Voice of the Plains
Objective: Rescue Priscilla
---
Next Day
"Goodbye, Eliwood. Be careful," said Lady Eleanora, waving at her departing son and his company. Escorted by Isadora, Harken, Marcus, and Lowen, she saw him off from the western gates of Castle Pherae.
"I will, Mother. Just take care of yourself."
"Hey, Eliwood. Eliwood! You're about to fall off your horse!!"
"Wha—ahh!" (crash)
"…Ugh…must I act as everyone's cushion?" groaned Hector, heaving his best friend off of him. Honestly, like the time when Florina the Pegasus knight had landed on him…what was he, a pile of hay?
"My apologies, Hector," Eliwood said, his cheeks tinted red as he stood up and got back onto his steed bashfully. Mortifying…barely an hour and I'm already tumbling down.
"What were you thinking?" the blue-haired lord demanded, dusting himself off. He scowled and glared at the other, impatiently anticipating an answer. Eliwood's blush grew deeper as his embarrassment mounted higher.
"I…was thinking…of Mother." Hector's eyes softened, but his tone remained as cross as ever.
"It's only been an hour since we left the castle," he scolded, trudging along by his mounted friend's side. "As I've told you a hundred times before—"
"—I worry too much. I know, I know. You're right. Since Marcus and others are there, I shouldn't trouble myself about her so much, yet…"
"Lord Hector! Lord Eliwood! Make haste! You're falling behind!" came Matthews's call, who was in the lead as he traced Jaffar's attackers through the forest. They looked up to see Rai, Matthew, Lucius, Priscilla, Ninian, Nils, Erk, Nino, and Jaffar up ahead, all pausing to wait for the two.
"Coming!" Hector bellowed, then turned to his friend and grinned. "Come on! Let's go!"
---
Three Days Later
Ninian raised her crimson eyes toward the distant mountains ahead of them. Three days. For three peaceful days they have pursued the westbound tracks, traveling through the undeveloped forests deep in Lycia. Lady Rai had insisted that they travel slowly for the sake of Jaffar, who was yet to recover fully from his wounds, but they were gradually catching up to his attackers. That last fact troubled the ice dragoness—it was most likely a trap, intending to lure them for some unknown reason. Why else would a group of guilty people travel at a snail's pace? She had privately relayed her concerns to the tactician, but the lady had clearly expressed that she thought it to be a good thing; otherwise, with an injured one in their party slowing them down like so, they had no hope of ever bringing the assailants to justice. She agreed with Lady Rai…but she couldn't help the fact that there was a vexing voice at the back of her head, nagging her endlessly about it.
Her train of thoughts was broken when a gentle hand was placed upon her arm, startling her rather terribly. A mix of relief and embarrassment replaced her fright when she saw that it was an equally taken aback Lord Eliwood. Her stomach gave a small leap—he was so close to her!
"Ah…forgive me, Ninian," he said in an apologetic tone, quickly drawing his hand back (to her slight disappointment). "I did not mean to alarm you so. Rai just wanted me to alert everyone about the heavy fog rolling in." She automatically glanced at the tactician, who was at the moment speaking with Nils as she handed him a Torch, then back at the Marquess of Pherae with a slight shake of her head. When their eyes met, she immediately lost herself in his eyes, unable to look away. Those beautiful, beautiful cobalt blue orbs…if she could, she would gaze into them forever…
"Is there anything you need?" he inquired, noticing the yearning expression on her face as she looked back at him. Instantly, she turned a delicate shade of red; how rude of her to gawk at him as she had. What must he think of her now!
"N-no my lord," she stammered, twiddling her fingers timidly, her face blushing dreadfully. The concern on the gentle lord's expression grew, mistaking the tint for a flush of illness: Perhaps she had acquired a disease? That wouldn't do!
"Here. Take my arm," he said suddenly, offering her his elbow. "Your color is not well. I'm afraid that you've taken up a sickness." Ninian had a sudden flashback—the blazing, inhuman heat of the Nabata Desert, his worried look, his offer for her to lean against him…Her cheeks unexpectedly grew dangerously warm, accompanied by yet another involuntary leap of her stomach.
