Disclaimer: I don't own FE and whatever...
I'm combining these 2 chapters since 13x is really too short for anything.
And I'm going to focus more on the characters in the actual game for this huge chapter, because Hiro's returning in the next update, and that's when I'll focus more on the Sword users.
My version of Guy and Matt's C support.
I'm thinking of putting a little bit of Glen Quagmire into our favorite cynical mage...what do you guys think? Please comment on the reviews.
THE TACTICIANS' WISH
Eliwood's and Hector's tale chapter 3 Gaiden and Chapter 4: The Peddler Merlinus, and False Friends
The Dragon Lands:
"...Alveen hasn't tried anything for a year yet...I'm worried..." Rodrak said to his father. "And...I'm worried about brother, too..."
"Don't worry, Kuro can take care of himself..." the elder silver dragon tried to comfort his younger son.
Somewhere else:
"...Alveen...you...you lied...to...me..." a weak voice croaked.
"I see that the poison's side effects are beginning to take effect. It's rather an unpleasant one, really...you, having been drained of a soul for a mere fraction of your lifetime, yet the effect of that is truly visible. And gaining it back all so suddenly; your body isn't ready to readapt to it..." Alveen explained to Idoun.
"...The other Divine Dragons won't allow this..."
"Hmph...what can they do? Most of them are old and weak. Your time as the Dark Dragon has replenished you of your powers...until we decided to try this experiment. None of them can save you. Not Salamandra, not Leviathan, not Hiryuu, not Thor, not Alexander, nor even the Great Bahamut can save you now. They are now mere living skeletons in hiding, to weak to even move. Ah...yes, there was a time when you were all at your prime...when we ruled; when we were at peace...but alas...now that that time is gone...we must strike back at the humans! And that is what your clone is for..."
A young black dragon walked in. She, for the first time, felt fear. She didn't spend much time with her mother, because she was always sick. She didn't understand the concept of her being a mere copy of her mother, merely to be used as an instrument of war. She walked in to see her mother. "...Father..? Mother...? Is mother going to be all right?" She asked, almost crying. Alveen walked out.
"...No...Idoun...mother's going to die soon," Idoun told her daughter.
"...Die?...What's...die?" the young Idoun asked her mother.
"It's when...never mind, you're too young to understand...Idoun, I hope you grow up well...When you do...leave your father...don't trust him...you're dragonkind's only hope if he decides to go along with his plans...cough, cough" Idoun laid motionless on her nest.
"MOTHER!" The young dragon rushed up to her mother, wanting to make sure that her mother is all right. "MOTHER!" She shook her mother, but received no response. Alveen walked in. "...Father...did...mother...just...die?" Alveen nodded grimly, but inside, he was happy to be rid of one of his biggest obstacles.
"Yes, dear, mother just died," Alveen nodded. The young Idoun stayed at her mother's bedside to mourn. Alveen left.
'Excellent...now...onto phase 2...' Alveen thought.
Back in the human world:
"Hmm...It's getting dark, milord; I think we should camp here for the night," Matthew suggested to Hector.
"We'll have to stop here for the night. We'll set out for Laus at the first sign of sunlight. Marcus, prepare the camp," Eliwood commanded, and Marcus told the rest of the group to set up camp.
"So this is Caelin? You think we ought to present ourselves to Lord Hausen?" Hector asked his friend.
"We're simply passing through, so I don't see the need. I am curious how Lyndis is getting along, though..." Eliwood trailed off.
"...Lyndis? Who's that?" Hector asked Eliwood.
"She's the granddaughter of Lord Hausen," Eliwood told Hector.
"Oh, her. The missing heir who dealt with Lundgren last year. Didn't you have something to do with that?" Hector asked his friend, who nodded his response, and took a drink from his water bottle. "And? The granddaughter? Is she a beauty?" His question made Eliwood choke, and got water up his nose.
"...cough...A beauty? She's... I don't... she's... I think it must be her Sacae heritage. She's... striking..." Eliwood stuttered.
"Striking? It's too bad, isn't it?" Hector said, grinning.
"Why?"
"That we don't have time to see her, loverboy."
"WHAT! NO! Lyndis and I...we're not..."
"Then what are you getting so worked up about?"
"Hector..."
"Heh heh. I'm kidding; you're just so fun to tease..."
The two lords walked back to check up on the others, when they heard a sound coming not far away from the trail.
"What was that? Did you hear that?" Hector asked his companion, surprised at the sound.
"...It was a scream..." Eliwood replied.
"Do we go help?"
"Of course!" Eliwood ran to tell the group to prepare for combat.
At the source of the noise...
An old man, the one that Marcus saw running out of the village earlier, was running with a giant sack on his bag, being chased down by a couple of bandits. "HELP MEE!" the old man cried.
"...sigh...bandits...Let us take care of it, milord, and we'll be with you shortly," Mark offered the lords.
"...Are you sure you don't need help, Mark?" Eliwood asked the shaman.
"No, I'll be just fine...heh heh..."
Mark walked up to an area close to the bandits, and took out the mine that Marcus gave him. "...I've seen these things before, just not so advanced and powerful...this sorceress must have been really powerful..." he said to himself as he dug and put the mine underground. He walked a fair distance away from it to be clear of its blasting range. He cleared his throat, and called to the bandits. "HEY, FUGLY'S!"
"...What was that?" one of the bandits asked. Another bandit spotted Mark. "Oh, it's just a kid. Leave him alone for now; we'll kill him later."
