Author's Corner:
Well, Lyn's Tale is just about completed, and finally I can move on to the actual 'meat' of the story. I considered Lyn's portion of the story more like an extended prologue, and as such, didn't dedicate as much time towards actual combat. However, when Hector/Eliwood's respective parts begin, I'll be proportioning more and more towards brawny armies slugging at each other (just kidding). ;
Once again, I humbly thank all who reviewed. Sometimes, it is hard for a review to imagine how good it feels for a writer to read what other people think of his or her writing. (But it does help; review to save the sanity of writers!)
DotDotDotMan – Concerning the armor that Drake has with him, there are probably very few people in Lycia who actually know the significance of the sigil. It serves more as a preview of what is to come. And concerning Hector's existence, I know he is there in the game, but there wasn't a suitable way I could introduce him properly. I was testing the waters in the manner of introducing Eliwood, and wasn't sure how I would write about Hector. You'll see him later anyways.
Lao Who Mai – I have toyed with the idea of a Tactician/Lyn pairing in the past, and I'm not sure (though it's highly doubtful) whether to input such a pairing in this fiction. Considering Drake's resume, I believe Lyn would be more likely to split him in two than fall in love. Then again, who knows?
Paladin2007 – I will probably tweak the storyline in Hector/Eliwood's parts as well. For those of you who have played Fire Emblem: The Sealed Sword (FE6), you'll probably recognize a few elements from there as well.
Hammer of Terrascars – Chapter 6
Throne of Caelin
April 10th, a week after we picked up Nils and Ninian,
We have progressed with fair speed along the path to Caelin, given that we have marched nearly unchallenged since the Kathelet skirmish. What puzzles me is the lack of action on Lundgren's part. What could he be thinking? As time passes on and we inch closer and closer to our goal, Lundgren has failed to send any sort of sortie against us. Two explanations are possible, one being he is absolutely unable to counter us, or second, that he is baiting us into a trap. Naturally, the latter is considerably more probable than the former. However, according to Kent, one probable military obstacle will bar our path: General Eagler and his seasoned Caelin veterans. There is another possibility that I've not breached, but that will be left to Eliwood in Kathelet.
"We're a days march from General Eagler's estate, milady," Kent reported.
"Are we on schedule?" Lyn inquired.
"Yes, milady," Sain replied, "General Eagler is located a mere two days march from Caelin itself. If the general understands our situation, we'll be at Caelin in no time."
"And then, Lundgren!" Wil exclaimed.
Florina was hiding behind Lyn as usual, but she flashed an encouraging smile at Lyn. Feeling somewhat optimistic at her friends' encouraging words, Lyn smiled herself, but that quickly vanished when she heard the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. The mirth dispelled by possible danger, the group armed themselves and prepared to face whoever was coming. The figure that popped around the dense forestry was none other than Matthew. Sighing with audible relief, the mercenaries turned back to what they were doing. Ninian and Nils, exhausted after their many months on the run, were asleep under the watchful eyes of Dorcas and Rath.
"Matthew, you almost scared us half to death!" Serra squealed.
"As if you didn't already freak us to death," Erk muttered.
"What was that?"
"N-nothing," he stammered.
Serra glared at Erk, evidently not believing his words, but decided to let the matter slide. Lyn covered her grin as she found herself looking for her tactician. He has certainly been oddly quiet, Lyn thought as her eyes found him; I wonder what's on his mind, and what was that mysterious bundle he had handed to Eliwood. When Lyndis' Legion, as Wil had called the ragged band of mercenaries, had left Kathelet, Drake had spoke with Eliwood alone for several minutes before leaving a wrapped parcel with some sort of note attached. Recalling Eliwood's shocked expression, Lyn could barely hold back her rising curiosity regarding Drake's actions.
Taking a few deep breaths, Matthew began, "I'm afraid that this is not the time to be sitting here idly."
Catching the warning tone in Matthew's voice, Lyn turned, "What is it?"
"I have just finished fishing for rumors at the neighboring villages," Matthew said, "And I have uncovered some rather interesting news. Apparently, an imposter styling herself the heir of Caelin have joined with two rogue knights and are seeking to overthrow the stability within Caelin."
Kent was mystified, "What? We would've known about… Oh, no…"
"You got it," Matthew said grimly, "Lundgren has proclaimed Lady Lyndis as an imposter and is seeking to undermine her claim. Apparently, Lundgren isn't too popular with the common folk, so they aren't as much under his sway."
