Castle Caelin…
"Milord, I have urgent news!" a Lycian soldier ran through the halls before kneeling before an old General, and making the report.
"What!?" Lundgren clenched his fists. "Madelyn's daughter is still alive?"
"Uh… yes, milord." The soldier replied. "She is currently traveling with Kent and Sain. What are your orders? If we let them be, I fear..."
"Yes, yes, you're right." Lundgren nodded. "She's more of a concern than my older brother. That old man will die sooner or later… but as long as the girl lives, I can never safely inherit the throne. You have your orders: use everything at your disposal to ensure that she does not make it here alive!"
"E-everything, milord?" the soldier asked. "The ballista… all the soldiers on reserve… the people we've blackmailed?"
"Did I stutter!?" Lundgren spat. "I said EVERYTHING!"
"Yes milord!" The soldier gave a salute. "I'll let our commanders know. Everything is to be mobilized to ensure her death before arrival. All units under our command will begin their mission immediately."
"Good, good. Do not let me down…"
On the road to Caelin…
After a long day of travels, Robin and company arrived at the foot of a hill. At its summit was an abandoned fort.
"Ah, this should suffice!" Wil exclaimed after scouting out its entrance. "Tonight's bed!"
"This mildewy old fortress?" Sain looked slightly discontent. "Is this really the best we can do? Come, Wil! Surely you jest?"
"This fort looks fairly abandoned. I doubt anyone would randomly come searching for us here." Wil explained. "And in the event that anyone does, we'll at least be fairly protected."
"Wil is right." Lyn agreed. "Especially since we may have the Ganelon bandits searching for us. Since we're still in their territory, we should be cautious."
"I think we should be able to hold back a group far larger than ourselves if we utilize the walls of the fortress to our advantage." Robin added. "Personally, I approve."
"Fine…" Sain sighed. "You've convinced me."
The group cautiously made their way into the fortress. They did not notice the pair of eyes that had been following them. Once he was sure Lyn and company were settling in for the night, he ran off to inform his leaders.
"...you're pardon, milady…" A female voice called to them from inside.
"Who's there?" Lyn asked.
"I… Forgive my intrusion…" a young woman hobbled out from the room in the interior of the fort. "My name's Natalie… I'm from a village not far from here…" She grimaced in pain from her leg, which had a nasty looking scar running down it.
"Are you all right?" Lyn asked. "Your leg…"
"I'm… fine." Natalie insisted. "It's… from a childhood sickness… I can't travel far on it, but it doesn't trouble me much."
"Well, what are you doing here all by yourself?" Lyn continued to ask.
"I'm looking for my husband… I heard he was in this area. He said he was going to raise some money to get my leg mended… But he left the village, and he hasn't returned. He's a kind hearted man, but I have a hunch that he's gotten himself into something dangerous… Here's a sketch of him, although it isn't the most accurate. His name is Dorcas, have you heard of him before?"
"Dorcas…" Lyn furrowed her brows. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I've ever seen or heard of him before, what about the rest of you?" she turned towards her allies.
"Never." Kent shook his head.
"Me neither." Wil said in agreement.
"Nope!" Sain replied.
Florina and Robin simply shook their heads.
"Guess not." Lyn sighed. "Sorry."
"I see." Natalie sighed. "It was a long shot anyways. But if you do see him, could you pass on a message for me? Tell him Natalie is looking for him."
"All right, we'll be sure to tell him if we run into him." Lyn nodded.
"What about you?" Wil asked. "Is your home nearby?"
"I don't think it'd be a good idea for me to return right now… normally, it would only be around an hour or two from here, but with my leg… it'd take me half a day. It would be the middle of the night by the time I returned."
"W-what if your husband returns while you are gone then?" Florina asked.
"I left him a note… I'm just more worried that he won't return at all."
"Well, we don't exactly own this fort… you could stay here tonight I suppose." Robin suggested. "It's not a burden on us at all."
"Thank… thank you…"
"Well, why don't I get dinner started then?" Sain asked. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starving!"
"Maybe I can catch some small animals or something in the woods nearby!" Wil suggested. "If I shoot 'em, can you cook 'em?"