"But lord Eliwood…" she protested weakly, feeling rather faint at the moment. Sure they have been comrades for long, yet he still was a prince of Lycia and she a dragonkind. She still felt as though she deserved no kindness from a human, especially not from someone as noble and as fine as he. "I…I…"
"No buts, Ninian," he replied with as much sternness as he could muster then smiled down at her kindly. "I don't want you to collapse, alright? It's fine; just take my arm…there you go."
"Forgive…forgive me," she murmured inaudibly, feeling his warm body close against hers. As self-conscious as she was, she felt a ripple of happiness going through her as the two walked together in pleasant silence. Lord Eliwood…you are the reason why I came, even though I may be just a burden to you. Selfish I know to be my request, yet…all I ask for is to be near you, always…
---
Erk looked around, enjoying the view of the unspoiled forests of Lycia. Beautiful…he thought, remembering the busy and crowded streets within castle walls and giving an unintentional shudder. He loathed the hustle and bustle of cities; he much preferred to be alone, quietly studying ancient text on his own.
It was then his wandering eyes caught the view of the redheaded lord and the crimson-eyed dancer and quickly looked away as a fountain of envy welled up inside of him. Why…why did he feel so intensely jealous of the two just now? He had all he had ever wanted; a loving family (he liked to think of Lord Pent and Lady Louise as his parents as well as mentors), a vast collection of archives he could bury himself into (just not now; they were all back at lord Pent's castle, save for a few), a chance to gain more knowledge, comrades, food, and shelter. There was nothing that he lacked—
"Good afternoon, Erk," greeted a voice, which nearly caused him to fall backwards in surprise. He looked up at the newcomer irritably, ready to chastise him a thing or two about privacy, but the words were caught in his throat when it turned out to be Lady Priscilla.
"L-L-Lady Priscilla!!" he spluttered horribly, his face hosting quite a lovely shade of red. "Y-you startled me so!" Immediately his flush grew heavier, if possible. He did not mean to sound so accusatory—why did he always mess things up when girls were around?
"I'm sorry, Erk," she said apologetically, glancing at him in a reproachful way. He winced inwardly; he must really learn to control his tone in front of her. "I…Rai just wanted me to give you this." After cautiously pressing a Torch into his hands, she rode away to join Lucius up ahead.
…Which left him feeling extremely stupid.
Erk, you dolt......! Hahh...There was no reason to do that…he scolded himself crossly as he watched her depart. An empty rush of wind swept through him—why couldn't he talk to girls? How in the name of St. Elimine did that idiot of a knight managed to do it? What did that scoundrel in green armor possess that he did not?
He mused alone until Nils's melody of alarm shook his senses back into him.
---
"Lord Hector!" cried the petite dragon bard, dashing up to the burly blue-haired youth. Breathlessly he forewarned the marquess of the threat that lay ahead of them. "Lord H-Hector! Danger approaches!!"
"Where? Who—ah, forget it. Raise the alarm! Play a sharp tune!"
"Yes…yes my lord!" A set of shrill flute notes frantically strung together soon sounded in their comrades' ears, quickly calling everyone back into a group. Most chattered nervously and excitedly, apprehensive of the upcoming peril. Erk, however, remained oblivious as he strode over in a would-be calm fashion.
"How now? Danger? Where?" Rai demanded acutely as Jaffar and Nino, who were lingering in the very rear, made haste to join the rest. Nils, who was still out of air, managed to gasp out a few intelligible words at the perturbed circle around him.
"Front……hidden……trees……strong…" he panted as his worried sister, Ninian, supported him. Barely as the words tumbled from of his mouth, a new voice cut in, upsetting the troop.
"Hey! Hey you! You Eliwood an' his pitiful lot?" it sounded from the frontal depths of the forest. It seemed to come from everywhere, Erk thought. He couldn't quite grasp where it was coming from.
