I'm a slacker, as some of you might have noticed. U.U Yeah...
(Kicks Renault)
This was me when I was reading the reviews for chapter three:
(Reads R Amythest's review)
Scarabsi: Aw... yeah... I know how that feels... poor Lucius is way too forgiving...
Raven: And someday he'll die because of that.
Scarabsi: Oh, you be quiet. (Kicks Renault)
(Reads HellFenix's review)
Scarabsi: Yeah, I wonder too... I'm using it to replace 'damn', because it's kind of like a Fire Emblem version of sending to hell, right?
Canas: But the problem is, one time she said, "Flux you," to someone that was annoying her, and her friend said "That's okay; I'll just say it for you. F-CK YOU!!!" So... be careful when using 'flux'. And, to fill in, flux is actually the rate of the flow of energy or particles across a given surface; it can also mean a substance added to molten metals to bond with-
Scarabsi: Canas... I think that is quite enough.
Canas: Oh, if you say so. To bond with impurities that can be...
Scarabsi: (sweatdrops) Let's ignore him for now...
(Reads Calum the Angel's review)
Scarabsi: Yeah! I know! What furthermore annoys me is that Erk has so many fangirls, and Serra is the most hated character in Fire Emblem! I mean, why does everyone hate her anyway? Her personality adds sparkle to the game, especially next to Erk, who's basically grayscale without her. Admit it, fans; without Serra, there's no way Erk would even be half as popular as he is, right? I mean, sure, he's got his good looks, but you know the old corny saying, 'Looks aren't anything', right? Here, listen to this proverb:
Lucius: Er, I'm a proberb? Oh, well... "Beauty is but skin-deep".
Scarabsi: Yeah! See? And listen to this proverb!
Priscilla: Um... "The saying that beauty is but skin-deep is but a skin-deep saying".
Scarabsi: Awww! Isn't that pretty and sparkly! So there you go; Serra and Erk analysis!
(Reads avi17's review)
Scarabsi: Yes! Yes they will be! NO KIDDING!!! (Squeaks and flails arms around)
Auriyu: That means she's incredibly flattered.
(Reads RianneHime's review)
Scarabsi: Yes, of course you would be first in the listing. You're the one who told me what a (bleep) Renault was, so you kind of started it, right? It would be dumb of me not to put you first.
Somewhere in the castle
Matthew, Raven, Rath: !#$%&()!#$%&()!!!!!! (That hurts Scarabsi's fingers)
Legault: I was abducted. Ow. Yeah, there's a reason why. (Searches in pockets) Hey! Matthew pilfered my Fell Contract!
Scarabsi: Actually, I pilfered it, and... gave it to Matthew... but yeah...
(Reads Cathy Barton's review)
Scarabsi: Ha ha ha... glad you liked the Sain/Kent. Nobody seemed to notice, but neither of the famous cavaliers were abducted. (Scratches head) I'm still going to write about them; their sweetness just seems cuter out on the battlefield.
Kent, Sain: Don't we get any say in this?
Scarabsi: It's either that or you get abducted.
Kent: ...... Good point.
(Reads Auriyu's review)
Scarabsi: ... ... (almost no comment)
Jaffar: (Sharpening his knives)
(Reads Amethyst Bubble's review)
Scarabsi: (Is smothered by love) ...! (Squeaks and flails arms around)
Auriyu: I'm assuming I don't have to tell you what that means again.
(Kicks Renault)
So... yeah! (That took up a page and a half...) I'll try to make this chapter interesting, but... no guarantees.
(Kicks Renault)
Warning: I'm writing a warning again... but I swear this is the last one! Slash, straight, whatever isn't your cup of tea, don't read. This chapter is mostly about HOW in Athos's beard all those people got kidnapped so quickly (beside Lucius and Serra, which you all already know). You should also know that all of these events are happening at around the same time, so don't get too confused if there's a little time-turning going on. Yeah. If you find this annoying, send something (review, email) complaining about wasting chapters. I'll listen.
(Kicks Renault)
Disclaimer: Uh, let's see... a quarter... a penny... two nickels... a dime... a five dollar bill... a one dollar bill... Sorry, I don't think I have enough money for you to sue me.
(Kicks Renault)
---------------------------------------
Chapter Four
---------------------------------------
Nino watched as Lucius left the dining room, and it didn't take a magical genius to figure out that he was looking to comfort Serra. She reached for her glass of milk and held it to her lips, but nothing came out. She blinked, and realized that she had been so busy plotting on the 'Uncle Legault and Uncle Heath Matchmaking Plan (Revised Version XVII)' and listening to Serra scream at Erk (because let's face it, who in the castle didn't?) that she hadn't noticed her breakfast slowly disappearing down her esophagus. She got up and left the table, skipping into one of the many halls in the castle, and continued to try to think of a way to get Uncle Heath and Uncle Legault together without Uncle Heath reaching for a lance or Uncle Legault borrowing Jaffar's Killing Edges. She realized that she had been plotting this thing for quite a while; maybe she should fish out Jaffar somewhere and let out all the excess plans so that she wouldn't get that exploding feeling again.
Nino skipped around, turning her head this way and that. Jaffar had left the breakfast table earlier than she had, so she had no clue as to where in the castle the silent assassin could be. She stopped when she turned the corner and found an assassin standing there, examining a tapestry. She smiled and waved. "Hey, Jaffar! I have some more news for...?"
