Author's Corner:
Yes, for the record, I am still alive. (I think, but that's assuming my impatient readers don't slay me for the lack of updates…)
Well, I suppose this chapter could only be described with one word: DELAYED!
MisSkLutzZz – Update's here. (lol)
Phantom Kensai – Well, certain morphs that you fight (in the last chapters) are characters that you've previously 'slain.' For example, you either slay Linus or Lloyd at the Shrine of Seals, but no one comes to take their quintessence. Nevertheless, you still fight their morphs before the final showdown with Nergal. And yes, good catch on the month long space.
Reis Nailo – Hm… Not sure if I'll introduce the other Generals of Etruria, since I'll probably save them for a potential future fiction. As for Karel, you'll soon see… I have some plans for that maniac. (grins evilly)
Shadow Rave – Yeah, Drake (Mark) must live for the story to continue, since this is about him after all.
Lao Who Mai – It freaks me out even more since I'm the one who wrote it. And yes, Lyn will find out (someday).
Paladin2007 – Trust is difficult to replace once it has been lost, but I'll settle for absolute necessity. Something along the lines of, "Damn, we need Mark or we're screwed."
Fairystar – He is a person pretty much doomed for tragedy. (I think…)
Ghost140 – Thanks for the review!
Phoenixfire1389 – Raven is a split decision, since Priscilla was threatened only if Raven told the story behind the mask. However, that threat is null and void since the truth came out anyways. And yes, Cecilia is the future Mage General of FE6.
Dude – Thanks!
DotDotDotMan – Argh, updating now… (lol)
Dairokkan – Wow, I'm flattered, but I know there are far too many authors on this website whose skills surpass mine.
Hammer of Terrascars – Chapter 18
Divergent Destinies
June 22nd, before Castle Bern,
As a military strategist and a disciple of someone who always took advantage of a mistake, the first thing I noticed about Castle Bern was its incredible incompetence. Yes, I am accusing the strongest military force in all Elibe of militant incompetence bordering on ignorance. During our treks through Lycia, Mark and I have gone over various tactical theories in regards to the kingdoms of Elibe. I had pronounced Bern as the most indomitable force in Elibe back then, but he had merely laughed and told me Bern's might is naught but a façade, all bark and no bite. That was the first time I ever doubted the Mark's words, but after seeing the condition of Bern's defenses, by St. Elimine, I concede that I will never be able to reach my master's level.
"They are quite confident in their defenses, aren't they?"
Cecilia nodded, "Indeed, Lord Eliwood. I can scarcely see any sentries on duty."
"They probably don't need any," Hector grunted, "A patrol here and there would be sufficient to locate any intruders. With such a natural advantage atop a mountain, any invader would be crushed."
That is, Cecilia thought, any invader who hasn't read Mark's Manuscript of Elibe's Castles, which he refers to as How to Sack a Castle 101. I never understood why he figured out a way to simultaneously sack multiple countries across Elibe in the shortest time possible. Perchance that will come in handy in the future?
"Still, if we have to enter the castle, wouldn't we face the same difficulties as any other invader?" Lyn pointed out.
"That's true," Eliwood admitted, "Any ideas, Cecilia?"
Before Cecilia and the three lords stood the imposing mountains that led to the gates of Castle Bern. Three steep dirt roads led the ascent to the gates, with an abandoned sentry post along each path. Overhead, the skies were clear of any incoming fliers, as the most recent wyvern patrol had already performed a routine flyby less than a quarter of a candle mark ago.
"We should move up the left path," Cecilia replied, trying to recall Mark's advice from several months ago, "There will be a fork alongside the road where we can hide from any incoming guards, all the while slowly progressing upwards. Once we arrive at the gate, we make a short detour to the right. A section of the wall should be damaged, granting us easy passage into the castle itself."
The lords gaped at Cecilia, "How do you know all that?"
Cecilia blinked, "Huh?"
"I thought you've never been to Bern before?" Hector asked, "So how do you know the terrain so well?"
"My master has taught me well," Cecilia said quickly as she led the way.
"They say that the pupil is but an extension of the master," Hector said, "Lord Pent is certainly worthy of our respect."