Eliwood perked up at the tone, his eyes furrowed with uneasiness. "Who are you?" he answered, his hand upon his scabbard. The remainder equipped a weapon for each upon Rai's instruction, attentive and organized. "Show yourself!"
"Hahaha…so it is you," it replied dryly with a mocking laugh. "We knew that someone was after us…just not sure until now. Hahaha…."
"Who are you?" Eliwood repeated, the Rapier half-drawn. There were too many trees, making it impossible for him to locate his foe. His grip on the sword's handle tightened—no matter: He was ready!
His two Killing Edges were out and ready to strike, Jaffar inwardly frowned at the lord's unwise tactics. What was he thinking, alerting the enemy of their location? The enemy was experienced, that much he could tell; the assassin was unable to trace him. Staying silent and letting the enemy come to them would have proved a far better choice on Eliwood's part. He might as well have put up a sign that read, "Kill Me, Please". A disapproving tsk escaped him, but Nino, with her Fire tome out, was too preoccupied to have noticed.
"It's—it's our first battle since the beginning of the trip, isn't it, Jaffar? Ha…I should be used to this by now, but I'm still tense before battles…" Nino chattered, unable to hide her nervousness. She exhaled deeply as the assassin stared silently back at her, which was his version of reassurance. Her grasp on the red tome grew tighter, determination flashing in her bright sapphire eyes as she met his eyes resolutely. "I'll…I'll give my best!"
"Hahahaha!" came the voice again, cutting through the grim stillness settling in the forest. "You ask for who I am? Haha…There's no need to yell, you know…I'm right here."
Barely as the words were spoken, Priscilla let out a stunned scream. Every head turned to her direction to see a hooded assassin pressing a Steel Sword against her throat, a hand clutching at her shoulder. Lucius immediately chanted an incantation and aimed bright flashes of Lightning at him, but he evaded them all easily, still holding the lady hostage.
"Lady Priscilla!" Erk cried, flabbergasted by the assassin's astonishing speed. His hands glowed scarlet, preparing for a powerful Thunder spell. Lady Priscilla….! Hold on!
"Let her go!" growled Hector, brandishing his hefty Wolf Beil threateningly. "Have you no shame?! Holding a woman hostage during a fight!" The enemy guffawed enthusiastically in reply.
"Shame? Hahaha! Well, aren't you a fine one to lecture me on it, you big ugly brute? Heheheheh…" The blue-haired youth's short temper flared instantly at the other's insults.
"Why you little……!!" he snarled, giving his axe a menacing swing. A big ugly brute?! Oooh, that great fool of a man was going to pay dearly for this!! "Let's see how ugly you think I am once your face has been carved by my axe!"
"Hector! Peace!" Eliwood restrained his friend sharply, and then turned back toward the assassin, his tone calm and sincere. "We've no wish to fight. Just tell us what you want."
"No wish to fight?!" Hector echoed furiously, every fiber of his being itching to cleave that dim-witted head into two. What was he talking about? He had every intention to fight that foolhardy ruffian! No one, and he meant NO ONE, called him a big brute and walked away alive!! "That's what you think!!"
"What an interesting pair of lord…."no wish to fight"? Heheheh…." The assassin's grip on Priscilla tightened, causing her brilliant green eyes to flicker fearfully. The horse pawed at the ground nervously, upset by the presence of the stranger standing next to it. Erk was in half a mind to sprint up and punch his face, but controlled himself just barely for the sake of her safety. "Hahaha…unfortunately for you, Noble Lord of Pherae, that is exactly why I am here: To eliminate you lot, an' any who dares to follow us. Hahaha…But first, I want to have a little fun with you…after all, what's the fun in killing if the hunter kills his prey right away? Hahaha…meet me at the clearing ahead! Do try to stay alive, won't you? I've heard so much about you and your group…it would be a shame for my underlings to defeat you."
