Araphen…
"So where are we again?" Lyn asked as they walked around the city.
"Araphen." Sain replied. "Besides Ostia, this is the largest city in all of Lycia."
"That explains why there is so much commotion, I guess." Wil muttered. "The streets seem so lively."
"Um… where did Kent go?" Florina asked shyly.
"He went to Castle Araphen." Sain replied. "The marquess here might lend us some aid. Caelin has always shared friendly ties with Araphen, after all. We might be able to borrow some supplies, or money at the very least. It's also possible that he'll send some of his soldiers or guards with us to ensure our safe return to Caelin."
"That's wonderful!" Florian exclaimed. "That'll make our journey that much easier."
"Look, he's back." Dorcas pointed at the knight riding towards them.
"Milady Lyndis!" Kent stopped his horse in front of their group. "Let us proceed to the castle. Marquess Araphen has agreed to lend us some supplies for our journey. He asks to meet you face to face, so he may give them to us in person."
"Looks like we've got a smooth road ahead!" Sain laughed.
"That's good news." Dorcas nodded in agreement.
"If only he could lend us some soldiers as well... " Kent sighed. "Too bad. At least it's better than nothing."
"I don't think that's a major issue." Lyn shrugged. "We're all pretty capable after all."
"Once we begin to approach Caelin, our obstacles are no longer bandits and ruffians, but Lord Lundgren's trained soldiers." Kent reminded her. "Compared to the men under his command, we're severely outnumbered as it is."
"You're right." Robin agreed. "However, I have faith that we'll be able to do it."
"If Robin thinks so, then I'm sure we'll find a way." Lyn smiled.
"It's not that I doubt your words…" Kent sighed. "But we've less than ten people… facing off against hundreds is probably not favorable for us."
"Don't worry too much, Kent." Robin chuckled. "It's not the first time I've triumphed over unfavorable odds."
"Besides… we've already picked up many allies as is." Sain reminded his compatriot. "When we initially set off, didn't we think it would just be the two of us and Lady Lyndis returning? We've already been quite fortunate to be blessed with so many allies… and who knows what tomorrow will bring? Perhaps there will be others willing to lend us a hand."
"Well, it would be rude to keep the marquess waiting… let's go to the castle!" Wil chuckled as their conversation began to reach a standstill.
The group made their way through the city towards the residence of marquess Araphen. However, before they were able to arrive at their destination, a sudden commotion erupted from the masses surrounding them.
"This is terrible!" A man exclaimed. "The castle is burning!"
"What did you say!?" Another voice cried out in surprise.
"Look! I see smoke!"
"The castle is on fire! There's smoke coming from the castle!"
The civilians in Araphen began to move away from the castle in a panicked fashion. In contrast, Lyn and her group seemed to be just standing in the way as a torrent of fleeing civilians rushed past them.
As the crowd began to thin out, a few Mercenaries approached their group. They all had some sort of dagger or sword attached to their hips.
"Who are you?" Lyn asked, reflexively reaching for her own sword.
"You!" One of the men declared as he drew his sword and pointed it at Lyn. "You're Lyndis, aren't you?"
"Ah!" Lyn dodged backwards as their assailants lunged at them. Kent and Sain drew their swords as Erk and Robin prepared to cast magic to defend her.
However, there was someone that beat all of them to the punch.
An arrow flew from their right side and flew firmly into the assailant's skull. Taking advantage of their opponents' confusion, Robin, Erk and Wil quickly dispatched the remaining two Mercenaries.
"Who?" Lyn turned towards the direction the arrow came from to see a man of seemingly Sacaen descent atop a horse with a shortbow in hand.
"Milady, are you all right?" Sain asked.
"Y-yes," Lyn nodded, slightly shaken up. "That man saved me."
"May I ask your name?" Kent called towards the Sacaen nomad.
The man in question didn't respond, and merely blinked a few times as he observed their group. Then he began to turn his horse around.
"Wait!" Lyn exclaimed. "Why did you help me?"