The assassin had heard her voice, and turned to see who it was. Nino gulped; this wasn't Jaffar, nor was it anyone she knew. Maybe it was a new party member that Lord Eliwood had forgotten to introduce to her. She tried to act friendly. "Um... hello! You must be new to this army! Lord Eliwood hasn't introduced you yet, so I guess that means you're still fairly new and haven't fought in any of our battles yet... Ah! Wh-what are you doing?"
The assassin had reached a hand toward her, and she was slightly nervous at where it seemed to be heading- her neck. She glanced up into the assassin's eyes, and saw not friendliness, not cold, not recognition or any form of becoming a new friend. The assassin was smirking, like a cat that had finally found the cute fuzzy little toy mouse that his owner had been hiding for a month. Nino reached toward her Elfire book, but before she could pull it out of her sack, the assassin's hand reached her neck and tightened. Her mind instantly filled with shock and fear, and she felt very helpless as the assassin's smirk widened. Then he spoke.
"It's very nice to meet you, young mage. My name's Scourge. I'm happy that you can join my army."
Nino wanted to hit herself for dropping her guard. Everyone else in the army always did seem a tad superstitious; now she knew why. I'm sorry, Jaffar... I... didn't... listen... to...
---------------------------------------
Legault skipped around, once in a while glancing over his shoulder, then to his left and right, then squinted in front of him, and lastly, checked the ceiling and ground. He hadn't seen Nino since breakfast hour ended, and he was starting to get suspicious. Now would be the perfect time for Nino to spring on top of him and start asking him personal questions again. He turned his attention from the ground to the space in front of him, so that he wouldn't walk into any walls, and hugged the wall when he saw a green and white wall running toward him with a Silver Lance in one hand and a Javelin in the other.
Heath stopped when he saw someone leaning on the wall, and grabbed Legault by the collar. "Alright, you spy, I knew you were around here somewhere! You can't get me that easily; tell your commanding officer that I'm not quite ready to... Oh, sorry, Legault."
Legault rolled his eyes. "No harm done, Heath. Say, we seem to be running into each other quite often lately. Now, care to explain why you're carrying your Silver Lance and Javelin inside the bloody castle?"
Heath's eyes shifted to the left, then shifted to the right, then leaned closer to Legault's face. "I sense spies in the castle. They're out to get me, I just know it."
Legault blinked. "Uh..."
Heath felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He whipped around, dropping Legault, and pointed his Silver Lance at a painting on the other side of the hallway, ignoring Legault's squeak of pain. "You! Show yourself! There's no use in hiding!"
The wyvern rider stood there with the lance pointed to the painting for a while, before the painting swung open and a small boy popped out. "Aw... I knew I couldn't trust Page's crummy map! These secret passageways are so hard to stay silent in..."
"I heard that!" came a voice from the painting. A girl around the same age as the boy crawled out of the painting silently, and slammed the painting back on the wall very hard. The boy winced.
"Page! Your stealth is horrible! You like crawling around and walking silent, but you always handle doors and windows so loudly! What kind of thief are you?" the boy complained.
The girl, Page, rolled his eyes. "At least that armor guy didn't hear me! I mean, I know you can be loud, but that's just screwing up!"
Legault and Heath stood there, blinking. "Hey," Legault interjected. "Would either of you mind telling me why you just popped out of a painting in our castle, arguing about stealth?"
Page bowed, and then pushed the boy's head down when he wasn't bowing. "I'm Page, the thief in training, and that's my twin brother, Quill, the shaman in training."
"We've come to abduct you," Quill added. Page bonked him on the head. "What? We did!"
Heath poked Quill gently with his Silver Lance. "You two don't look very strong, but... you're not spies from Bern, are you?"
Quill, Page, and Legault all rolled their eyes at once. "No, silly," Page scoffed. "But you were right, we were sent here to get you. And your friend." She looked over at Quill. "You can take care of them, right?"
"Sure," Quill answered, rolling up his heavy sleeves. He opened up a basic Flux book and cast it on Legault and Heath. It didn't do anything, other than give them incredible headaches.
"Ow! You..." Heath swung his Javelin at Quill, but Page pulled her brother down before the Javelin could hit. Then she picked up the Javelin and hit Heath on the head with the tip very hard, sending him to the floor.
"Dimwit! Can't you do anything right?" she growled at Quill.
Quill shrugged. "Hey, these guys are tough, and we're just fourteen-year old children! I bet they faced plenty shamans stronger than me before." He switched his Flux book for his Nosferatu book. "Do you think this would work?"
"Heck, no! Look at that guy, he's a very advanced thief, and you're using a Nosferatu spell on him? That spell is even slower than Flux, and you've never even tried it yet!"
"Well... there's a first for everything, right? Why don't you hold him down, or something?" Quill suggested.
Page sighed, then walked up to Legault. "I'm sorry, but my moronic brother needs target practice. You won't mind if I tie up your limbs, will you?" she asked politely while she tied up Legault's hands and feet.
"What, don't I get any say in this?" Legault demanded. He looked over at the pile of armor on the ground. "Heath! Heath, get up! Heath!"
Quill shrugged and opened his book. "Now, um..."
He had to cast the spell seven times before Legault went out. He looked at the frail book, which had already begun to fall apart. "What! I use this cheapo thing seven times and it's already falling apart? When am I allowed to use that Luna spell?"