Eliwood nodded in agreement.
Behind them, Lyn smiled slightly, And who truly deserves the title of master, Hector?
As the small group moved forward, Hector suddenly asked, "Eliwood, did you leave anyone to keep an eye on him?"
Eliwood briefly glanced at Hector, "I left Marcus to make sure he didn't go anywhere."
"Good," Hector said, "I made sure Oswin was keeping tabs on Mark as well. He won't be able to do anything reckless with those two on him."
"He wouldn't be going anywhere even without your guards," Lyn retorted, "Where can Drake go? Within the army, your retainers hound him. Outside the army, the Black Fang searches for him. In his homeland, Etruria wants his head. Where do you think he'll run off to?"
"Mark," Eliwood corrected.
"Drake," Lyn said adamantly.
"A monster is a monster wherever he goes," Hector growled, "A murderer cannot awash himself of the blood that stains his hands. He is not to be trusted."
"Trust," Lyn said bitterly, "So fragile, yet so strong. The bonds that connected you to him were severed so easily, but I will cherish mine forever."
"What makes him so important to you?" Hector asked, "Curse of Caledonia, Hammer of Terrascars, the list could go on and on, but yet you still cling to him as if he were life itself."
Perhaps I care for him, you nitwit. "You seem to forget that without this 'monster,' the two of you would never have survived Laus, nor would I be reunited with my grandfather at Caelin."
Eliwood grimaced and would've replied had not Cecilia motioned for silence. Overhead, several squadrons of wyvern riders were undergoing a routine checkup. The group hurriedly sought shelter beneath a rocky overhang, watching as the wyverns made their way south.
"Odd, that's not the normal patrol," Eliwood commented.
"Yeah, the last patrol merely swung around the castle thrice before leaving," Hector added, "Not counting that this group was three times the size of the previous one."
"They seem to be…" Cecilia said, "Moving southwards, towards the main encampment!"
"The army is scattered," Lyn said with a frown, "If they get caught in the open by a mass of wyvern knights…"
"It'd be slaughter!"
"We must push on," Cecilia said, "Our objective lies within the castle, perhaps a clue to where the Fire Emblem is."
"And the army?" Eliwood asked, "What happens to them?"
Cecilia stared at Eliwood, "They have an infinitely more capable strategist down there to guide them. Our assistance is not necessary."
"Mark?" Hector asked incredulously, "And which fool in our army would follow that madman?"
"Lyndis' Legions," Lyn replied, "And anyone else who wants to live until tomorrow."
"Mark," Raven said as he entered Merlinus' tent, "Wyverns incoming, estimated time of arrival is roughly half a candle mark."
"That long?" Mark replied, "Bern's discipline has certainly gotten lax over the years. At the onset of Desmond's reign, the rally time for the wyvern hosts of Bern was roughly half of that time. Unless…"
"What is it?"
"Never mind, anything else I need to know?"
"The army is scattered, the lords haven't returned with Cecilia yet, and we barely have enough people to hold this area," Raven rattled off, "Your orders? I can vouch that Lady Lyndis' forces and half of the mercenaries will heed your commands, but the others…"
"Sir Mark," Merlinus frowned, "Sir Marcus and Sir Oswin did ask me to keep an eye on you. I am, after all, a vassal to Lord Eliwood, but even I know that our group's survival comes first. If the army is destroyed here, the lords stand little chance of stopping Nergal's ambitions."
"The army is scattered," Mark stated, "If we attempted to rally here, the stragglers would be picked off on their way here."
"We can't make a stand at the moment!" Raven cried, "Our base camp largely consists of only casters and no melee! The spells may bring down several of the wyverns, but in a toe-to-toe contest, we'd easily lose ground."
"That would be true, if the attackers were from Bern's main army," Mark said.
"What?"
"Legault," Mark said.
The tent flap opened, "It's the Black Fang," Legault reported, "Most of the riders are Black Fang infiltrators who were recruited into the army, but have maintained their ties with the Fang."
"I fail to see how that changes the situation," Merlinus said.
"That changes everything," Mark corrected, "Instead of eradicating the entire army, their objective changes to something more feasibly defensible for us."