"But boss...he's mocking us!" another said, pointing at Mark, who is slapping his butt in their direction.
"Why...that kid...I'LL SHOW YOU TO MESS WITH US! WE'LL DEAL WITH YOU LATER, OLD MAN! KILL THAT KID! CHARGE!" the leader ordered his group. Mark smirked.
However, the leader stepped on the spot the mine was on. Mark turned away to cover his eyes from the light of the explosion. The mine, as expected, exploded. The sound of the explosion was so loud; everyone at camp heard it and had to cover their ears. The shockwave was also of a similar magnitude, sending Mark flying backwards about a few feet. But the explosion was really large, it wiped out the whole bandit group, and some more, while leaving a big crater in the ground; its deepest point is in the center of where the mine was planted. The mushroom cloud it created lingered there for a long while.
Eliwood and Hector went to check up on Mark and the loud noise which was the explosion.
The old man looked up from a crouching fetal position, to see a large crater in front of him, and screamed in fear. However, he also noticed that the bandits that were chasing him are gone. He was elated to know that those bandits won't be harassing him anymore. He got up to thank his savior.
"Mark, what happened?" Eliwood asked the shaman.
"Marcus gave me a mine from a village he visited a while back, and I used it. It was truly an incredible weapon, milord, a bandit merely stepped on it, and this huge crater you see before you is the result of its explosion..." Mark explained. "And it really dirtied my robes..."
"Sir! Sir!" the old man called to the group.
"...Who's this?" Hector asked Mark.
"...He was the person the bandits were attacking, I believe," Mark said.
"That's right, sirs. I owe you my thanks," the old man started.
"Are you injured?" Mark asked him.
"No, sir; as you see, I'm fine as can be."
"Good; we'll take our leave then. Let's go, Mark, Eliwood," Hector called to his companions.
"...Wait! Wait a moment, please! As a token of my thanks..." the old man halted them.
"We have no need of a peddler's junk," Hector said bluntly.
"P-p-p-peddler!" the old man looked very offended.
"HECTOR!" Eliwood scolded his friend.
"Ahem! I am Merlinus. You'll find no other traveling merchant whose goods compare. Don't let your eyes fool you: I'm quite prosperous," the old man introduced himself.
"Huh? You're a merchant? Books and knives and all that, eh?" Hector asked Merlinus.
"Hector, your manners are terrible. Merlinus, please... Pay no mind to what this oaf has to say," Eliwood said, sighing.
"No, of course not. I wasn't concerned at... Ahem! By the way, you two obviously come from highborn houses. Would you grant me the honor of your names, as well as the man who helped me?" Merlinus asked the lords.
"I'm Mark; I work for Lord Eliwood," Mark introduced himself.
"I'm Eliwood of the House of Pherae."
"I'm Hector of the House of Ostia."
"Goodness! Ostia! Pherae! The greatest houses is all of Lycia! Ahh... To be saved by noblemen such as yourselves... It is an honor beyond words!" Merlinus bowed his thanks.
"It's nice to be appreciated for a change. Lately, people just seem to want us dead. Tell me, Merlinus, what are your plans?" Hector asked the merchant.
"Pardon? My plans, my lord? I had planned to travel Lycia selling my merchandise, but... It may not be possible in such dangerous times," Merlinus told Hector, and sighed with disappointment.
"If that's the case, why don't you come along with us? Our travels will not be ending anytime soon. We've gained more people and more items, right? It might be good to have help managing our things," Hector suggested.
"Oho! Now THAT is a splendid idea! Managing merchandise is my specialty, after all!" Merlinus replied.
"...Are you sure?" Eliwood asked the merchant with concern.
"Quite sure, my lord. To be honest, I've dreamt of working for a noble house. To have my fondest wish granted in such a way... I cannot stem these tears of joy! Lord Hector! Lord Eliwood! Take me into your bosoms and keep me safe forever!"
"Um...Alright then; well met, Merlinus," Eliwood and Hector shook the merchant's hand.
"We're counting on you! Now, I've got some things I want you to carry..." Hector trailed off, and led his companions back to camp.
The next day:
"I take it we'll be at Laus today, milord?" Kyo asked Hector.
"Yes, I suppose so," Hector replied.
Castle Laus:
"WHAT! Are you certain? Pherae's heir is here?" Darin panicked, holding his head in his hands.
"Yes, Father. We've just received word from our lookouts. He's still beyond that hill, but he'll be here before long," Erik, his son, replied.
"Lord Ephidel, what is the meaning of this?" Darin turned around to look at his associate.
"Perhaps when they reached Santaruz Castle, Lord Helman was still clinging to life..." was Ephidel's excuse. "He couldn't have lasted too long, but... maybe he told them something..."
"Then...then...our plan...Then our plan is now all for naught?" Darin asked the cloaked man.
"No need to be so alarmed, milord. Even if he told young Eliwood something of our schemes, Pherae no longer has any power. All Eliwood could do is perhaps inform Marquess Ostia," Ephidel replied calmly.
"Ostia! That would ruinous! Lord Uther may be young and new to the throne, but he's dangerous. That addlepated Helman! He was a coward to the end! To betray us now, when we're so close... We only need a little more time to complete our plans for rebellion!" Darin said, as he became even more panicked.
"Then before Marquess Ostia becomes aware of any of this, you would do well to stop them here," Ephidel suggested.
"Yes, you're right, of course. We do have a chance. They have to pass through Laus to get to Ostia. We can still silence them!" Darin said in triumph. "Call our finest troops; and have them assemble to take down that group from Pherae!"
