Reviews! Thank you all!
I'm sorry for the relative lack of action in this chapter! T-T But we HAVE to set up a huge meeting sometime, right? Ehehe... But yeah... MASSIVE character "introduction." Eliwood, Marcus, Lowen, Rebecca, Isadora, Harken, Erk, Serra, Oswin, Hector, Lyn, Kent, Sain, Wil, Florina... A good amount of those people will actually speak while others will only be mentioned... That might not be all the characters who will be "in" this chapter though so... yeah... We're probably gonna be stuck in Castle Pherae for one or two chapters more... (Gotta have everyone introduced to Auri and Corey and also have to get all you nice readers to start thinking about the main mystery of the fic! Ehehe...) So yeah... after that, we'll really get started with the actual journey. OK... THAT was pointless... and badly put together... To the fic! Longest chapter yet!
Chapter 5: Castle Pherae
"Lord Eliwood!"
Dressed in the clothes he had worn while searching for his father, the young marquess turned from the window he had been looking through.
"Ah. Marcus, Lowen. Did you find anything of interest?"
The two knights stood silent under the marquess' surveillance. Lowen was the first to speak. "Lord Eliwood! Please forgive us!" he exclaimed. "I am afraid that my inexperience as a knight was what caused our failure. Perhaps Sir Harken or Dame Isadora-"
"Lowen, that's enough!" Marcus said sternly.
Eliwood smiled. "Yes, Lowen. Don't blame yourself. You're one of my most experienced and trusted knights, and you know how Harken and Isadora always want to be together nowadays."
"I understand, Lord Eliwood," Lowen said, slightly bowing.
"That's good." The marquess paused and turned to the paladin. "Marcus, would you mind giving me the details on how the mission went?"
"Of course, Lord Eliwood. We first went to the inn, just as you asked. The people there gave us some basic information about the family and the results of the raid. The bodies of the master and lady of the manor had already been retrieved, but the fate of the daughter and son was still murky. Many believed that they had been taken by the drunkards. We assisted the villagers in planning a proper burial for the deceased, and then we questioned all the people who had recently worked for the family and the people who had first seen the manor go up in flames. It was dark by then, so we spent a night at the inn and set out first thing the next morning. We paid a visit to the ruins and we found a smoldering fire on the outside perimeter, but we could not find any traces of whoever had made it. However, we did find this mask next to some scattered footprints."
Marcus retrived the said item from his satchel, handed it to Eliwood, and continued. "We spent a few more hours searching the woods the drunkards supposedly had escaped into, but we could find no trace of human activity. We began our ride back soon after."
"Yet after all your hard work, there was still no trace of the siblings," Eliwood quietly mused, fingering the mask in his hands. He then walked over to a shelf and placed the item on it, tracing the details of the mask with his eyes.
"Lord Eliwood. Is there anything else you'd like us to do?" asked Lowen, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
Eliwood turned again to face his knights. "No, I don't believe there is. You've done well. It's a pity Pherae does not have many well-versed in such crimes."
"Lord Eliwood, may I offer a suggestion?"
"Of course, Marcus. There's no need to ask."
"Thank you, milord. Are not Lord Hector and Lady Lyndis to be arriving this evening? Lady Lyndis is an expert tracker and Lord Hector may have brought the spy Matthew with him."
The marquess grinned, excited by the prospect. "You're absolutely right, Marcus! I'll ask for their assistance as soon as they arrive." Turning to the younger knight, he asked, "Lowen, would you like to overlook the cooking? The chefs are about done, but I'm sure that you could still assist them with some of the more difficult dishes."
"Y- Yes, Lord Eliwood!" Lowen saluted and marched to the kitchens.
"Marcus," Eliwood continued, but he was soon cut off by the appearance of a guard at his door. "What is it?"
"Lord Eliwood! There is someone at the gates who wishes to see you! He says that he has a message."
The Marquess of Pherae nodded. "Very well. Let him in."
But before the guard could leave to carry out the order, Marcus quickly placed a hand on the soldier's shoulder, holding him back. "Wait, Lord Eliwood," the paladin said. "You are the Marquess now. You can not just let anyone see you so freely."
With an apologetic expression on his face, Eliwood smiled. "Thank you again, Marcus. I am truly thankful that you are here with me." Turning to the guard, he added, "Please. Ask this person for his name."