"…You mind explaining that without speaking in riddles?"
"You'll see," Mark said, "Merlinus, did the villagers happen to deliver the supplies we purchased recently?"
"Yes," the merchant replied, "The shipment came in this morning. Why do you ask?"
"I'll need to borrow their services for a little longer," Mark answered, "Tell them I'll reimburse them for their troubles or any potential damage to their goods."
"You're saying that as if it's a certainty."
"Of course, because I know catastrophic damages are imminent. Now listen closely…"
Vaida and her command swooped over the mountain ridges in perfect formation. Two full squadrons of wyvern knights were a fearsome force in the skies, well known for their ferocity and agility in combat. In aerial combats throughout Elibe, pegasi riders were well known to be the most disciplined and the most well rounded units, capable of handling various tasks from air-to-ground cover to scouting to pursuing routed foes. However, the wyvern knights of Bern were in a class of their own, legendary for going hand to hand with some of Elibe's hardiest knights, such as representatives from Ostia and Etruria. Widely regarded as the fiercest military division on the face of Elibe, few could withstand a wyvern knight at full throttle.
However, Vaida had a different objective in mind, one that was delegated to her not by King Desmond, but by Sonia of the Black Fang. As per her orders, Ninian and Nils were to be retrieved at all costs, any obstacles be damned. To be frank, Vaida wished for nothing more than to snap her foes' necks between the jaws of her mighty wyvern, but experience told her that wasting unnecessary time on appetizers would let the main course elude her grasp.
"Commander Vaida, look!"
Below them in the midst of the enemy camp, two teal-haired children were climbing aboard a wagon. As soon as the two entered, the wagon took off at full speed away from the encroaching wyvern squadrons. Fleeing southwards, the transporter disappeared into a small patch of forestry, materializing a few moments later on the other side.
"Running away?" Vaida snorted, "The cowards! Quick, follow that wagon! Bring me the children at all costs!"
Desperation lending speed to their wings, the wyvern knights hurtled through the air above the hostile enemy camp, trying to ignore the barrage of magical weaponry directed skywards. Unfortunately, several well-aimed spells scored heavily upon Vaida's command, as wyvern after wyvern tumbled out of the sky. Vaida cursed inwardly, vowing to return and slaughter the audacious enemy as soon as the children were secured. Chancing a glance downwards, she noticed that the campsite was being dismantled, its members struggling to pack their goods and quit the area.
"Fools," she murmured, "It does not matter where you run, you'll never outrun my vengeance. Flee for your lives and enjoy them however long you can, whelps!"
Moments later, her surviving units cornered the fleeing wagon. Surrounding the fleeing vehicle, the warriors coerced the terrified driver to surrender his cache. Anticipating a golden reward, one of the men peeked into the rear of the wagon. Eyes widening, the man let out a yelp of dismay shortly before Vaida cuffed him in the head. Turning to ascertain the reason for his exclamation, Vaida also looked inside.
The wagon was empty save for a few random baskets of vegetables.
"I trust that your sortie was a success?" Pent asked as the lords returned.
"Somewhat," Eliwood admitted, "We've uncovered several details regarding the Bern royals that may prove useful. Though…"
"We certainly wasted several long moments searching for camp," Lyn said, "We were quite shocked when we came upon an empty campsite with the ashes doused."
"We had a brief run-in with Black Fang wyvern riders," Louise answered, "Mark connived a deception to lure the foes away while our forces could regroup."
"Mark?" Eliwood looked at the tactician who remained silent, leaning against the tent flap. Mark did not turn, merely staring outside at the hustle of the camp.
"Anyways," Hector interrupted, "Our objective is the retrieval of the Fire Emblem in ten days time. I've purchased a tip from a reliable informant regarding a probable location of such an artifact."
"Where is it?" Cecilia asked.
"There are a trio of forts located along the Three Fjords," Hector said, "Long abandoned by Bern's military, the Black Fang has renovated the area into a makeshift military base. Heavily defensible, a large detachment was seen headed towards there recently. The spy also informed me that some high-ranking member made their way to the dungeons before returning."
"Bern's most priceless artifact hidden in a dungeon?" Eliwood wondered aloud.
