Warning:
This fanfic will contain spoilers for Fire Emblem: The Sword of Seals.
Disclaimer:
Fire Emblem is the property of Intelligent Systems and Nintendo.
Chapter 3: Off to the Western Isles
"One…two…three…GO!" the young mercenary ordered her troops into formation, surrounding the frightened man.
"We've got you completely surrounded! Give it up!" shouted one of the soldiers raising their lance.
"Damn…" the brigand muttered to himself. He stood no chance against all of them, and if he were to surrender now, they would just kill him later once he was locked up. The only choice was to take the out the leader, and then make a run for it during the confusion. "YOU ETRURIAN DOGS! TAKE THIS!" the bandit hurled his one-handed axe at the Pegasus knight directly in front of him.
"Captain! Watch out!"
The young teenaged girl hastily pulled her reins to the side, easily avoiding the axe that was intended for her. Taking advantage of the momentum, she twirled her javelin directly above her head and hurled it straight at the brigand, catching him off completely off guard, the javelin managed to directly pierce his chest. The bandit let out a dreadful groan as he fell flat on his back, with the bloody javelin still protruding from his stomach.
"That was close Captain! Are you alright?" one of the girls asked, flying towards the one who had killed the brigand.
"…I'm fine." She reassured her companion. The aqua haired captain had her Pegasus fly down to the ground next to the person who she had just slain. She began to examine the corpse by rummaging through the tattered pockets and taking off the bandana that the man was sporting. To the young woman's dismay, she didn't find anything in possession of the bandit whatsoever. Except of course, the javelin that was still lodged in his chest, which she promptly removed. Muttering to herself unconsciously, "That's….strange…"
"What's the matter?" one of the other girls prompted.
"Didn't…the advisor say that the bandits had stolen a large amount of gold from the village? This is the last one we've defeated, and we have searched each and every one of them..." the young captain paused for a moment to think about it. "…but not one trace of gold has been found...or anything to indicate that they have stolen anything at all…" As she finished she managed to clean most of the blood off of her javelin with a small cloth that she had in her pocket.
"Maybe…they hid the stolen valuables in a cave?" the girl next to her attempted to make sense of the situation.
"Bandits don't actually have their hideouts in caves…Amy, that's just a stereotype." The captain replied, brushing back her unkempt hair. "Besides, when we found them, they were already fleeing from something, most likely running from a town that they had just finished plundering."
"Well, maybe they were running from…a monster? Or a big bad wolf?" the captain just shook her head at her companion's comment.
"There are no such things as monsters…and I don't think a group of tough brigands like them would be scared of a wolf."
"Hey! I was just giving a plausible suggestion that's all!" Amy replied with an attitude.
"Those are hardly plausible…"
"Well, it's better than not saying anything at all, you shouldn't fret over small things like this!"
"I don't think this is a small issue, the advisor asked us to search the bandits themselves. So, don't lecture me!"
"Geez…I just didn't want you to worry so much, lighten up a little!"
"You know...you sound just like my little sister…"
"Oh…I'm sorry…Captain."
"No need to apologize…it's nice to be reminded of her every once in a while…anyway, we should start heading back to the castle to make our report." The captain spoke, gathering up her belongings and mounting her Pegasus.
"Right." The other four girls in the squad responded, mimicking her actions as they prepared to set off for Castle Aquleia.
"I have come on behalf of Lady Cecilia to inform General Douglas of an urgent matter! Please…I must see him." Erk informed the soldier who was currently barring him from meeting the Great General.
"I'm sorry Sir Erk, but currently he is discussing matters with the King and the Advisor at the moment. Perhaps you could come back another time?"
"No, that will not do, I must see him immediately! Could you please just ask him that he spare a few minutes of his time? It is important information concerning the Prince." Erk insisted, he had been standing outside General Douglas's office for a while. And he could not afford to squander anymore time since he had already wasted a good amount after eating the cook's meal.
"Sir Erk, I cannot interrupt General Douglas when he is with the king and the advisor, doing so would be most disrespectful. If you are to persist anymore, than I will have to ask you to leave, or you will be detained!"
"But—"
"Please refrain yourself Sir Erk!" the soldier shouted menacingly.
"Then…you would dare go against Lady Cecilia's wishes?" the purple haired sage asked the soldier inquisitively.
"To prioritize General Douglas's wishes, then yes, I do. General Douglas asked for no visitors while he was with the king and I am doing just as he requested. Besides…" the soldier held off on the last sentence, but Erk noticed from the look in his eyes that he was eager to finish it.
"Besides?"
"…Besides…everyone knows Lady Cecilia shouldn't even have such a high position in the first place."
"What?...Are you serious?" Erk gasped, amazed at the soldier's bold statement.
"A female has no place in the ranks of the Etrurian Generals, I heard she only got the position because the former Sorcery General favored her most out of all his subordinates."
"Did you not consider that he had favored her for a reason?" the veteran mage contemplated to take one of his tomes out and teach the soldier a lesson. But, he had enough experience with soldiers like this, to know better than to attempt to use magic in order to harm another Etrurian soldier in the castle.
