Crossroads of the Heart
Author's Note:
Fire Emblem is the property of Intelligent Systems and Nintendo. Horizontal lines are not working yet again, and I'm way too tired to bother with it. Bleh.
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Chapter 14: Complications
The journey back to Ostia had been uneventful, unless one counted Serra's ceaseless speeches as individual events unto themselves. In a way, they rather were, as each time Florina heard the woman take in a breath behind her as though to speak, her stomach dropped in a most unpleasant way -- she was tolerable in small doses, maybe, but over the course of a somewhat lengthy journey... she was more than a little glad to see the impressive form of Castle Ostia drawing ever nearer.
Of course, trepidation still plagued her as they approached their destination; it was plain as day that Farina was here on her own agenda, and considering the affairs she'd been concerning herself with lately, there was little doubt as to the general ideas she had in mind. Florina felt almost sick with worry; whatever her older sister was planning, it didn't bode well for her, Lyn... for anything. Even if she meant well...
"Oh, Florina, we're almost there!" Serra screeched in her ear, tightening her grip around her waist so that she could hardly breath. Florina opened her mouth to say something of the sort, but naturally her attempts to speak went unnoticed. "Castle Ostia is so pretty, isn't it? Especially with a view like this! What an amazing sight!"
"Um... yes... but..."
"And look, you can see inside the gates -- there are the guardsmen, I wonder if they'll bother opening it for us? They've probably already gone to tell Hector we've arrived..."
"Right, but... Serra, um..."
"Where are we going to land? I'm sure they know it's just us, I mean what other pegasus knights could they be? But then again, with the way Sir Oswin is always complaining about the guardsmen..."
"Serra, if you could... uh... just lighten your--"
"Oooh!" The cleric's grip around her tightened, if that were possible, as Huey dipped forward, spiraling downward to land -- almost of his own accord, as Florina was more concerned with breathing than the reins at the moment. "This is so--"
"Serra!" Florina gasped, turning to fix her with a pleading look, "You don't have to hold on so tight, your safety belts should..."
"Oh! I'm sorry, Florina!" Serra blinked, immediately loosening her grip. "Why didn't you say something earlier?"
Florina sighed, turning her full attention to the task at hand. The guardsmen waved them in, toward an empty spot in the courtyard that Florina expertly maneuvered down toward, Farina doing the same nearby. She'd probably had an easier time of things, carrying a man or no, since she severely doubted Erk was anywhere as chatty as her passenger had been. Florina smiled a bit -- though Serra had insisted she enjoyed flying with her, she was certainly quick enough to dismount as soon as they touched down... a glance to her right revealed Erk making much the same haste, though the poor man looked like he was going to be sick at any moment.
Farina was grinning at him, clearly finding the situation amusing, and Florina dismounted herself, shaking her head at her sister's lack of sympathy. Serra was already chatting with the guards, explaining the situation and inquiring as to Lord Hector's whereabouts; Erk slipped off to join her as she traipsed off to the location she was informed of. Florina led Huey to the stables with her sister, who was still chuckling in a most insensitive manner concerning Erk's apparent airsickness.
"You should have heard him, Florina -- I thought we were going to have to stop more than once to let him evacuate the contents of that queasy stomach of his!"
"You shouldn't be so critical of him, Farina..." Florina scolded, rolling her eyes. "I mean, on your first field mission, weren't you..."
"Well, maybe you're right," Farina interrupted her quickly, a faint blush blooming in her cheeks. "All right, all right, I'll stop."
"Hmm..." Florina shrugged, though she couldn't completely hide her grin in response. Ostia was not well known for its cavalry, and as such their stables were somewhat inadequate for housing Pegasi, but they had dealt with far shoddier accommodations in the past, and they were soon finished with that task.
"So," Farina spoke as they exited the stables, heading back toward the castle's main gate. "You didn't happen to hear where those guys told Serra to go, did you?"
"Umm, I'm sure she's already taken care of things," Florina replied quietly, shifting her eyes in another direction, away from her sister.
"Don't be silly, Florina. We should present ourselves to Lord Hector, too -- it'd be impolite not to, wouldn't it?"