"But what of the Black Fang wyverns?" Lyn asked, "Rath managed to follow their wounded all the way to a fortress located in the mountains."
"I highly doubt that they'd stash the Fire Emblem at a location that any random member of the Black Fang knows about," Hector scoffed.
"I agree," Cecilia said, "We should push on to the Three Fjords and ascertain the location of our quarry."
The group exited the tent, leaving Mark and Lyn alone with their thoughts. At length, Lyn glanced at her tactician before asking his opinion.
"Let the Fangs' steel trap shatter itself upon the armor of our allies," Mark said carelessly, "We have more important things to do."
June 26th, base camp near the fortresses that defend the Three Fjords,
By St. Elimine, I scarcely believe that there is a more defensible site in all of Elibe! The natural formation of the area renders any invader susceptible to assault from three directions! We are currently encamped at the fork leading to two of the three miniature castles. To our southern flank, the road leads directly into a dense patch of forestry, leaving little to no space for any cavalry maneuvering. To the west, a beaten path leads to the most formidable bastion situated at the Three Fjords. Lady Lyndis opted to stay behind and watch our backs with a token force while at the same time keeping an eye on Mark. Fortunately, to aid our cause, Lady Lyndis delegated Sir Kent and Sir Sain to assist us in the troublesome assault upon the Three Fjords.
"This will not be an easy takedown," Hector muttered.
Eliwood shook his head as they scrutinized the map, "I have to agree…"
Across the narrow bridge that led to the middle bastion, Black Fang riders could already be seen forming into a wedge of heavy horse. Southwards, Heath reported a veritable mob of warriors and pirates marshalling themselves.
"More news," Cecilia said dismally, "Rebecca just informed me that pegasi riders were seen lifting off from the northeastern camp. Their estimated time of arrival will be roughly a candle mark. From the flights headed skywards, there are roughly a dozen enemy fliers."
"And no way to approach the northeast from the ground," Hector grimaced, "Heath is only one man, he can't survive a twelve on one dogfight no matter how skilled he is."
"We cannot attack the forts one by one," Eliwood reasoned aloud, "In the event we make our move against one of them, the other two will swing around and take us in the rear."
Which would end in utter defeat, Cecilia thought, "Then we'll simply attack them all simultaneously."
Hector gave her a look that plainly said she was raving mad, while Eliwood managed to make out a barely intelligible, "What?"
"Divide and conquer," Cecilia continued, trying to ignore the incredulous looks from the two lords, "If we challenge all three bastions at the same time, we can separate the defenders into three different departments rather than dueling the combined force in one gulp." Now I just need to convince them, Cecilia noted, persevere regardless of incredulity, how the heck does Mark do this so casually?
"Do you see the him?"
"Yes, but even without the wind, it'll be a tough shot."
"Try your best, but do understand that if you fail, you'll alert all the defenders."
"Great, no pressure, right?"
"Of course not," the figure said, pointing upwards, "If you can't bring him down, then they will."
The archer turned briefly to eye the two pegasi riders lifting off and grinned impishly, "And let them take all the glory? I don't think so."
Kent's horse reared as a ballista bolt thudded into the ground not two feet before its hooves. However, not for nothing was Kent appointed Knight Commander of Caelin. Even under attack, he sustained his high reputation and kept his saddle. Sain, seeing the bolt embedded in the ground, hurriedly sounded the alarm.
"Fliers, incoming!"
"Archers stand by to repel pegasi riders," cried Pent. He had been delegated the defense of the base camp while the lords were away.
Arrows, javelins, and spells alike hurtled through the air with deadly purpose. Pegasi riders twisted and dodged, wheeling their mounts as quickly as humanly possible to dodge the killing rain. Aground, archers and fighters scrambled to avoid the returned javelins. A well-aimed spell slammed painfully into a pegasus' wing, dropping knight and mount into the welcoming jaws of the sea.
The few pegasi knights that managed to make a strafing run against the camp defenders soon found themselves in a rather unhealthy situation. The various arrow and spell flingers were snuggly hidden behind a wall of men bristling with axes. Several riders found their steeds cruelly hamstrung, spilling the knights from their saddles and into the waiting hatchets.