"Most likely because she was a woman, not due to her skill." The soldier retorted raising his tone. The more he began to talk, the cockier he began to sound. Erk just shook his head at what he was hearing. Were all of the soldiers under General Douglas like this? He didn't know what to do with the guard that was currently standing in front of him; likewise, he also didn't know what to do when he saw the door behind the soldier open revealing one very angry General.
"If you are so sure about that soldier, then why don't you challenge General Cecilia to a duel? I will be happy to arrange it for you!" A rugged man spoke from behind to the door guard. The man was decorated with the highest and most elegant armor of Etruria. His torso was covered in royal blue plating, embellished with gold lining that adorned the chest and collar area; matching the similar colored mantle that hung from his muscular shoulders. His brown hair was nicely combed as was his admirable beard that covered his chin. Just from looking at the General, a soldier's legs would give way beneath him just from the man's authority. While at the same time a small child would be able to peer into his eyes and find amusement and comfort similar to that of a loving father.
"G-G-General Douglas!" the soldier exclaimed, quite startled by his sudden appearance.
"If you are to say such disrespectful words about Lady Cecilia ever again, than I shall see that you are dismissed from your rank…permanently! Got that?" Douglas shouted furiously at the guardsmen. If the hallway had been devoid of any noise, one would certainly be able to make out the faint sound of the soldier's knees clanging against the reinforced steel that his leg armor was composed of.
"Y-Y-Yes…s-sir!"
"Now GO! Your duty is finished here, you may return to your quarters." Douglas snapped at him. The guard complied with the order exceedingly well, running as fast as the standard Etrurian armor permitted him to, until he was out of sight. The Great General just sighed at the spectacle and shut the door to his office as to not disturb the King and the Advisor who were still in there discussing. He turned his attention towards the seasoned purple haired man that was standing before him, who had his gaze totally locked on the General.
"I must apologize for his behavior…Sir…"
"Erk…" The sage said softly.
"Ah, yes…since you are a sage, I take it you are in Cecilia's division…correct?"
"Yes, I am currently in charge of regulating information concerning foreign nations, under the command of the Sorcery General."
"Is Cecilia still in Ostia?" Douglas inquired curiously, he hadn't spoken with her for quite some time now.
"Yes she is, currently still conducting her duties concerning the young prince of Pharae and the princess of Ostia."
"Oh yes, young Roy…" Douglas muttered to himself out loud. "…Cecilia has told me great things about that young boy. I heard his father, Lord Eliwood, is very ill right now...it must be tough for him."
"Must be…but, I believe that the royal family of Pharae can handle anything." Erk said with great confidence. "Especially the Marquess..."
"Is that so? You seem to know a lot about him."
"I guess you could say that…" Erk said shifting slightly. "Anyway…we should get back to the matter at hand."
"Haha…I'm sorry for getting off subject, it must be my age catching up to me, sometimes I wish to just talk about other stuff rather then military affairs." The Great General mused, crossing his arms getting ready for what Erk had for him. "So, what does Lady Cecilia need?"
"Two weeks ago, while Lady Cecilia was in Ostia, she came across some disturbing news." Erk said pulling out an unmarked sealed letter from his pocket.
"That is…" Douglas's eyes narrowed at the sight of the letter. The letter was severely wrinkled and seemed to have several blood stains all over it.
"It was a letter confiscated from an unknown spy that was detained in the outskirts of Ostia." He handed over the letter to the General, who easily cut the seal with his index finger, and carefully skimmed over the contents of the letter. Erk could only guess what Douglas was thinking as he read over it, but after he saw the General's eyes widen in horror after finishing it, the sage had a pretty good idea.
"This…"
"Yes…" Erk turned his head slightly to his left and right to make sure no one else was present in the corridor. "…the letter speaks of an elaborate plan to assassinate Prince Mildain…"
"Why…would something like this be found in the outskirts of Ostia?" Douglas muttered to himself, but loud enough so Erk could hear it. Erk just closed his eyes at the remark.
"We are not exactly sure, but we have come to the conclusion that the spy was passing on information to another source, and had to travel through Ostia to get to his destination."
"What of the spy you captured?" Douglas asked, reading over the letter multiple times, trying to make out the words that had been smeared by blood stains.
"A few days after he had been detained, the guards discovered that he had escaped from his prison cell without a trace." He closed his eyes as he began to articulate the next phrase. "…When they went to search for him, they found his severed head in the same location he had been caught in the first place…"
"Hmm…the letter does not say when they plan to attack…" While looking over the letter again, the sweat that was running down Douglas's cheek managed to plummet onto one of the darkened unreadable spots on the letter. The combination of water and salt faded the concentrated ink that was present, revealing a small red crest in it's place. It caught the attention of the Great General and he immediately recognized what the symbol was. "This symbol…is the crest of Etruria…"
"What is?" Erk's face lightened up at the discovery.
"This mark…in the lower corner there…" He showed the letter to Erk and pointed to where the emblem was.