"Well, I... I guess..." She sighed, slumping her shoulders in defeat. It wasn't as though he'd notice her, even if they greeted him, right? Whatever Farina was up to, it wouldn't work, and it would probably just make the entire situation worse...
A few polite inquiries later, Florina found herself rushing to keep up with her sister, heading straight for Ostia's throne room. It was the last place Florina wanted to be, but the thought of distancing herself from her sister, leaving her alone with nothing but Ostia's fearsome armor knights about... it was certainly preferable to that. The unmistakable sound of Serra's voice drifted to greet their ears as they approached to find the doors to the room thrown open; a quick glance inside revealed Hector near the throne itself -- though strangely still not sitting on it, he never seemed to do that -- with Oswin at his side. Serra was speaking with arms crossed, clearly perturbed about something, with Erk nearby her... and there, approaching the entrance they currently stood nearby... Florina gasped.
"I wonder how Lyn is doing..."
"Yes, it's a shame she isn't back yet, isn't it? I know Hector was expecting her with the news of the Pegasus Knights approaching..."
"Yes... It's... it's been awhile..."
Florina felt herself grinning widely despite herself; it had been so long since she'd seen Ninian -- and Lord Eliwood, of course -- and she certainly hadn't expected to see them now!
"N-Ninian!" She exclaimed, and both turned to meet her in surprise.
"Florina?" Ninian blinked, then returned her smile with equal enthusiasm. "Yes, of course. They said there were two pegasus knights... I was hoping..."
"Oh, how have you been?" Florina rushed forward, noticing her sister's surprised look, and Eliwood's warm, welcoming smile.
"I've been... just fine, actually..." Ninian assured her, returning the embrace with an embarrassed look.
"Well, hello, Florina," Eliwood greeted her politely. "And Farina, wasn't it? Ninian and I were just leaving to--"
"Leaving?" Florina blinked, looking rather alarmed.
"...just for a minute, to let Hector deal with Serra, hm?" Eliwood finished, looking amused. "I think they have a few words to exchange..."
"They're not fighting, are they?" Farina snickered, shaking her head. "I don't know many vassals that'd argue with their Lord..."
"Serra's certainly... unique," Eliwood explained carefully, then shrugged. "I suppose I'll leave you two alone to catch up..." He directed that to Florina and Ninian, then turned his gaze to Farina. "If you're planning to talk with Hector -- he's probably going to be in a mood when he's done with Serra."
"I'm sure I can handle it," Farina grinned.
"...Well. You'll know where to find me when you're finished, Ninian?"
"Yes..." Ninian blushed faintly, smiling at Eliwood as he nodded and turned to leave. "Oh, Florina, I have so much to tell you!" She took the younger woman's arm, escorting her away from the throne room.
Farina watched them go, arms crossed and a skeptical eyebrow raised. Florina sent one apologetic look back, then disappeared around a corner with Ninian, who was still speaking in that quiet tone of hers.
Truthfully, Florina was more than happy to have been offered an escape from that situation. Ninian led her to the chambers they had been granted for their stay, a private area that ensured no interruptions.
"So much has happened since I saw you last," Ninian sighed, taking a seat and indicating that Florina should do the same. "I meant to send you a letter, but when we heard about Caelin, I wasn't sure where to address it..."
"Yeah..." Florina blushed slightly, looking down at the floor. "I meant to write, too, but we've been so busy with everything..."
"Yes... Lord Hector and Eliwood were just speaking on those affairs, until Serra came charging in..." Ninian giggled quietly at the memory. "Actually, they were hoping Lyn had returned..."
"I'm... I'm sure they were..." Florina shifted uncomfortably, though her sudden unease went unnoticed, as it often did. "But, Ninian... tell me... Lord Eliwood, he proposed, right?" Better to switch the subject to happier things.
"I, well... yes, he did..." Ninian was blushing quite red now, her voice dropping to a whisper. "It was so romantic, too, Florina -- do you know what he did?"
"Tell me!" Florina grinned; she was getting caught up in her friend's excitement despite herself.