"I'd be more than happy to!" Sain clenched his fist. "It's not everyday you get a bite of meat in your meal."
"Then… Robin… if you don't mind, will you help me further my training?" Lyn asked.
"This would be a pretty good time to…" Robin agreed. "Why don't you grab those practice swords!"
"Of course!" Lyn eagerly exclaimed as she went to go find them.
"I-I've never seen her so excited before…" Florina murmured to herself as she watched Lyn run off.
"It seems she has an extremely strong desire to improve." Kent agreed. "I'm kind of curious… what kind of swordsman is Robin?"
Kent and Florina ended up standing around the entrance of the fort to watch Lyn and Robin spar just outside.
'So… light…' was the first thing Robin thought after being handed a practice sword. 'I guess I did tell her to pick the ones that are as heavy as her own sword… come to think of it, it was a pretty flimsy one, wasn't it?"
"So… how do we do this?" Lyn asked.
'Do you think she'd be a threat to me if I fought her in real combat with a sword?' Robin asked in his mind.
'Not a chance.' Grima replied. 'She's not a veteran by any means in the first place. Not even your friends could confidently beat you now that you've inherited my experience with weapons.'
"Well, you can just come at me with everything you have." Robin shrugged. "I'll try and give you some pointers here and there…"
"Then I won't be polite!" Lyn had a grin on her face as she charged towards Robin.
"Wow! Lyn is so fast!" Florina said as she admired their swordplay. "Robin can barely keep up!"
"I disagree." Kent shook his head. "While Lady Lyndis is indeed extremely fast, I believe Robin is only going as fast as he needs to. Do you see that expression he has? If he were being pushed near his limits, it would be impossible to remain that relaxed. More likely, he's just slowing himself down to Lyn's tempo in order to help her learn."
"Well… now that you mention it, I think you're right." Florina agreed, albeit reluctantly.
It didn't take too long for Robin to find a gap in Lyn's defenses. He darted out of the way of her horizontal swing and instantly closed in. Lyn's sword was still out to her side from her swing, and could not defend herself from Robin's strike. Before he hit her, Robin stopped the sword, so that the wooden blade rested at the side of her neck.
"That attack was a little too greedy." Robin explained. "Against most people we've run into so far, it would've definitely worked, because if you landed that attack, they would not have survived. However, in the future, you might run into people far faster than those we've fought before, or you might run into people wearing far better equipment. If that swing doesn't kill, it leaves you open to a counterattack that is extremely difficult to defend against, especially since you don't wear armor."
"So… what do I do then?" Lyn asked.
"Try swinging… like this." Robin gave her a demonstration. He stopped the swing far earlier than Lyn did. "See how my arm is still in front of me rather than all the way across my body? It might be a little harder to get used to, and you might not get as much power behind the swing at first, but it doesn't leave you completely open in case the attack doesn't work."
"Like… this." Lyn copied Robin's swing.
"Hm… not quite." Robin furrowed his brows. "You've got the right idea, but that swing had almost no power behind it. But it will get better with practice. The difference between an expert and an amateur often lies in the details. Let's try again."
"Right!" Lyn readied her stance, and once again began an assault on Robin.
"Wow, they're still at it!?" Wil asked as he got back from hunting around an hour or so later. "Weren't they sparring when I left as well?"
"Seems like it." Kent nodded. "Caught anything?"
"You bet!" Wil lifted up a hare he had shot by the ears. "Took me a while, but it'll be worth it! This one's a nice and fat one too!"
"Oh, not bad." Kent gave his catch a quick glance before returning his attention to Robin and Lyn.
"Is it really that interesting?" Wil asked. "I can't seem to make heads or tails out of it. Maybe that's just because I'm not a sword user."
"Take a look at Robin… he doesn't look much older than you or I, right?"
"Well, no." Wil took a closer look. "Now that I think about it, he might be just as old as I am. Why do you ask?"