Though outnumbered, Cecilia had ensured that the defenders were well situated to handle the pegasi raiders. With Dorcas, Bartre, Dart, and the newly recruited Geitz buying time for Rebecca and Louise, there was little chance the enemy could penetrate long enough to cause serious harm to the unarmored archers. Assuming a wary Pent didn't fry whomever the ax men failed to annihilate.
"You missed."
"Did not! See that pointy little arrow sticking out of his thigh?"
"Did that stop him from trying to sound the alarm?"
"Err…"
"I rest my case. Thank St. Elimine I had someone else marking him as well."
"Wait a minute, you had someone else ready to cover if I screwed up? Why didn't you tell me in the first place?"
"Because I wanted to see how well you acted under pressure?"
"…So that's why you said 'no pressure,' right?"
Hector angrily plucked an arrow that penetrated his hauberk. Had the bodkin tip went half a centimeter further; the barb would've been much harder to remove. Fortunately, its force spent from the distance traveled, the enemy warrior's arrows merely pierced the armor plating. Damn, if Eliwood hadn't shouted a warning… He left that thought hanging, no need to sound more pessimistic.
Hacking through dense foliage and being wary of enemy ambushes certainly was not a good way to start the offensive. Given their terrain advantage, the Black Fang defenders would most likely know every nook and cranny of this piece of rock, while Eliwood and himself were still trying to navigate the treacherous landscape. Eliwood had barely caught a glimpse of the hidden bowman before warning his comrades. Fortunately, while the man was intent on bringing down a lordling, Guy and Matthew managed to ambush the distracted ambusher.
"Damnable," Hector growled, "Eliwood, how much farther?"
Eliwood motioned for silence before gesturing with his left hand, "Couple dozen yards, I believe. I don't think they're aware how close we are."
"So they took the bait, eh?" Hector muttered, "Then let's get that Elimine-forsaken Fire Emblem and go home."
Eliwood did not need to repeat the obvious, but his eyes clearly agreed with Hector's comment.
Guy and Erk stole along their left flank, silent as the whispering wind. Matthew and Canas crept along their right flank, swift as the darting shadows. The hapless guards were elated to find that only two foolish lords had stumbled into their midst. Throwing caution to the winds, they scrambled to their feet and hurtled themselves upon their 'defenseless' prey.
Caught by surprise, the Black Fang guards soon found themselves beset upon multiple fronts. Their brief shock and dismay was more than enough to tilt the scales of morale in favor of Eliwood and his companions. Fierce in despair, the defenders valiantly attempted to rally against their foes, but were violently scattered by the arrival of another newcomer. After all, when attacked from three different sides at once, who has the time or opportunity to look skywards?
Hurtling through the clouds, an unidentified pegasus knight bulled her way through the unsuspecting pile of ax men. Before they could recover from the lightning blow, Hector and Eliwood were already upon them. Then the slaughter began in earnest.
After the melee was over, the female pegasus knight dismounted and raked her eyes over the lords. Her gaze resting upon Hector, she grinned cheekily before speaking, "Well, wasn't that unpleasant. I believe yonder skirmish might've been considerably more difficult without my timely assistance."
Regaining command of his manners, Eliwood smiled back, "Indeed, we are grateful for your help. Yet, you don't strike me as one of the Black Fang members, so who are you?"
"My name is Farina. I'm a mercenary by trade, and I wield my spear for the highest bidder."
She has considerable skills with a lance, Hector thought, "Excellent, we could always use another flier. You're hired."
Farina raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure? Are you aware how much the services of a full-fledged pegasus knight such as myself costs?"
Hector dismissed the matter out of hand, "However much it is, I'll match the price. It's not like I'm hiring an army or anything. I'll have Merlinus bring the gold."
"Sweet!" Farina crowed in triumph and pulled out a parchment, "Well, since I'm already hired, please sign this contract here…"
Eliwood was shocked, "Uh, Hector? Shouldn't we consider this a little more…?"
"Who cares?" Hector said casually before affixing his signature on the paper, "It couldn't possibly be more than a few thousand."