Page kicked him in the shin. "Hey, Quill, help me pick this guy up. He's more than kind of heavy."
Quill shook his head. "Forget it. Just teleport them back to Hidden Fort. There's no way I'm going to be able to carry that much armor."
"It's tiring... alright." Page propped Legault on the wall, and the two of them worked to get Heath up. She stood at the wall, facing them, and concentrated. Quill added a little of the extra energy he had gotten from Legault, and the thief and wyvern rider disappeared. Page collapsed from exhaustion, and Quill looked at the wall, where Heath and Legault had been a second ago.
"Um... how do we get back?"
---------------------------------------
Wil walked around the castle, stopping once in a while to admire a painting or a suit of armor. He smiled widely, and started a one-sided conversation with anybody who passed by. Mostly, they ended with the person telling him that they had something to do and had to be on their way. Wil, being the kind person he was, always ended the conversation and continued walking. He knew he should be stocking up on arrows right around this hour, or preparing his clothing so that they were comfortable any time he would need to spring into battle. He fingered his nearly empty quiver, and tutted at the way his Shortbow looked like it was going to crack any second. Maybe I should go see Merlinus...
He looked around, trying to recognize the hallway he was in, but to his dismay, he discovered that he had never seen this hallway before. He tried to remember the picture on the map he had been given to see where he was, but the map wasn't the most descriptive thing in the world. He shrugged. Okay... maybe I'll go see him later...
The cheerful archer patted his Longbow. At least I have this, in case the Shortbow breaks, and I can make arrows out of almost anything I find...
He wandered around, and came across a door. Curious to see what was behind the door, he opened it and peeked inside.
"... And you, Quill, you're doing the same as your sister. You can follow one of her secret passageways and look for people to abduct. If you are discovered, then take them out and bring them to Hidden Fort. Did I make myself clear?"
"No, you didn't, Point. I still can't see the wall behind you."
"You know what I meant."
Wil had no idea what the people in the room were up to, but it didn't sound good. He opened the door a little wider and slipped in, readying his bow.
A young girl's ears moved when he took his first step. She turned around. "Point! There's someone behind you!"
The man, Point, turned around, facing Will. "Flux it, I thought this place was supposed to be impossible to find!"
Wil blinked. "Oh, is that so? No wonder I couldn't find my way back." He drew back the arrow, aiming carefully. "Tell me what you're up to."
Point was unimpressed. Instead, he made a motion to the two other people in the room. "Quill, Page, hurry up and go. I'll take care of this one."
The young boy and girl nodded, and they both opened up separate paintings in the wall and disappeared down them. One painting shut quietly, almost making no sound, while the other one slammed shut so loudly that Wil winced, causing his aim to go off. He started aiming carefully again, and was a little more nervous now that that Point person had all his attention on him.
Point smiled. "Yes, just you and me now, hm?" He slipped out a Fimbulvetr book. "I think this will be quick and easy."
Wil panicked and let the arrow loose. Point arched slightly back, and the arrow hit uselessly on the wall. A dreadful cracking sound rang through the room as Wil's Shortbow snapped in half. Frustrated, Wil slammed it to the ground and reached for his Longbow, but Point didn't let him.
Point opened the Fimbulvetr book and cast the spell, forming ice around Wil's arm. Point laughed as Wil tried to reach his Longbow with his frozen arm. "My... what an amusing fellow, you are. What is your name?"
"You think I'll tell you?" Wil spat. He tried to hack the ice off his arm, and hated feeling helpless and unarmed.
"Oh... you mean you won't tell me? That's too bad." Point thumbed through the book and formed three circles in the air, before channeling the magic into an attack twice as powerful as the first.
The archer froze in place, ice covering all his features. Point walked closer to him. He examined the archer, then picked him up. "Hmph. There goes my victim..."
"Stop where you are."
Point looked toward the direction of the voice, but not in time to dodge the arrow that pierced him in the shoulder. He almost dropped the ice statue in pain, and glared at the person that stepped through the door. "Who are you?"
"... ..." The person just reached for another arrow. "... I have no reason to tell you."
Point held on tighter to the ice statue. "Well, if you don't tell me, then I'm going!" He shoved past the person, and jumped out the open window.
"... ..."
Rath stepped into the room, and looked at it. He bent down and examined the cracked Shortbow lying on the ground. He pounded a fist into the floor, enraged. "... ... They've got Wil... ..."
---------------------------------------
Sain was bored. Yes, bored. Kent was talking business with one of the lords, so he needed to do something romantic to somebody or else he was going to burst.
He entered a room, and waved cheerfully to Priscilla, the single occupant in it, beside himself. "Good morning, Princess Priscilla! Even prettier than yesterday, I see!"
Priscilla looked up from the Fire book that she was studying. "Oh...! Good morning to you, too, Sain!"
Sain nodded. "Thank you!" He smiled cheerfully at her, and was delighted to see her smile back. Too bad, there wasn't anything he could do. She really doesn't seem to fancy anybody at this time. He looked around, and jumped when the door burst open. It was Guy.
Guy was panting hard, and extremely annoyed. "That little low-life! Attacking me straight after breakfast... when I was unarmed..." He fingered the small cut on this cheek. "I can't believe he injured me, too! Cheater..." He flopped onto the ground, sitting as if he was at a campfire, and stared at the floor in front of him.
Priscilla got out of her chair and leaned next to him. "Are you alright?"
