BloodyCrystal: Hey, all. Here's a longer-than-usual chapter to make up for all my short chappies and late updates. Many thanks to Fire Fanatic for her wonderful ideas that she's letting me use. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: As usual, I own nada.
Ch. 9: Revenge
Lani looked up as Marcus rode in. "Army ahead!" the Paladin shouted. Lani stood up immediately as everyone grabbed up weapons and armor and saddled mounts. Eliwood's horse came charging up behind her, and she jumped on, using Eliwood's outstretched hand as a guide-after all, they'd done this maneuver so many times that by now it was pure reflex.
Eliwood rode in front of the others, his horse urged into a gallop. Lani stared at the approaching troops before deciding on a battle plan.
"Lancers, fall back-those are axe troops! Flyers, hang back for a bit until the bowmen are gone! Magic-users, fall in! Healers, hang back but stay with us! Go!" the Tactician cried, voice pitched at what Lloyd and Linus had always jokingly called "announcer level" when she used it on them.
Then, the battle was joined. Sometime during the fighting, Lani slipped off of Eliwood's horse and followed individual fighters around-it made for interesting views of the battle, and allowed her as much mobility as possible. Besides, Tacticians were trained to dodge blows, so she wasn't too worried.
Lani was just starting to think how easily won the battle was going to be when she found herself-and Pent and Louise-surrounded by enemy fighters-ones whom she hadn't seen at the start of the battle. A chill ran down the girl's spine-these were professionals, real ones, who knew exactly what they were doing. The others saw their plight and began racing towards them, but they were hampered by other enemy fighters. The flyers and horse-riders were making the fastest progress, but it wasn't enough. We'll be dead before they get here, Lani realized with a feeling of growing dread.
Her bad feeling increased when the enemy fighters started working on separating the three. Lani soon found herself cut off from Pent and Louise, with those two closer to their oncoming friends, and her closer to the woods that these fighters had materialized out of.
Lani dodged their first attempts to grab her; she was faster and more agile than they had originally thought. The men redoubled their efforts, and one of them grabbed hold of her, pinioning her arms to her sides. Another shoved a foul-smelling gag over her mouth.
Lani's last sight before she blacked out was a glimpse of Heath's terrified expression before all went black.
Heath pushed Hyperion to the wyvern's limits when he saw Lani fall forward into the hands of the dark-clothed men. But it was to no avail-they vanished-with Lani-as secretly as they had originally appeared. Heath collapsed against Hyperion's saddle, barely restraining the tears threatening to fall at the capture of the young Tactician that he cared too much for.
Lyn screamed a war cry, diving at the men who had prevented her from reaching her friend in time to do something. Even her allies backed up at Lyn's ferocity in dealing with what was left of the afternoon attackers. Hector was the only one to stay near her, trying to rein the Blade Lord in before she accidentally injured one of their own.
But they all felt the same way as Lyn. Lani hadn't just been their Tactician; she had been their friend, and now she was captured by an enemy worse than Nergal. Everyone was struggling to rein in the killing impulse that Lyn and some of the others had given in to. Others-like Heath-had collapsed in shock, horrified that this enemy would break the Neutrality Compact that decreed Tacticians immune from death/punishment/harm during/after a fight.
When everyone reconvened after the battle for a conference, it was with heavy hearts. "We have to think with our heads," Eliwood announced before opening it. "That is what Lani would want, and we should honor what her wishes would be. I declare this open to discussion. First, the pros for rescuing Lani, then the cons. Lord Pent, you have the floor."
"Thank you, Eliwood. Now, a major pro is..."
Heath ignored the discussion completely. He appeared to be listening-not to mention indifferent-, but inside he was steaming. How can they treat this like it's just another battle? If our enemy is the man from my dreams, then Lani needs help, and she needs it now. The others might say I'm biased since we help each other sleep at night, but she needs to be rescued before he does something to her!
Heath tuned in for long enough to hear the cons being discussed, and scoffed mentally at one of them. 'Without a Tactician, we're screwed," indeed! Did this genius forget that our Tactician happens to be the one we need to rescue? As Heath continued listening, he realized that the others were going to continue to pussyfoot around the issue for a few days.Damn it, but Lani doesn't have a 'few days.' She's got hours, if that, and these idiots won't do a damn thing! Well, if they won't, I will, Heath decided. With that decision firmly in mind, Heath began to plan for his "outing."