"Father! Let me make the command!" Erik asked his father.
"Erik! Tell me, Son, can you succeed?" Darin asked his son, unsure.
"That clod Eliwood and I studied together in Ostia. He's a trusting fool. If he sees me, he'll lower his guard. And when he does, we strike!" Erik told his father.
"...Do as you wish, then," Darin gave his permission to Erik.
"...I beg your pardon. Is this not too much for him? If, by strange chance, he fell, things could turn for the worse..." Ephidel told Darin.
"No, I know I'm the lad's father, but Erik's quite clever, I tell you. Snuffing Pherae's whelp will be no trouble at all. It's settled! It's up to you now, Erik. Bring me the head of Pherae's darling son!" Darin ordered his son.
"Yes father! I will not fail you!" Erik replied, as he prepared for battle.
Outside, our group of heroes has just entered the territory of Laus:
"Look around... They truly are preparing for battle. Bah! Marquess Laus! What is he scheming?" Hector asked no one in particular. He looked at his friend Eliwood, who was silent the whole time and had a worried look on his face. "You don't much look like you want to go to the castle."
"...If we go and learn the truth, we may have to go to war," Eliwood replied.
"That's fine with me."
"I... I've no love for war. If I concentrate on the foe before me, I'm fine. If I picture families, innocents caught up in our foolish politics? If I imagine them... All I can do is pray for a way to solve things peacefully," Eliwood just sighed in sadness.
Marcus rode up to Eliwood. "Lord Eliwood! A knight has ridden forth from the castle," Marcus told him. "Matthew says it's Marquess Laus's son, Erik. He is asking to see you."
"Erik?" Eliwood asked the paladin.
"Gah...why did it have to be that buffoon," Hector spat at the ground in disgust.
"I will see him. Bring him here," Eliwood commanded.
"I'm leaving. I never could abide him. I'll go for a ride and survey our surroundings," and with that, Hector took off.
Erik the cavalier rode up to Eliwood, and greeted the young lord. "Hello! It's been a long time, Eliwood!"
"Erik...what is your business?" Eliwood asked the cavalier.
"My business? What do you mean? I heard my old friend was here in Laus. I merely thought I'd ride out to greet you!" Erik said, trying to sound offended, but failed to because he had a hint of malice in his voice. Eliwood said nothing. "So tell me, friend, what brings you to Laus? Are you... on your way to Ostia?"
"...Hm? Why would you think that?"
"Well, you were always such good friends with Hector. He and I never... got along very well. For a noble, his behavior was crude, and his manner of speech... You would have thought him a peasant on first glance. You're still friends with Hector, aren't you? When did you see him last? How do you communicate?" Erik bombarded Eliwood with questions.
"Erik...you're after something. What is it that you want?" Eliwood went straight to the point.
"Pardon?" Erik gave an innocent smile and tone, pretending not to know what Eliwood is trying to get at.
"Everywhere I look, Laus prepares for battle. What are you and your father planning? I will know the truth!" Eliwood said in a rather forceful tone.
"Hm... I'd hoped to wait until you'd told me of Ostia. Of whether you've spoken with the marquess or not..." Erik mumbled rather loudly.
"What are you talking about?" Eliwood asked the cavalier, looking confused.
"Hm heh heh... Eliwood, I have always despised you. How I've longed to smash you and your pathetic morality into pieces! I've dreamed of this day, and here it is at last!" Erik sneered.
"Too bad you won't live to see the end of it!" Hector said as he walked towards the group.
"Y-You! Hector! You couldn't... Have you spoken with Ostia already?" Erik asked Eliwood, sweat starting to run down his face in his worry.
"Maybe we have, maybe we haven't. Eliwood, this mongrel has troops lying in ambush all around us. Laus regulars, every one. We're in for a rough time," Hector told his friend, and gave Erik a death glare.
"Heh heh... There's little point in fighting. You're trapped! My forces will overwhelm you, an unending torrect of soldiers! Laus's elite knights are at the ready as well. Heh heh... How long do you think you can survive?" Erik laughed in triumph, and rode away.
"MONGREL!" Marcus started to chase Erik down, but Eliwood stopped him.
"Marcus! Hold!" Eliwood said. "I think he'll be the one commanding Laus's men. I think we can capture him and get some information out of him...so don't kill him...yet."
Meanwhile, an old woman walked into the group of heroes. "Hee hee hee... A world of trouble you've landed yourself in, yes?" she cackled.
"Who--? You startled me, old woman! You should get out of here. This is going to be a bad place to stay if you plan on living," Hector warned her.
"I want to see the one searching for his father. Marquess Pherae's son," she replied.
"Listen up, old woman! You're close to death as it is! Quit your yammering and move on!" Hector commanded.
"Hector! You should mind your manners. I am Eliwood. May I ask your name, milady?" Eliwood walked up to the old woman, and sighed at Hector's manners.
"Ho ho ho. What a polite young man. I'm Hannah, a fortune-teller. I came here to help you," the old woman replied.
"Can you tell me where my father's gone?" Eliwood asked her, and looked elated at the possibility that she might be able to find his father with her powers.
"No... but... I can see other things... useful things. I can tell you what weapons to take into battle, as well as who should wield them. Things of that nature," Hannah explained to the young lord.
"Don't tell me you believe any of this bullsh!t..." Hector said.
"I have no reason to believe or disbelieve in Hannah's powers. But I'll not rule out anything if it helps me find my father," Eliwood replied, and Hector shook his head.