"So what's the problem?" Sain asked.
"The problem," Matthew explained, "Is that Lundgren has managed to persuade the military elements within Caelin. Furthermore, he has called upon the aid of neighboring Lycian states Laus, Tuscana, Santaruz, Tania, and Kathelet to come rid Caelin of this imposter."
Stunned silence greeted Matthew's words. Everyone here knew that their cause was finished if they had to deal with the armies of neighboring states as well as Caelin's military. There would be no way for Lyn to reach Caelin alive, everyone thought as approaching hooves broke the spell of silence.
Drake spoke for the first time, as if expecting the new arrival, "Greetings, Lord Eliwood of Pherae."
That obtained everyone's attention, as the group turned as one to look at Eliwood. He had evidently ridden many miles to catch up with Lyn's forces, his horse beaded with sweat and several droplets hanging from his brow. Cracking a smile at Drake, Eliwood approached the tactician.
"I wish that you will one day come in service of Pherae, Drake," Eliwood said, "Your foresight in military matters is simply incredible."
Confusion playing on her face, Lyn asked what was on everyone's minds, "What are the two of you talking about?"
"Simply this," Eliwood grinned, "Laus, Tuscana, Santaruz, Tania, and Kathelet will not come to the aid of Caelin in regards to this inheritance dispute."
If Matthew's words had stunned the group into silence, Eliwood's words held them spellbound. For a long five seconds, everyone, barring Drake, Eliwood, and the sleeping siblings, could only gape in surprise. Lyn was the first to recover her wits.
"This certainly is a pleasant surprise. Eliwood," Lyn said with a smile, "I don't know how to thank you."
Eliwood laughed, "Don't thank me, Drake deserves the thanks. I wouldn't have made it in time had he not told me in advance."
Lyn blinked, "You don't mean, that parcel in Kathelet…"
"Explained everything that would happen today," Eliwood finished.
"In the event that Lyn had passed into Caelin's territory unharmed," Drake recited from memory, "Lundgren will inevitably call upon the aid of Caelin's neighbors Laus, Tuscana, Santaruz, Tania, and Kathelet. Of these five provinces, Kathelet is the only one with almost no militia to call upon, eliminating any threat from there. Araphen, who although does not favor Lyn, will evidently recall its respect of the late Lady Madelyn, and will hold its neighbors Tuscana and Tania from aiding Caelin. Santaruz, with its long-standing friendship with Pherae, will not move if Lord Eliwood voices his support for Lyn. Finally, Laus can be placated by Lycian Covenant."
"Lycian Covenant?"
"It is the founding principle of the Lycian Council," Eliwood explained, "When the Council was first established with Ostia as its head, the various nobles agreed upon a set of rules to prevent total chaos. One of them was instituted to prevent nosy states from interfering with the private affairs of other nobles. Caelin's inheritance dispute falls under this category."
"Incredible," Lyn said, her voice filled with awe, "That leaves us with only Caelin to deal with."
"Exactly," Eliwood said, "Unfortunately, the Covenant's decree also disallows me from aiding you any further. I will, however, pray for your success as a friend."
"A thousand blessings upon you for your aid," Lyn replied.
Eliwood smiled briefly before mounting his horse, "I'll be Kathelet honing my skills with a friend before departing for Pherae. Good luck and god speed on your quest."
Moments after Eliwood left, a thick morning fog blanketed the valley surrounding Lyn and her companions. Possibly buffeted by the tidal winds, a dense fog usually shrouded the midmornings of the areas north of Badon, and Caelin was no exception. The thick white layer shrouded their immediate surroundings, and even Matthew could scarcely see a dozen feet ahead of him.
Drake fidgeted slightly as he gazed into the areas around him. A lack of reconnaissance was a tactician's nightmare, since one could never tell when hostile forces will charge out of the gloom into their midst. Ominously, somewhere ahead of them, a strange clanking sound could be heard. The noise faded as whoever was moving around abruptly stopped as something was lit a few dozen yards ahead of them.
"Hey Drake, what's the problem?" Sain called out.
"Silence fool!" Drake hissed, "Everyone speak only in whispers!"
The damage was already done, as the mysterious clanking started again. Suddenly, Ninian and Nils both stopped and yelled towards Lyn.
"Milady! Don't move!"
