Wrath of Fate
Chapter the Eighteenth
Convergence
Northwest Ivalice
Bodies lay around; bodies frozen in the silence of death, in the coldness of defeat; strewn in a massive pond of red regret, crimson tears. They were fishes; played into the nets of death. And amidst them, the fisherman stood.
He was clad in the silvery steel armor which only the greatest of Nanten generals could avail of. He grasped in his hand a partisan; its haft five feet long; its twin edged spike was two feet long. His off hand held a buckler stained with blood and his helm concealed a face strewn with tears. He turned slowly, drawn to bring his own demise upon himself.
Then, he walked away.
Gariland, magic city
Ardrsil pulled Gaile into an alcove in a house shattered by one of the trebuchet shots. He pushed her against the wall and motioned her to stay there. He slowly stalked off around the house.
Ardrsil looked around. The gate had not been breached but a trebuchet shot had cracked a wall. The hole was big enough for a footman to get through and concealed by a broken pillar. Some Biranese soldiers were filing through.
Ardrsil tightened his grip on his halberd and began stalking up to them. Then he was spotted.
Central Ivalice
Kent squinted out into the horizon. In the distance the camp of Ositia was just barely visible. Several dark blue banners flapped around in the wind. Kent flicked the reins and his horse increased its speed slightly. Kent spared a glance over his shoulder to see how the rest of the army was doing. Most of the soldiers were being carried by the cavalrymen due to the injuries sustained during the fire attack.
Soon a horse bearing the blue banner of Ositia could be seen galloping from the north.
Gariland, Magic City
Ardrsil swung his halberd down, cracking a soldier's shin guard. He drew it back and parried the counterstroke. He skipped back a few feet and got into a defensive stance. The soldiers rushed him. One had a lance, two had swords and one had an axe.
The lanceman thrust his spear straight at Ardrsil. He swung his halberd downwards and split the man's hauberk and tore open his gut. The axeman, dressed in a red breastplate and epaulettes, bearing a shield swung horizontally. Ardrsil raised his halberd. It caught the axe but they were stuck in a weaponlock. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning blasted the ground charring the soldiers to ashes.
Ardrsil stared down then looked behind him. Gaile was standing there, her hat flapping a few inches above her head. She held a rod in her hands.
Ardrsil grinned then continued running.
Northwest Ivalice
Raven grimaced as he looked out into the distance. Over the horizon he could see glints of steel. Soldiers; at least a hundred of them. He looked behind him. Fiora was tiredly leaning on her mount. Raven sighed.
The soldiers weren't passing them directly but there was a chance they would catch sight of them. He cursed under his breath.
Turning to Fiora he said. "We have to change course, there are soldiers coming."
"Alright." Fiora said softly.
"We'll stop at the next village...you're in no condition for much more traveling." Raven sighed.
"...Thanks." Fiora muttered.
Central Ivalice
Kent led the columns of Caelinian cavalry into the camp. Not far behind, Wallace was leading the division of infantry and further back was Wil with the archers.
The welcoming committee could hardly be called that. Only a few soldiers were scattered around. Most were tiredly tending their rusty weapons. Few even looked up when the Caelin soldiers approached
At the far end of the camp Oswin, Hector and Matthew were crouching over something. In one of the clear spaces between tents Guy was practicing. Serra was busied going from tent to tent, giving commands to the healers.
Kent dismounted. He waited for the other commanders to reach the camp, as well as for Lyn. Wallace gave the order to set up camp and the soldiers busied themselves with various tasks.
The camp site was a large clearing with a few trees dotting the border of the camp. Those that had stood within the camp itself had been reduced to stumps, no doubt chopped for firewood. The ground was hard soil with little grass. Stones made it a rather bad campsite. But there would be no chance of an ambush.
A makeshift fort had been constructed in the center. It consisted of a large walled space and a few tents inside. The wall was ten feet tall and made from large trunks of trees.
Lyn and her commanders approached Hector's group. They stood there for a while, unnoticed.
Lyn cleared her throat softly.
Hector looked up in surprise. "Lyn! What a great pleasure to see you!"
"Hello Hector. Matthew, Oswin."
The thief bowed loosely while Oswin saluted.
"Well, Lyn. It seems your army's doing better than ours."
"Perhaps...well, it's best we let them rest for a while. The east has been subdued, some of our patrols still fight skirmishes there but the major resistance has fallen. How goes your campaign?"
"We were ambushed in the woods. Afterwards we confronted the enemy in one of their forts. The siege took two days...we spent weeks wandering the forests and resisting ambushes. They were poorly planned but the soldiers' morale is dropping..."
"Perhaps...it will do them good to see some Lycian faces again...new faces."
"I hope so." Hector gave a long sigh.
Meanwhile...
Lucius silently walked up to where a certain pink haired cleric was giving the last rites to a dying soldier. He waited till she finished before speaking.
"Serra?"
Serra turned around. She blinked her eyes a few times then slapped Lucius.
"Ow!" Lucius rubbed his cheek.
"Blessed light! ...Lucius! It's really you!" Serra embraced him.
"Yes...it's good to see you too." Lucius wrapped his arms around her.
Meanwhile...
"Sir Oswin!" Wallace bellowed.
"Ah, the Crag of Caelin himself! What a pleasure to see you live and well!"
"You too! Have you been doing the excercises in my Manual to Knightly Prowess?" (A/N: he really wrote that! Honest!)
"Ah, well it is difficult to do so with my Lord Hector in so...confused a situation." Oswin looked downcast.
"Is something amiss with the marquess?"
"I fear...his brother's death has affected him more than I would have expected. When he's around friends he...seems fine. But in the night...when he's alone...he cries. I hear him every night."
"My dearest condolences."
"What of Lady Lyndis and Lord Kent?"
"Ah, they fare well! In fact, just recently Raven was with us too. I've heard he just vanished for some reason..."
"Such a shame...You know, I was doing some research on our comrades after the battle at Valor...I found some interesting information about Raven."
"What's that?"
"His family, the House of Cornwell, was attacked by Ositian assassins once. I believe they were sent by the marquess of Ositia at that time."
"Lord Uther? Surely not!"
"It seems there was something between them, an unsettled debt or something."
"Then Raven is a noble?"
"Yes, Raymond Cornwell, last lord of their house. A shame really."
"Why, he could be skulking around this very moment, waiting to murder your Lord Hector!"
"Now, Sir Wallace, I hardly believe your suspicions could be true. Raven showed no contempt whatsoever for Lord Hector."
"Yes, that's true. Well, good night. I've been traveling a while now. I need sleep."
"Well, good day, as the night is long now passed."
"Ah! Yes, good day."
Notes!
Well, that took so much longer than I thought! Well, I've had so much to do this week...But no excuses! I won't update for a while since the finals are coming up next week...I've got to study you know? Well, sorry...