"Heh heh heh. Speak to me for auguries before you engage the enemy. My service are not free, but they may save you from paying a greater price!" Hannah cackled.
"I knew there was a catch," Eliwood sweatdropped.
"Lord Eliwood! Lord Hector! I make my living as a humble merchant. If you have any items you no longer need, please let poor Merlinus take them," Merlinus offered the lords.
"Pfft! Yeah, poor," Hector commented.
"Alright Hannah, here's your pay," Eliwood took out a satchel of gold and gave the fortune teller her payment. She stored it in her satchel, and sat in a meditative trance. She then started speaking.
"Many of your foe will be carrying spears. You should take axes... Yes, many
axes. Hmm... And if that shrewish cleric girl is with you, take her as well. She might well meet an old friend. The weather, though... It doesn't look very good. Be prepared for sudden changes. You know, you should take a rapier. It will serve you well against many a foe," she said, then came out of her trance.
"Thank you Hannah," Eliwood thanked her, and left to prepare.
"Lord Eliwood! Shall I join you? If you deploy my tent, I can help with equipment. I can switch items for you and hold them if your packs are full. However, my tent cannot be moved about, so if you deploy it, it will require a guard. I beg your understanding," Merlinus told Eliwood.
"Of course, Merlinus. MARCUS!" Eliwood called for his paladin.
"Yes, milord?"
"Merlinus here needs a guard to protect his tent. You're the only man I trust enough to do something so important for our army, so will you do it?" Eliwood asked.
"Anything you ask for, milord," Marcus nodded.
"Thank you, Marcus..."
Meanwhile, at a nearby village:
"Hmmm...We certainly could use some assistance," a familiar purple haired mage begged the village leader.
"I'm sorry, but it's just not possible. If we disobey Marquess Laus, who knows what might happen to us?" replied the village leader.
"I understand. We'll seek our aid elsewhere," Erk said, waving a good-bye, and headed outside the village.
"You'll find the same answer everywhere you go. Eventually, you'll have have to do as the marquess orders. You would do well to tell your employer the same thing," the village leader told the mage.
"...I see. Good day to you..."
"Oh, by the way... The pirates from that citadel in the south keep raiding a nearby village. The marquess ignores our pleas for help. We'll all be overrun someday. Someone should go to that village and warn them..." the man told Erk.
'Oh no...Priscilla!' Erk dashed out of the village, but was greeted by Laus soldiers.
"Hold! Are you the escort of Lady Priscilla?" the soldier asked him.
"And if I am?"
"Then you must die!" the soldier charged at him with his lance. Erk just smirked.
Erk took out a thunder tome from his cloak and started chanting. "THUNDER!" he yelled, moving his hands furiously to create the pattern needed to cast the spell. He did it perfectly; the bolt of lightning smote the cavalier into ashes just before his lance struck Erk. 2 more cavaliers charged at him. "You don't learn, do you?" he asked, knowing he'd get no reply. He took out another tome; a fire tome this time, and chanted. He launched two giant fireballs, charring the 2 cavaliers. Erk sniffed in sadistic pleasure, and said, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." But then was disgusted at himself. It just wasn't the same when there was no one to give him stress. 'Lady Priscilla would hate to see this side of me,' he thought sadly.
In another village to the south:
"Priscilla? Has your escort returned yet?" a man from the village asked a young red haired troubadour.
"No. He left yesterday in search of a way out of here... I just hope the soldiers of Laus haven't captured him," Priscilla replied sadly.
"His search for help must have been fruitless. Maruqess Laus has ordered that no aid be given to you. There's really nothing that any of us can do. I apologize, but..." the man said sadly.
"No, no. You could turn me over to the marquess, and yet you continue to grant me asylum. I'm grateful for that, Of course, if I simply went to the castle, this would be all over," Priscilla bowed her thanks.
"Don't fret over that. None of us are overly fond of the marquess. He's always threatening us. He treats us like slaves. All of those war preparations? We want nothing to do with them. We may be divided into territories, but we're Lycians one and all. We may be invaded by another country one day, but why does he want to start a war here at home? None of us understand what he is doing," the man said in disgust.
Back with our heroes:
"A shrewd cleric girl? That'd be Serra, for sure," Hector replied to what Eliwood heard from Hannah.
"No doubt about it, milord..." Fiaa replied.
"Lord Eliwood, Lord Hector! The soldiers are coming!" Matthew warned the group.
"Let's go, then!" Hector raised his Wolf Beil up high. "LET'S DO IT!"
"Come on, Guy, let's go," Matthew grabbed the myrmidon and dragged him.
"sighs...fine..." Guy replied, not very keen at the idea.
"Wait!...um...is it alright if I come with you?" Rebecca walked up to the 2.
"Sure! We need someone to cover our backs, so come along!" Matthew cheerily replied to the girl. Guy just stood there, staring at her. "Guy? Come on, it's rude to stare at girls."
Guy snapped back to reality, and blushed at his comment. "Wh..wh...what? I wasn't staring!" Matthew just shook his head, and gave the myrmidon a mischievous grin. "REALLY! I WASN'T!" Rebecca blushed at noticing that Guy WAS staring at her.
"Hmm...Serra and Lowen, there's a village up northwest of here. I think you should warn them that this area will be a war zone, so I want you to go there," Mark instructed.
"There's also another village to the southwest, near the beach, as well," Hilda commented. "Serra and Lowen, warn them too, all right? And go to the northwest village first, because it's closer. After you do that, come back to the main force, and Matthew, Guy, and Rebecca will go with you."