Scarcely had the words left their lips when three gigantic arrow bolts thudded into the ground around Lyn. Unable to ascertain where the shots came from, pandemonium reigned unchecked until Drake asserted control.
"Into the trees," Drake barked, "On the double!"
As Lyn and her friends hurried beneath the relative safety of the forests, several more bolts shattered the earth in the clearing where they once stood. Had they not moved into cover, one of those could have been potentially fatal.
"What, what were those?" Serra whispered.
"Ballista…" Sain whispered back, "Long range siege weapon."
"To deploy these," Kent mused, "Lundgren must be getting desperate."
"But how do they have such accuracy?" Rath asked, "Even I have difficulty seeing in this weather, but these long range weapons nearly pinpointed our location."
Kent and Sain shrugged, signaling their confusion as well. Drake signed before mumbling about rudimentary combat tactics.
"Ballistics, or any long range weaponry are never aimed by the actual archer firing the weapon," Drake explained to the huddled group around him, "Instead, the attack is a fusion of three well trained practitioners. They are the archer, the spotter, and the flag master. The archer, needless to say, manipulates the weapon, changing the angle at which the weapon is fired. The spotter pinpoints the location of the enemy and relays this information to the flag master. The flag master in turn relays the location to the ballista crew(s), however many there are. The crews, upon learning of the location, volley at the same time in the general area the spotter pinpointed."
"We're in a dense fog," Sain pointed out, "How can the flag master see the spotter's location?"
"You nincompoop," Drake said, "Spotter's use torches! The flag master, probably situated above on one of these mountains, commands the view of the entire valley surrounding us all the way to General Eagler's estate. The spotter usually situated quite close to the enemy, lights a flare and shows approximately where the enemy is located. Seeing the signal, the flag master relays the information with a complicated pattern of different colored flags. After that is done, ballista fires, arrow flies, enemy dies."
"So how do we get rid of the ballista crews?" Matthew asked.
"We don't remove the crews, we go after the spotter instead."
"But how do we find…" Matthew's eyes brightened, "I get it, the spotter is relatively close to us. Once we find him, there's no need to worry about the ballista any more!"
Rath grunted, "There's no need to search for the spotter."
"And why is that?"
"Because he is literally on our doorstep," Drake said mysteriously, "Right, yonder knight behind the tree?"
At those words, a low chuckle rang throughout the forest around them. Sure enough, a heavily armored knight bearing a mighty lance stepped out of the shadows.
"That is the first time some youth wet behind the ears located me," the knight rumbled, "How did you find me?"
"The flare," Rath said before Drake could respond, "The flare gave away your approximate location, then all a seasoned tracker needed to do was gauge your location based on the excessive clanking of your heavy armor."
"What he said," Drake said, pointing at Rath.
"Well done," the knight growled while unhinging his helmet and showing his face to Lyn's war party.
At the sight of his face, Sain and Kent bolted upright, a nervous expression searing their face. The knight was a bald, aging soldier, with a chiseled expression akin to a stone statue. Neither Lyn nor Drake saw anything out of ordinary with the knight, so they both looked at Sain or Kent for an explanation.
"G-General Wallace," Sain stammered. And when was the last time we saw Sain lose his composure? Lyn thought to herself.
"I thought you had retired from the military," Kent blurted out. And when was the last time we saw Kent speaking so rapidly? Drake thought before looking at Lyn. This is no ordinary Caelin knight we're dealing with here, they both thought in unison.
"Indeed I was," Wallace replied gruffly, "My retirement was curtailed when Lundgren ordered me to apprehend an imposter and a pair of rogue knights. I believe the description he gave fits the two of you."
"Do you believe us to be false knights?"
"Bring the girl before me," Wallace said, without regard for Kent's inquiry.
"And what would you do with her?" Sain said as he put a hand to his sword.
"Hmph," Wallace growled with a predatory smile, "Do you seek to stop me? I can thrash the both of you with one hand tied behind my back."
"Enough," Lyn interrupted, putting a hand on Sain's shoulder, "I am Lyndis, what do you want from me?"
Wallace was about to speak, then stopped and did a double take, "Such resemblance…"
"Excuse me?"
"You are indeed the spitting image of Lady Madelyn in her youth, albeit with a passionate flame worn outside rather than within like your mother. That I attribute to your father and your upbringing," Wallace was mumbling, apparently not noticing that he was doing so out loud.