"We were all so worried -- Lord Eliwood, he disappeared from Castle Pherae, without telling anyone where he was going..."
"He did?" Florina gasped, wondering how the young Marquess could have gotten away with such a thing.
"Well, we think he might have told Lady Eleanora, since she didn't seem terribly worried... but Marcus and Harken looked ready to die of frustration..."
"I bet," Florina giggled. The Pheraen knights were so protective of their Lord, but she couldn't blame them considering what had happened to Lord Elbert...
"Yes, well, he was gone for three days... I've never been so worried in my life, and the castle was all but in an uproar... on the fourth day, he came walking into the throne room, like he'd never been gone at all..."
"That doesn't sound like Lord Eliwood at all..."
"I was so relieved, I just started weeping all over the place... it was so embarrassing!" Ninian shook her head, but she was still smiling. "Well, Lord Eliwood, he put his arms around me, and he told me not to cry... and then he pulled out this beautiful flower..." Ninian closed her eyes, the memory still fresh in her mind. "I'm sure you know the one, Florina... it only grows on the tallest mountain in Ilia..."
"The mountain of the Ice Dragon...?" Florina gasped, eyes widening.
"Yes, that's the one... it was... um... where I was born..."
"But, Ninian, how did he..."
"I mentioned that it was my favorite once or twice," She admitted. "But I never thought he'd run off to find one... and well, after that, he proposed right there in front of everyone!"
"I probably would have fainted or something..."
"I almost did..." Ninian agreed, laughing. "Well, of course I accepted..."
"I never knew Lord Eliwood was such a romantic..." Florina sighed wistfully. "But that sounds wonderful, Ninian... I'm so happy for you!"
"Thanks... but, Florina, I was wondering..."
"Hm?"
"Well, the wedding will be in a couple of months in Pherae... Eliwood's already asked Lord Hector to be his best man, of course... if you would, um... if you could be my Maid of Honor..."
"Really?" Florina blinked, then nodded her head vigorously in acceptance. "Of course I will! I would be... It would be such an honor..."
"Oh, don't start crying..." Ninian sounded alarmed. "I'll start too if you do that..."
"S-sorry, I just... I'm so happy..."
And she was happy, immeasurably so, for happiness for her friends had always been infectious for her. Yet, just as she was with Lyn... Florina could feel jealously underlying her joy, always there to put a damper on things of late. She had never considered herself a jealous person, but with both Ninian and Lyn bundled off with the men they loved... where did that leave her? An awkward third wheel in both cases, and the last thing she wanted to be was a bother...
"Well, what about you, Florina? What have you been doing?"
"I guess, not very much... things were pretty quiet in Caelin until Lord Hausen's death... and since then I've just been following Lyn around..."
"We heard from Hector that Lady Lyndis went back to the plains to fight some bandits?" Ninian looked fairly worried as she spoke. "Is she all right? I know Lord Hector has been fretting over her... it's so funny to see a man like him worried so..."
"Um, yes, she's all right," Florina sighed, looking away. "She'll be back here soon, I'm sure... she's actually probably in Ilia right now..."
"Ilia?"
"Yes... she had to speak with someone there... it's rather complicated..."
"I see..." Ninian giggled quietly. "I hope she returns soon, for Lord Hector's sake..."
"Oh...?" Florina prompted. Though she knew she wouldn't want to hear the details, curiosity overcame her.
"Yes, well... the way he's been talking about her... it's pretty obvious... and Eliwood's been teasing him about it all day..." Ninian shook her head. "He gets all defensive about it, but, well... you know Lord Hector..."
"I suppose..." Florina frowned, suddenly not so interested in the subject anymore. "What are you and Lord Eliwood doing here, anyway...?"
"Oh... well, you know the council meeting coming up..."
"Oh, right... of course."
"We just decided to come a little early to visit... Eliwood and Lord Hector don't have much time to see each other apart from official affairs anymore, so..."
"Right, that makes sense," Florina nodded. "When will the other Lycian Lords be arriving...?"
"I think they said a week or so from now..." Ninian shrugged. "I'm not entirely certain, but for now..."