"I am of the same opinion." Kent nodded. "But looking at his swordplay, he seems to have an entire lifetime of experience swinging that sword. If he were to fight me with the intent to kill, I'm not sure I'd be able to survive. And it would be one thing if he were just a prodigy with the sword. However, he's also a master of magic with a sharp, strategic mind. What type of background does he come from in order to carry that sort of skill set?"
"I remember he mentioned something about a war in his homeland." Florina offered, remembering some of their earlier conversations that day. "M-maybe that's where he learned all of that."
"If that's the case, then that must have been one intense war." Kent sighed.
"Now that you mention, I do get the feeling that he's killed before… and I don't mean just one or two, or even a couple dozen either…" Wil furrowed his brow. "I don't know, he just gives me that vibe."
"Hey Wil! You're back!" Sain called from inside the fort. "What did you catch?"
"Oh yeah, I gotta get this over to Sain." Wil quickly excused himself and headed into the fort himself.
"A Rabbit!?" they heard from inside the fort. "What a fat one you've got there! Wil, you beautiful bastard!"
Kent let out an exasperated sigh, while Florina let out a giggle.
Robin and Lyn sparred until Wil came and called them for dinner. While Lyn had beads of sweat forming on her brow, Robin looked like he had just come back from a simple stroll.
"I… think I'm going to go wash up before eating." Lyn informed them. "Just leave a little for me."
"Don't take too long, or the food will get cold!" Sain warned.
"There's a well behind the fort." Florina told her helpfully.
"All right, thanks." Lyn had a grin on her face as she walked back outside.
"She seems to be in a rather good mood." Observed Wil.
"Probably still high on the adrenaline from combat." Robin reasoned as he sat down. Natalie brought him a bowl of stew, which he thanked her for. "My… friends were all the same."
He brought some of the rabbit stew to his lips with a spoon.
'It's… not bad!'
'Did you have really low expectations?' Grima's voice asked in his head.
'Well, after eating bland food for the last few days, this is head and shoulders above any of that. Maybe because there's meat this time?'
"So how come you don't seem so tired?" Sain asked. "Lady Lyndis looks completely exhausted."
"I hate to say it, but she really doesn't pose much of a challenge for me." Robin shrugged. "She wasn't, and still isn't a soldier. But, if she's serious about improving, she'll definitely catch up to me."
"So you're a soldier then?" Natalie asked. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to intrude."
"No, no, it's fine…" Robin sighed as he thought about his friends. "Well, I don't know if I could consider myself a soldier… I was mostly just a tactician. But being able to fight is still extremely important. Everyone needed to be able to hold their own, especially against the unfavorable odds that we had to deal with."
"You sound like an old fart now." Sain jested. "But please, do go on."
"Well there was a period where the entire day we were either marching, training, or fighting." Robin continued. "We were fighting an enemy in a distant land, so we had to. First, my friends and I… we beat them as they landed on our soil. Then we had to beat them in the middle of the ocean in naval combat… and then we had to land on their land and march across the entire continent… I guess you could say I've been through far more than Lyn probably has, at least from a physical perspective."
"Wow… that sounds like it must've been intense." Wil scratched the back of his head. "And here I thought I had it rough."
"I got through it." Robin shrugged. "And to a certain extent, it's our experiences that make us stronger, right?"
"So your allies… they were even better than you in combat?" Kent asked.
"Well, I don't actually know." Robin furrowed his brows. "I don't think I've actually fought them before… and of course, it varies from person to person. I think the best scenario for me is that I'd have a hard time."
"If that's the case, then I'm glad Lycia is not at war with your homeland." Kent sighed.
"Yeah… I'm glad as well..."
"So, uh, did anyone take a look at the interior of the fort?" Robin asked in order to break the silence caused by his somber expression. "I didn't get a good change to look at everything yet. Any secret passages, trapdoors, hidden rooms or other exciting stuff?"
"I took a quick look earlier, so we know all the exit locations in an emergency." Kent replied. "Besides the main entrance, there's an entrance to the east, and if we really need it, there's a spot on the western wall that can be broken down with just a little bit of effort."
"I see… so we have three entrances to defend..."
"You can afford to lighten up a little." Wil suggested. "There's not a war going on at the moment."