"Yes, milord." The guard bowed and hurried back to the castle gates, but it was not long before he returned. "Milord, his name is Erk and he wishes to see you on behalf of Lord Pent and Lady Louise, but he says that if you are busy, he can wait," the young soldier announced, all in one breath.
Eliwood grinned, his thoughts turning back to the grand "adventure" he had had but a year ago.
Erk... I haven't seen him in a while... I wonder how Lord Pent and Lady Louise are doing...
"Ahh... Lord Eliwood? Should I tell him to wait?" asked the guard, confused by the marquess' silence.
"No, no. Let him in right away."
The soldier bowed again and rushed off to convey Eliwood's command to the other guards.
"I do hope that Erk brings us good news," Marcus pondered out loud. "Perhaps Lord Pent and Lady Louise..."
"We'll see when he comes, Marcus. Speaking of which, he should be here any moment now. My study is not far from the gates."
The quiet pattering of footsteps heralded the soldier's return. He turned and stood at attention smartly just outside the doorframe and tapped his lance on the ground once. A familiar face soon appeared in the doorway, purple eyes serious, just as always.
"Lord Eliwood. Sir Marcus. It's good to see you," Erk said immediately upon his entrance.
"It's good to see you too, Erk," Eliwood returned.
Marcus nodded. "I am glad to see you are well, Erk. Lord Eliwood, shall I leave?"
"No, Marcus. There's no need," the marquess said thoughtfully. Then, turning to Erk he asked, "I do believe that you've brought something for me?"
"Lord Pent and Lady Louise wished for me to send you this message." The Etrurian mage fished a rolled-up piece of parchment from his cape and handed it to Eliwood, who gently untied the dainty red ribbon holding the scroll in place. He read its contents quickly and placed it on his desk.
"So, Erk... there must be some other reason why you're here. Lord Pent and Lady Louise would not have sent you all the way to Pherae for the sole reason of inviting me, Marcus, Lowen, Rebecca, Harken, and Isadora to Castle Reglay to see their newborn son," stated Eliwood, a faint smile on his face.
Erk looked the Marquess of Pherae in the eye, his expression as serious as before, but his lips curved slightly upward. "Lord Eliwood, you know Lord Pent, Lady Louise, and me quite well."
Eliwood smiled back in return. "I've had quite a good amount of time to observe all my fellow comrades-in-arms. It would be a shame if I didn't know you well. Now, Erk. Is there anything that I can help you with?"
"Not much, I suppose," the young mage admitted. "Lady Louise told Lord Pent that I was spending too much time studying in my room and that a bit of fresh air would do me much good. It just so happened that Lord Pent had been wanting to send you a letter and so he asked me to take it to you. Now that my duty is complete, I suppose I should return to Etruria as soon as I can," Erk finished, still slightly amused.
"Well, I do hope you'll at least stay a few days," said Eliwood, a bit disappointed.
"I might. Do you know of any quiet inns I could possibly stay at?"
"Inns? There's no need for that! You could stay here, Erk. Besides, then you'd have the castle library all to yourself," Eliwood suggested, knowing that the mage would never be able to refuse that offer.
His hunch was right as Erk quickly added, "That would be a pleasure. I will not be intruding, will I?"
Eliwood shook his head. "Of course not! Marcus, we do have a selection of empty guest chambers, right?"
Marcus, who had stood quietly the entire time, nodded in reply.
The marquess grinned. "That's settled then. By the way, Erk, Hector and Lyndis are to be arriving soon and we'll be having dinner together. Would you like to join us?"
"Lord Hector?" Erk said thoughtfully. "He will not be bringing... Serra by any chance, will he?"
"I'm not quite sure, but I suppose we'll soon find out."
Erk sighed. "All right then. I accept. Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Eliwood."
"It's not a problem. Marcus, why don't you take our guest to the library? Oh and... Both of you, when Hector and Lyndis come, just return here to the study and we can welcome them together. Ah, one more thing, Marcus. Once you're finished with showing Erk the library, tell Lowen, Rebecca, Isadora, and Harken the same thing about the welcome."
Marcus bowed his head slightly. "Yes, milord. Come, Erk. This way."
"Thank you again, Lord Eliwood," the Etrurian mage said as he followed the paladin out of the study.