Guy looked up. "Huh? Oh, uh... yeah, I'm alright."
Priscilla pointed to his cut. "You have a cut on your cheek. Here, let me heal it." She pulled out her Heal staff and healed the small cut. "You should tell me next time you're hurt." She stood up and headed back to her seat.
"But... it was only a scratch... Strange girl." Guy fingered his cheek, which was now completely healed.
Sain smiled. Bingo. He kneeled next to Guy. "Hey."
Guy looked up, annoyed look back on his face. "What?"
Sain grinned innocently, and grabbed Guy's wrist strongly. Guy struggled to turn his wrist, so as to escape, but Sain shifted his grip to a higher part of his arm. Then he walked over to Priscilla, pulling a struggling Guy with him, and grabbed her wrist, a little more gently then he had Guy's. "Excuse me."
"What?" Priscilla asked, bewildered, as Sain dragged his two victims over to the closest closet and dumped them in. The green haired cavalier locked the door and admired his handiwork.
"Sorry, I'm not going to let you out!" He yelled at the door, and skipped out of the room, not as bored anymore.
If Guy was annoyed before, then he had steam coming out of his ears now. "Sain! You low-life scum!" He tried to stand up, but the closet was very small, and he found himself squeezed uncomfortably close to Priscilla. "Ah, and it's such a small closet! That little..."
Priscilla sighed. "He knows all the closets in the castle by now; I think he picked one of the smallest ones on purpose. I would know; he puts me in these closets all the time." She looked over at Guy. "He'll get bored of keeping us here eventually, and he'll let us out."
"I'm not going to wait for him!" Priscilla shrugged at Guy's stubbornness and helped him get up. He pounded on the door. "HEY!!! IS ANYBODY OUT THERE?!? COME LET US OUT!!!" Guy paused, thinking about what he just said. "UNLESS YOU'RE MATTHEW! IF YOU'RE MATTHEW, I'M NOT GOING TO OWE YOU ANOTHER FAVOR SO DON'T BOTHER SAVING ME!"
Priscilla sweatdropped. "Guy... this small space can't have too much volume... it hurts my ears..."
"Oh, sorry," Guy apologized. He leaned against the door, waiting. "So I guess this means we do have to wait... stupid Sain... stupid Matthew..."
Priscilla sighed again. She practiced the proper wrist movement to conjure a flame, and kept an eye on the knob in case anybody did come to save them.
After only a matter of seconds, an odd clicking sound was heard, and Guy jumped off the door. Just in time, too, because the door swung open. A mercenary and a myrmidon were behind the door, smiling.
"Need a little help there?" the myrmidon asked. Guy blinked.
"Uh... thanks for letting us out." He began to step out of the closet, but the myrmidon jumped forward and made a chopping motion. Guy saw it coming, and reached to block the myrmidon's hand with his sword, before he remembered that he was unarmed. He didn't have enough time to stated his frustration, however, as the myrmidon's palm hit him into the wall. He slid down the wall, smearing blood all over the silk artwork tacked to it.
Priscilla had gotten out at this point, and gasped. "Oh no..."
The mercenary smiled. "You're next, doll face."
Priscilla jumped to her feet and ran. The mercenary chased her, the smile still on his face. The myrmidon was picking up Guy and slinging him over his shoulder, careful not to get blood on himself. The red haired healer was tiring out fast; she was used to riding on a horse, not running like this. Finally, she tripped on a rug that was inconveniently placed, and fell down hard. The fall nearly knocked the wind out of her lungs, and she tried to spring back up on her feet. She wasn't quick enough, however, as the mercenary reached her before she could make it up.
"Sorry, doll face. Mistress's orders." He held up a fist and knocked lightly, but forcefully, on her head, sending her out. Then he picked her up and turned to his myrmidon friend. "Let's go. Where were we meeting the others again?"
"At the bridge, of course. That's where Rade was going to write the little letter to poor Lady Lyndis to tell her about the news." The myrmidon replied. "I think we'd make it; I'm just hoping my buddy here won't bleed to death on the way."
"Ah, he's tough, he'll make it. Let's go."
The two jumped out the window, landing softly and soundlessly on the grass below, and ran quickly out of sight, leaving the room in a huge mess.
---------------------------------------
Okay. That's it. (Phew!) This is one of my fastest and longest updates, but I had an inspiration attack. (Sweatdrops) That was fun to write; too bad I couldn't think of a name for the myrmidon and mercenary. I'll do that later. (Sweatdrops again)
(Kicks Renault)
Like I said, there's a lot of time turning. The Wil-napping actually happened before the Heath-napping and Legault-napping, and poor Rath is still fuming. Aww... (The bigger question is, how did Rath find his way there to begin with? One of the plot holes I'll fill out later... I'm amazingly good at filling out plot holes...)
(Kicks Renault)
Yes! I updated! So now Amethyst Bubble has to post the next chapter for her story! And I cannot wait until I get to read it...
(Kicks Renault)
And before you ask, there is a reason why Priscilla was abducted, other than convenience's sake. The baddies didn't pick her out, no, but... I'll tell you later. (Winks)
(Kicks Renault)
Corrections are appreciated, flames are welcomed, compliments are loved, pennames for the 'Kick Renault' page and reviews will help me write, and another chapter in 'The Troubles of Matchmaking' will help me post. (Although the chapter might appear before I finish writing the next chapter... oh well.)