"All right then, everyone else, we're going to be fighting the main force. We'll try to keep the battle away from the others I've mentioned," Mark instructed. "I believe we're all ready, so let's head out!"
Serra and Lowen quickly traveled to the village in the north east.
"WHY! Won't! You! Leave! Me! Alone!" they heard an angry voice yell. They also could hear the voice yell 'thunder' or 'fire' between shouts. As they neared the area, they saw a young red caped mage with purple hair blasting Laus soldiers that were coming at him into smithereens. The mage panted as he cleared the last of them, and turned around to fix his hair, but grimaced at the cavalier and the cleric coming his way. Well, just the cleric. 'Crap,' he thought.
"HEY! It's ERKY!" Serra jumped off Lowen's horse, and fell on top of Erk and hugged him.
"GET OFF OF ME!" Erk pushed the rabid cleric off of him, and dusted himself off.
"That's mean! I was just trying to nicely greet an old friend!"
"I recall that the crushing of the bones of an 'old friend' wasn't part of any greeting I know..."
"Well, what are you doing here, Erky?"
"I have another job to escort another person now," Erk told Serra. "She's in the village to the south of here. What are you doing here?"
Serra's eyebrow twitched when Erk mentioned that his new escort is a she, but said nothing about it. "Um...I'm serving in the army of my boss Lord Hector of Ostia and this guy's boss, Lord Eliwood of Pherae. We're here to fight off the Laus soldiers so we can ask the marquess something," Serra explained.
"...I see. I'll join you in this battle, because my client wishes to leave Laus. The marquess wouldn't allow us to do that for some reason," Erk told her. "Can you get us to the village south of here? My escort is there; I need to pick her up," he asked Lowen.
"Of course. Get on, but first we must tell our leaders first and call for backup if we need it."
They rode towards the main force, which just killed off the first wave of Laus soldiers. Lowen, Serra, and Erk went to the southern forest, along with Guy, Matthew, and Rebecca jogging behind the cavalier and his 2 passengers. "Slow...down...please..." Rebecca panted. Guy noticed her looking tired, so he stepped in front of her.
"Ride on my back. We'll get there faster," Guy offered the archer.
"Um...thank you," Rebecca nodded, and sat on his back. Guy then dashed off to catch up with Matt and the others. 'He's strong and fast...' she thought.
Meanwhile, on a small island fort near the beach:
"Eh? What's all this? Looks like a war's broken out. Aha ha ha! Perfect! Time for a raid! Up and at 'em, mates! That village is ripe for plunder!" a pirate laughed heartily, and called for his comrades to attack. They jumped out of the fort and into the water, and swam towards the southern village.
Back at the village:
"Listen to this! Have you heard tell of the marquess's infatuation? There's a young woman staying in a village on the harbor. Her speech, her looks, everything about her has the seeming of a princess. The marquess's attentions border on obsession. He's sent countless envoys to invite her to the castle, but she rejects him at every turn. Now, the marquess has guards around the village keeping her trapped. She has no way to escape. It's so sad," a woman whispered to another woman in the village, but Priscilla heard it.
She sighed. 'He's so lecherous...unlike Erk.." she thought.
"EEEK! PIRATES! THE PIRATES ARE COMING!" a village woman yelled, and ran past Priscilla.
"Pirates?" Priscilla asked the man she talked to earlier.
"Oh..yes...this is bad...they think now that since the soldiers of Laus are fighting a battle, we are fair game here..."
"Hmm...I will try to negotiate with them..." Priscilla rode up to the front gate.
"WHAT! Lady Priscilla, you cannot be serious! They slaughter you, even though you are a woman! Or worse, they might..." he couldn't finish his sentence.
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. It's the least I can do for you for letting me stay here," replied the flame-haired troubadour as she rode through the front gate.
Back to Erk and Serra:
"Pirates! ...WHAT? That's my client! What's she doing?" Erk panicked as he saw the troubadour just stand in front of the village gate to meet the pirates. "FASTER MAN! HIYAH!" He kicked the rump of Lowen's horse, making it go faster.
"WHOA!" even Lowen had a hard time adjusting to the unexpected burst of speed from his mount. Erk must have given it a really hard kick.
"Well, well, well...what do we have here?" a pirate said, as he and 7 of his friends surrounded Priscilla.
"Please, sirs, please leave this village alone. They don't want anything to do with you," Priscilla pleaded.
"No can do, sweetheart," another one replied, "But if you're willing, we'll take you instead of one of the village girls. I think it's a much better deal anyways, heh heh heh..." he laughed evilly.
Priscilla is starting to become scared as the pirates started to near her.
"Please, stay back!" she yelled in fear, but one of the pirates grabbed her arm, and pulled her off her horse. "Ah!" she yelped in pain from the fall.
"We've got a real beauty here..." he said. "Let's take her back to the fort; we're gonna have LOTS of fun tonight with this one! GWAHAHAH!"
"Please...let go of me!" Priscilla pulled with all her might, but to no avail.
"STOP IT!" a familiar voice yelled, and a familiar fireball blasted the pirate off of Priscilla and into another.
"What the...son of a b1tch!" the pirate yelled in fury.
"THUNDER!" "ARROW SHOWER!" Erk summoned a large lightning bolt on the hapless pirate, killing him, and Rebecca shot half a quiver of arrows at the enemy at a very high angle, making them rain down on the pirates...while she was still on Guy's back. The pirates were hurt rather badly from the downpour of arrows, but as they were recovering, Matthew, Lowen, and Guy made short work of them with their swords.