"I thought a Sacaen plainswoman was being attacked." The Rider explained as he turned over his shoulder. "But I guess I was mistaken."
"No! You were right!" Lyn called back. "I am from Sacae. I am Lyn, daughter of the Lorca chieftain."
At this, the rider stopped and turned all the way around to face them. "The Lorca!? There were survivors?"
"Yes." Lyn nodded.
"Well, to some degree, that is comforting." The man nodded. "You should leave at once. A blaze has started in the castle, and it's spreading. Do not be foolish and waste the life I just saved."
"You're from the castle, right?" Lyn asked. "What's happening? How severe is the fire? Is the marquess safe?"
"The castle is under attack, and the marquess has been accosted." The man explained, slightly irritated. "The man who attacked you was probably one of the culprits. Now if you'll excuse me, as the captain of the castle guard, it is my duty to rescue the marquess."
"Then let us help you!" Lyn pleaded. "Won't you accept our aid? After all, you've helped us as well."
"I am Rath of the Kutolah." the Rider finally introduced himself. "Although our tribes may be different, I would not abandon a woman of Sacae. Although… if you are offering, I will not turn down the help."
"Thank you, Rath!" Lyn beamed. "A thousand blessings upon you!"
"And a thousand curses upon our enemy!" Rath finished.
"What's the objective? How can we be of assistance?" Robin asked.
"My men are currently handling the affairs at the main entrance." Rath scowled. "However, reports say there are many intruders guarding the back entrance as well. My goal is to eliminate the marauders from this side of the castle."
"Then we just have to kill a few guards, right?" Wil asked. "Sounds pretty simple to me."
"I hope you have the skill to back up your words." Rath replied icily before riding off.
"Let's follow him." Lyn suggested.
The entire group began to circle around to the back of castle Araphen.
The terrorists that were guarding the back entrance were unable to put up much resistance as the ranged attacks of Rath, Robin, Erk and Wil tore through their ranks.
The few who had the presence of mind to run at them were blocked and systematically cut down by the combined efforts of Kent, Sain, Dorcas and Lyn.
It was clear that Erk and Robin's magic bombardment had a massive effect on their opponent's morale. The terrorists couldn't put up much resistance before they were all disposed of.
"Ok, we've killed off all of the enemies near the entrance." Lyn stated. "What now?"
"Blast!" Rath rode up to the back gate, only to find that it would not budge an inch. "The marauders seem to have locked the gate from the other side."
"Do you know how to open it?" Robin asked.
"I don't have the keys on me." Rath sighed. "I'd have to make my way into the castle to get some. But that means we just have to brute force our way through the front entrance anyways."
"Perhaps I could be of assistance then."
"Who's there?" Lyn, extremely paranoid at this point, swiftly turned her head to find a young looking man with light brown hair approaching them, twirling around a set of lockpicks with his fingers.
"You need to get through the gate right? Why not hire me? I'll get it unlocked in a jiffy."
"Who are you!?" Rath demanded. "Are you with the invaders?"
"Me?" The man looked offended. "I'd never stoop so low as to go for the life of a marquess. Despite my looks, I happen to be a law-abiding citizen."
"Who are you then?" Lyn asked as well. However, she did not account for someone else in their party to recognize the man.
"Matthew!" Serra exclaimed. "Oh what a coincidence? What brings you here?"
The smirk on the young man's face instantly disappeared once he recognized that voice. "O-oh… hey…. Serra... Fancy seeing you here…"
"You know him?" Lyn asked.
"Yeah, yeah!" Serra vigorously nodded. "He works for Lord-"
"No, no! NO NO NO!" Matthew began shouting hysterically. "You're not… that's confidential, remember?"
"Oh… right." Serra sighed. "Well, yes. I do know him. Despite his shady looks, he's quite dependable. I can't really tell you who he works for, but I know his employer wouldn't stand against you, Lady Lyndis."