"Your right…" Erk gasped, parting his long violet hair away from his eyes so he could see clearly. "And that symbol…represents the nobility of Etruria…" His face lit up when he realized what that meant. "Then…"
"The spy was most likely delivering a letter for someone of high status in Etruria." The General said grimly.
"So someone from the Etrurian nobility plans to kill the Prince…"
"We must not come to that conclusion just yet." Douglas stated. "Someone could have set this up to cause internal strife in Etruria."
"That's true…"
"Anyway, we still do not have enough information on it, so we can't do anything too rash right now. However, in light of this new information I will make sure of the Prince's safety, and increase security around the area."
"All right, make sure that no one else sees the letter or hears of this." Erk added. "If word were to get out about this, problems would surely arise within the ranks of the Etrurian government."
"Yes, I will keep this between us—"
"General Douglas!" a voice echoed from behind the Great General. Douglas turned around to see one irritated advisor, and one king of Etruria right behind him.
"Advisor Roartz! Your Majesty! You have finished already?" General Douglas asked surprisingly.
"We've been done talking for quite some time now, General Douglas…we were waiting for you to come back in, so we could discuss what we've talked about with you." The king replied bluntly.
"Please accept my apologies my king, there was something I had to take care of out here first." Douglas gave a small bow to the king, as did Erk who was standing idly on the side.
"Do not worry about it, General Douglas." The king reassured him, "We can always talk about it another time."
"Of course."
"Then, I shall leave you to finish your affairs, General Douglas." King Mordred nodded.
"Thank you your Majesty." Douglas responded kindly, watching the king make his way down the hallway and out of his sight.
"What were you discussing, General?" Roartz interrupted casually, spotting the letter in Douglas's hands. At first glance, he did not recognize the paper that the General was holding, but when Douglas attempted to conceal the letter from Roartz's view, his senses immediately went off.
"Just some minor problems with some of the mage formations, Advisor…" Douglas responded, obviously lying. He gestured towards Erk, "General Erk here was giving me suggestions on how to improve them, isn't that right?"
"Yes…" Erk said hesitantly, attempting to back him up. The advisor just eyed the two men with discontent, he wasn't one to be so easily fooled.
"That is quite a trivial matter for you to take your time away from the King, something that is certainly rare--especially for you General Douglas." Roartz conjectured.
"No matters that concern the well being of Etruria are too trivial to ignore, Advisor." Douglas snapped back at him. "In fact most of the time, it's the small things that end up being the most costly in a time of need."
"Hmph…" The advisor had always despised Douglas, his bold mannerisms and complete disrespect for him were the main reasons why. If there was one thing that was barring him from carrying out his plan successfully, it would be General Douglas. He decided that he wasn't in the mood to quarrel with the General right now. "…if you say so General. But remember, keeping secrets to yourself is not a good habit to practice. Especially when one holds a position as high as you, it can set a bad example to your subordinates…"
"Of course." Douglas replied, not fazed by the comment.
"Anyway…I shall be returning to my office, if you have anything you wish to say to me General then I would prefer that you submit it to me in writing..." He began to head off in the direction the king had gone, but after taking a couple of short steps he stopped to finish. "…such as in the form of a letter." He said with a grin causing Erk to flinch slightly. Douglas remained silent as he saw the advisor leave.
"Do you think he'll tell anyone?" Erk asked softly.
"…No, he has no proof, so we should be alright for sometime." He responded not looking back. Erk gave Douglas a blank stare, trying to find some truth in the General's words. "Do not worry, as long as we keep this between us, things won't get any worse…If you find any more information then please inform me as soon as possible."
"I will…" Erk nodded.
"Then, I must get going, I am to have dinner with my daughter and Prince Mildain tonight…unless, you would care to join us? The cook usually makes something special for the Prince and his guests."
"Uh…no thank you. I must go and find my wife anyway, I told her to wait at the entrance for me while I talked to you, she can get very impatient when it comes to waiting for others." Erk refused politely, recalling how the chef's food tasted earlier.
"Then, take care of yourself General Erk." Douglas spoke back, giving a concerning look.
"Same to you, General Douglas." Erk took a quick bow and headed for the end of the hallway. Erk wondered if it was a good idea to entrust the matter to the Great General. General Douglas had been the highest ranked officer in Etruria for quite some time now, although he attained the position during a time of peace. Erk knew that there wasn't anybody more loyal to the king then Douglas himself. Besides, if the prince were to ever come under harm's way, General Douglas's position would certainly be in grave danger. Erk just shook his head at his uncertainty, "I shouldn't worry so much…the prince is in good hands."
As he finished the thought, Erk realized that he had slowed his pace considerably and had gone towards the west entrance of the castle, when he had told Serra to meet at the south entrance. "...She is going to be furious at me." Erk sighed to himself, unaware of that a group of women had approached him cautiously.
"Excuse me…"
"Hm?" The sage looked up to see five young girls huddled in front of him, as if he were some kind of beggar looking for attention. Almost immediately, he recognized the blue plated uniforms all the girls were wearing. "…Pegasus Knights…" He mumbled under his breath.