"Oh...Erk, thank you!" Priscilla hugged Erk.
"There's no need to do so. It's my job," he replied, hugging her back. Serra huffed.
"And who are these people?" Priscilla asked Erk.
"Excuse me, miss. We are vassals of the house of Ostia and Pherae; of a combined small division of an army, you could say, and we are fighting off Marquess Laus, right now," Matthew spoke for the group.
"If it's not too much trouble, might I leave with you? I'm on a journey. Marquess Laus is barring my way, and... I'm trapped. I am trained in the use of staves. Please, help me," Priscilla pleaded.
"If she's going, then I'm going with her too. Please Matthew, so we can work together again, just like old times, huh?" Erk smiled.
"But of course. However, you'll need to ask Lord Eliwood and Lord Hector regarding your stay, though," replied the cheery thief.
"Great!"
"Now, just like old times..." Matthew walked up behind the mage, put his arm around the mage's neck and gave him a nuggie.
"Oh...right...I usually don't pay attention to the abuse you give me since Serra's usually has much more impact..." Erk commented.
"That's mean, Erk!" Serra huffed.
"Are you the ones that killed the pirates?" a man walked out of the village. Matthew nodded. "We give you our greatest thanks... You're battling Erik and his men, right? Let me tell you, I'm on your side! My granddaughter... Marquess Laus took her away. He found her pretty, and forced her to the castle. It's not much, but please take this. It's a large sword, so you have to be strong to use it. It's a bit unwieldy, but it is a might weapon nonetheless. I hope you can defeat the marquess's son, Erik. It would make our lives more pleasant. Good luck to you," the man offered the thief an Iron Blade. Matthew fell down, not knowing that the weapon was so heavy. The man chuckled.
"So...heavy...Guy, give me a hand, will you?" Matthew asked the myrmidon.
"Hmm...If I do this, will you mark off a favor that I owe you?" Guy smiled. However, seeing where this is going, Matthew smiled wider.
"Hmm...of course. But seeing as I can't use this sword anyways, I'll just give it to you! So since we're even on this little deal, you still owe me all your favors!" Matthew cheerily gave the sword to Guy, who just held it in his hands. Matthew ran away to rejoin the main group.
"Wha...whuh...HEY! MATTHEW! GET YOUR SKINNY THIEF ASS BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!" Guy ran after the thief, and Rebecca followed close, giggling.
'He's really cute and funny like this,' the archer thought, smiling.
"Is it true we're battling Castle Ostia? What could that fool of a marquess be thinking? Laus has no chance of defeating Lycia's most powerful territory! The marquess's son, Erik is nothing but a power-hungry dullard! And the marquess himself is a lecher, plain and simple! What a pair! Do they believe they're a match for an Ostian general?" another man ranted to the man who gave Matthew the Iron Blade, but soon noticed that Lowen, Erk, and the healers were still there. "Oh... Forget everything I said. We never talked, OK?" Lowen, Erk, and the healers sweatdropped as he ran back inside the village, embarrassed.
Castle Laus:
"Blast! They're stronger that I had supposed! To the castle! I want all the reinforcements available, and I want them now!" Erik barked.
"Lord Erik is struggling! He requests reinforcements!" a high ranking troop commander ordered.
"What? Ready the men," Darin ordered.
"Amazing...such numbers still cannot stop them," Ephidel remarked calmly.
"Ephidel? W-Where are you going?" Darin asked, as he saw the cloaked man leave.
"It seems that conquering Lycia might have been too much to ask of you after all. I must inform my master. The Black Fang will be leaving at once," Ephidel replied, walking away.
"No! You... You can't abandon us! Not at this stage!" Darin pleaded.
"Who was it that said Ostia mustn't learn of our plans? Wasn't it you, Lord Darin? The Marquess of Laus himself?" Ephidel asked the general.
"Y-Yes, it was. There's no turning back for me. Not now! P-P-Please! One more... Give me one more chance. I assure you, I will not disappoint Lord Nergal!" Darin begged on his knees.
"Very well... Assemble your men. We will regroup elsewhere," Ephidel instructed.
"Eh? You can't mean... My son... my home... Am I to abandon them?" Darin looked up, surprised.
"Would you fall in disgrace along with your son? Our master, Lord Nergal, is offering you the throne of all Lycia... Surely a few sacrifices are not too much to ask?" Ephidel calmly asked Darin.
"Yes... You're right. My destiny is greater than this. I was born to be king of Lycia," Darin reassured himself.
"And as for an heir? You're still young, my lord. You will have time. You must not let a moment's sentimentality cloud your judgment," Ephidel reassured the general. "Now, we must make haste."
Back outside:
"Where are my reinforcements? Why haven't they come? I've no choice. I must attack! You! To the castle! Find more men!" Erik barked.
"There's no one left inside the castle, milord!" the soldier replied.
"WHAT! Impossible...the marquess would abandon me, his own son!...It must be that scheming son of a b1tch, Ephidel!" Erik said angrily. He looked back towards the battlefield to see Hector, Eliwood, and Hilda advanced towards him. 'Damn, already?' he thought.
"Why, hello there, Erik, pleasant day, isn't it?" Hector smirked, seeing Erik's fear filled face.
"You've always been... an eyesore to me. No matter how hard I tried...You two garnered all the attention... all the praise. In the classroom...on the training grounds... Everywhere and everything!" Erik replied angrily.