"Yeah." Robin chuckled. "Old habits die hard."
They talked about some lighter topics while they ate, and after a few moments, Lyn came back to eat with them as well.
"What did I miss?" She asked.
"Quite a lot, actually…" Florina muttered to herself.
By the time everyone had finished dinner, the sun had just about set. After cleaning up and drafting the night watch schedule, everyone not required to stay up headed off to bed. Robin, as always, offered to take the first watch, to which no one objected.
"So how do you feel about it?" Lyn asked as she pulled a blanket over herself. "I know the rest of the guys are men, but you don't seem to be struggling as much."
"Well, that's because you're here with me!" Florina replied.
"Calm down Florina…" Lyn giggled. "You look like an excited puppy."
"Well, actually, they don't seem to be that hard to talk to." Florina changed her answer after thinking about it for a moment. "I had a talk with Kent earlier, while we watched your training… it was a normal conversation, just like how when I talk to you."
"Well that's a good first step I guess. I can see how you might be able to talk to Kent. He just seems like the sort of guy most people would get along with."
"Of the four of them, he's probably the least intimidating…" Florina admitted.
"Oh? Then who do you think is the most intimidating?" Lyn pressed. "And why is it Sain?"
"No, it's not!" Florina giggled. "Sain… is probably right after Kent actually. He acts so… so… stupid sometimes that it's impossible to be scared of him! Plus, it's actually pretty funny."
"Then who is it?"
"Robin."
Lyn froze. "Robin? Really? I really didn't think he was that sort of guy. He's really nice, and smart, and strong…"
'...and handsome…' her brain continued, but she couldn't let that thought slip out.
"Well, don't get me wrong, I don't think he's a bad guy." Florina held up her hands in defense. "From how he was teaching you, he actually seems like a really… like a really gentle person! I mean, I don't think I've gotten through a single training session without my instructors yelling or hitting me back in Ilia!"
"Then why do you think he's so intimidating?"
"His eyes." Florina whispered.
"His… eyes?" Lyn looked puzzled. "Wow, I didn't realize you were paying that close attention to him... "
"It's nothing like what you're thinking!" Florina waved her hands frantically as her cheeks turned a rosy color. "When we ate dinner, I just thought I saw something sinister behind that gaze of his… maybe I was just imagining it, but it still sent shivers down my spine nonetheless."
"So you think he might betray us?"
"No, that's not what I meant… Ugh.. I'm not good at putting things into words." Florina let out an exasperated sigh. "It's just… I don't know… something about him is just… scary. I know he's been in a war before… maybe it has to do with that."
"Yeah, that's definitely a possibility." Lyn sighed as she laid her head down on the pillow. "Scary huh…"
"I might just be imagining it." Florina suggested as she also laid down on her own bedroll. "By the way, is it really OK for me to skip the night watch?"
"Well, Kent and Sain kept insisting it's the chivalrous thing to do." Lyn shrugged. "If the boys are so eager to cover it for you, why argue with them?"
"Yeah, you're right." Florina smiled as she pulled the blanket over herself. "Maybe they're not so bad…"
"Let's just get some sleep." Lyn suggested. "We probably have a long day of marching tomorrow as well."
"Yes ma'am!"
At the center of the fort was a fireplace, which Robin lit. It helped keep the interior warm for the others that were sleeping. The smoke from the fire can escape from the chimney, and the fire was also not visible to anyone from outside of the fort. Furthermore, the smoke from the fire doesn't really give away their position either, due to how dark it was outside. Robin sat himself in a corner, and pulled out a book from the astral plane to read.
'I'm so glad I put all these books in here…' Robin mused to himself as he finally found an opportunity to stay entertained while not jeopardizing his friends' safety. Just like that, several hours passed in what seemed like the blink of an eye.
"Why didn't you wake me?" Kent asked after he woke up on his own accord. "Isn't it well past your time?"
"Hm?" Robin looked up from the book he held in his hands. "I really don't mind, especially since there's some light this time. And, no offense, contrary to what you might be thinking, it's actually safer for me to keep watch."