(Kicks Renault)
(Kicks Renault)
This was me when I was reading the reviews for chapter three:
(Reads R Amythest's review)
Scarabsi: Aw... yeah... I know how that feels... poor Lucius is way too forgiving...
Raven: And someday he'll die because of that.
Scarabsi: Oh, you be quiet. (Kicks Renault)
(Reads HellFenix's review)
Scarabsi: Yeah, I wonder too... I'm using it to replace 'damn', because it's kind of like a Fire Emblem version of sending to hell, right?
Canas: But the problem is, one time she said, "Flux you," to someone that was annoying her, and her friend said "That's okay; I'll just say it for you. F-CK YOU!!!" So... be careful when using 'flux'. And, to fill in, flux is actually the rate of the flow of energy or particles across a given surface; it can also mean a substance added to molten metals to bond with-
Scarabsi: Canas... I think that is quite enough.
Canas: Oh, if you say so. To bond with impurities that can be...
Scarabsi: (sweatdrops) Let's ignore him for now...
(Reads Calum the Angel's review)
Scarabsi: Yeah! I know! What furthermore annoys me is that Erk has so many fangirls, and Serra is the most hated character in Fire Emblem! I mean, why does everyone hate her anyway? Her personality adds sparkle to the game, especially next to Erk, who's basically grayscale without her. Admit it, fans; without Serra, there's no way Erk would even be half as popular as he is, right? I mean, sure, he's got his good looks, but you know the old corny saying, 'Looks aren't anything', right? Here, listen to this proverb:
Lucius: Er, I'm a proberb? Oh, well... "Beauty is but skin-deep".
Scarabsi: Yeah! See? And listen to this proverb!
Priscilla: Um... "The saying that beauty is but skin-deep is but a skin-deep saying".
Scarabsi: Awww! Isn't that pretty and sparkly! So there you go; Serra and Erk analysis!
(Reads avi17's review)
Scarabsi: Yes! Yes they will be! NO KIDDING!!! (Squeaks and flails arms around)
Auriyu: That means she's incredibly flattered.
(Reads RianneHime's review)
Scarabsi: Yes, of course you would be first in the listing. You're the one who told me what a (bleep) Renault was, so you kind of started it, right? It would be dumb of me not to put you first.
Somewhere in the castle
Matthew, Raven, Rath: !#$%&()!#$%&()!!!!!! (That hurts Scarabsi's fingers)
Legault: I was abducted. Ow. Yeah, there's a reason why. (Searches in pockets) Hey! Matthew pilfered my Fell Contract!
Scarabsi: Actually, I pilfered it, and... gave it to Matthew... but yeah...
(Reads Cathy Barton's review)
Scarabsi: Ha ha ha... glad you liked the Sain/Kent. Nobody seemed to notice, but neither of the famous cavaliers were abducted. (Scratches head) I'm still going to write about them; their sweetness just seems cuter out on the battlefield.
Kent, Sain: Don't we get any say in this?
Scarabsi: It's either that or you get abducted.
Kent: ...... Good point.
(Reads Auriyu's review)
Scarabsi: ... ... (almost no comment)
Jaffar: (Sharpening his knives)
(Reads Amethyst Bubble's review)
Scarabsi: (Is smothered by love) ...! (Squeaks and flails arms around)
Auriyu: I'm assuming I don't have to tell you what that means again.
(Kicks Renault)
So... yeah! (That took up a page and a half...) I'll try to make this chapter interesting, but... no guarantees.
(Kicks Renault)
Warning: I'm writing a warning again... but I swear this is the last one! Slash, straight, whatever isn't your cup of tea, don't read. This chapter is mostly about HOW in Athos's beard all those people got kidnapped so quickly (beside Lucius and Serra, which you all already know). You should also know that all of these events are happening at around the same time, so don't get too confused if there's a little time-turning going on. Yeah. If you find this annoying, send something (review, email) complaining about wasting chapters. I'll listen.
(Kicks Renault)
Disclaimer: Uh, let's see... a quarter... a penny... two nickels... a dime... a five dollar bill... a one dollar bill... Sorry, I don't think I have enough money for you to sue me.
(Kicks Renault)
---------------------------------------
Chapter Four
---------------------------------------
Nino watched as Lucius left the dining room, and it didn't take a magical genius to figure out that he was looking to comfort Serra. She reached for her glass of milk and held it to her lips, but nothing came out. She blinked, and realized that she had been so busy plotting on the 'Uncle Legault and Uncle Heath Matchmaking Plan (Revised Version XVII)' and listening to Serra scream at Erk (because let's face it, who in the castle didn't?) that she hadn't noticed her breakfast slowly disappearing down her esophagus. She got up and left the table, skipping into one of the many halls in the castle, and continued to try to think of a way to get Uncle Heath and Uncle Legault together without Uncle Heath reaching for a lance or Uncle Legault borrowing Jaffar's Killing Edges. She realized that she had been plotting this thing for quite a while; maybe she should fish out Jaffar somewhere and let out all the excess plans so that she wouldn't get that exploding feeling again.
Nino skipped around, turning her head this way and that. Jaffar had left the breakfast table earlier than she had, so she had no clue as to where in the castle the silent assassin could be. She stopped when she turned the corner and found an assassin standing there, examining a tapestry. She smiled and waved. "Hey, Jaffar! I have some more news for...?"