"Yes…that's correct, we are mercenaries from Ilia." One of the younger girls replied to his subconscious words. Erk recognized the speaker as the leader of the Pegasus group, judging from the slightly modified uniform that she had. The captain continued, "We were wondering if you could tell us the directions to Lord Roartz's office…we kind of…got lost in the castle."
"Oh…sure, Advisor Roartz's office is on the second floor of the castle, if you take the stairs to the right, you should easily find your way to his office, as the hallway there is pretty straightforward."
"I knew it was on the second floor!" One of the other Pegasus knights exclaimed, having her mouth covered by the other girls in response to her outburst.
"…Thank you for the help." The captain replied embarrassingly, ignoring her subordinate's comment.
"Your welcome…but…"
"Yes…?"
"If you're a Pegasus knight seeking employment, then you would have to do that over in the registration office in the academy." Erk informed them, under the impression that they were not familiar with the regulation standards set by the Etrurian army. Knowing that the Etrurian nobility usually did not deal with mercenaries.
"Oh yes…we know that, but we already have a contract under the Advisor."
"Advisor Roartz hired you?" Erk inquired with a look of interest.
"Yeah, just recently, we've been working for him and—"
"Captain!" One of the other girls murmured to her before she had the chance to complete her statement.
"Ah!..." The aqua haired captain put a hand to her mouth in order to stop herself from finishing. "I-I'm sorry! Under the Ilian Mercenary code, we are not allowed to disclose any information about our employer's contract."
"Oh…that's alright, I am familiar with the code, I should have known better then to intrude on the matter." Erk assured her, recalling twenty years ago when Fiora had told him about the code.
"Then…if you will please excuse us, we must make our report." The captain said abruptly, taking a slight bow, she turned towards the set of stairs Erk had pointed to. The other four followed her in kind, each eyeing Erk as they passed by him. Causing the sage to shift uncomfortably at the intimidating glares.
As they left, Erk couldn't help but wonder to himself why the Advisor would hire Pegasus Knights. When the Etrurian army hired knights from Ilia, they would usually be hired through the formal process that all mercenaries went through. If one of the officers were in need in one of the mercenaries' services, then the Etrurian army would assign the mercenaries under that officer's specific squad. If someone from the Etrurian nobility, such as Advisor Roartz, were in need of such services, then they would have to ask the officer in charge of the mercenaries for permission to use them. Instead of hiring the mercenaries directly, as was the case here.
"The Advisor is surely up to something…" Erk thought to himself, as he continued to make his way through the castle.
"You guys wait here while I talk to the Advisor."
"Right, Captain."
The Ilian captain raised her right arm in an attempt to knock on the advisor's door, but stopped her fist a few inches before it came in contact with it.
"What's wrong Captain?"
"If Douglas suspects something is up….then…"
"…I can hear voices from inside." She spoke quietly looking back at the other four, who were leaning against the wall behind her.
"General Flaer….what should I do?"
"Oh! What are they saying?" Amy whispered excitedly.
"We will need to inform Lord Arcard…"
"I can't make it out quite clearly."
"Then…in two weeks--"
"We shouldn't eavesdrop like this." One of the other Pegasus knights scolded her, she was the oldest of the five, and felt it was necessary to remind the captain about her manners.
"Why not Thine?" Amy whined.
"Do I really have to explain to you why? Alright, I'll give you a reason, how about we could easily lose our job if our employer were to find out we've been eavesdropping on him!" Thine scolded back, trying to keep her voice down as much as possible.
"…Your right…I should think more clearly before I do something like this…I must be setting a bad example huh…"
"I didn't mean that, Captain…it's just…" Thine paused trying to find the right words. "…what would Yuuno say if she saw you doing something like this?"
"She would probably say the same thing…"
"Right…I'm just looking out for you, that's all…just as your sister would have done if she were here. So, don't worry about it and just go make our report…ok? Captain?"
"Right…" She nodded in response. Raising her hand to knock on the door she yelled, "Excuse me! Advisor!"
"Who is it?" Roartz's muffled voice answered back from within.
"Flight leader of the 5th wing of the Ilian Pegasus knights reporting!"
"Come in."
She entered to see the advisor sitting at his desk along with another man in full armor, standing on the opposite side with his arms crossed.
"What do you need?" The advisor demanded rudely, quite displeased with the interruption, especially with General Flaer in the room.
Closing the door behind her, she quickly responded, "We have successfully defeated the bandits that you requested to be stopped, advisor."
"Bandits?" The advisor echoed back, giving the young captain a perplexing look.
"Um…those bandits that were pillaging the houses on the eastern border…" She said hesitantly, surprised that the advisor could not even remember his own orders.
"Ah!...Yes, those…bandits." Roartz finally recalled. "You killed all of them?"
"Yes…"
"Excellent!"
"However…"
"However?" Roartz eyed her, expecting that the young girl had found out something she wasn't supposed to know.