"And why is that?" Kent asked as he rubbed his eyes.
"Well, since it's dark outside and not as dark inside, it's actually very difficult for you to see anything productive." Robin explained. "So by the time you actually see the threat, it would already be too late to wake everybody up and get them ready for combat. I, on the other hand, will be able to tell if there are people approaching us, especially large groups, with the help of this guy here…" Robin pointed to the small crystal ball that he had set next to him.
"Is that so?" Kent couldn't understand the symbols and characters emitted by the object, but come to think of it, Robin seemed to have an uncanny ability to keep track of everything in the thick of combat, as shown by the skirmish with the Ganelon bandits. With that in mind, Kent decided to take his word for it.
"I have a question Robin… do you think of us… Sain and I, that is, as weaklings?"
Robin closed his book and looked up. "What caused you to ask me that question?"
"Well, I've seen your magic, and I've seen your swordplay… I've also seen how you conduct battles. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but it seems to be that everything seems so natural to you. So I'm guessing the allies you commanded in the past were of similar caliber, at least compared to you that is. If that is the case, then Sain and I must seem pretty pathetic in comparison, am I right?"
"Well, I won't lie to you then." Robin chuckled. "Yeah, you guys aren't anything too special. I hope that doesn't hurt your confidence too much."
"Yeah, that's what I thought." Kent sighed. "Is… there anyway for us to get stronger?"
"Actually, I kind of envy you. Well, not you specifically, but your country. If a stable country also has weak knights, doesn't that mean the country has had peace for many generations? You being weak actually is a sign of your countries' health."
"But…"
"That being said, it's not wrong to want to become stronger. And it's not wrong to prepare for the possibility of hard times in the foreseeable future. If that's truly your wish, then I may be able to help you get stronger, sort of like how I'm helping train Lyn."
"That would be greatly appreciated." Kent had a look of relief on his face. "I was just worried that we weren't doing enough. We are considered fairly young knights, Sain and I. And someday, we may be in charge of the defense of Caelin, and by extension, Lycia. I just want to equal the task."
"That's an admirable attitude."
"Although, I'm not sure if Sain would like to-"
"Hold on." Robin held up a hand to interrupt the knight. "We… might have a situation."
A swarm of red icons began flooding towards their location on the Hekseer. "Kent… go wake everyone up. Tell them to prepare for combat. We're about to be under attack."
"A-are you sure?" Kent asked.
"Unless those brigands outside are here for a random midnight stroll, I'm pretty damn sure, yes."
Kent got the idea, and rushed off to wake everyone up, giving Robin some time to analyze the situation.
"These bandits aren't playing around…" Robin furrowed his brows. "We're going to have to hold on as long as we possibly can."
"What happened?" Lyn asked as she rushed over, still in the process of tying her hair up. The others soon followed.
"There are some bandits approaching us." Robin explained as he lit some torches. He placed one on both sides of the doorframe at the main entrance and passed one to everyone, except Sain and Kent.
"Here's what we'll do." Robin turned to everyone and began. "The main entrance, here, will be left to Kent and Sain to defend. Due to the small entrance, no one should be able to get past the two of you, as long as you don't die, and you don't leave your positions. Don't use your lances, as you have less room to your sides. A shorter weapon, like your swords, are far more preferable since they need to run up to you anyways."
The knights nodded.
"Next, Wil." Robin pointed to a location to the left of the entrance, within a small corridor. "I'm going to position you at that location. There's a spot for you to hang your torch, and you'll be able to see anyone that tries to force their way in from that side. If you climb onto the viewing platform, you should be able to get a good shot at anyone from above."
"What if no one comes?" Wil asked. "Maybe they don't even realize they can get in that way."
"That would actually be the best case scenario." Robin answered. "In that case, you would still be able to shoot towards the main entrance. With your accuracy, it shouldn't be a problem for you to shoot over Kent and Sain, although you should still be careful, as a single arrow could jeopardize our entire defense if you hit them in the back."
"Yeah." Wil nodded.