Myrmidons and mercenaries shot out from the woods. There were also archers perched atop trees, their strings pulled and ready to go. Using the emergence of his troops as a distraction, the assassin pulled the red-haired valkerie and himself out of their view.
The troop moved effortlessly into their positions under Rai's command, with Eliwood and Hector acting as the spearhead. The Knight Lord brandished a Steel Lance while the Great Lord donned a Steel Sword. There were more than a few protests from the blue-haired youth, but the lady tactician firmly insisted for him to wield a blade, for they could afford little mistakes. Erk and Lucius were to support them from behind, while Matthew guarded Ninian and Nils. Nino and Jaffar moved to the very end of the line, well out of the enemies' sight.
"Everyone, prepare for battle!" Eliwood shouted. "We must rescue Priscilla!"
"Thank you! Finally!" Hector exclaimed gratefully as Rai, finishing up last of her orders, moved to join Eliwood. With his sword out and set to go, he was more than ready! He was getting bored with all the quietness anyway. Now for some action!
"Hya!" cried Eliwood, neatly spearing a myrmidon heading his way. Lucius sent a Lightning bolt at him, finishing him off. Nils and Ninian busily traveled among ranks, refreshing the troops with their music and dancing. Matthew occasionally hacked at any foes that ventured too close to the siblings, his charming features contorting in concentration.
Lady Priscilla…please hold on!! Erk pleaded silently, muttering the Thunder spell under his breath as the blue-haired lord continued to wipe out enemies in the front, mainly hidden archers. It's all my fault…I should have moved quickly! St. Elimine, watch over her…
All around the purple-haired mage heated battle raged on, particularly around Lords Eliwood and Hector, who were in the lead as they had the strongest defenses. Due to the lack of troops, his magic tome soon fell apart from nonstop usage and he was forced to fish out an additional Thunder, while Lord Hector gripped a new Steel Sword.
From the corner of his eye, he watched as Lord Eliwood's arm was cut by a successful slash on a myrmidon's part, but Lucius soon brought him down, preventing further damage. The redheaded Pheraen lord brought out a vulnerary, and wincing, applied some of its salve to his gash as an anxious Ninian monitored him. So far, no one was excessively wounded. This, at least, was a good sign…
A particularly painful arrow struck at his collarbone, and Erk doubled over in pain, gasping as he hastily selected a vulnerary of his own and spread it over the bleeding spot. That's what I get for letting my imagination roam about like that in the midst of a fight…he thought grimly, sorely missing Serra's healing staves.
……Serra?! Where in the name of sweet Elimine had that came from?
Erk, snap out of it! he yelled as he mentally slapped himself for the last thought. Why did he think of Serra, of all the people, just now?? What in the blazes…?!
You really need to find better things to think about, he chided, promptly following the blue-haired Ostian lord as his cut slowly began to mend. Now was really not a good time to daydream, especially when Lady Priscilla's life was hanging by a mere thread of time.
---
Meanwhile, Jaffar and Nino still remained in the back, killing any the others have missed. The lime-green haired girl was demonstrating a rather impressive usage of Fire, while the assassin loomed over her, protecting her from any possible harm. They were too busy fighting and keeping a careful watch that they did not notice a mauve-haired Falcoknight watching them, flying high above them.
---
"Jaffar is alive," informed the Falcoknight, her pastel-pink pupils cautiously regarding the hooded assassin. He let out a silent curse, his Steel Sword barely resting against Priscilla's pale throat.
"It appears that the general did not finish him off."
"I know that," he spat as the red-haired lady observed the conversation apprehensively. "I can conclude that myself, thanks."
"…What do you propose that we do?"
"……" His grip on the troubadour loosened, but only slightly. "We should go back to the Master…he'll want to know about this."
The Falcoknight gave a disapproving frown. "Yes, but what about our duty in the…the wasteland?" He snorted.
"That'll have to wait. Cronan didn't finish him off, and I want the Master to know about this." His voice sounded keen and eager. She still did not back down, despite his tone.