"…We were unable to recover any stolen possessions at all, as there were none found on any of the bandits we killed." She sighed back, ashamed.
"Oh…that's alright." Roartz replied casually.
"It is?" She exclaimed back at him, she assumed that the advisor would be at least slightly upset at her failure.
"Yes--so you did not find anything at all? Not even…a—"
"Note?" Flaer chimed in, finishing Roartz's sentence and initiating a cold look from the Advisor. The Pegasus captain turned around to face Flaer.
"No…nothing was found at all." She assured him. Flaer just closed his eyes in response.
"Then...I have another request for you and your knights." Roartz uttered, picking up a sealed letter on his desk and handing it over to the girl.
"This is…" She murmured, taking the letter and examining it closely.
"That's for Lord Arcard in Djuto, I want you to deliver it to him."
"Djuto…isn't that the capital of the Western Isles?" She asked doubtfully.
"Yes, is there a problem?"
"No…I was just thinking, that's a little far, that's all."
"Hmm? Your Pegasus knights aren't you? Can't you just fly right over the sea to get there?" Roartz stated coldly, annoyed by her complaint.
"Yes…but our Pegasus get tired sometimes when flying long distances."
"Is that so? But Wyverns can fly long distances without fatigue can't they? Why can't Pegasus Knights?" Roartz mocked, a grin appearing on his wrinkled face. Flaer snickered at the subtle compliment.
"Well…"
Roartz just sighed at her, "Fine! If you must, there is an Etrurian transport ship prepared to leave for the Western Isles in two days, just west of here in the nearby harbor town. If you hurry, you and your knights can take that ship to the Western Isles."
"T-Thank you." She stammered, irritated by the advisor's rude comment. She gave the advisor a hasty bow and headed straight for the door. As soon as she shut the door to the advisor's room behind her, she was greeted by four angry Ilian mercenaries.
"Captain! How could you let them insult you like that!" Amy shouted, sporting a furious glare.
"W-What are you talking about?" She backed up, surprised at the sudden outburst.
"The way they made fun of Pegasus Knights!...Calling us inferior to Wyvern Riders." Imposed Thine.
"How…how do you know…about…" The captain's face went red with anger as she realized what they had done. "You were eavesdropping on the conversation!"
"Well…sort of…." Amy smiled back, trying to look innocent.
"What do you mean sort of!"
"Sorry, Captain but we couldn't help it." Thine said, attempting to contain her laughter.
"I can't believe you…even after that lecture you gave me…you still had the nerve to…" She snapped back at them, shaking her head in disgust.
"…S…sorry, i-it's just…you should see your face right now…hahaha!" Thine replied cracking up.
"A-And your laughing about it!"
"No hard feelings right captain?" Amy implored, putting her hands together as a form of apology.
"You……alright, I've had enough! Everyone…just get your things ready and meet me at the front gate." The captain breathed, she turned her backs towards them and began walking towards the stairs at the end of the hall.
"Wait! Captain, where are you going?" Amy yelled out to her, but the young captain didn't show any signs of response.
"Don't worry about her...she just needs some time to calm down…" Thine told her, as the four Pegasus knights watched as their captain walked off.
The Elimine Supreme Church, if there was any indication to the vast amount of influence Aquleia had over the rest of Elibe, this would be it. Towering over the rest of the city, the Elimine Church, along with the Tower of the Saint were the two buildings that represented the pride and wealth of Etruria, both built in honor of Saint Elimine herself. There were numerous churches scattered throughout Elibe that had been built by followers of Elimine as well, but the one in Aquleia was the most impressive out of them all. And Klein was standing right under the gigantic statue that thousands prayed to everyday.
"Bishop Oro you say?" the young cleric said curiously.
"Yes, I need to speak to him." Klein smiled back at the girl.
"I believe he is in the scriptures room, would you like me to show you where it is?" The cleric replied kindly, her cheeks turning slightly pink.
"No, that's alright, I know where it is, thank you very much." Klein nodded.
"Oh…ok." The cleric muttered disappointedly; she had hoped to escort the handsome archer through the church. She sighed and returned to her duties at cleaning the altar.
Klein just chuckled at the cleric's actions and began walking towards the door that led to the scriptures room. The Elimine Supreme Church, being the largest church in Elibe, was used for several purposes each and every day. First, there was the main chapel, which was the main place of worship for the followers of Elimine and was open to the public at all times. Then, there were the healing facilities, which served as a medical center for clerics and priests to heal the wounded. Also conducted there, were classes that taught aspiring mages, clerics, and priests how to use the healing powers that were contained in the staffs of Elimine. Next, there were small rooms that were used by the head bishops of the Elimine church, in order to discuss any news that dealt with the faith's affairs. And finally, all the ancient scriptures and scrolls that Saint Elimine had compiled were contained in a rather small room in the church. This room was created in case anybody wanted to read up on any of the inspired writings concerning the rich history of Elibe, which included the Scouring and the eight legendary heroes that ended the war. And this was the room Klein had stopped in front of.