"That leaves the entrance to the east." Robin turned towards the girls. "It's much smaller, so I think Lyn would be able to hold it by herself. However, I'm going to station Florina there as well for support. Her reach with a lance could prove extremely useful. And of course, Natalie, just hide in the back. Don't worry about a thing, I guarantee we'll get you out of this situation safe and sound."
"What about you?" Sain asked.
"I'm staying behind you two." Robin replied. "My guess is the main entrance will require the most assistance, although if you cannot hold your side, you should give me a holler. I'll be able to help any side extremely quickly."
"It sounds like we have a plan." Kent nodded. "How many opponents are we looking at?"
"No idea." Robin shrugged. "Didn't get the change to count 'em all. My guess is, we're lookin' at fifty or so."
"F-fifty!?" Florina gasped. "W-we're severely outnumbered!"
"Yes, but we have the better positions. There's a reason why this is a fort: It's easy to defend, even while lacking many warm bodies." Robin held up a finger. "Actually, as long as we don't fall asleep mid combat, I think our chances are actually pretty good."
Lyn and Kent shot Sain an accusing stare, to which he held his hands up in protest.
"Trust me on this one." Robin smiled, seeing Florina still wasn't completely convinced. "I think we'll get out of this one just fine."
Robin's words did seem to have a largely positive impact on everyone's morale, and they quickly headed off to their own positions. Robin fished out multiple tomes, and faced the main entrance, his expression dripping with anticipation.
"Woah!" Sain narrowly dodged an axe swing as the first of the brigands arrived. After the assailant missed, an arrow whizzed past Sain and lodged itself into the bandit's chest, scoring the first kill of the night.
"Nice shot!" Praised Sain. "But could you shoot the next one a little higher? I felt the wind on that one."
"Focus!" Kent chastised his companion as he cut down another brigand.
'The quality of their soldiers is laughable.' Grima noted inside Robin's head.
'Yeah, I agree. They're even worse than the ones we encountered earlier today. Maybe they had a long march or something? They're fighting like they're already exhausted.'
'At this point, I wouldn't even consider victory a miracle… it might actually just be the expected outcome.'
'Well, yes, didn't you hear me say that earlier.'
'Okay, but I didn't take you seriously. I thought you were trying to just make that little girl feel better.'
"Ignite!" The pages out of a red tome flickered through the air as Robin pointed his hand towards the entrance. The bodies of several bandits charging at them suddenly went up in flames as they were instantly burnt alive.
'This will be the most difficult feeling to get used to.'
'You don't bat an eye when you suddenly are capable of using melee weapons, and knowing an extra spell or two surprises you?'
'You're right. But when I gain a skill in a field I'm unfamiliar with, it's easier to take it for granted. I was already a user of magic, so this sudden boost feels better to me… Come to think of it, where do these tomes come from? I don't remember having a copy of it stored away."
'You've had them this entire time. Take a closer look.'
At Grima's suggestion, Robin flipped to a random page and analyzed the runic portrait depicted across its pages. 'Isn't this… just a basic fire tome?'
'Tomes are not the same as the spells they contain.' Grima explained. 'They are merely instruments that assist the user. Sure, they contain magic, but if it were that simple, anyone would be able to cast the highest tier of magic simply by owning the right pages. The runes in a fire tome make it extraordinarily easy to cast a fire spell, and relatively easier to cast other fire based spells. But if you were to use it to try and cast a wind spell, you're better off incanting from memory.'
'So what you're saying is, I could cast Elfire or Arcfire with a fire tome?'
'You could.' Robin could even visualize Grima shrugging. 'But why would you do that when more efficient aids are already mass produced? What you just did is better for tomes that are far more rare, and usually far more powerful. As long as you've memorized a page, with just the assistance of a fire tome you can recreate the spell.'
'So what you're saying is, I've basically turned into a magical genius.'
'More like you're profiting off the hard work my vessels have put in in the past. Although, I have to give credit where credit is due, your starting skill was already high. With the addition of my millennia of experience, it's not surprising you're capable of doing remarkable things...'
"Robin!" Lyn's cry caught Robin's attention.
"What's wrong?"