"I'm sure you just want to relax... I bet things have been pretty hectic..."
"It's not so bad," Ninian assured her. "I'm happy just to be here..."
"Of course..."
"You know, Florina... are you certain you're all right?"
"What do you--"
"I don't know... you just seem so sad sometimes," Ninian spoke thoughtfully. "If there's anything bothering you, I hope you'd tell me..."
"Well..." Florina hesitated, wondering for a moment what the best course of action would be. She certainly didn't want to keep anything from Ninian, but at the same time, if she were to learn the truth... it was doubtful she'd keep anything from Lord Eliwood, and since Lord Eliwood and Lord Hector were best friends... Florina shuddered. "Well, there is..."
"Yes...?"
"It's hard to explain," Florina began cautiously, looking away. "You see... um... there's this problem, sort of. You see, my sister out there, Farina... she thinks I like someone..."
"Really...? But you don't...?" Ninian raised an eyebrow, squinting at her suspiciously.
"The problem is, this person... if he found out, I'd probably just die..."
"Florina! Really, that's no reason to... wait, who is it?" Ninian stopped short, clapping her hands. Florina stuttered something incoherent in response, backing away. "Come now, you can't tease me like that..." Ninian complained, casting her a critical look.
"I don't... don't think I should..."
"I won't tell a soul, really!"
"...You promise...? Not even Lord Eliwood...?"
"...All right, not even him. Now tell me!"
"...Well, you see, this person is already in love with a good friend of mine, so there's really no way it would work... and Farina probably has these screwy plans to try and force it to, even though I've told her to just leave it alone..." Florina felt as though she might cry -- how had things gotten so messed up? She hadn't meant to cause so much trouble.
"Already in love with..." Ninian blinked, then gasped as the realization dawned on her. "Florina, you're not talking about Lyn? And... and..."
Florina nodded miserably, burying her face in her hands.
"...Florina!" Ninian stared at her with a look of utter shock, unsure of what to say. "...Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't even realize... you probably didn't need to hear all of that about... but... what are you going to do?"
"I don't know... I need to stop Farina from doing anything stupid," Florina muttered into her palms, still blushing furiously, and afraid to meet her friend's eyes.
"It might be difficult if you don't even know what she's going to do, but... I mean, are you sure..."
"Yes! I don't want Farina causing any trouble for anyone on my account," Florina insisted.
"...But, Florina..."
"Please... don't you start too..."
"...It doesn't seem fair to me..." Ninian sighed. "You know, if you and Lord Hector got together--"
"Please, don't!" Florina stood up, shaking her head. "It's useless to think on it, and I'd rather him be happy with Lyn than miserable with me, and..."
"Who says he'd be miserable...?"
"...He doesn't want a weak little girl like me," Florina explained softly. "He wants someone strong, sure of herself, like... well, he wants Lyn..."
"...If you want, I'll help you keep an eye on your sister," Ninian offered, though she still looked wholly disapproving. "Still, I don't think you're being fair to yourself..."
"You said it yourself earlier, Ninian... the way he talks about her, right?"
"Well, yes, but I didn't know..." She sighed.
"I'd appreciate your help... but I don't know what we can do," Florina looked wholly miserable, and Ninian felt entirely useless, though she desperately wanted to say something to make her friend feel better, she could think of nothing. What could she say in light of this? There was no easy solution to the problem at hand.
"First off, we might want to stop her from speaking to Lord Hector in the throne room by herself," Ninian suggested, and Florina gasped.
"You're right, I'd forgotten all about..." She bolted for the door, and Ninian stood quickly to follow. "I hope it's not too late, there's no telling what she's said!"
"Florina..." Ninian sighed, moving after her as quickly as her elaborate dress would allow.
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The Ostian throne room was usually a center point of activity, but none so interesting as the exchange taking place within its walls at the moment. Hector stood before his throne, glowering at a very perturbed looking particular pink-haired cleric, perhaps the only one of his servants aside from Oswin who could meet a glare of his with one of their own. Most people would have been left stammering like fools; in that regard, Hector supposed Serra deserved some measure of grudging respect.