"But…"
"Shut up," the assassin snapped savagely, causing the Falcoknight to recoil noticeably. "I say we're going back, an' that's final! Do you still have more to say?" His manner was authoritative and challenging, as if daring her to disobey him.
"……No."
"Just a no?"
"No…sir."
"That's a good girl," he said smugly, satisfied by her submission, however reluctant. "Now, once they get here, we'll leave. Understood?"
"Yes sir…but shouldn't we depart soon? Time is crucial," stated the purple-haired girl, which angered the assassin yet again.
"We don't want them to think us as cowards; we are not afraid of them! We are leaving only after they get here, understood?" he shouted arrogantly, his blade digging into Priscilla's flesh. Blood began to flow, but he seemed not to notice as he glared at the knight furiously.
"…Yes…sir." She then flew up onto the top of the nearest tree, serving as a lookout for the assassin without a further protest.
And the three waited in dangerously thin silence, not one of them moving or speaking a word.
---
"There they are," Rai sighed, relieved to see Priscilla yet among the living. The battle had been fairly short, despite the swarming number of enemy troops. Perhaps it was thanks to their training with the "Morph War", where they were driven to wage a war against Nergal and his monstrous creations.
Lady Priscilla….still alive? An enormous weight was dropped from his stomach, and Erk wanted to move and greet her, but the final barrier of the assassin prevented him from doing so.
"Her life is yet her own; blest be merciful Saint Elimine!" uttered Lucius the bishop, enormously grateful for the unlikely miracle. Many heads nodded, but Hector remained grim, his thoughts seemingly matching Erk's own.
"How do we rescue her without endangering her?" he said darkly, glancing ominously at the distant outline of the assassin and Priscilla. "He would surely hurt her, or worse, should we get too close."
"We have to strike fast and hard," the tactician said fearlessly, but ended the sentence sounding not so sure. "Hmm…or maybe not. He sure was quick, from what I gather…gah…what to do…"
"In my opinion," suggested Eliwood while Rai continued to ponder meditatively, "the best course of action would be to try and negotiate with him; let him know that we don't mean him any harm."
"My apologies, Lord Eliwood, but it is a bit too late for that," Matthew pointed out, indicating at the dead bodies littered across the forest floor. "It probably won't work so well."
"But it's the best plan we've got," Rai decided, sighing dejectedly. "Alright, everyone! Lower your weapons; we're going to approach them slowly. Try and seem not too threatening," she added, throwing Hector a meaningful glance. The Ostian lord carelessly shrugged his strapping shoulders while she gave him an exasperated stare, muttering something indistinctly that suspiciously looked like "headstrong" under her breath.
---
"Here they come," said the Falcoknight suddenly, instinctively burrowing deep into the curtain of trees just beyond the clearing to avoid being seen until needed. "Their weapons are lowered…and they are marching gradually…they mean peace."
"Humph, those fools," spat the assassin, the gleaming point of his sword still against Priscilla's delicate throat. She made no movements against his grip; she merely yielded to his impulses, knowing that this was the best way to keep herself alive, by not angering him. "Trying to make belated amends, aren't we? What an idiotic bunch of lords…you could not find any worse…heheheh."
"Still, they have made it this far," the knight pointed out fairly, nestling in deeper still. "We should not be so rash as to underestimate them."
"Underestimate?! Me?! I am the best there is, and the best there ever will be! My speed is legendary, and my skill unmatched! I am the—ah! They are close! Shh!" He silenced her severely, as if she had been the one making all the racket. She looked as though she would like nothing better other than to break his neck, but with a loud gulp and a clearly tremendous amount of self-restraint, remained unspeaking, preparing herself for a long break. They did not have to wait too long, however.
"Hey, you!!" soon came a powerful voice, followed by an immediate "Hector!".
"Yeah, you!!" yelled the one called Hector, his heavy armor clanking loudly. She tensed, preparing to take flight. They were here…as soon as he signaled…
"Let her go, fool!!"
