a good way of putting it. Yes, I do know where he is."
"Can you lead us to him?" Eliwood asked.
"Of course," replied the man.
The man led Eliwood and his army to a strange building. It was very large, and Ninian wondered how she had not seen it before. It seemed as though the building had just appeared out of thin air once they had gotten close to it.
As they stepped inside, Ninian and Nils saw two people. One was a young blonde woman wearing a pink shirt and skirt. The blue-haired man Eliwood and his army had rescued earlier quickly went over to the woman as he entered and kissed her. Ninian assumed that she was the man's wife.
The other person, however, was far more intriguing. He seemed as though he must have been at least a hundred years old. His completely white hair framed his aged face and flowed into a beard that nearly reached his waist.
Ninian, Nils, Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn all approached the aged man.
He looked at the three lords. "Welcome, children of Roland."
Hector coughed rather loudly. "I think you mean Lycia, old man."
"Hector!" Eliwood reprimanded. "Don't you know who Roland is?"
"Roland is one of the eight legends," Lyn answered for him. "He is the one who founded Lycia. But...I am from Sacae..."
"Correct," the man said, "daughter of Hanon and Roland." Lyn seemed satisfied by that title.
"Who are you?" Eliwood asked.
"I am Athos," the man replied.
The three lords all gasped. "But...aren't you one of the eight legends?" Lyn asked.
"If you were," Hector continued for her, "that would make you...over a thousand years old..." He looked at Athos, bewildered.
"The world is full of mysteries," Athos explained cryptically. "Solve one, and along comes another..."
Ninian and Nils were also staring at Athos, but for a different reason.
Ninian herself was rather surprised. This was Athos—one of the eight legends, one of the eight...who had driven her from her homeland to the dragons' realm. She had expected to feel angry, furious at a man who had done such a thing. But she did not. Athos gave off a sense of calmness—he seemed like he could not possibly be the sort of person who would banish an entire race of beings to another world.
Athos turned to Ninian and Nils. "And welcome, children of—" he paused briefly, "—destiny."
Ninian instantly could tell that Athos knew what she and her brother were. But he made no motion to reveal that knowledge to the lords, so Ninian was not worried.
Athos turned back to the lords. "You are here because you want to stop Nergal, aren't you?"
"So," Athos said to the lords, "you have understood all that I have told you?"
"Yes," Eliwood replied. "We are to go to Bern and search for the Shrine of Seals. But—we do not have much time. Nergal will regain his strength soon...how can we make it to Bern in time?"
Athos's eyes seemed to twinkle. "I will take care of that," he said. "Pherae is the closest territory to Bern, correct?"
"Yes," Eliwood replied.
"Good. Now, Eliwood, I want you to close your eyes, and concentrate on a person you might meet in Pherae."
Ninian watched as Eliwood did so.
"You must reach the Shrine of Seals," Athos said, addressing the entire army. Then everything went black.
When Ninian was able to see again, she found herself in a castle along with the rest of Eliwood's army. She turned to see Eliwood and a purple-haired woman in a tight embrace.
"Mother..." Eliwood said, releasing her from his hug.
"You look so tired," Eliwood's mother said.
"Mother..." Eliwood repeated, "about Father..."
She closed her eyes. "I heard his last moments were glorious. Even though he is gone, he will always be...my life's joy." Ninian could see she was fighting to hold back tears.
"Come," Eliwood's mother went on, "I will prepare rooms for your companions..."
"Mother," Eliwood said, "I'm sorry...we must hurry onwards..."
She looked at him despairingly. Ninian knew why—after her son had been gone for so long, now he had to leave again.
"I know that!" she said finally, nearly screaming. "B-But just for one night...Eliwood, please...I do not know when I will see you again."
Eliwood remained silent, thinking.
"One night's not going to hurt us," Hector said.
"Yes, we should stay," Lyn continued.
Eliwood turned to look at Hector, then Lyn, then—surprisingly enough—at Ninian. He stared at her for awhile before Ninian realized he wanted to know what she thought of staying at the castle.
"I-I think we should stay," she said quickly.
That seemed to decide the matter for Eliwood. "Very well," he said. He smiled at his mother, who smiled back at him. "We will stay."
As the army began to disperse, Ninian wondered why Eliwood had asked her opinion, of all people...
Um...yeah. Not sure what to say about this chapter. I will try to have the next chapter up sooner, but knowing my current schedule it may still be awhile.
Please review!!!
-TheOneAndOnlyT