Lyn flinched before putting a hand to her sword. Ever since the Araphen meeting, she had become extremely defensive around people who defamed her heritage. Wallace's next words, however, came as an unexpected surprise.
"Ha, I like you, girl!" Wallace announced, "I will actually join your band of mercenaries."
Lyn blinked, "Err… What?"
"I pledged my life's service to House Caelin," Wallace growled, "And I would never see a usurper on the throne. What are my orders? Let's move out!"
"In that case," Drake said calmly, "Come with me, I'd like to ask you a few questions about Eagler's defenses."
As Drake and Wallace trudged off going over military tactics, Sain whistled, "Old Wallace is as dependable as ever."
"That he is," Kent said.
After a brief conversation with Wallace, Drake sent Wallace off with his orders before returning to Lyn.
"What have you learned, Drake?" Lyn asked.
"Eagler will not be a pushover like the others we have faced," Drake answered, looking into the fog, "However, we may be able to exploit a few small advantages."
"Such as?"
"Overconfidence and military efficiency," Drake continued, "The former a well known fault, the latter a blessing in disguise. Eagler was too arrogant in thinking that his ballista force would be competent enough to wipe us out. Nevertheless, he still commands considerable forces at his estate. Fortunately for us, we are already equipped to remove them with a small trick or two. Come, call to arms and prepare to sortie."
"That's something you haven't said before," Lyn said.
"In Etruria, that is the standard command for rallying the troops for battle," Drake explained, and then paused when he noticed Lyn's hesitation, "Do you trust me in battle?"
There was no hesitation this time, "With my life."
"Then let's go," Drake said, inwardly cringing as he moved into the fog. You may trust me explicitly, Lyn, but what have I ever done to warrant such trust?
After scattering the pickets Eagler had set around his domain, Lyn and her companions advanced steadily towards Eagler's estate itself. Mystified at the lack of resistance, Lyn caught up with Drake bursting with questions.
"Uh, Drake?"
"You're going to ask me why we haven't met any foes." That was not a question, but a statement of fact.
Lyn gazed at him, "And how did you know I was going to ask that?"
"Because Erk just asked me that several minutes ago," Drake smirked.
Lyn laughed lightly, "And the answer is?"
"Eagler isn't expecting us to charge his headquarters," Drake explained, "I had toyed with this possibility in my mind, and Wallace's words confirmed it. His plan was to use the ballista to wipe us out, and, in the event we discovered the ballista, heavily fortify the ballista platforms with troops to finish us off. What he didn't calculate is the possibility that we'd ignore the ballista and charge directly for his lair. Hence why we only had to deal with his perimeter guards. The real fighting will start soon."
"Overconfident, eh?"
"Indeed, the first fault that yielded us the advantage, the second fault will grant us victory."
"Look there!" Matthew called out.
Out of the fog loomed a sprawling chateau, complete with wooden walls surrounding the stone embankment. Inside, an alarm bell could be heard clanging, signaling the guards to meet Lyn's party. Bursting from the gates were nearly half a dozen cavaliers and a full squad of spearmen. Filing out behind this regiment were several archers, led by a mounted commander that could be none other than Eagler himself. Lyn looked slightly unsettled at their opponent's numbers.
"How can we hold back their charge?" She asked Drake.
Drake made no reply, but pointed at the opposing force and barking out a few orders. Around him, Kent, Sain, Dorcas, Florina, and Matthew rallied into a rough battle line with Serra, Erk, Rath, Lucius, and Wil tucked behind them. Nonetheless, it was clear that when Eagler's forces attacked, sheer numbers would overwhelm Lyn and her friends. Drake could almost see the smug look of glee upon Eagler's face.
With a howl, Eagler drove his men forward. The classic battle formations popular throughout Elibe ordained that the cavaliers would charge first, disrupting the enemy formations and inflicting first blood. After their charge had been blunted, the infantry would follow up and finish the job if it could. Eagler, however, confident in his victory, had unleashed all his men upon his numerically inferior enemy. Himself in the lead, Eagler's force stampeded like a frenzied mob towards where Lyn was situated.
Drake's smirk darkened into a terrible smile, "Finish them, Wallace."
Abruptly, a torch was applied to the ground, where a cleverly hidden chain of other torches was placed. Lighting from one end to another, the flares formed a little line that split the field of battle. Laughing at the pathetic wall of flame that rose no higher than their knees, Eagler's men rushed forward without a second thought.
