--Legend of the Twin Swords--
By: Kratos the Judgment
Chapter 3: Parting Ways
After hearing the shocking news of these children's mission, I found myself
inexplicably drawn to their plight. Slowly I teased out of the eldest the events that
had led them from their ruined village to the plains where we met, on the border
of Sacae and Lycia. As it happens, they had been trailing the band which
attacked them for several days, waiting for the right time to strike, but yesterday,
they slept too late and failed to catch their targets when they moved out in the
morning. So they set off in the direction they thought right and came across a
scouting party that had apparently broken off from the main group, and with it,
me.
Most intriguing about their tale is the man with the shadow sword. It is not the
first such instance of a sword bound to one owner that I have ever heard of. In
fact, my good friend Lyndis came across two such swords. First, the Mani Katti,
a sacred sword which chose her as it's owner, and second, the Sol Katti, the
Mani Katti's "older sibling", as swords go. This man was probably a fearsome
warrior indeed. I couldn't let these kids face him alone.
"Look," I said to Ernst, "I can't let you three do this, you'll die for sure."
The three faced me as I spoke my piece. "So what are we supposed to do?"
Ernst spat out.
"Yea," Rayne said. "This is what we have to do. We can't go on without
avenging our parents!" She gave me a look that suggested I was something vile
she'd like to squash under her boot. Ralts just nodded in agreement.
"Listen to me. I've been around war long enough to know that the three of you
don't stand a chance against a force such as the one you just described. It's just
not possible!"
It was Ralts' turn to chime in. "There's no other way! Why can't you see that?
We have to do this. Live or die, we have to see this through!"
Why don't kids these days have any common sense? "Come on you three, don't
you see that this path won't bring anyone happiness? The last thing your parents
would have wanted would be for you three to die in some stupid battle you could
never hope to win."
The stares I received intensified and then broke off altogether. My three
acquaintances spun on their heels and walked off, presumably heading for the
man who had devastated their lives, his small army, and their own funerals.
At first, I let them go. I moved off from the battlefield and the dead bandits, and
had a bite to eat from my supply of rations. The whole time though, the faces of
those three children would not leave my mind. They were going to get
themselves killed. I just couldn't let that happen. Damn, I thought, as I quickly
threw my things back in their bag and ran off in the direction the kids had gone.
Why did they have to be so stubborn?
I'm sorry Lyn. It looks like our meeting is going to be a little delayed.
Reviewers will be welcomed – flamers will be spammed.
Kratos