"Hector! What did I tell you?? Shush!" This one was much softer, obviously belonging to a woman. The Falcoknight smiled unexpectedly—whoever she was, she apparently had her job cut out for her, trying to manage the unruly lord.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Rai," he growled reluctantly. So that was the name of the well-known tactician. Rai. She had a feeling that she should remember the name.
"Heheheh…" chuckled the assassin, trying to appear undisturbed but she knew him better—he was worried. She snorted privately. He would be an even greater fool than she thought if he wasn't. And that would be saying something. "Took you long enough…considering your reputation, I expected far better."
"Let her go," interjected a gentle voice. "We are willing to parley with you. I—"
"Well, Lord of Pherae, I'd love to sit here an' listen to your droning, but I have things to do…places to go…people to see…" There was her cue. She lightly nudged her pegasi, and it spread its wide, beautiful wings as they rushed down. She saw the enemies' surprised faces as the assassin leapt up and caught her outstretched hand, his hand grasping hers rather painfully.
"An' it sure isn't you!" he yelled as he pulled himself up, sitting himself behind her. In an undertone he added "To the fortress" then raised his voice again, waving haughtily. "Farewell! We shall meet again!"
"Let's go! Hurry up!" he hissed, giving her steed a hard kick in the stomach. The pegasi looked back at them reproachfully, but after receiving a calm order from knight, beat its great wings and took off.
---
Hector furiously watched the Falcoknight soar out of nowhere and take off with the assassin, indignant that he could do nothing to prevent their escape. "Blast!" he exclaimed once they were well out of his sight, sheathing his sword clumsily. With an angry huff, he turned his blue eyes toward the pale lady surrounded by the group.
"Are you alright, Priscilla?" he asked, his tone still somewhat aggravated at having the foe slip through his very fingers. Blast it…he had been close, so close!
"Y-yes," she answered shakily, rubbing her neck in a disbelieving manner. It was still there; her head was yet intact. "I think so."
"Do you have any scars? How many? How deep? Do you want any vulnerary? How about an Elixir? Ah! What shall we do about that scar on your neck?" gushed the relieved tactician, bombarding the valkerie with endless questions regarding her well-being.
"I-I'm fine," she said faintly, trying in vain to calm the frantic lady. "Just a scratch is all, Rai."
"Right…" Rai replied distantly, straightening up. "Alright troop, we're camping here for the night. Set up the tents and get a fire going; it's starting to get dark. Cook some meals…gah, I miss Merlinus's dumplings right about now…" The last sentence was muttered vaguely as she strode around, looking for some firewood. Suppressing a slight smile, Priscilla looked around, only to spot Erk's deep violet eyes focused intently on her.
"Erk…?" she asked uncertainly, noticing his pained expression. "Are you alright?"
"……! Yes, milady…I…I'm just glad that you are safe is all," he replied sincerely, diverting his gaze elsewhere tensely. He appeared a bit pale, she noticed, as he shrunk back from her. "Excuse me…I must help Rai gather some firewood…" Before she could say anything to stop him, he pushed back from the circle and had disappeared from her view.
'…Erk?' she thought, considering his behavior peculiar, but gave it no more thought when Lucius made an inquiry about her condition.
---
---
---
"What a day," yawned Hector lazily, sitting by a fire positioned in center of their miniature camp. It was not as large as the ones they had built last year for thirty or forty people or so, but nevertheless, warm and cozy enough. "Great exercise." Eliwood grinned, staring absentmindedly into the flickering flame.
"Hmm. Knowing you, Hector, that probably wasn't nearly half of what you need." The Great Lord let out a cheery laughter.
"You know me too well," he chuckled, casually shrugging his shoulders to loosen the knots in his back. He then looked up at the dark night sky, gazing thoughtfully up at the blinking stars in silence. There was no one else around the fire since everyone had turned in for the night long ago except for the two. "It's getting late. I should probably get some sleep…you should too. Don't want you tired, especially if we might engage in another battle tomorrow."