In the dead of night, the sentries still looked outwards for disturbances, not inward. So the shadow that lifted off from inside the circle of tents was not observed at all. It wasn't even noticed when it spiraled up, before turning southwest and flying out.
Heath clung to Hyperion with his knees while his hands situated his lances and his mind worked on strategies based on the map Lani had that he had "borrowed" earlier in the evening. The map was lying out on his bed, and the others would figure out what happened very easily, but that-as the infamous "they" said-was that.
Heath clung to the cloud cover, as he knew it could mean the difference between life and death.
A man, guarding his Lord's Keep, stopped briefly, removing his helmet. He lay the helmet on the rock next to him, and placed his sword-a lance-reaver-next to the rock. He carefully uncorked the flask at his hip and began to drink. He had just finished the flask when a dark shape appeared out of the night. Before the guard could sound the alarm, his head fell off his neck, landing on the ground.
Heath carefully cleaned his lance on his "opponent's" corpse, silently thinking a short-but respectful-prayer for the Mercenary.
Heath left Hyperion in the now-guardless glade, telling the wyvern, "Stay here until I return with Lani. If I-" Heath stopped himself there, shaking his head. "If either we're both not here or she's not here by dawn, go back to the camp. I hope you understand this, Hyperion. Lani's life could depend on this, you scaly heap." A lump caught at the Wyvern Lord's throat; Hyperion was very dear to him, and he would be very upset if something happened to the wyvern-scaly heap or no.
Heath slipped in by foot, leaving seemingly random guards dead. In actuality, he was using the little-known Bern tactic of zigzagging. Heath was positive that this unknown enemy would either not hear of this, or would not know what it was or what it meant.
Heath slipped into the castle proper through a tiny wicker gate. He used the shadows cast by lantern-light to ease his way through the narrow alcoves and passageways of the state-of-the-art building. Heath worked his way down to the basement, where the dungeons were. He saw that only one cell was currently in use, and that there were no guards.
Strange, he thought. You'd think that there'd be at least one guard…Unless he's having her visit his chambers…
Heath stopped by the only cell in use, and peered in. Moonlight pouring in the barred window illuminated a scene straight out of Hell.
Lani, looking-strangely enough-like some sort of angel, was chained to the wall by her wrists. She crouched on the floor, trying desperately to wrap her body into a curled up ball. The Tactician was bleeding-badly-from knife cuts of varying lengths. She looked almost like some sacrificial victim with the way the knife cuts were so precise.
Standing over her, holding a knife that dripped crimson onto the stone floor, was a man Heath had long thought dead. And this man-no, this hell-spawn in man's guise was the man who they had been fighting all along. And that explained more than a few discrepancies that had puzzled Heath-until now, that is.
Heath watched in fascinated horror as his once-friend cut a shallow cut-just deep enough to draw blood-along Lani's belly. Then, he wiped the blade across her forehead. "Look, it matches your eyes, my dear Tactician," he smirked at her. Then, without turning around, he added, "Enjoying the show, Heath? Does it remind you of the blood we bathed in all those years ago? Such a glorious crimson, it does excite me so. What about you, my once-friend? Does blood still draw the passion into your veins?" When Heath didn't answer, Renj calmly announced, "Throw my was-friend into the cell across from this one; make it so that the two can see each other." With that, he sauntered out of the cell and up the stairs.
Heath made no move as the once-hidden guards grabbed him and dragged him-none too gently-to the cell indicated by Renj. He made no sound as they chained him high enough to see-and be seen by-Lani. How could he, when Lani had looked at him with such shock and terror in her eyes?
How could he ever forgive himself for scaring the one human who meant the world and more to him?
BloodyCrystal: Well, how do you like it? I worked hard, even if part of the ending belongs to Fire Fanatic. Thanks to her for part of the ending, and for forcing me to include both captures in the chapter and not splitting it up like I originally intended. I most definitely like it better with both captures, so much thanks. The next chapter will be out whenever I have time, and sorry that it takes so long, but swim season is in full swing right now, meaning six days of practice (unless there's a meet) and up to two practices a day. That's my only reason, but it's a good one, so kindly don't yell at me about it. Please review, and I'll "see" you when I "see" you.