"I see…" Lyn brought a hand up to her mouth in contemplation. "Well if that's the case… would you be able to unlock the gate for us?"
"Yeah, yeah… no problem!" Matthew made his way over and began fiddling with the lock.
While watching him work, Robin couldn't help but envision him as Gaius. 'The two of them are quite different… and yet, I can't help but notice all their similarities once they truly get to work.'
A few short moments later, the gate was unlocked.
"There you go, one gate open, just as advertised." Matthew proudly gestured towards his accomplishment.
"Many thanks." Rath gave the man a courteous nod as he rode through the gate.
Similarly, Lyn gave Matthew a nod of appreciation as the rest of them ran through the gate as well. Only Serra turned back to say anything to him.
"Matthew! Matthew? Are you coming?"
"Of all the people in the world… Why did I have to run into her?" Matthew let out a long sigh. "Oh well… since I started, I may as well finish the job. After all, the boss won't be happy if marquess Araphen bites the dust and he finds out I just sat back and watched…"
Although not exactly excited about the prospect of working with Serra again, Matthew made his way into the interior of the castle.
Once inside, Matthew found that there was another battle going on. Magic and arrows were being flung around by both sides, and the people he had just helped seemed to be directly in the center of conflict.
"OK… where can I put my talents to good use…" Matthew hid himself in a corner and first began to observe the battle. "I can't really do shit to those armored knights… I'll have to try and sneak around them…"
Matthew darted around the fringes of the combat zone. He made his way behind an enemy archer, who was taking aim towards the ceiling. The archer's raised head made it exceptionally easy for Matthew to walk up and target the throat. All it took was one expert slash, and the archer crumpled to the ground.
"Ok…" Matthew flipped his blade into a back grip. "Where next…"
As Robin surveyed the battlefield, the familiar flow and rhythm of combat easily came to him. Occasionally, he would call out some instructions when it was crucial, but most of the time, all he had to do was sit back and throw a spell or two.
'Lyn has improved by a lot.' Grima observed. 'Still not perfect, but much better than before.'
'Yeah, she's a pretty fast learner.' Robin acknowledged.
'What's that guy doing? He's scuttling around the battlefield like a little mouse.'
Robin hadn't actually noticed Matthew in the fight until Grima pointed him out. 'I didn't give him any instructions… but he seems to be doing pretty well on his own.'
'Yeah, that guy has a decent head on his shoulders.'
'It would seem that this is not the first time he's been in combat.'
'That Rath guy is pretty good too… what do you think? He can shoot pretty accurately despite being on horseback.'
'Yeah, now that you mention it, that should be a little more difficult… I wonder if he's as good as Virion…'
Meanwhile, Rath was too busy concentrating on the fight to really observe his surroundings. That didn't mean he didn't see anything that was happening around him, just that he couldn't notice every little detail. There was no way for him to realize that he was being observed.
To his left, he saw an armored knight go down from a fire spell. On his right, a pair of cavaliers took down an enemy mercenary. And the Sacaen girl… she was nowhere near as defenceless as he had thought. She darted around, slashing that familiar looking sword with well practiced movements.
Rath hated to admit it, but realistically, there would have been no way for him to take on all of the marauders by himself. Perhaps if luck were on his side… and if all the armor knights didn't exist… he might have a chance. But with the current situation in front of him, Rath was not delusional enough to think he didn't need any help. That girl… Lyn… Lyn and her compatriots were truly a blessing sent by Mother Earth and Father Sky.
A rare smirk formed on his face as he drew yet another arrow and sent it flying towards his enemies.
A few moments later...
"...Lord…. Lundgren…." An armored knight muttered his final words as Erk's magic burnt him to death.
"That seems to be everyone." Lyn let out a sigh of relief as she sheathed her blade.
"It would seem they locked the door leading to the rest of the castle." Rath scowled.
"Don't worry about it. That's what I'm here for, right?" Matthew went up to the door and picked the lock in a matter of minutes. "See, that wasn't so bad."