"You're right…good night," the redhead replied, getting up to depart for his tent. When the blue-haired lord did not stir, he looked back at his best friend questioningly. "Coming, Hector?"
"Later," the other mumbled in reply, his eyes still locked up at the twinkling heavens. He did not shift in any way even a while after he heard Eliwood retire, wrapped up in his own thoughts. The silver moon shined peacefully down on the lone man, who sat thinking to himself for a long, long time.
---
Not too long after Lord Hector had finally managed to fall asleep, two distinguishable shadows snaked out from the forest and into the clearing, where the tents were set up. The smaller of the two paused and glanced around, checking to see whether anyone was still awake. Seeing none, it sped toward the middle of the camp, stopped, then looked back at the other and motioned for it to come closer. The bigger waddled clumsily after the smaller shadow, accidentally kicking a rock with its armored foot.
"Shh!!" cautioned the smaller, approaching the nearest tent on tiptoes. The bigger nodded irritably, and then reached out to warn the other—too late.
The smaller had stumbled into a steel container, hurtling down onto the ground with a deafening metallic crash. A split second later, the flap of the nearest tent flew open and a sleepy purple head poked out of it, peering around groggily. After what seemed like an eternity, Erk's confused violet eyes spotted the two petrified shadows, and with a yelp, hastily cast a Fire spell and hurled it at them. It lit the ground on fire briefly, and in that instant, he spotted many familiar faces; Matthew's half-asleep figure blearily tumbling out of his bed, Lord Eliwood, Lord Hector, Lady Priscilla, Lucius, Jaffar, Nino, and Ninian, all looking exactly the same as the brunette thief.
Chanting quickly, he cast another Fire spell, this time more accurately despite the alarmed shouts and screams. Both the shadows dodged it, and the fireball uselessly lit a nearby snag on fire, illuminating the area.
"Stop! Stop!!" yelled the smaller one of the two, its arms thrown in front of its face to shield its eyes from the glare as another fireball was launched at the shadows. "Erk, it's just me!!"
…Erk? It knows my name? he thought hazily, stopping his Fire spell in mid-chant. That was when he saw a pair of pigtails, a Heal staff, and a white robe standing in front of heavy armor. He rubbed his eye vigorously to clear his mind, certain that he was seeing things.
No…it couldn't be!
His lips frantically moved, desperately trying to emit a sound, but none came out. Only when the figure drew near him anxiously could he shriek in terror. He screamed endlessly as his consciousness slipped from his fingers, the last thing to flicker across his vision being a terrifying view of two pink plaits.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!! Noooooooooooo!!!!"
---
Author's Note : (A/N 1-7-05: RELOADED; Too many mistakes not to) Took me forever to finish this…-yawn- Just got done editing. Forgive if there's any mistakes. A bit longer (actually twice as long) than usual as requested by Wistful-Eyes. Uploaded early for the holidays (will be gone for a week, starting Christmas)
…Can't forget the review responses…
Nintendofan: Yup. She adds a lot of comedy into any kind of story she appears in, I believe.
Wistful-Eyes: Darn right. Took me FOREVER, as I mentioned above. And yes, she is one of THOSE people. (has no idea what the heck you're talking about)
Douceur: :D Thank you for the compliment! And Crossroads of the Heart has been updated….FINALLY!! Yay!!
Bomber the Scoto Fox: Thank you! I thought he seemed a bit OOC. :P
XxMastaFreakxX: Hello there! :D Good job, and thank you!
AxelWildfire000: Well, I don't use him either, but I got 'em off the link given to me by a fellow author (too lazy to type his name again XD). Heheh.
Katelynn: Oooh, better not let Jaffar fans hear that…(By the way, I'm a Jaffar fan. Lol!!) Heheh. Thank you for your concern, and yes, Kratos is my favorite. :D
Dragon of Zhao: Yay! You reviewed! And yes, I will do that as soon as I can remember…(not now because I have to get off soon). Hope you like this one even better!
R&R, please!