"Well, if you say so…"
Canas took charge of the document after Hector finished signing. His monocle popped out of its position when he read the fine print, "Err, Lord Hector?"
"What is it?" Hector grumbled.
"Did you bother reading this?" Canas pointed at the document.
Hector shrugged, "I skimmed it, why?"
Canas gulped, "You just hired Dame Farina for thirty thousand gold."
The only sound that could be heard was the cheerful autumn wind blowing a few dry leaves away.
"WHAT?" Hector screamed while Erk and Matthew gaped.
Thirty thousand gold, Erk thought incredulously, I wouldn't make that much even if I spent ten years working as an escort!
Matthew, on the other hand, kicked himself mentally, Damn it all, why didn't I think of that before?
Farina giggled victoriously, "Well, it's not my fault that you didn't read the contract more carefully before signing it."
Eliwood covered his eyes with a hand and groaned, "I knew we should've hired an army."
"Who are the primary defenders of that group?"
"Ask the new guy, he should know."
A broad knight strode forward, "In order to decapitate the resistance, you would need to remove two people. One is a trained warrior while the other is a spell caster."
"Get in, get out, and get on with life."
"Any ideas?"
"Of course, we go knocking on the front door."
"I was hoping you wouldn't say that."
A swordsman appeared out of the shadows, "And why not charge through the middle? Anybody would revel in the glory of personal combat!"
"Anybody that was insane," one of the men muttered underneath his breath.
"I heard that."
"Don't kill him yet, please," the leader said tiredly.
"He can't kill me if he tried."
"You want to wager your life on that?" The swordsman challenged.
If the battle at the southern fortress was a cakewalk, the assault upon the northern bastion was anything but that. Anyone who has read about honorable knights engaged in the death match over the love of a fair maiden underneath a beautiful sunny day would've laughed at the irony. Instead, actual combat between knights was more of a struggle of wills rather than a duel of swords and lances. Along the narrow bridge that separated the northern bastion from the mainland, two lines of cavalry seesawed back and forth in their contest of mastery. Certainly, the knights in servitude to the Lycian lords were superior in terms of knighthood and valor, but for every Black Fang cavalier that fell, two more sprang in to fill the gap of the fallen.
Harried by the overwhelming enemy reinforcements, the Lycian knights rallied around the stalwart Oswin, who stood as steady as a mountain in the middle. Each ponderous step he took, the mighty Ostian knight led his comrades one step closer to victory. To his right, Kent and Sain jousted furiously with opposing cavaliers, unhorsing man after man with their long reaching spears. Typically, a knight's lance was roughly ten feet in length. Kent and Sain, however, prudently chose to equip themselves with a footman's 14-foot long spear, giving themselves a range advantage over their foe. To Oswin's left, Isadora, Marcus, and Lowen spurred their valiant steeds in a veritable dance of steel, their swords singing a terrible hymn of death to any fool who got in their way.
Overhead, Heath repeatedly dived into the melee, scattering enemy horsemen left and right. No matter how well trained a destrier was, no warhorse could abide the sight of a screaming wyvern charging straight at them. Whenever Hyperion plunged into the melee, the Black Fang charge would dissipate as easily as a scythe separates wheat.
At length, a Black Fang member emerged from the crowd worthy enough to challenge the united Lycian knights. Wearing a lion's helm crested with dragon's wings complete with a grotesque smirk etched upon the breaver, the burly Pascal looked every inch the nightmare his reputation deemed him. Known as the Beast for his wanton savagery of battle, the corrupted knight was dishonorably discharged from Bern's military. Scratching a living as a sell sword, he was deemed too dangerous for that task as well. However, certain higher-ranking members of the Black Fang had seen promise in his thirst for battle and sheltered him, waiting to unleash him upon a troublesome target.
"I am Pascal the Beast!" The demon roared, "Come and perish before my blade!"
Thus shouting his challenge, the man once known as Pascal urged his thunderous stallion forward. Bulling aside his allies, all he could see was a sea of red that illuminated his vision.
"Death!" Pascal hissed as he slammed his spear towards the armored knight in the middle of the line.