The assassin had heard her voice, and turned to see who it was. Nino gulped; this wasn't Jaffar, nor was it anyone she knew. Maybe it was a new party member that Lord Eliwood had forgotten to introduce to her. She tried to act friendly. "Um... hello! You must be new to this army! Lord Eliwood hasn't introduced you yet, so I guess that means you're still fairly new and haven't fought in any of our battles yet... Ah! Wh-what are you doing?"
The assassin had reached a hand toward her, and she was slightly nervous at where it seemed to be heading- her neck. She glanced up into the assassin's eyes, and saw not friendliness, not cold, not recognition or any form of becoming a new friend. The assassin was smirking, like a cat that had finally found the cute fuzzy little toy mouse that his owner had been hiding for a month. Nino reached toward her Elfire book, but before she could pull it out of her sack, the assassin's hand reached her neck and tightened. Her mind instantly filled with shock and fear, and she felt very helpless as the assassin's smirk widened. Then he spoke.
"It's very nice to meet you, young mage. My name's Scourge. I'm happy that you can join my army."
Nino wanted to hit herself for dropping her guard. Everyone else in the army always did seem a tad superstitious; now she knew why. I'm sorry, Jaffar... I... didn't... listen... to...
---------------------------------------
Legault skipped around, once in a while glancing over his shoulder, then to his left and right, then squinted in front of him, and lastly, checked the ceiling and ground. He hadn't seen Nino since breakfast hour ended, and he was starting to get suspicious. Now would be the perfect time for Nino to spring on top of him and start asking him personal questions again. He turned his attention from the ground to the space in front of him, so that he wouldn't walk into any walls, and hugged the wall when he saw a green and white wall running toward him with a Silver Lance in one hand and a Javelin in the other.
Heath stopped when he saw someone leaning on the wall, and grabbed Legault by the collar. "Alright, you spy, I knew you were around here somewhere! You can't get me that easily; tell your commanding officer that I'm not quite ready to... Oh, sorry, Legault."
Legault rolled his eyes. "No harm done, Heath. Say, we seem to be running into each other quite often lately. Now, care to explain why you're carrying your Silver Lance and Javelin inside the bloody castle?"
Heath's eyes shifted to the left, then shifted to the right, then leaned closer to Legault's face. "I sense spies in the castle. They're out to get me, I just know it."
Legault blinked. "Uh..."
Heath felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He whipped around, dropping Legault, and pointed his Silver Lance at a painting on the other side of the hallway, ignoring Legault's squeak of pain. "You! Show yourself! There's no use in hiding!"
The wyvern rider stood there with the lance pointed to the painting for a while, before the painting swung open and a small boy popped out. "Aw... I knew I couldn't trust Page's crummy map! These secret passageways are so hard to stay silent in..."
"I heard that!" came a voice from the painting. A girl around the same age as the boy crawled out of the painting silently, and slammed the painting back on the wall very hard. The boy winced.
"Page! Your stealth is horrible! You like crawling around and walking silent, but you always handle doors and windows so loudly! What kind of thief are you?" the boy complained.
The girl, Page, rolled his eyes. "At least that armor guy didn't hear me! I mean, I know you can be loud, but that's just screwing up!"
Legault and Heath stood there, blinking. "Hey," Legault interjected. "Would either of you mind telling me why you just popped out of a painting in our castle, arguing about stealth?"
Page bowed, and then pushed the boy's head down when he wasn't bowing. "I'm Page, the thief in training, and that's my twin brother, Quill, the shaman in training."
"We've come to abduct you," Quill added. Page bonked him on the head. "What? We did!"
Heath poked Quill gently with his Silver Lance. "You two don't look very strong, but... you're not spies from Bern, are you?"
Quill, Page, and Legault all rolled their eyes at once. "No, silly," Page scoffed. "But you were right, we were sent here to get you. And your friend." She looked over at Quill. "You can take care of them, right?"
"Sure," Quill answered, rolling up his heavy sleeves. He opened up a basic Flux book and cast it on Legault and Heath. It didn't do anything, other than give them incredible headaches.
"Ow! You..." Heath swung his Javelin at Quill, but Page pulled her brother down before the Javelin could hit. Then she picked up the Javelin and hit Heath on the head with the tip very hard, sending him to the floor.
"Dimwit! Can't you do anything right?" she growled at Quill.
Quill shrugged. "Hey, these guys are tough, and we're just fourteen-year old children! I bet they faced plenty shamans stronger than me before." He switched his Flux book for his Nosferatu book. "Do you think this would work?"
"Heck, no! Look at that guy, he's a very advanced thief, and you're using a Nosferatu spell on him? That spell is even slower than Flux, and you've never even tried it yet!"
"Well... there's a first for everything, right? Why don't you hold him down, or something?" Quill suggested.
Page sighed, then walked up to Legault. "I'm sorry, but my moronic brother needs target practice. You won't mind if I tie up your limbs, will you?" she asked politely while she tied up Legault's hands and feet.
"What, don't I get any say in this?" Legault demanded. He looked over at the pile of armor on the ground. "Heath! Heath, get up! Heath!"
Quill shrugged and opened his book. "Now, um..."
He had to cast the spell seven times before Legault went out. He looked at the frail book, which had already begun to fall apart. "What! I use this cheapo thing seven times and it's already falling apart? When am I allowed to use that Luna spell?"