"One of the people that tried to enter from our entrance… is Dorcas." A man approached Robin. From the candlelight, he could make out a face that resembled the one in the portrait Natalie had shown them. "He's agreed to help us fight off the Ganelon bandits."
"Is it true that Natalie is here?" Dorcas asked.
"Yes, she's hiding in the back room."
"That's all I needed to hear. Where do you want me?"
"If Lyn returns to her position, then the best available position would be over there." Robin pointed to Wil. "Since he needs to watch two different angles, you'll contribute by helping him watch one of them. Try and help him as best you can."
"No problem, but… that doesn't seem like I'm doing much." Dorcas scratched the back of his head.
"Well to be honest, I wasn't expecting any reinforcements when I made the strategy." Robin replied sheepishly. "I'm not going to sugarcoat it: you being here isn't necessary to winning this fight. However, it does make things easier for us. And besides, if they do manage to break in from that side, we'll rely on you for close quarters combat. Wil hasn't been shooting towards the entrance as frequently, so I'm guessing there are some of them trying to sneak through the side."
"Got it." Dorcas nodded. "You can count on me then."
On the west side, Florina retracted her spear after thrusting it towards a Mercenary. Lyn swooped in with her Mani Katti and helped her secure the kill.
At the main entrance, Kent and Sain were still holding on. As yet another wave of Brigands were repelled, Sain took the moment to take a swig out of a vulnerary.
"Man, they just keep on coming!"
"Keep holding on!" Kent replied. "If we give up our spot, everyone inside will die!"
"I wasn't complaining! I was just making an observation!"
"Your effort wasn't in vain!" Robin told them. "They're beginning to run out of warm bodies to throw at us."
"Finally, some good news!" Sain laughed. "See, Kent? You're being way too uptight!"
"Don't let your guard down, Sain." Robin reminded him. "Almost over is not the same thing as being over. It would be a shame if you were to kick the bucket so close to a victory, wouldn't it?"
"Yeah, yeah." Sain readied his stance again.
On the east side, Wil quickly adjusted to Dorcas's presence, and was able to pay attention to the main entrance more often. Dorcas would help notify him whenever someone approached from their side.
"Over here! Axeman!"
Wil stopped his draw and stood up, looking over the wall from the platform he was standing on. At this distance, he wouldn't be able to continue calling himself an archer if he missed. The brigand, clearly thinking he had been sneaky in his approach, quickly found an arrow sticking out of his chest.
"Nice one!" Dorcas praised.
"That was nothin'!" Wil replied as he faced towards the main entrance once again. "Keep calling those out!"
Although it was extremely dark outside, Robin's eyes were strangely lit up as he scanned the open field in front of them. He could see a muscular man standing in the clearing, apparently shouting out some orders. He was standing in a location where no normal human should have been able to discern, considering the dark of night. However, Robin was no ordinary human. At least, not anymore.
"Thoron!" A thick bolt of electricity shot out of Robin's hand, right past Kent and Sain. It flew through the night air, illuminating the area the spell passed by. The Ganelon leader didn't even get a chance to react to the spell before it left a hole through his torso. "Gotcha."
"Wh-what was that?" Sain asked.
"Hm?" Robin seemed confused by his reaction. "Oh, right. I suppose that was probably the strongest spell you've seen me use yet. Don't worry about it. I get the feeling the attacks will begin to stop soon."
True to his word, the Ganelon bandits began to retreat a few minutes after Robin had cast his spell, likely due to the fact that they realized their leader had been killed. Robin gave the signal to everyone that the battle was over.
"Um… what was that?" Florina asked once they regrouped. "That spell lit up the entire night sky from where we were!"
"Robin's always pulling something new out of that bag of tricks he has." Wil chuckled. "Scared me silly, actually."
"You weren't the only one." Lyn giggled. "The guy we were fighting soiled his pants after seeing that display! Ran away muttering 'Monsters! Monsters! Every one of them!'"
"Hey… where did Dorcas go?" Florina wondered.
"Oh, that guy went off to make sure his wife is all right." Wil explained. "For someone that's willing to tango with bandits, he really has a soft heart."