"So, you're telling me, that Lyn ran off to Ilia?"
"Yes, but that's no reason to get all frumpy with me!" Serra exclaimed indignantly, crossing her arms. "I'm just the messenger here, and I didn't even want to come! This is Matthew's job, not mine!"
"Where is Matthew?" Hector growled, clearly in a foul mood.
"He's off cavorting around Elibe with Lyn and the others," Serra muttered. "I personally think that when he gets back, you should tell him a thing or two about duty, and, and--"
"Did she say when she'd be back?"
"Will you stop interrupting me? That is so rude!" Serra glared. "I would think that with your upbringing you might have been taught some basic manners..."
"Serra...!" Erk hissed at her side, horrified.
"It's true!"
"...Let me try that again," Hector spoke in a dangerous tone, disregarding her comments -- luckily for her, he was accustomed to her posturing, though she was certainly pushing her luck taking a tone like that with him in his own throne room. "Did she say... when she'd be back?"
"A week or so at most," Serra spoke primly with a shrug. "At least, that's what I heard."
"...Fine. And you?" Hector directed his attention to Erk, who seemed to shrink back under the weight of that gaze.
"Erky here needs a job," Serra explained, having gleaned this information not too long ago herself.
"I'm sure the man can talk on his own, Serra."
"...That's right," Erk spoke in a timid voice, wondering how on earth the woman at his side could remain so calm even with Lord Hector shouting at her so. Surely one didn't just get used to something like that. "I'm temporarily away from my home in Etruria until things settle down with the succession there..."
"All right," Hector eyed him thoughtfully. "You're a mage, right?"
"Well, I suppose..."
"Right, I've seen you work. I'm not sure what use we have of a magic user..." Hector shrugged. "Oswin here will have something for you to do, though, I'm sure."
"Of course," Oswin nodded from his place at Hector's side.
"Thank you..." Erk bowed slightly. Oswin gestured for him to follow him out, and Erk moved to obey quickly. Ostia was Lycia's largest city, and with the wages he earned here, he might be able to open that school sooner than he thought...
"Wait for me!" Serra exclaimed, rushing after them. Hector had a few more questions, but damned if he was going to put up with that woman any longer to hear the answers. He gladly watched her go, inwardly feeling rather sorry for Oswin, undoubtedly the object of her attentions... as per usual of late. The woman was insane. Sighing, he turned away from where the others had exited, wondering where Eliwood had run off to.
"Hello!" A cheery, familiar voice greeted him, and Hector nearly ran right into its source -- that overconfident mercenary he'd hired in Bern... he eyed her warily.
"Farina..." Hector frowned. "Surprise seeing you here... what, you've come to try and swindle some more gold?"
"Hey! I haven't swindled anyone!" Farina blinked innocently, putting on a rather admirable hurt act. "You gave me that money without even putting up a fight, remember?"
"...Yeah, I'm glad Oswin never found out about that."
"Ha! You don't look particularly happy to see me... I'm hurt!"
"Sorry if I'm a little wary to be dealing with you again... I suppose you're here with Florina, right?"
"Why, yes..." Farina grinned. "...Why?"
"...Well, they did say there were two of you..." Hector shrugged. "Where is she?"
"...Why on earth would you care about that...?" Farina blinked, though inwardly she was rather pleased to hear his concern.
"Why wouldn't I? That Florina... she shouldn't be wandering around her by herself, with all the knights around..."
"I'm sure she'd be happy to hear you're so worried about her..." Farina raised an eyebrow. This just might turn out to be easier than she thought...
"I don't think Lyn would be too happy if I let something stupid happen to her friend," Hector growled, brushing past her.
"Now, hold on-- she's with Ninian, actually, she's fine..." Farina jumped to follow him out.
"Ninian? Huh. Well, all right. You got something to say, or what?" Hector looked back at her curiously. "If not..."
