Green Paladin: (sips his Lemonade) Yay! Lemonade and Cookies! Thanks!
Green Blackguard: (jumping) Yeah! My chapter went over really well!
Green Paladin: Sit down! Stop jumping on those badgers!
Green Blackguard: I can't help it! I'm too excited!
Green Paladin: (slaps)
Green Blackguard: Oweee! I think I'll just sit down now…
Green Paladin: Review or I'll release the creature in the basement!
The legion was in stunned silence. I was sitting at the campfire, and night had fallen. Lyn and I had explained my past, as I could no longer keep it from them. Wallace was the first to react. "Well, pup. I knew you had something hidden under your hat, but nothing like this."
"I couldn't let you follow me into battle without letting you know. It would be disrespectful, after all you've done," I reasoned. He grunted, and I knew little else would be said. "I am sorry for my actions, and I know that doesn't excuse anything that huge. I cannot justify what I did, as none of it was just."
"I, for one still trust you." I looked for who said that, and saw it was Sain. "I have put my life in you hands before, and you kept me safe. As you did with everyone else here. I'll trust you to do so again."
"Sain… thank you. Thank you for your faith."
Matthew cleared his throat and spoke. "I already said you'd changed. I still believe that."
"I've always known you as a really good guy. You may have done horrible things long ago, but… they were long ago!" added Wil.
"Lyn trusts you," said Rath in his low voice. "That's enough for me."
"Umm… well…" Florina meekly started. "Rath's right. You're Lyn's friend. Even after this. I'll trust you."
"Ha ha ha! A majority!" cried Wallace. "I'll side with you too."
"You are not evil. I can tell that."
"Ohh Erky!" shrieked Serra. "I knew you'd forgive him!"
"I didn't say that…" he interrupted. "But... you're right. I do."
Serra clasped her hands together and shouted, "Erk and I will stay with you, Andur!"
Nils stared thoughtfully. "I sense a great pain in your heart. Something I can't help you with. You have to deal with it yourself."
"That is my intention," I explained.
"Good. You are burdened as you consider your actions to be immoral," Ninian consoled. "I will remain."
"Me too!" Nils jumped in.
Lucius stood up, and addressed the legion. "St. Elimine's teachings tell us that a repentant sinner can be forgiven. I will hold to that."
"Thank you, Lucius," I smiled.
Silence. Kent hadn't spoken yet. Everyone look to him as he said, "You deserve death." Gasps flooded the camp, and Sain shouted, "Kent! I can't believe you said that!"
Kent, unswayed by everyone's reactions, continued. "Your crimes must be punished. I don't believe you feel guilty, and I don't trust you. Your deception has only vilified you further in my eyes." His eye narrowed as he said, "If you were to harm Lyndis in the coming battle-"
"Which will never happen."
"-I would execute you immediately, as is my right as a knight of Lycia."
I sighed, knowing this was the response I expected of him. "Very well, you can think what you like. I will retire for the evening. As should you all, we have a long fight ahead." I got up and moved to my tent, but Kent blocked my path.
"Not here. I will not allow you to be alone with the lady Lyndis."
I grew irritable. "Look here, if you're worried that I'll-"
"Stop!" Lyn shouted, pushing Kent away. "Allow him in!"
"Very well, milady," he politely acknowledged. 'Good boy. Sit.'
I went into the tent, and climbed into my bedroll. Lyn followed, and got into hers. As I was drifting off to sleep, I felt her arms draw around my waist, and she clung to me in her rest. "Thank you… my lady…"
The rain on the battlefield put a hole in my plans. I hadn't anticipated this. Well, I had, but I had no ideas as to what to do differently. So we squelched along in the muddy plains, dealing with Lundgren's forces as we went. I had sent Florina to search for nearby weapons vendors. Hopefully they'd have some equipment that may be of use. So far Matthew has been returning empty handed. Kent was standing awfully close to me, though. I felt cold as his eyes bored a hole into my back. 'I hope his mistrust doesn't ruin the plan.'