Taking a good look at the surroundings, he was quite surprised at the disorganized state the room was in. The ten tables that were scattered throughout the place were all completely covered in books, scrolls, and loose papers. Many of the books on the bookshelves were placed the wrong way and looked as if they were about to fall off and injure any poor soul who happened to be standing under the two thousand page appendix. Klein expected the Elimine church, with as many followers as it had, would have at least some volunteers to help keep the room tidy in order to prevent it from reaching such a state. In fact, the room was practically devoid of human life, except for one priest in the far corner of the room who was busy chanting something off of one of the scrolls laid out before him.
"Bishop Oro?" Klein asked hesitantly, approaching him. He didn't want to interrupt the man in…whatever he was trying to achieve.
The middle aged man stopped his chanting to look up at Klein. "Yes, that's me."
"I have a letter from the castle…" Klein responded taking out the sealed paper Percival had given him. He handed it over to the teal haired bishop. "Here."
Oro breathed a sigh of displeasure, lifting up his arms in order to get his hands free from the long light blue robes he was wearing. He snatched the letter away from Klein and quickly opened it, eager to get the matter over with. Klein just watched him as he read over the contents of the letter.
"Hmm…a letter from the advisor…" Oro whispered scanning over the words. As the Bishop read the letter, Klein took the liberty to take a quick glance at the scroll Oro had been reading before Klein approached him. The scroll appeared to be a number of details on how to use the famous spell book Aureola, which Saint Elimine had used during the Scouring. Klein wondered why the Bishop would require the knowledge on how to use the book if it was locked away in the Tower of the Saint.
"Is he serious!" Oro yelled out, startling the young archer.
"What's the matter?" Klein asked politely.
"He wants me to go to…Mt. Ebrakhm?" Oro exclaimed widely, his eyes bolting over the letter again to make sure he read it right.
"That's…"
"…in North Fibernia! He expects me to go all the way to the Western Isles!" The bishop slammed the letter down on the desk with his clenched fist. "Why doesn't he send someone like Windam to do it? Just because I know the region's geography, doesn't mean…!" He trailed off looking down at the Aureola scroll.
"Um…Bishop Oro?" Klein inquired softly, not wanting to anger him any further.
"Now…I'll never get my hands on the divine…" Oro paused to look up at Klein, it seems that he had almost forgotten he was not alone. "Your still here? What do you want?"
"Well…I just wanted to tell you that I am headed off to the Western Isles too, I can escort you to the ship that will take us there, if you would like." Klein offered the priest. Oro just laughed at the ridiculous request.
"Hahaha! I have no need for an escort! I am a representative of God, do you really think that I can't fend for myself?"
"Well, you seemed awfully distressed about making the trip to the Western Isles." Klein retorted casually, not fazed by the Bishop's rash comments.
"It's not about the distance!" Oro sighed, looking back at the Aureola scroll. "A non-servant of God such as yourself would not be able to comprehend my predicament. Just leave!" The priest gestured towards the doorway.
"Very well…" Klein said formally, turning around and doing as the disrespectful priest suggested. Walking out the door he shook his head, he thought that all priests and clerics were supposed to be kind natured, apparently Klein was mistaken. Making his way towards the main chapel, he spotted the cleric that he met earlier, gossiping with another cleric. From the looks of it, there was something of interest taking place on the far side of the chapel.
"He's at it again, isn't he?" One cleric whispered putting her hand up to her mouth in order to hide the fact that she was talking.
"Yes…poor girl…whenever he sees a pretty face, he will go straight for it."
"Is something the matter?" Klein inquired walking up to the two girls. Surprised that clerics of the Elimine church would talk as if they were gossiping house wives. The younger cleric jumped up when she saw him.
"Ah! You're the general from before!" She gestured towards two people conversing on the opposite side of the room. "Can you please tell Father Saul to get back to his duties? Bishop Yodel told him to prepare the decorations for tomorrow's ceremony, but all he's done is flirt with that girl ever since she walked in!"
"Father Saul?" Klein asked confounded.
"Yes…he is that priest over there, the one with the blue hair." The cleric confirmed, pointing at the priest who was making all sorts of silly gestures towards the blue armored girl standing next to him. Who seemed about ready to smack the priest right across the face.
"Wait…why do I have to go talk to him?"
"You're a guy! If we talk to Father Saul, he would just ignore us and attempt to get us to have dinner with him!" She implored the blond general pushing him forward.
"But, what should I say?" Klein turned around, stalling for time. Perhaps, he shouldn't be so curious next time.
"Just tell him to stop!" The cleric whispered to him.
"Wouldn't that be a little rude? I don't even work for the church after all."
"Then…just think of something else!"
Klein just sighed and decided to just get this over with. There was no way of convincing the sisters otherwise. Approaching the "free-spirited" priest, he could already tell why the girls didn't want to deal with him.
"Are you certain you don't want to take the time this evening to discuss the love of God in great depth?" Saul proposed to the girl, a sparkle in his eye.
"No…I'm fine…thank you." She refused politely.