Eagler, on the other hand, realized the danger just as he stepped over flaming line, "Damn it! Back you fools!"
Faster than his words, a hail of ballista bolts rained down upon his unsuspecting regiment, decimating their numbers. Caught unawares, man and beast alike were speared to the earth by the falling spears. Several of the wounded, pierced by the gigantic weapons but not embracing death yet, screamed for mercy. Eagler himself was unhorsed as an ill-placed bolt slew his horse in mid stride. Tumbling to the damp earth, surrounded by his dead and dying men, he struggled to his feet.
"You have crossed the line of fire," a voice intoned, "And you of all people should've known that your well-trained ballista forces know to empty their payloads under the red flag."
The line of fire, commonly called the line of death, was a well-known tactic throughout Elibe. When a spotter drew a flaming line upon the ground, the flag master used a special flag to signal the ballista crews: the red flag of death. Eagler, in his haste, had not expected his spotter to place such a line beneath his forces.
"W-Wallace?" Eagler gasped, "B-but why?"
"You have betrayed Caelin," came the cold reply, "You know that Lundgren is not the heir, as do I. I have chosen to follow the true heir of Caelin. You who support the usurper must die as a traitor to his land."
Eagler seemed stunned for a moment, his eyes vacant, "You are right, I am a dishonorable knight. Even with my family held hostage by Lundgren, I should've fulfilled my duty to House Caelin. In my weakness, I failed the marquis."
Drawing his own sword from the sheath, Eagler smote himself in the neck, allowing his blood to flow freely, "P-pun… P-punishment for traitors is death! Go Wallace! S-save the marquis! H-he… He, knows not… Of the… P-poi… S-son…"
Wallace stood over the fallen body of his one-time comrade. Kneeling heavily, he closed Eagler's eyes before leaving to rejoin Lyn's group.
Two Days Later…
"We have made a record time arriving at Caelin," Drake observed.
"I just hope everyone is not too tired to do battle," Lyn worried.
"Rest easy on that point, we're fit for battle!" Serra said cheerily.
Erk was muttering again, "Of course you are. Whenever you were tired, either Matthew or myself 'volunteered' to haul you around."
"What was that, Erky?"
"Evidently morale has not decreased in the slightest," Drake commented dryly as he watched Serra verbally sparring with Erk, "We'll be needing that for the upcoming battle."
"I knew Lundgren wasn't popular with the common people," Sain said, "But I didn't expect the popular support for Lady Lyndis to be so overwhelming."
"A matter of fresh blood rejuvenating an aging line," Wallace said gruffly.
"A-anyways," Kent hurriedly interrupted, "At least Lundgren won't be getting any reinforcements from the militia. He'll only be fielding his trusted corps that won't abandon him in a pitched battle."
"Or the ones that are in too far to extract themselves," Wallace grunted, "In my opinion, Lundgren himself won't take the field, his lieutenant Yogi will instead. Competent, but not brilliant, that Yogi is. Are you sure you won't be needing my strength out there, Drake?"
"We'll manage," came the answer, "You, Wallace, have the much more important duty."
"May Father Sky watch over us today," Lyn said, "I will see my grandfather today, after removing that snake Lundgren!"
"Nils, call to arms," Drake instructed, "Prepare to sortie." Nils scampered off to gather Lyndis' Legion for battle as dark clouds rolled overhead, sending the first droplets of a heavy downpour to earth.
Castle Caelin was situated high atop a hill with overlooking the surrounding countryside. Unlike the fortress outside of Kathelet, Castle Caelin was well maintained and boasted of a history dating back to the signing of the Lycian Covenant. For generations, its mighty walls and stalwart guards have protected House Caelin and various reigning marquises. Unfortunately, this would not be the first time the castle provided shelter for a traitor, but gods willing, this will be the last.
Lundgren was standing before the gates of Castle Caelin itself, hoping to catch a glimpse of the conflict that would erupt on the grounds below him through the rain. The battlefield, dotted with patches of forestry that encompassed nearly a quarter of the area, was once a popular jousting area for knights eager to impress their lovely ladies. Today, knights would be jousting for the throne of Caelin itself. His captain, Yogi, had left moments before to marshal the troops for battle.