"Hmm... Wait a minute, I--"
"Farina!" Both Farina and Hector jumped in surprise, turning to greet the source of this frantic shout. They both watched incredulously as Florina dashed in from around the corner, looking rather flustered and out of breath. "Farina, you-- oh!" She stopped short, nearly losing her footing, and behind her Ninian nearly ran into her, surprised by her sudden stop. "Um, I... Uh..."
"Florina! What on earth..." Farina laughed, and beside her, Hector looked from one sister to the other in confusion.
"Huh... well. Hey, Florina," Hector greeted her, smiling in a way that made her feel slightly light headed. "Heh, I didn't know you could shout like that..."
"Um, L-lord H-hector..." She stammered, rooted to the spot. "H-hello..."
"Well, isn't this convenient!" Farina exclaimed, stepping between the two with a devilish smile. "You know, Florina, Hector was just asking about you!"
"...W-what..."
"Yeah. Well, I'm glad to see you're all right. You don't even say hi anymore, eh?" Hector teased her good-naturedly; he'd never really expect her to do so in the first place. He wasn't sure why, but the woman just seemed to freeze up whenever he was around... sure, she hated men, but he had always thought it seemed worse when it was him in particular. What made things worse was the way she'd hovered around him, like she wanted to say something... but Lyn had made it pretty clear that pursuing the matter wasn't the course of action he should take, and besides, he didn't want to make her angry by scaring her friend all the time. Not that he meant to. He couldn't help the way he was...
"Um, I'm, uh... S-sorry!" Florina choked out, backing away hastily, and running right into Ninian in the process. She turned around completely, dashing away nearly as quickly as she'd arrived, her face as red as he'd ever seen it. Ninian glanced from Hector to her retreating friend helplessly, looking confused as to what she should do.
"Man..." Hector muttered. "I don't know why I even--"
"Oh, don't worry about it," Farina stepped in quickly. "She's happy to see you again, really!"
"...You call that happy?" Hector eyed her curiously. "Yeah... right. You're crazy, and so is she."
"Hey!"
"Umm..." Ninian spoke softly. "Farina, maybe you should speak with your sister..."
"...Well, I--"
"Really," Ninian insisted, looking slightly embarrassed. "I'm sure Lord Hector has important things to attend to..."
"Actually, I was just going to find Eliwood, and..."
"Really?" Ninian interrupted him, brushing past Florina. "So was I... shall we?"
"Well, all right," Hector shrugged.
"He should be right over here..." Ninian led him out, casting a meaningful glance over her shoulder. Farina watched them go, looking rather irritated, at that. What was that dragon girl up to, interrupting them like that? Though she had a point, perhaps... she certainly didn't want Florina running all over Ostia on her own...
Farina sighed, heading back in the direction her sister had disappeared in. Perhaps this wouldn't be so easy...
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"You can use staves, right?" Oswin directed the question at Erk, who was fidgeting nervously nearby.
"Yes, to some degree," Erk nodded.
"We don't need anything too difficult. It'll be nice to have a second healer for the novice training exercises..." Oswin muttered, casting a very poignant glance toward Serra, who remained as blissfully unaware as ever, unsurprisingly.
"Don't worry!" Serra exclaimed. "I can show you everything you need to know... really, staves are so easy to use... I bet even you could handle it."
"...Well, thanks," Erk muttered sarcastically with a sigh.
"Those novice knights are always hurting themselves," Serra clicked her tongue disapprovingly, glaring somewhat in Oswin's direction. "I think the stuff he makes them do is way too hard, but..."
"You're in no position to be commenting on the training regimen of the knights under my command," Oswin chastised her, knitting his brows. "Perhaps if clerics were subjected to the same level of difficulty in training, they'd be instilled with a bit more respect for the order than you seem capable of."
"...You can't be serious!" Serra's eyes widened. "You can't possibly expect helpless little clerics like me to do things like that... that's just... it's..."
"A little physical work might do you some good," Oswin continued, still frowning in that disapproving way. "After the way you acted toward Lord Hector in there..."
"Well, I was only speaking the truth!"
"He is your Lord, and you are his servant," Oswin explained patiently. "It is your duty to act in a way becoming of a vassal of House Ostia... a task you have failed miserably at so far."