Though his vision was limited due to the narrow slits in his helm, even Oswin could see the berserk knight stampede towards him like a pack of hounds unleashed from hell. Yet he did not quail. Proud knight and stolid mountain of steel was Oswin of Ostia, and he blunted the powerful stab upon his battle-defaced shield. Four times the knights clashed, four times the Ostian remained standing, unbent and unbowed. It was then the tide of battle separated their duel.
Maddened by the interruption, Pascal tried to circumvent the crowd and clash again with his foe, but the densely packed wall of steel afforded little space for him to charge into. Blinded by his bloodlust, the Beast failed to notice Heath flanking him until it was too late. Before he could react, a well-timed lance blow smashed into his right shoulder. Stung by the blow, Pascal's grasp on his lance weakened. As the heavy lance fell to the bridge, Hyperion latched onto the bridle of the Beast's stallion and bodily lifted man and horse over the side of the bridge.
A few moments later, the stallion emerged swimming for shore, but of the crazed beast there was no sign. A few bubbles broke the surface of the ocean, but that was all. No mortal man had ever survived a plunge into the dark confines of water fully armored.
Seeing the ghastly death of their leader, the Black Fang cavaliers fled with all possible speed.
July 1st, after the rendezvous with Lady Lyndis at Macrene,
Our attack on the Three Fjords ended in failure. Ultimately, the Black Fang withdrew after we occupied two of the areas. Unfortunately, after a thorough search through the entire area, we were unable to recover the lost Fire Emblem. The round trip to the fjords cost us precious time that we could ill-afford to spend unwisely. Tomorrow is the day for Prince Zephidel's coming-of-age ceremony, but it cannot commence without the emblem itself. With that, our lead to the Shrine of Seals dries up as well. Morale is low as we endure the force march back to Macrene…
Hector, Eliwood and Cecilia stared at the crimson gem that lay on the table in utter disbelief.
"You mean to tell me that after a week and a half's work we ended up with nothing," Hector said, "And yet you and a tiny task force retrieved the vaunted Fire Emblem in half the time?"
"I considered sending Fiora or Florina to alert you two of its retrieval," Lyn said calmly, "But since we are in a hostile country, I felt that it would be safer to await your return."
"How did you know we would return on time?" Eliwood asked.
Cecilia coughed, "Pardon me, Lord Eliwood, but you must remember that we are obligated to give Queen Helena our report regardless of success or failure. Which means we simply must speak with her tomorrow, with or without the Fire Emblem."
"So how the bloody hell did you find this Elimine forsaken stone?" Hector barked.
"Tracking," Lyn replied, "Rath and I combined our efforts to trail the Black Fang members who withdrew after their unsuccessful attack outside Castle Bern. It led us to the fortress that the two of you deemed too unimportant to pay attention to."
Eliwood winced, "I see your point."
"The infiltration part was more difficult," Lyn continued, "Since we had a limited amount of fighters, everything had to be done with utmost secrecy and stealth. Frankly speaking, we ended up avoiding the majority of the Black Fang guards, only wasting time to eliminate anyone we could not bypass without being noticed."
"How did you know where the Fire Emblem was held?" Cecilia asked.
"Legault led us to the treasure rooms," Lyn answered after taking a sip from the herbal tea she was brewing, "The catch was that the artifact was guarded by two high-ranking Black Fang loyalists, an assassin and a bishop. We eliminated them with minimal problems and picked up a few new recruits on the way. One of them, a man named Harken, claims to be a Pheraen knight in service of Lord Elbert."
"Harken?" Eliwood asked, "I thought he was lost along with the others…"
"Wait," Hector interrupted, "You took great pains to say 'we…'"
Lyn smirked, "Of course, did you think I could pull this off alone?"
"Naturally Lyn took along her retainers," Eliwood started, and then grasped what Hector was aiming at, "Wait, Lyn, you didn't…?"
"If you are referring to me," Mark's voice drifted in, "Then yes, I was with Lyn the entire way."
Hector and Eliwood flashed Lyn a betrayed look, but Lyn paid no attention whatsoever, "If the two of you thought I was about to challenge a Black Fang fortress outnumbered ten to one without a valued tactician to guide me, then the two of you are raving mad."