"Then…how about we discuss it over dinner instead? I have heard the food in Ilia is not as…refined, compared to the exquisite cuisine that the fine restaurants in Aquleia serve."
"Oh…that's quite alright, I plan to leave Aquleia tonight for my new assignment."
"Are you sure you don't want to reconsider? Surely someone as beautiful as you wouldn't want to miss out on a chance like this!" The blue haired priest insisted. Klein figured that he was the kind of person who wouldn't give up until he heard the word "Yes". He decided now would be a good time to intervene.
"Excuse me, Father…Saul!" Klein intervened walking up to the two. The girl that the priest had been addressing gave Klein a curious look.
"Ah! Hello, did you also come today to hear the teachings of Saint Elimine? Just like this lovely young Pegasus Knight has come to do?" Saul smiled back at him, for a priest like him, he sure was friendly. The Ilian knight next to him rolled her eyes at the comment.
"Well…kind of…" Klein said hesitantly, what was he suppose to say? Maybe he should have thought of something before barging into the conversation like that. He had no choice but to be blunt, "…Father Saul…don't you have duties you must attend to?"
"Huh? Oh yes, I am attending to them right now." Saul responded casually.
"You are?" Klein widened his eyes in surprise. As did the Pegasus knight who was observing the exchange between the two.
"Yes, the church has encouraged all priests and clerics to try and recruit as many followers to the Elimine faith as possible. That is what I am discussing with this lovely young lady right here." Saul said, gesturing towards the girl, who just sighed in response to the priest's unbelievable reasoning.
"I see…then would it not be easier to ask multiple people at once, instead of taking your time to convince just one girl to join through a lavish dinner? After all, you wouldn't want to give the impression that the Elimine Church is pressuring these people into joining."
"I suppose so…"
"I think it would be better if people who followed the Elimine faith did so out of their own desire, instead out of fear and anxiety. Wouldn't you agree?" Klein continued, giving the priest a forgiving look.
"You make a good point…" Saul said scratching his head. He turned around to look at the small figure of Saint Elimine that was displayed on the pedestal, near the altar. "Well…I guess I must be returning to my other duties that were also assigned to me by the church…if any of you ever wish to discuss the teachings of Saint Elimine in great depth then I would be happy to do so." He smiled casually to the two as he walked off. Klein returned the friendly invitation with a slight nod.
"Um…"
"Hm?" Klein said turning around to face the girl that had spoken, he had almost forgotten she was still present. Now that she had caught his attention, he took the time to finally get a good look at her. She appeared to be a young girl, only a little younger then Klein, and also a little bit shorter too. The armor she wore was the traditional Ilian Pegasus Knight attire, a dark blue breastplate with similar colored gauntlets and leggings, along with light silk clothing that were draped over her shoulders and a miniskirt. Her elegant light blue eyes were matched by the color of her short, parted hair, which partially hid the headpiece that was enwrapped around her forehead. Even though she had look of a fighter, Klein was still captivated by how beautiful she was.
"T-Thank you…" She said embarrassingly, her gaze locked onto the church floor.
"No need for thanks…" He smiled back.
"If you hadn't come, I would have probably made a big scene trying to get him to stop." She joked halfheartedly.
"The priest was just doing his job...actually, the clerics asked me to confront him, to make sure he finished his duties." Klein glanced over towards Saul who was now busy conversing with the two clerics. "Although, I think they regret asking me to do so." Klein mused, seeing the distressed look on their faces as Father Saul made all sorts of crazy gestures towards them.
"Do you come here often?" She looked up at Klein, thinking that he had some kind of connection with the church.
"No…at least not anymore…my father used to bring me here when I was younger…" Klein trailed off, trying to recall exactly how many times he had come to pray.
"Then you have come to pray now?"
"Not exactly…"
"Huh?"
"I had some matters to tend to, concerning one of the Bishops here." He explained briefly. Klein didn't want to reveal too much about the request from Percival, since he had told Klein to keep it confidential.
"I see…"
"I take it, you have come here to say your blessings? Since people who are not from Etruria usually come to Aquleia at least once to visit the Supreme Church." Klein noted to the Ilian girl.
"Yes…but, not because of that…" She muttered, closing her eyes. She didn't know why she was telling a stranger this, but for some reason the archer standing before her made her feel…relaxed. "…back in Ilia, I would often get into disagreements with some of the people close to me. So, whenever I felt stressed or sad, I would go to the church and read over the sermons that the Bishops had recited in the past…"
"So…you've come here because you got in a fight with your friends…" Klein whispered solemnly. The girl just looked away at Klein's revelation. "...I know one person who used to do something very similar."
"Really?"
"Yes…" Klein spoke, smiling back at her. "He was a childhood friend of mine…due to his status, he often had to attend many banquets and ceremonies along with his father. Yet, many times he would do something rash and embarrassing that would humiliate his father in front of hundreds of people. Many of them from different nations such as Bern, Lycia, and even Ilia."
"So, what did he do?"