"...But, I..." Serra looked quite crestfallen, an emotion Erk was not accustomed to seeing on her. Perhaps he'd have to pay a bit more attention to this Oswin fellow, if his tactics worked so well with the impossible woman.
"Regardless," Oswin turned the discussion back toward Erk with a word. "Serra will show you around here. Training exercises take place daily on the field, she'll show you where that is, as well. I trust I'll see you both there."
"Yes, certainly. And thank you again..." Erk nodded.
"...Yes, m'lord..." Serra spoke meekly, having taken several steps away from Oswin and back toward Erk throughout their exchange of words.
"Good."
The imposing armor knight made his exit, leaving the two in somewhat awkward silence. Matters between them had improved somewhat, though only slightly, and though Erk had for some reason volunteered himself into this mess -- he still wasn't quite sure why -- neither looked forward to the days ahead with much other than trepidation.
"Um, well... here's where we keep all of our equipment... you'll only need basic healing staves, and I've seen you handle those..." Serra began quietly -- still moping about those harsh words from Sir Oswin, no doubt.
"I see," Erk spoke evenly, keeping his distance as Serra showed him where everything of interest was stored. Again, he marveled over the fact that though she gave off such a childish air, she certainly knew what she was doing -- her services during their long battles so long ago had proven that, though he'd never quite been able to accept it. If only she could mediate her behavior to some degree, she'd be quite all right... she was still speaking about something, pointing things out within the room, and he found himself thinking that even her voice wasn't so bad, when it wasn't being used to screech about this or that in an entirely obnoxious manner. Really, she wasn't bad to look at... her uppity nature would probably fit right in with the typical Etrurian lady...
"Erk? Are you even listening?" She placed a hand on her hip, fixing him with a wholly disapproving glare. "You don't want to make any mistakes under Oswin's command, you know... he's kind of mean if you make him angry..."
"I'm listening," Erk lied, mostly just to satisfy her in the hopes that she'd cut her lecture short. The last thing he needed was Serra bossing him around...
"All right then, pick up a healing staff and let's get going. I want to show you around the field before training begins..."
"Er..." Erk looked around at the various assortment of items, realizing he was quite stuck. He hadn't been paying attention at all, and he had no idea where...
"...You don't know what you're doing at all, do you?" Serra sighed impatiently. "I thought you were listening! Here," She tossed him a staff, still frowning, and brushed past him toward the door. "We don't have time to go over it again. Come on, come on!"
"Right..." He followed after her, that thoughtful look still on his face.
He'd been here before, of course, as they all had during the battle against Nergal. Yet, even with this prior experience in Ostia, he hadn't realized just how large the castle was; for a Lycian keep, it certainly was impressive. The frugality of the place was somewhat disconcerting; in Etruria, nobles were quick to show their wealth and power in the form of expensive artwork and other such frivolities; even Lord Pent's estate had been lushly outfitted. It was what he had grown used to, growing up among Etrurian nobility, and even the thought of a castle as fine as this so bereft of adornment was shocking.
It probably drove Serra insane, he figured, the way she was so hung up on shows of wealth and extravagance... it was so odd for an Elimine cleric to behave that way, considering the teachings of St. Elimine condoned moderation and generous donations to the needy over needlessly wasting resources on the desires of the self. Yet, Serra was unconventional in more ways than that... he probably shouldn't have been so surprised.
She led him through several corridors, eventually to an exit that led to a grassy field not unlike the outer courtyard they'd landed in upon arriving. Several plain, militarily inclined buildings littered the outskirts of the training yard, he vaguely noted Serra informing him that those were where weapons used for practice were stored. It was actually a rather interesting tour; he'd never been exposed to things like this apart from the far less organized version that had been the norm for their army against Nergal -- and that had basically been knights scrambling around Merlinus's tent in the hopes of acquiring a suitable weapon.
"Sir Oswin's always complaining about how knights these days have no gumption," Serra sniffed, sitting on a wooden bench alongside the field, after showing Erk everything of interest around the place. "With the way he's always pushing them so, it's no wonder so few actually become Ostian Knights..."