"Erik. You always did care more about appearances than ability. If you'd had even a hint of skill, perhaps you'd..." Hector was interrupted.
"Hold your tongue! I will hear no more! No more!" Erik yelled madly.
Hector readied his axe. Eliwood saw this, and knowing the way his friend fights, he stepped in front of Hector. "Eliwood! What gives?" Hector asked, puzzled.
Eliwood whispered to Hector. "Remember...we need him alive...I'll take him on; I want to teach him a lesson in manners, as well." Hector nodded, and grinned. Eliwood readied his rapier and took a fighting stance. "How about we duel, Erik? You and me, one on one," he challenged the cavalier.
"SOUNDS GOOD TO ME! DIE!" Erik yelled as he charged with his Steel Sword out, ready to strike down Eliwood.
Eliwood rolled forward, under the swipe, and sliced his rapier at the rump of Erik's horse, making it whinny in pain, and stand up on its hind legs. "DOWN! DOWN, I SAY!" Erik commanded his horse, not being able to maintain control.
"You lose," Eliwood said, pointing his rapier at Erik's throat as the cavalier regained his balance. "Now, get off your horse. We have some questions we want to ask you."
"Urgh...damn you..." Erik said, getting off his horse, as Eliwood commanded, in fear of having a rapier shoved through his throat. "You... You peasants... You can't treat a proper noble like this!"
"It's too late for niceties! Be thankful you're still breathing!" Hector pushed the cavalier down.
"Erik, you must tell me. Where is your father? We've searched the entire castle, and there's no one here," Eliwood asked the cavalier.
"What? So...that soldier was right...that bastard Ephidel..."
"Ephidel? Who's that?" Eliwood probed, but Erik stayed silent.
"Speak, cur! Do you want to die here?" Hector barked angrily, readying his Wolf Beil. Erik backed up and whimpered in fear.
"Hector! Erik... please. You must tell us everything you know. I...I just want to know where my father is," Eliwood pleaded.
"...Ephidel... He appeared at the castle one year ago. He came...and my father changed. Ostia's position had always bothered my father...He felt Laus deserved to rule all of Lycia. But he'd never gone so far as to speak of rebellion," Erik replied.
"Did you say... rebellion?" Hector raised his eyebrows at the mention of the word.
"Ephidel had something... With it, he convinced my father to set this plan in motion. My father then sent envoys to several other marquesses. Marquess Pherae, he had approved of the idea..." Erik continued.
"WHAT?" Hector grabbed Erik by his collar.
"Never! My father would never agree to such a thing!" Eliwood replied, as he stepped back and shook his head in disbelief.
"Believe or disbelieve. That is your choice. First was Marquess Santaruz. Then Marquess Pherae's reply arrived. Marquess Pherae visited here six months ago to seal his approval," Erik told Eliwood, smirking.
"No...that's...not possible..."
"My father and yours argues vehemently that day. Marquess Pherae always distrusted Ephidel. He tried to convince my fahter to sent Ephidel and the Black Fang assassins out of Lycia. My father would not be persuaded, and Marquess Pherae left the castle. As you know, he then disappeared. I doubt he's still alive," Erik continued.
"NO!" Eliwood shook his head.
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Hector ordered, tightening his grip on the cavalier's collar.
"Eliwood said he wanted to hear everything. My father... He is but Ephidel's puppet. He'll listen to anything that villain says. Even watch his own son... die... Those are the sort of people you're dealing with. Marquess Pherae betrayed them. They would not let him live! Ha ha... ha ha ha ha ha ha..." Erik just laughed at Eliwood's state.
"No..." Eliwood was shaken, as he walked back to rejoin his group.
"...Eliwood..." Hector looked back at his friend, feeling pity.
"...Can I go now?" Erik asked the lord.
"Oh. Right. One more thing," Hector said, smiling, as he readied his fist, and punched Erik in the face, knocking him out. "Bastard."
"My father is alive... And...I cannot believe he supports...rebellion. There must be...there has to be a reason..." Eiwood stuttered on the way back.
"I know. I don't believe any of this for an instant. My brother trusted Marquess Pherae more than anyone. First, we'll find your father and discover the truth. We'll talk to my brother after that," Hector pattered his friend on the back.
"Hector, I'm sorry..."
"Don't look like that. Your father is surely alive, right?"
"Yes, of course... Marquess Laus... Black Fang assassins... Now this mysterious Ephidel... I'll find them all and prove my father's innocence!" Eliwood said, determined.
That night at camp:
"The Black Fang, you say, milord?" Lucifer asked Hector, who nodded in agreement. "Hmm...Well, I...have had some connections with that group, milord. I think I have some information that could be of use. Like...who's who in the ranks of the fang..."
"Really?" Hector asked him.
"Well...yes. I...used to be in that group. Until that...that b!tch... Sonia... she... and...Nergal..." Lucifer clenched his fists, and a tear slid down his eye.
"Hey, don't go blubbering out on me, all right? You're the toughest man we have here; it's going to boost down the morale of the others if you look like this. You don't have to tell me now, if it bothers you so much," Hector patted the mercenary on his shoulder.
"...Thank you, milord," Lucifer replied.
"Don't mention it. Now, let's go get us some dinner before it gets cold..."