Lundgren cursed at the miserable peasants who refused to provide any additional aid to his righteous cause. They thought they'd be better off when that Sacaen whelp leads them, he thought, I shall crush them under my heel after I emerge victorious. Deprived of any reinforcements, his seasoned guard held a scant numerical advantage over the upstart's forces. However, given that several of the Sacaen's forces were noncombatants or ranged units, his forces would have the decisive advantage in a melee confrontation. In the gathering darkness of the falling rain, he squinted at something approaching him along the path to the castle. Surely the battle wasn't over already?
Down on the battlefield, Yogi cackled with glee despite the pouring rain soaking his command. Remembering the powerful lance of Wallace, Yogi had dreaded facing the famed knight in battle. On the field, Wallace's tall form was nowhere to be seen, and the enemy had foolishly exposed his weaker noncombatants on the frontline! The enemy cavalry composed of two cavaliers, a nomad, and a pegasus knight, situated to the far left of the single line formation in front of a patch of trees. On the right, several idiotic mages or clerics were standing directly in harm's way! His own force of a dozen mounted cavaliers and a few knights on foot would easily trounce the enemy.
"This will be short and sweet," he called out to his cavalry captain, "You there, take the cavaliers and slaughter those fools on the right. I'll crush the cavalry before the forests. That miserable fool, our cavaliers run more swiftly on open land, while his will be incapacitated in the forests. Ha ha ha!"
Yogi's forces situated themselves accordingly and advanced towards where the enemy had stationed his force. Suddenly realizing his costly blunder, the enemy commander started pulling his forces back in an attempt to reform the line. Yogi crowed as the enemy cavalry entered the forest and their mages retreated along the plains.
"Idiots," he said, "Tell the cavalry to charge at full speed!"
Applying spurs to their horses, the Caelin cavaliers peeled away from Yogi and his knights, intent on reaching the enemy. The sound of pounding hooves swiftly faded away as Yogi and his knights plunged into the forests, only to find the forestry deserted.
"This can't be right," one of the knights said, "Where are their cavalry? Aren't they supposed to slow down going through forests?"
At that moment, Yogi glanced down and uttered a cry of horror. On the ground, a clear hoof print was still visible, but it was on dry ground!
"By the gods!" Yogi shrieked, "It's a trap! The forest ground wouldn't be as soaked as the plains because of the overhanging trees, giving their mounted warriors the edge in movement! Our cavaliers are sloshing through the open mud in the clearing on our right, outdistancing us, but they will be caught by two forces!"
"Two forces?"
"You idiot!" Yogi screamed, "The enemy cavalry won't be fighting us! They ran into the forests to outflank our cavalry pursuing their infantry! By the time we trudge through these forests, our cavalry will be…!"
The screams of men and horses interrupted Yogi's rant. Yogi and his men paled before stumbling out of the forests to try and catch their cavalry.
And catch them they did, or at least what remained of their dozen cavaliers. As Yogi had realized after the trap had sprung, the two forces that stood before Yogi and his three knights had ambushed Caelin's cavaliers. The enemy cavalry had emerged earlier from the forest and caught Yogi's cavaliers in a pincer-like movement. The spell casters and archers, however, were hidden behind a tall ax man and a sword-wielding thief. It was then Yogi realized the second part of this painful trap.
"The line of noncombatants was only a disguise to hide the fighters behind them," he gasped, "You baited us into thinking it was a mistake and led the cavaliers into an ambush!"
"Very perceptive," a young man standing next to the thief congratulated, "A pity you didn't comprehend this little ruse before the battle commenced."
"A splendid little gambit, Drake," one of the cavaliers called out.
"Quiet, Sain," the man known as Drake warned, "The battle isn't over yet."
"It will be over once these knights are removed," the other cavalier said.
Yogi was well aware that he was the one hopelessly outnumbered now.
Meanwhile, in front of Castle Caelin, another man was outnumbered as he stared at his foes. Lundgren could only glare in rage at the mysterious knight and youthful girl that stood before him. How can this be? They couldn't have defeated my forces that swiftly!
"I'm assuming you are Lyndis, correct?" Lundgren spat out harshly.
"I am," Lyn replied, "And you are Lundgren."
"That is Marquis Lundgren to you, whelp!"
Lyn stiffened, "Grandfather, he didn't…"
"He's not dead yet," Lundgren smirked, "But he'll be soon. House Caelin has no need for a Sacaen barbarian, I am more than capable of becoming the next marquis!"
"Wretched fiend," Lyn growled, "You have harmed my grandfather and this land enough already! Prepare to die!"