Once they were gone, Eliwood strode back to his desk and sat down in his chair. He sighed, staring blankly at the mask on his shelf. That was a mistake; the hypnotic stare of the mask's empty eyes compelled him to walk over and pick it up. The marquess then seated himself back at his desk and continued examining the object.
I feel rather guilty entertaining so many guests while those poor siblings are still out there somewhere... but I suppose it wouldn't do to cancel this...
After quite some time, Eliwood laid the mask down on his desk and leaned back in his chair, lost in his thoughts. He had thought that Marcus and Lowen would be able to apprehend the murderers but...
"Lord Eliwood! Lord Eliwood! Lord Hector and Lady Lyndis are here!" The voice of the same soldier from before jolted the marquess from his reveries.
Together? Well, that'll save me some trouble.
"Ah... Tell them to wait. I'm coming." The soldier ran out the door as Eliwood briskly stood up and walked into the hallway where Erk, Marcus, and Lowen were already waiting.
"Erk, did you find the library suitable to your needs?"
The Etrurian mage nodded. "Yes, Lord Eliwood. There are quite a few books that even Lord Pent does not have. I believe that I will be quite busy during my stay."
"I'm glad that our library could be of use. How did the cooking go, Lowen?"
"Excellent, milord! The cooks were just about finished when I arrived but I was still able to give them a few suggestions regarding a few of the dishes."
"I can't wait to see what will be served. Knowing you, Lowen, it'll be a fine dinner," Eliwood said, smiling. "Marcus, you were able to find the others, right?" he asked the paladin.
"I was, Lord Eliwood. Ah... there they are now."
The marquess turned around to see Rebecca, Isadora, and Harken walking toward him, chatting cheerfully. The latter two were smiling at each other between sentences, but all talk stopped once the trio reached their destination.
"Isadora! Harken! Have you started planning yet?" Eliwood asked, a grin on his face.
Both knights blushed at his question. "For what, milord?" Harken returned, trying to appear innocent.
"For the marriage, of course. After all, you can't delay it forever. Why, I do believe that nearly everyone in the castle knows of your relationship!" the marquess exclaimed, causing the two to blush even more. "Rebecca," he continued. "What do you think?"
The archer nodded fervently. "I couldn't agree more, Lord Eliwood! Dame Isadora and Sir Harken make quite the perfect couple!"
"See? There's proof for you. But enough of that, let's go greet our guests, shall we?" Receiving responses of agreement from all sides, the Marquess of Pherae turned toward the castle gates, only to nearly crash into a guard.
"Lord Eliwood! Lord Hector insisted that he be let in and he-" The soldier was cut off by the unmistakable voice of the aforementioned lord.
"Eliwood! You're still alive, huh?" asked the Marquess of Ostia as he turned the corner.
Lyn soon followed after him. "Hector!" she exclaimed.
Eliwood grinned. "Hector, I'm touched. And it's a pleasure seeing you again, Lyndis."
"The pleasure's all mine, Eliwood," the Princess of Caelin returned, smiling.
"And you've brought Oswin, Serra, Florina, and Wil!" Eliwood continued, noticing the four standing behind their respective lords. "Where are the famed Emerald and Crimson Knights of Caelin, Lyndis?" he asked, trying not to laugh at the glare Hector gave Serra when she opened her mouth to speak.
Lyn sighed. "I didn't want Sain to come and cause a commotion here, so Kent volunteered to stay in Caelin and keep him under control. But they both send you their best wishes."
Eliwood smiled. "I'll write them a letter then. You wouldn't mind taking it to them, would you, Lyndis?"
"Of course not."
"How about you, Hector? And where's Matthew?"
"Matthew? I had him go on a vacation. He... wasn't feeling too well... Couldn't concentrate at all, not even on relatively easy missions. I'm sure you know why," Hector said quietly.
"I understand," the Marquess of Pherae replied, nodding. "I'll write him a letter as well. Now... how about going to the dining hall? That's what we're all here for, correct?"
With that, the three lords set off with Eliwood leading the way, while everyone else fell into easy formation behind, talking among themselves, just like they had always done when they were traveling from place to place in the battle against Nergal. After all, old habits are hard to break.
"Erk! I didn't know you would be here! Were you expecting me? You were, weren't you?"