"sigh...Nothing like the peace and quiet of sleeping under the stars..." Guy sighed in relief; he needed a rest after having to carry Rebecca all the way from one village to another in a few minutes. He looked up at the night sky, and marveled at the beauty of the stars. He always enjoyed doing this; it always managed to relax his mind. "Man...my life sucks. I never thought I'd see Matthew again, so I won't have to repay him...but fate just has to drink Ilian rum on me...sigh...and there's that cute girl, too...she's young, and a bit fragile, but very pretty...beautiful face...nice curves, too...and I don't even have a chance of getting her to like me..."he said to no one in particular. Unfortunately, his thief friend just happened to be passing by.
"So, who's this girl with a beautiful face and nice curves?" Matt asked the myrmidon, and sat down beside Guy, surprising the myrmidon.
"GWHA? Matthew! Sheesh! Can't anyone have a monologue with privacy?"
"Not when I'm around. So who is she?" Matthew probed.
"...I don't want to say."
"Sigh I didn't want to do this the hard way, but I'm going to use up one of the favors you owe me on this one," Matthew shook his head, and grinned evilly.
"YOU WOULDN'T DARE!" Guy looked at his friend in fear.
"Oh, I would, and you know it," said the thief as his grin got wider. "So, Guy, I'd like to use up one of the favors now."
"Sigh...Fine. But, please tell her or anyone else. Especially her and Serra..." Guy pleaded.
Matthew winced at the mention of the cleric's name. "Yeouch. Of course not, I wouldn't stoop so low as to using this for blackmail."
Guy whispered her name into the thief's ear. "...Rebecca..."
"Hmm...a bit young, don't you think? She's like, 3 years younger than you," Matthew pointed out.
"When has that stopped anyone from having a relationship?" Guy asked smugly.
"Point. She's like the Goddess Star (I'm talking about Venus; technically, they're on earth, just an alternate one) to you, isn't she? The only star that would stand out amongst a sea of other, and some, even brighter stars..." Matthew trailed off. Rebecca walked by to take a walk. "Rebecca...is that the reason you like her? Her beauty?"
"Hmm?" she noticed Guy and Matthew looking up at the stars, talking, and heard her name being mentioned.
"...I'm not that shallow. It does strike me, but she's very kind and caring, too. She does her best even though she's not a healer. I...had a relationship with someone like that. She...died; bandits killed her when they attacked my village..." Guy told the thief. "She's a lot like my ex...they're very similar, even in looks. I...I know I shouldn't dwell on the past...but..."
"...I see. I hope you get your problem sorted out. Good luck, Guy," Matthew said, as he got up and headed back to camp. "REBECCA?"
"GWA?" Guy stood up at the mention of her name. He saw Rebecca walking towards them.
"...Hi, guys! What's up?" she asked cheerily. "I heard you mention my name; is there anything I can do for you?"
"Hmm..."Matthew grinned evilly, and looked at Guy. Guy gave him the 'I-don't-like-what-I-think-you're-thinking' look. Matthew returned him with his 'See-if-I-care' look. Guy, very scared now, gave him the 'You-wouldn't-dare' look. Matthew replied with his 'Oh-really?' look, and Guy slapped his head. Rebecca was puzzled at the strange intercourse.
"Well, you see, my friend Guy here...has a little problem..."Matthew said to Rebecca. In the background, Guy was doing a really weird dance and making faces everywhere to weird her out. Matthew noticed this, and walked around Rebecca so that she wouldn't see the crazy myrmidon. "He has a small problem with...talking to girls...always stuttering and that stuff...all the time. Especially pretty girls. So...I think it would be best if you help him with his greatest fear, seeing that you seem good at this psychology stuff."
Rebecca blushed. "Um...I had a rather...disturbed older brother and neighbor, so I had to...um...take care of them and keep them from killing themselves over a crazy daredevil stunt they'd pull...but, why am I talking about myself, I'm here to help Guy, right? Um..." She blushed; she didn't want to confront the myrmidon now. 'And it was just a silly school-girl crush, right? RIGHT?' she thought to herself. 'I am so in denial...'
Matthew broke the silence. "I'll just leave you two alone," he said, and walked off. 'Oh, this is going to be so much fun...' he thought, and grinned a very wide and evil grin.
"Um...so...you have a problem talking to girls?" Rebecca sat down beside Guy, who stopped attempting to look weird anymore, too tired to do anything. Guy just nodded in response, and turned red in the face.
"...Do...you...um...do you..." Rebecca stuttered.
"...Yes?" Guy asked her.
"Um...it's...it's...nothing...I...uh... I just remembered I have to do something..." Rebecca said, and walked off.
"...My life sucks..." Guy said to himself again.
Meanwhile, at the campfire, everyone else was going into their tents to sleep. However, 3 people were still up. Erk was on guard duty, and Priscilla was still out because she wanted to read a book. Serra was just sitting and looking at the campfire. But in truth, the pink-haired cleric was there to spy on Priscilla and Erk.
'She's here to take my Erky away from me, that evil Succubus. EVIL! MY ERKY IS MINE! MY PRECIOUS! Yes...' Serra thought to herself.
'Why won't she leave...I can't talk to Erk with her around...she seems to want to grab him and just take him for herself...' Priscilla thought to herself.
'2 pretty girls, both want me. Oooohhh, yeah...' Erk thought to himself. How did he know, you ask? As he was sitting, looking at the campfire, he saw the girls steal glances at him, but he pretended not to notice. If he was to choose between the 2, he'd obviously choose Priscilla. But his...darker side, shall we say, wanted to see what would happen. He thought he might enjoy this for a little bit longer.
'heh heh heh...' thought the mage.
End Eliwood's and Hector's tales Chapters 3 Gaiden and 4
Please R&R! Your reviews and advice are much appreciated!