Page kicked him in the shin. "Hey, Quill, help me pick this guy up. He's more than kind of heavy."
Quill shook his head. "Forget it. Just teleport them back to Hidden Fort. There's no way I'm going to be able to carry that much armor."
"It's tiring... alright." Page propped Legault on the wall, and the two of them worked to get Heath up. She stood at the wall, facing them, and concentrated. Quill added a little of the extra energy he had gotten from Legault, and the thief and wyvern rider disappeared. Page collapsed from exhaustion, and Quill looked at the wall, where Heath and Legault had been a second ago.
"Um... how do we get back?"
---------------------------------------
Wil walked around the castle, stopping once in a while to admire a painting or a suit of armor. He smiled widely, and started a one-sided conversation with anybody who passed by. Mostly, they ended with the person telling him that they had something to do and had to be on their way. Wil, being the kind person he was, always ended the conversation and continued walking. He knew he should be stocking up on arrows right around this hour, or preparing his clothing so that they were comfortable any time he would need to spring into battle. He fingered his nearly empty quiver, and tutted at the way his Shortbow looked like it was going to crack any second. Maybe I should go see Merlinus...
He looked around, trying to recognize the hallway he was in, but to his dismay, he discovered that he had never seen this hallway before. He tried to remember the picture on the map he had been given to see where he was, but the map wasn't the most descriptive thing in the world. He shrugged. Okay... maybe I'll go see him later...
The cheerful archer patted his Longbow. At least I have this, in case the Shortbow breaks, and I can make arrows out of almost anything I find...
He wandered around, and came across a door. Curious to see what was behind the door, he opened it and peeked inside.
"... And you, Quill, you're doing the same as your sister. You can follow one of her secret passageways and look for people to abduct. If you are discovered, then take them out and bring them to Hidden Fort. Did I make myself clear?"
"No, you didn't, Point. I still can't see the wall behind you."
"You know what I meant."
Wil had no idea what the people in the room were up to, but it didn't sound good. He opened the door a little wider and slipped in, readying his bow.
A young girl's ears moved when he took his first step. She turned around. "Point! There's someone behind you!"
The man, Point, turned around, facing Will. "Flux it, I thought this place was supposed to be impossible to find!"
Wil blinked. "Oh, is that so? No wonder I couldn't find my way back." He drew back the arrow, aiming carefully. "Tell me what you're up to."
Point was unimpressed. Instead, he made a motion to the two other people in the room. "Quill, Page, hurry up and go. I'll take care of this one."
The young boy and girl nodded, and they both opened up separate paintings in the wall and disappeared down them. One painting shut quietly, almost making no sound, while the other one slammed shut so loudly that Wil winced, causing his aim to go off. He started aiming carefully again, and was a little more nervous now that that Point person had all his attention on him.
Point smiled. "Yes, just you and me now, hm?" He slipped out a Fimbulvetr book. "I think this will be quick and easy."
Wil panicked and let the arrow loose. Point arched slightly back, and the arrow hit uselessly on the wall. A dreadful cracking sound rang through the room as Wil's Shortbow snapped in half. Frustrated, Wil slammed it to the ground and reached for his Longbow, but Point didn't let him.
Point opened the Fimbulvetr book and cast the spell, forming ice around Wil's arm. Point laughed as Wil tried to reach his Longbow with his frozen arm. "My... what an amusing fellow, you are. What is your name?"
"You think I'll tell you?" Wil spat. He tried to hack the ice off his arm, and hated feeling helpless and unarmed.
"Oh... you mean you won't tell me? That's too bad." Point thumbed through the book and formed three circles in the air, before channeling the magic into an attack twice as powerful as the first.
The archer froze in place, ice covering all his features. Point walked closer to him. He examined the archer, then picked him up. "Hmph. There goes my victim..."
"Stop where you are."
Point looked toward the direction of the voice, but not in time to dodge the arrow that pierced him in the shoulder. He almost dropped the ice statue in pain, and glared at the person that stepped through the door. "Who are you?"
"... ..." The person just reached for another arrow. "... I have no reason to tell you."
Point held on tighter to the ice statue. "Well, if you don't tell me, then I'm going!" He shoved past the person, and jumped out the open window.
"... ..."
Rath stepped into the room, and looked at it. He bent down and examined the cracked Shortbow lying on the ground. He pounded a fist into the floor, enraged. "... ... They've got Wil... ..."
---------------------------------------
Sain was bored. Yes, bored. Kent was talking business with one of the lords, so he needed to do something romantic to somebody or else he was going to burst.
He entered a room, and waved cheerfully to Priscilla, the single occupant in it, beside himself. "Good morning, Princess Priscilla! Even prettier than yesterday, I see!"
Priscilla looked up from the Fire book that she was studying. "Oh...! Good morning to you, too, Sain!"
Sain nodded. "Thank you!" He smiled cheerfully at her, and was delighted to see her smile back. Too bad, there wasn't anything he could do. She really doesn't seem to fancy anybody at this time. He looked around, and jumped when the door burst open. It was Guy.
Guy was panting hard, and extremely annoyed. "That little low-life! Attacking me straight after breakfast... when I was unarmed..." He fingered the small cut on this cheek. "I can't believe he injured me, too! Cheater..." He flopped onto the ground, sitting as if he was at a campfire, and stared at the floor in front of him.
Priscilla got out of her chair and leaned next to him. "Are you alright?"