"Lord Pent always told me that I had terrible luck at gambling. I suppose that this is proof..."
"So, Oswin. How are you faring with Lord Hector?"
"Ever since he's become the marquess, he's been slightly better, I suppose. I haven't caught him running off to any arenas lately. How about you, Marcus?"
"Rebecca! It's so good to see you! Did you receive that letter I wrote you?"
"I did, Wil. But you really have to work on your handwriting; I could barely read some of your words!"
"Ahh... Dame Isadora? How are you doing with S- Sir Harken?"
"Never better, Florina. Have you found anyone for yourself yet?"
"So, Lowen. I haven't been able to talk to you in a while. How is your training going with General Marcus?"
"Wonderfully, Sir Harken! I've been working extremely hard to become just as excellent a knight as you and Dame Isadora!"
And so the conversations continued until they reached the dining hall, which had been masterfully decorated. The large table was fully "equipped" with all sorts of foods and drinks, which did not only look good, but also smelled good too. Once everyone was seated, as the host, Eliwood took his place at the head of the table and looked around at all the gathered people, waiting for some silence. "Even though not all of us are gathered here today," he began, "even though it has been a year since the final battle, I still declare this banquet to be a sort of celebration for all that we have gone through... together. Well, what are you all waiting for? Enjoy!"
And with that, forks, spoons, and knives clanged as if they were swords, lances, and axes as the gathered fighters, all of whom had fought against the destruction of the world, set to destroying their enemies, no longer morphs and bandits but vegetables and meat, with deadly speed, power, and accuracy.
Meanwhile, outside the gates of Castle Pherae, a guard firmly blocked the entrance with his lance, denying entry to a light brown-haired visitor.
"Aw... Please? I really am a good friend of Lord Eliwood," Matthew pleaded for what had to be the twentieth time.
"Lord Eliwood is currently enjoying a feast with company. We are not to disturb him unless it is an absolute emergency," the soldier stated once again.
Appearing dejected, the Ostian spy walked back to the thicket where Corey and Auri were waiting, his shoulders drooping. Auri greeted him with a glare, saying, "I knew you were lying. See, Corey?"
"But... but Mister Matt wouldn't lie! Would you, Mister Matt?" Corey asked, huddling closer to his sister.
Matthew winked. "Of course I wouldn't! Now you just wait right here with your sister while I go convince those mean guards to let us in..."
Corey grinned back and burrowed his face in his sister's dirty cloak, but Auri glared at the spy again. "How do we know you're not just running away? Proper ladies-"
Sighing, Matthew retorted, "I know. I know. 'Proper ladies should never be left behind.' And since you're the daughter of the recently departed rich farmer, you expect to be treated like a proper lady, right?"
"I... We... What made you think that?" Auri finally managed to stutter out, taken completely by surprise.
"It's rather obvious," Matthew said, grinning.
Auri huffed. "Our father wasn't just a farmer. He was a landowner, which is probably better than you'll ever be."
Still grinning, Matthew replied, "Oh, we'll see about that! Now about those guards..."
"You're just trying to run away because you're not really who you claim you are."
The Ostian spy sighed again. "How many times do I have to go over this? Just trust me."
Silence. "We can't afford to trust anyone," Auri quickly stated.
"Fine then." Removing his worn red cloak from his shoulders, Matthew handed it to the boy. "Here, Corey. Take this. I'll return for it and the two of you."
And without waiting for a reply, the Ostian spy bounded off into the shadows. He easily skirted the guards who were on patrol around the castle's premises and found what he was looking for - a tree that was nearly leaning over the castle gates, something that he had noticed on his last trip to Castle Pherae.
It's a good thing that I haven't told Lord Eliwood about this yet.
Nimbly scaling the tree trunk, Matthew climbed as far as he could go without breaking any of the branches. He counted silently to three and jumped, landing softly on the castle wall. The Ostian spy grinned.
It's also a good thing that Pherae doesn't have millions of enemy spies crawling in all of its villages; if they did, then this tree wouldn't be here in the first place.
Quickly discovering that the only way down would be to jump, Matthew ran along the wall until he found a suitable landing spot - a pile of hay that was lying in a corner, no doubt food for the horses. He resolutely leaped into his target, again thanking the fact that Pherae was such a peaceful territory when straws of hay flew in every direction the moment he landed.