Eliwood winced, "Well, that's true, and we did take Cecilia with us…"
"That is NO excuse!" Hector exploded, "The man is untrustworthy! We don't know if he is playing us false or not!"
"Even if I told you that Drake guessed before hand that your trip to the fjords was a complete waste of time?" Lyn asked airily.
Hector and Eliwood stared at Lyn, but Cecilia spoke up, "Mark is being hunted down by the Black Fang, so he couldn't be in correspondence with them. So how did you deduce that it was a trap?"
"Think about the circumstances and how you obtained the tip," Mark answered, "The Black Fang, after being established by Brendan Reed for nearly a score of years, is competent enough not to let its secrets leak out to any random informant. I'd wager that tip was planted as bait to draw in our forces unto a battlefield pitted against superior forces and of grounds not of our choosing."
"Numerically superior and grounds not of our choosing," Eliwood murmured, "You definitely got that part right."
"On the other hand, Rath and Lyn have picked up another trail leading to another fortress," Mark mused aloud, "This, on the contrary, should not be an attempt to lead us astray. With the bait planted amongst the spies and thieves guilds throughout Bern, the Black Fang would expect our army to advance towards the Three Fjords, where their ambushers will pounce on our 'unsuspecting' force. The real target lies where Lyn and Rath marked out. If the Fire Emblem is not located there, we still stand a reasonable chance of capturing someone who does know its location."
"Wouldn't it be more advantageous for the entire host to attack the winter compound?" Cecilia asked, "It is a trap at the Three Fjords, after all."
"But it serves as a diversion," Mark corrected, "Even if we move with all possible stealth, the Black Fang will probably be alerted to our movements anyways. However, once they are assured that our target is the Three Fjords, then they'll concentrate on fortifying the location instead of actively seeking out our hidden agenda, namely the infiltration of their winter fortress."
"So you used us as bait," Hector said grimly.
"Consider this then, Lord Hector," Mark drawled out, "Assuming I had warned you about the fjords being a trap, would you listen?"
Hector didn't hesitate, "No."
"I rest my case."
"Lord Hector was always impulsive," Cecilia sighed, "Small wonder he paid thirty grand for the services of one mercenary."
Mark raised an eyebrow and Lyn nearly spat out her mouthful of tea. "You paid how much?" Lyn screamed after swallowing with no little difficulty.
Hector had the tact to look somewhat ashamed, "Yeah, yeah, I did something stupid, now everyone get off my case."
"Anyways," Lyn said after leveling a contemptuous glare at Hector, "There is one more thing that we managed to overhear during our little raid. The Black Fang is plotting to slay Prince Zephidel tonight."
"…Why?" Eliwood asked in a confused tone.
"We don't know," Lyn said, "All I know is that there will be an assassination attempt tonight, and if we want the location of the Shrine of Seals…"
"The Fire Emblem would be of more use if the prince is still alive," Hector said grimly, "Cecilia, we'd need a battle plan."
"She's no longer here," Nils piped up from the tent flap, "She left a few minutes ago when Master Drake left."
"You call him Drake as well?"
"Drake, Mark," Nils said, "What's the difference in a name? It doesn't change who he is."
"Mark, I need to speak with you!"
Said tactician turned briefly from his vantage point over Lake Chanta to regard Cecilia walking uphill to meet him.
"What is it?"
"I'm dragging you back to the command tent," Cecilia stated a no-nonsense tone, "We both know that you have ten times the skills I possess, and truth be told, I rather be a pupil watching a master at work rather than a fish floundering in deep water."
Mark let out a sinister laugh, at which Cecilia shuddered, "Do the Lords Hector and Eliwood agree with what you are saying?"
"No," she said in a quiet voice, "But surely reason…"
"Reason," Mark curtailed her comment, "Men blinded by arrogance and idealism cannot listen to the calm voice of reason. When their blood has cooled, let them seek me out."
"But…"
"You are the tactician now," he continued, "You must guide this flock of sheep and shelter them against their foes. Go now and leave me in peace."
The mantle of duty rejected, the pupil took leave of her master. She could only pray that the lords would come to their senses, for by the gods, they were doomed without the Hammer of Terrascars.
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