"You stand no chance against me," Lundgren roared, "It is you who will die here instead, and with it, your cursed blood."
"She will not die here," the knight beside Lyn said, "At least, not alone."
"What? Wallace?"
"Indeed it is I," Wallace said, lifting his visor and glaring at Lundgren, "I serve House Caelin and its rightful marquis, not an usurper like you!"
Lundgren screamed in rage before arming himself with a lance in one hand and an ax in the other. Lyn drew the Mani Katti before charging Lundgren while Wallace hefted a mighty lance and attacked from the other side.
Lundgren was well aware of Wallace's famed skill and naturally paid him more heed than Lyn. After all, he reasoned that Lyn's pathetic little sword would do little more than dent his armor, but Wallace's ponderous strength could do him serious damage. As such, Lundgren wielded both ax and lance, clashing furiously with Wallace. A vicious close quarters battle ensued, with Lundgren having the upper hand. In close situations, lances were unwieldy and useless, but Lundgren's ax could still do fatal damage despite Wallace's sable armor. Raising his ax, he aimed a furious downward blow at Wallace's head.
An endless spray of red colored the ground.
Lundgren smiled in victory, but frowned when he felt a dull pain in the back. It was then he noticed that Wallace had held his ax arm inches away from its target, so he had failed to actually cleave Wallace in two! Then, the blood was from…
"Never turn your back upon me, snake!" Lyn hissed from behind him.
Any other blade may have failed to penetrate the powerful armor Lundgren wore, but there was no sword under the sun that could match the Mani Katti save for the Divine Weapons wielded by the Eight Heroes during the Scouring. Shearing clean through the armor on Lundgren's back, the Mani Katti had unerringly delivered Lundgren's deathblow.
"C-Caelin," Lundgren gasped out as he fell over with a crash, "I-is, rightfully… M-mine…"
Lyn only wasted enough time to draw out the Mani Katti before tearing into Castle Caelin searching for her beloved grandfather. Wallace stayed behind to make sure Lundgren was sufficiently dead, and was interrupted by footsteps behind him. Whirling around with lance at rest, he relaxed when he recognized Drake.
"I see from this great hulk of a corpse that Lyn was victorious," Drake said with a smile.
"And I see from you standing here that Lundgren's forces are no more," Wallace said with satisfaction.
"Indeed," Drake replied, "Our victory was complete, though everyone is recuperating and getting some well deserved rest. They'll meet up with Lyn in a few candle marks."
"Hmph," Wallace grunted, "The young these days have no endurance. Why, when I was your age, I could've fought a battle like that and still be fit as a flea," he paused for a moment, then fixed Drake with a cunning look, "You can't fool this old hound, Drake. You took great pains in changing the word 'our' to 'they.' Does this mean you are taking off?"
"I believe I am," Drake said softly, before gazing beyond Wallace at Castle Caelin, "Lyn does not need me any more, and my travels continue."
"There now," Wallace chided, "You should at least give her a proper farewell, or do I have to drag you before her?"
"Please tell her goodbye for me. Because I, of all people," Drake said sadly while drawing forth a gauntlet with a certain sigil engraved upon it, "Have no right to stand before her."
Whatever words Wallace had to say died in his throat as he recognized the gauntlet Drake held in his hand. Recovering, he said, "So you are one of them, I thought you had an uncanny sense of military strategy and knowledge…"
"Aye," Drake replied ruefully, "You are probably one of the only ones in this mercenary company that truly understands the meaning of this gauntlet. And now you understand why I shouldn't be here."
"I thought that war host was wiped out?"
"One survived," Drake said ominously, "And that survivor stands before you now. Yet this survivor shall fade into the darkness, where he belongs, eternally damned."
As Drake trudged down the paths away from Castle Caelin, Wallace called out, "Should I call you Drake, or the other one?"
Drake paused for a moment before looking back with a sad smile, "I buried that other name the day I buried the Terrascars…"
Wallace had no other words for the young man that grew smaller and smaller in the distance.
And so ends Lyn's Tale, albeit with many, many changes and my little input here and there. I blended Eagler's battle and Lundgren's battle into one chapter because they simply didn't have enough content to justify two separate chapters. I hope you forgive me for the liberties I have taken with this fanfic so far, because this one isn't over yet! I'll be starting Hector/Eliwood's respective stories in the next chapter. I won't say read and review, because you've evidently already read to this point, so review if you can spare the time!