He quickly picked himself up and climbed out of the pile, heading for the unguarded door that would let him into the actual castle.
Now... where should I go first? Ah... that guard! He said that Lord Eliwood was enjoying a feast so...
Without a second thought, Matthew darted through the open doorway, heading for the dining hall, the general direction of which, luckily, he was aware. Sneaking through the maze of hallways inside the castle, the Ostian spy was pleasantly surprised by the lack of guards. Apparently, Lord Eliwood had dismissed them all, no doubt confident in the actual diners' abilities. As he neared his destination, the sounds of joviality reached his ears, growing louder and louder with each step. He could even make out several familiar voices, wincing as Serra's shrill squeal of delight stopped him in his tracks. Noticing a burning torch mounted on the wall, Matthew grinned to himself.
Why enter inconspicuously when you can enter with a bang?
He could make out a bright light issuing from a slightly open door in front of him. With torch in hand, Matthew cautiously retrieved a small bottle of grease from his pack and coated the hinges with a good amount of the substance, trying to avoid any creaking noises that usually came with the opening of a door. Once he was finished, he gently pushed the door open, a little at a time, until he had just enough room for him to throw the torch through.
Gently placing his torch against the wall, the Ostian spy rummaged through his bag again, this time producing a small bottle of powder, which he uncorked. He poured a small amount of the powder into his hand and stuffed the bottle back into his pack, throwing the powder into the fire of the torch and simultaneously tossing the torch through the open door.
The torch clattered on the floor as the flame glowed green, and a hush settled over the previously noisy atmosphere, but not before Serra disrupted it with a high-pitched scream. Matthew ignored the sounds of weapons being drawn from sheaths and stepped into the room, perfectly aware of the fact that he would probably be impaled by an arrow or a javelin or maybe even a hand axe when he entered. He quickly found that his assumption had been correct as two arrows flew at him the instant his foot appeared in the doorway.
Dodging both projectiles, he walked into the dining hall and asked out loud, "Milord, how could you go to a fancy banquet and not invite me?"
Hector stood up from his seat, laying the Wolf Beil on the ground. "Matthew? What are you doing here?"
With that, the remainder of the company broke out into laughter, as the torch's flame was exhausted and the spy's figure appeared from out of the smoke. Matthew grinned at everyone in the room, walking up to the head of the table, ignoring Serra's glares.
"Lord Eliwood, Lord Hector. Might I speak to you in private for a few moments?" he asked quietly.
Both lords nodded and followed him out the door, but not before Eliwood told the others to continue their dinner.
Once they were safely out of hearing range, the Marquess of Pherae turned to the Ostian spy. "Matthew, what a coincidence. I wanted to ask for your help in solving a little mystery..."
"Of the missing son and daughter of the raided manor?"
Eliwood gasped in surprise. "How did you know?"
"Come with me. I have something to show you," Matthew said, grinning, waving a hand toward the direction of the castle gates.
Outside, in the thicket where Matthew had told them to wait, Auri looked at the guards yet again, tapping her foot impatiently. "He's not coming back."
Corey looked up at his sister, clutching Matthew's cape protectively. "But... but Mister Matt told us to wait for him!"
"Forget it, Corey. He's been gone far too long. We shouldn't have trusted him in the first place. Besides, we have to get going; we've already wasted too much time. Leave his cloak here. He'll find it," Auri stated, already starting to head out into the woods bordering the perimeter of the castle. Corey followed slowly and hesitantly, still clutching the cape.
"Corey... We have to go..." the girl said a bit more gently.
The boy looked up at his sister again. "But..."
"Corey..."
With one last look at the cloak, the boy laid it neatly on the ground. "All right... I'm coming, 'Ri."
Looking back at her brother, Auri smiled and walked onwards. "That's-"
But before she could finish, she crashed straight into something and fell to the ground.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, will you?"
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A/N: Argh... it's SO hard to put so many people into a single chapter... Makes all the dialogue super long... T-T Haha... I'd originally planned to cut it off at the part where Matthew says that he has something to show Eliwood and Hector but then that's no fun, is it? Guess who the person is! Here's a hint: kinda stubborn, kinda rash, but tries really hard... a little bit like Corey, in some ways. Yep. OK... I HOPE that's a correct character analysis of the character... Well... review please!