"It's the same way among mages in the Etrurian schools," Erk offered, hesitating for a moment before seating himself on the bench beside her. "The study regimen is difficult, and most instructors are terribly unforgiving... only the best are allowed to advance..."
"I'm glad no one is turned away from the service of St. Elimine," Serra spoke softly, studying the staff in her hands intently.
"Why's that?"
"Oh, I don't know... I mean, I'm sure I'm good enough to have made it anyway, but..." She shrugged noncommittally, trailing off. "I suppose there's always that chance, and if I hadn't been able to do this..."
"...I sometimes wonder if Lord Pent was too easy on me, myself," Erk admitted, looking at some fixed point before him, refusing to meet her gaze. "I'll never be half as good as he is... sometimes I wonder if he didn't just pass me along because Lady Louise took such a liking to me, as though I were her own son..."
"Don't say that!" Serra exclaimed, startling him with the sudden increase in volume. "I mean, it's not just anyone that could have stood up against Nergal and all of those creepy morphs... we helped save the world, didn't we? That alone should tell you that we're better than most people!"
"I wouldn't say that," Erk frowned. "I suppose you have a point, though..."
"Besides, I heard that all you ever did was study... magical potential is inherent, right? I mean, you can't be stronger than your spirit allows... so what else can they base things on? Anyone who throws themselves into their work as much as you should be given all of the opportunities available... otherwise, they'd just be basing things on a genetic roulette, wouldn't they?"
"Still, I always got the impression..."
"You're fine..." Serra said simply, shrugging. "Lord Pent wouldn't have accepted you as his student if he didn't see any potential."
"The problem is living up to that potential..."
They sat there in silence for awhile, and Erk contemplated on the fact that this was probably the first conversation they'd ever had without her shouting or making a nuisance of herself. Even more shocking than this was the fact that he found he rather liked it.
He wasn't entirely certain what reaction such a revelation merited, but either way, he was almost looking forward to the weeks ahead. Almost.
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Author's Note, Revisited!
Yeah, but WHERE IS LYN?! Sometimes, I'm just a jerk.
Maquareion – Hmm, yes, poor Lyn. Such a conflicted soul… thanks for your review.
Winteress – Gah! No writer's block for you! I'm so sad… hope everything works out! I'll be waiting when you're ready to update again. :)
TheOneAndOnlyT – You'll note that Ilia is now spelled correctly! I hope. I'm so embarrassed… I don't know why I thought it had two l's… Now I'm going to go yell at my unofficial editors for not informing me of this… mutter, etc.
AmbieChan – Hmm, I'm glad you like Lyn/Rath more now, seeing as how it's one of my favorites. Thanks for your review.
Firelien – Here's your Ostia chapter! :D
Malignant Plate – When I was writing that "edge of a blade" paragraph, something in the back of my mind kept nagging at me, like it seemed somewhat familiar. Only when I was uploading the chapter did I realize that it was The Wheel of Time that I was thinking of, and even then I figured "Oh well, no one else will know that." Hilarious! :D Loved Epiphanies, I'm sad that it ended so soon… but you updated Higher Price, yay! :D
Mizuki – Thanks for your review! :)
Angel White – Your Rath hatred makes me a very, very sad Elzie.:( Since this story seems to be making you so angry, you should probably go read that giftfic I put up for your birthday, wink, nudge, review, cough! :P
Shnickers – I'd say that you're almost as confused as Lyn is, eh? Haha… you'll have to wait a little longer to hear her decision, of course. I'm so mean… and yes, here's your Hector, to some extent. He's my favorite too… :)
Kratos Aurion – Well, hopefully this fic will make you like those characters a little more… they're some of my favorites! Thanks for your review.
Timmycheese – You should get a red card for putting FFTA references in my FE story reviews! :P And yeah, Fiora/Eliwood isn't very popular at all, is it? I don't know, their supports just didn't seem particularly romantic… and Fiora's so much better with Kent, and Eliwood with Ninian. :D
Kyuusei – Well, I'm honored to have you reviewing, then. Glad you like the story, and thanks for the review(s)! :)