As if on cue, Dorcas came out of the back room carrying his wife.
"Our village is nearby." Dorcas explained. "I'll take Natalie home and return by tomorrow morning."
"Why not just say our farewells today?" Lyn suggested.
"You've… help save Natalie." Dorcas explained. "I have to repay the favor. Even If I have to earn money for her leg, I cannot ignore how much that means to me."
"Well, we're going all the way to Lycia." Lyn explained. "Is that fine with you?"
"Lycia, huh?" Dorcas chuckled. "I may be able to find a decent job there once things are all said and done. Perhaps the journey won't be a waste."
"Well, if you really want, I don't think we'll object." Robin shrugged. "But before you go, can you do me a favor?"
"What's that?" Dorcas asked.
"That goes for the rest of you too… can you go find all the bodies we've killed and drag them to the entrance?"
"Um…. what?" Lyn asked. "You want us to do what?"
"Trust me on this one." Robin sighed. "They just died a few moments ago. You won't catch anything."
"Yeah, but who knows where those brigands have been?" Lyn shivered. "Well, whatever, you must have your reasons."
Kent had already begun moving the bodies, and Dorcas soon followed after setting Natalie down gently. After a few minutes, there was a sizable pile of bodies gathered in front of Robin.
"I highly doubt they'll be very valuable, given their lifestyles... " Robin shrugged. "But maybe quantity makes up for quality."
Robin touched the bodies one by one, and they quickly began to shrivel up, as if they had been left to dry in the sun.
"What's this?" Wil asked.
Florina looked like she was about to throw up. Lyn let the pegasus rider lean on her for support, but her face wasn't looking too healthy either.
"Let me see your leg." Robin motioned to Natalie after he was done. "The injured one."
"Um… Ok…" Natalie obliged, feeling there weren't many other options.
Robin placed a hand on Natalie's leg.
"It's… warm…" Natalie muttered. Her hand tightened its grip in Dorcas's hand.
"There... should be better now." Robin said as he finished up.
"My… leg…" Natalie stretched her leg, which had been healed.
"It's still going to be weak, since you haven't been using it strenuously for a while." Robin explained. "However, as you gradually begin to use it more and more, it'll recover in the future."
"Th-thank you…" Natalie murmured, tears of gratitude beginning to form in the corner of her eyes.
"Well, if Dorcas is going to go with us for an extended duration, you're going to be able to take care of yourself." Robin shrugged as he lit the corpses with a torch. The bodies began to dissolve into ash as soon as the flame touched them. "And besides, otherwise, these dead bodies will just be eaten away by bugs. Quite a waste when you can use them for more productive purposes."
"I don't care how you did it, or why you did it, but I thank you from the bottom of my heart." Dorcas kneeled in front of Robin.
"Oh, don't be like that." Robin tried to pull him back up. "You'll have plenty of time to repay us in the future. If I recall, you didn't get to fight all that much tonight. We'll be relying on you in the future. For now, just take her home. Her leg will still be weak at the moment."
"Right." Dorcas scooped up his wife. "I'll be back in the morning, I swear. Please, wait for me to get back."
"No worries, we're all pretty tired anyways." Lyn said. "If it weren't for those bandits we'd be asleep right now."
With that, Dorcas left in order to return Natalie to their village.
"Everyone should return to sleep." Robin suggested.
"Yeah, whose turn is it right now?" Sain asked.
"Yours." Kent replied.
"You're kidding!" Sain protested.
"Nope, we already fought through mine." Kent gave a rare grin. "You have a horse though, you can sleep on the road."
"All right, fine." Sain groaned. "You better make sure I don't fall off my horse then."
"No promises!" Kent stretched as he headed off to bed.
"Sorry, my condolences." Robin waved at the Lycian knight before following suit.
The rest of them also went back to sleep, for the few hours that remained in the night. Fortunately, there were no more attacks the rest of the evening, and they set out the very next morning once Dorcas came back.
New Characters:
Dorcas (Fighter, 29): HP: 110% Str: 70% Mag: 5% Skl: 50% Spd: 50% Lck: 55% Def: 35% Res: 20%