"Well, since his father had hired many servants to watch over him, he usually was not able to find any privacy in situations where he was feeling pressured. In fact, there was only one place in all of Aquleia where he could find solitude."
"He went to the church as well?" The Ilian girl inquired, looking directly at Klein. He shook his head in response.
"Actually, it was a small garden…"
"A garden…"
"Yes, before his mother had passed away when he was young, she had maintained a small garden in her spare time…located right behind his room." He informed her. Klein could tell from the young girl's eyes, that she was listening intently to every word of the story. "Since all the servants respected the wishes of his mother, none of them dared step foot in it. It was the only place where he could be alone."
"He would tend to the flowers while he was there?"
"Nope, he didn't know the first thing about gardening!" Klein laughed innocently. The Pegasus Knight just gave him a sarcastic look. "But, what he did know how to do was play the harp…proficiently I might add. In fact, that was the only place he would practice it, since if he were to do it anywhere else, his butlers and maids would just bother him endlessly."
"Then…he must have spent a lot of his time there…" She added curiously.
"Yes…but…" Klein paused, closing his eyes to help him remember accurately. The aqua haired girl couldn't help but giggle at Klein's pleasant smile as he recalled the event. "…A couple years later…while I was listening to his playing, I asked him…"
"How are you so good at playing the harp? You don't even have anyone to teach you!"
"I taught myself when I was younger…"
"You taught yourself!'
"Yes…whenever I observed the beautiful flowers that my mother had planted, and the many animals that had made the garden their home…they made me feel warm inside. That feeling of warmth is what drove me to play the harp and teach myself."
"Then you play to express your happiness…"
"That used to be the reason…since I would usually go to my mother's garden to escape from my everyday duties, many tasks that I had been told to do, were left undone. Father would often scold me on leaving my duties unattended, but I would just ignore him."
"I see…"
"However, one day, I decided to wander around Aquleia to see if there were any other places like the garden I frequently visited. Yet, the only thing I saw were many families…families living in desolate, run down houses, where all the people were gathered around to eat dinner…on a rotten table with a few slices of old, stale bread on it."
"……"
"The people were in that state because I had neglected them, when I had chosen to run away from my problems instead of facing them head on…Escaping, just so that I could be happy."
"Prince Mildain…"
"Klein, I play my harp for one reason. I play so that the people who listen, the people who I am suppose to protect…the people of Etruria…know that one day I will be able to bring them prosperity."
"The prince of Etruria…" The girl spoke softly. Klein opened his eyes to see her sparkling expression, her eyes closed to help her absorb the full effect of the story. "…you two must have been very close…"
"Yes…similar to how close you and your friends are…Miss…"
"Tate…" The young Pegasus knight revealed, opening her eyes to meet the handsome archer's warm gaze.
"Tate…" Klein echoed back, saying the name created an unusual feeling of tranquility in his mind. For some reason, he felt that would not be the only time he would hear the name.
"And I don't believe I caught your name either…"
"It's Klein…"
"Klein…" Tate put a hand to her chest as she repeated it to herself. Closing her eyes, she spoke softly, "Thank you for the story…"
"Ah, no need for thanks, I probably wasted a lot of your time with such a boring story like that." Klein chuckled.
"No…it was very helpful…"
"Anyway, I probably should leave you to say your blessings before I use up any more of your time."
"Actually, I think I'm going to be heading back now. I told my squad to meet me at the front gates anyway, if I kept them waiting any longer they would be furious." Tate said, whirling around to face the church entrance.
"Oh, didn't you come here to read one of the sermons and help you calm down?" Klein asked her, an oblivious expression on his face.
"I did…but…I believe…I found something better…" Tate smiled at Klein as she began to walk towards the exit.
Watching her leave, Klein remembered the things his father used to tell him, particularly the stories about the Pegasus Knights of Ilia. He used to think that Pegasus Knights were invincible female fighters that would do anything for money, even sacrifice their very own life. Of course, once he enrolled in the Etrurian army and had the chance to finally deal with real Pegasus Knights, he knew how naïve his impression had been. But, the girl he had just met, completely changed his outlook on them. He couldn't figure it out, but there was something about her that made him feel at ease. He sighed, hoping to have had more time to converse with her.
"I guess that's the last time I will be seeing her for a while." Klein whispered to himself making his way out of the church and onto the busy streets of Aquleia. He turned towards his horse that he had tied to the side of the entrance. Looking back at Aquleia castle one last time before mounting his Etrurian steed, Klein muttered to himself, "Well…it's about time I start get going too. To begin my new life…on the Western Isles…"
Author's note: If you didn't notice, Thine and Amy are not characters in the game. I just made them up so I could give names to Tate's Pegasus squad. They won't play a big part, so you don't have to worry about them.
Phantom Kensai: Thanks for the suggestions, I changed it to Reglay, which I also believe is much more noble sounding. And I didn't meant to give off the impression that King Mordred was dead, since I wrote "the late king Mordred" I guess I should have read over that. But, I fixed that as well.(So he isn't dead)
Wandering Cat: Thanks, good thing I took a fraction of the time to update this time.