A sound thumped in the distance. A trudging, stamping sound. The sound of a marching army. I had expected this, but I hoped it wasn't infantry. In the rain, we were at a disadvantage. "Halt!" I hissed, hoping the enemy couldn't hear. "Kent, Sain, Rath, to the rear! You'll be of no use here!" Kent remained stationary. "Didn't you hear me, Kent? Get going!"
He looked sternly at me and spoke firmly, "I will not leave the lady's side."
"Come off it, you oaf! Those men ahead would slaughter you! Get back!" Grumpily, Kent did so. "Melee fighters, form a line! Support troops, behind them!" My orders were carried out as efficiently as I had wanted, and we stood still, waiting for our foes. The steps sounded ever closer. Though the haze, the first of them appeared, a wall of spears. The next, a legion of archers, mixed with swordsmen. And the lines kept going. I steeled myself, and shouted, "Prepare yourselves! Use the arrowhead formation!" Wallace moved to the front, and other moved back, to form the shape, with Wallace at it's tip. "Forward!" We couldn't run, so we marched. The men ahead lowered their spears, aiming them at Wallace, the nearest. His armour clanked and thudded as he walked. The spears hit their target. The general kept going, and the spears splintered against him. The archers let fly. Their arrows bounced off him, and they fell uselessly to the ground. Wallace raised his axe, and released it. The mighty weapon cleaved though several men, and others moved in. He batted them aside with his huge arms while his weapon returned. As it flew back, others who's skulls were in the way fell as their heads split open upon impact. "Now!" I commanded, and the legion rushed the disoriented troops. Slicing through the vast army of Caelin soldiers, the legion ended the lives of over half the enemy in the first assault. In a sea of dying soldiers, I saw our men and women ultimately prevail.
The rain stopped after an hour, and we rushed forward with little distracting us from our target, the castle itself.
Florina reappeared when we reached the last village before the castle gates, and threw Wallace a spear. "Ha! A fine weapon!" boomed Wallace, spinning and thrusting his new toy.
"Florina! Scout ahead! If you see any bowmen, you know what to do!" I shouted amidst the thunder overhead.
"All right…" she acknowledged, and she took to the sky on her steed and soon vanished from sight. She later returned, saying, "There are few left. A couple of swordsmen, and someone in lots of armour in front of the gates."
"Right." I turned to the troops and commanded, "Wallace, take point. You need to deal with the Knight to clear a path for Lyn to Lundgren. Serra, Lucius, stick with Wallace. Kent, Sain, Erk and Wil will clear the other remaining forces. The rest of you will follow Wallace and Lyn. Clear out the opposition in the castle. Everyone got that?" Seeing them nod, I said, "Right, let's go."
I heard Wallace laugh and he slapped me on the back (rather painfully), and shouted, "You're quite the young master strategist, aren't you! Ha ha ha haaa! We'll beat those betrayers of Caelin!" He raced to the front (astounding considering all that armour), and I felt that he may be right.
The corpses of our enemies lying behind us, we reached the castle. Rath was heading the interior strike team, avoiding the throne room, which Lyn had decided to go alone to. Even without me. 'I hope she's all right…' I thought, remembering Wallace's claims about Lundgren's abilities. I thought she'd need me in there, but she disagreed. "This is something I must do alone," she told me. I couldn't say no to her. Several minutes later, I was still tense. Rath and the others had returned, having removed all resistance. Now only Lundgren remained. I couldn't wait any longer. That's when I heard the scream. A cry of pain- Lyn's!
"Lyn! Hold on!" I cried in desperation, ripping Kent's Armorslayer from his saddle shouting, "Serra! Nils! Follow me!" and ran full speed into the castle.
Green Paladin: Hah! I'm back! But with a short chapter.
Green Blackguard: Yay! Oh wait… Boo.
Green Paladin: Why so glum?
Green Blackguard: You've left a bloody cliffhanger again…
Green Paladin: Well, yeah. You upstaged me with the last chapter so I have to vent out my frustration somehow. Like this! (picks up gas canister and throws it at GB)
Green Blackguard: (gets hit, it cracks open) Arrgghhh! Fluorine! It burns!