Guy looked up. "Huh? Oh, uh... yeah, I'm alright."
Priscilla pointed to his cut. "You have a cut on your cheek. Here, let me heal it." She pulled out her Heal staff and healed the small cut. "You should tell me next time you're hurt." She stood up and headed back to her seat.
"But... it was only a scratch... Strange girl." Guy fingered his cheek, which was now completely healed.
Sain smiled. Bingo. He kneeled next to Guy. "Hey."
Guy looked up, annoyed look back on his face. "What?"
Sain grinned innocently, and grabbed Guy's wrist strongly. Guy struggled to turn his wrist, so as to escape, but Sain shifted his grip to a higher part of his arm. Then he walked over to Priscilla, pulling a struggling Guy with him, and grabbed her wrist, a little more gently then he had Guy's. "Excuse me."
"What?" Priscilla asked, bewildered, as Sain dragged his two victims over to the closest closet and dumped them in. The green haired cavalier locked the door and admired his handiwork.
"Sorry, I'm not going to let you out!" He yelled at the door, and skipped out of the room, not as bored anymore.
If Guy was annoyed before, then he had steam coming out of his ears now. "Sain! You low-life scum!" He tried to stand up, but the closet was very small, and he found himself squeezed uncomfortably close to Priscilla. "Ah, and it's such a small closet! That little..."
Priscilla sighed. "He knows all the closets in the castle by now; I think he picked one of the smallest ones on purpose. I would know; he puts me in these closets all the time." She looked over at Guy. "He'll get bored of keeping us here eventually, and he'll let us out."
"I'm not going to wait for him!" Priscilla shrugged at Guy's stubbornness and helped him get up. He pounded on the door. "HEY!!! IS ANYBODY OUT THERE?!? COME LET US OUT!!!" Guy paused, thinking about what he just said. "UNLESS YOU'RE MATTHEW! IF YOU'RE MATTHEW, I'M NOT GOING TO OWE YOU ANOTHER FAVOR SO DON'T BOTHER SAVING ME!"
Priscilla sweatdropped. "Guy... this small space can't have too much volume... it hurts my ears..."
"Oh, sorry," Guy apologized. He leaned against the door, waiting. "So I guess this means we do have to wait... stupid Sain... stupid Matthew..."
Priscilla sighed again. She practiced the proper wrist movement to conjure a flame, and kept an eye on the knob in case anybody did come to save them.
After only a matter of seconds, an odd clicking sound was heard, and Guy jumped off the door. Just in time, too, because the door swung open. A mercenary and a myrmidon were behind the door, smiling.
"Need a little help there?" the myrmidon asked. Guy blinked.
"Uh... thanks for letting us out." He began to step out of the closet, but the myrmidon jumped forward and made a chopping motion. Guy saw it coming, and reached to block the myrmidon's hand with his sword, before he remembered that he was unarmed. He didn't have enough time to stated his frustration, however, as the myrmidon's palm hit him into the wall. He slid down the wall, smearing blood all over the silk artwork tacked to it.
Priscilla had gotten out at this point, and gasped. "Oh no..."
The mercenary smiled. "You're next, doll face."
Priscilla jumped to her feet and ran. The mercenary chased her, the smile still on his face. The myrmidon was picking up Guy and slinging him over his shoulder, careful not to get blood on himself. The red haired healer was tiring out fast; she was used to riding on a horse, not running like this. Finally, she tripped on a rug that was inconveniently placed, and fell down hard. The fall nearly knocked the wind out of her lungs, and she tried to spring back up on her feet. She wasn't quick enough, however, as the mercenary reached her before she could make it up.
"Sorry, doll face. Mistress's orders." He held up a fist and knocked lightly, but forcefully, on her head, sending her out. Then he picked her up and turned to his myrmidon friend. "Let's go. Where were we meeting the others again?"
"At the bridge, of course. That's where Rade was going to write the little letter to poor Lady Lyndis to tell her about the news." The myrmidon replied. "I think we'd make it; I'm just hoping my buddy here won't bleed to death on the way."
"Ah, he's tough, he'll make it. Let's go."
The two jumped out the window, landing softly and soundlessly on the grass below, and ran quickly out of sight, leaving the room in a huge mess.
---------------------------------------
Okay. That's it. (Phew!) This is one of my fastest and longest updates, but I had an inspiration attack. (Sweatdrops) That was fun to write; too bad I couldn't think of a name for the myrmidon and mercenary. I'll do that later. (Sweatdrops again)
(Kicks Renault)
Like I said, there's a lot of time turning. The Wil-napping actually happened before the Heath-napping and Legault-napping, and poor Rath is still fuming. Aww... (The bigger question is, how did Rath find his way there to begin with? One of the plot holes I'll fill out later... I'm amazingly good at filling out plot holes...)
(Kicks Renault)
Yes! I updated! So now Amethyst Bubble has to post the next chapter for her story! And I cannot wait until I get to read it...
(Kicks Renault)
And before you ask, there is a reason why Priscilla was abducted, other than convenience's sake. The baddies didn't pick her out, no, but... I'll tell you later. (Winks)
(Kicks Renault)
Corrections are appreciated, flames are welcomed, compliments are loved, pennames for the 'Kick Renault' page and reviews will help me write, and another chapter in 'The Troubles of Matchmaking' will help me post. (Although the chapter might appear before I finish writing the next chapter... oh well.)
(Kicks Renault)