If it were just Lyn and her group, they probably would've gotten lost in castle Araphen. Luckily, they had Rath, who knew the castle halls like the back of his hand. Following his lead, they quickly made their way towards the main hall.
The battle was still raging when Rath and Lyn arrived. Fortunately for them, they had successfully pincered the enemy between themselves and the rest of the castle guard. What's more, the marauders didn't even notice them as they were not expecting enemy reinforcements from their rear.
A loud cheer erupted from the castle guard when Rath's group suddenly began a violent counterattack on their enemy. The marauders, being few in number and low in morale, quickly fell to their combined efforts.
After dispatching the remaining enemies, Rath quickly got to work giving out orders. The remaining castle guards split up into well thought out groups to help the injured, protect the marquess from further ambushes, and to scout the castle for any surviving attackers. Afterwards, he went to make sure the marquess was all right himself.
"Ah, if it isn't Rath!" Marquess Araphen seemed overjoyed. "You've done well! What a performance! Moments like these are exactly why I'm glad to have someone so capable working for me."
"Sir, if you have praise, you should be giving it to this group." Rath gestured towards Lyn and her friends. "It is only due to their help that we were able to achieve such an overwhelming victory."
"Hm?" Marquess Araphen frowned at the unknown group. "Who are you?"
"My name is Lyndis, Marquess Araphen." Lyn bowed. "I'm pleased to see you're well."
"Oh…" Marquess Araphen had a brief look of shock flicker across his face. "You're Marquess Caelin's… go tend to the wounded, Rath. I'll speak to this girl."
Rath nodded, and went to go check on his injured coworkers.
"Now… Lady Lyndis…" Marquess Araphen seemed to be carefully choosing his words. "Do you know the identity of those responsible for this uproar?"
Lyn hesitated for a brief moment. Eventually, she decided to tell the truth. "I… believe it is the work of my granduncle… Lundgren."
"That's exactly right." Marquess Araphen formed a victorious grin. "In other words, my castle has been damaged by your family's petty inheritance dispute."
"M-My apologies…" Lyn sheepishly lowered her head.
"When I heard that Lady Madelyn's daughter was in trouble… I thought to lend my assistance…" Marquess Araphen shook his head. "I find I've changed my mind. I withdraw my offer."
"Marquess Araphen!" Kent protested. "You gave me your word, my lord!"
"Your name is Kent, is it not?" Marquess Araphen scowled at him. "You failed to inform me of one most vital detail! This girl… although she does resemble Lady Madelyn, has been tainted by the blood of Sacae!"
"What!?" Lyn's expression instantly turned from apologetic to enraged. The difference was as dramatic as if a docile sheep suddenly turned into a starving lion.
"Don't you feel that the marquess of Caelin would be troubled to meet this… nomadic mongrel?"
"You!" Sain's body began moving forward almost automatically.
"Sain! Hold!" Kent demanded. "My apologies… Marquess Araphen…"
"Hmm…" the marquess had a look of disapproval written on his face. "Your man is poorly disciplined."
"Marquess Araphen!" Kent pleaded. "Please, if you'll grace us with your aid-"
"I hear Marquess Caelin is ill and abed." Marquess Araphen interrupted. "I question whether or not he'll survive to meet this girl in the first place. In that case, his brother, Lord Lundgren, will inherit the title of Marquess. And I certainly would like to avoid making trouble with the coming marquess."
"You scheming bas-"
"Sain!" Kent hollered.
"I understand." Lyn interrupted. "We'll be taking our leave then."
Both Kent and Marquess Araphen seemed surprised by Lyn's statement.
"Milady Lyndis!" Kent had a look of confusion on his face. "Please! I'm sure the marquess is willing to be reasonable if we were to just to-"
"I will not be providing aid." Marquess Araphen held up his hand and interrupted. "However… perhaps I'll be willing to change my mind… if the Sacaen mongrel were to prostrate herself in front of me and beg for my assistance."
"My lord!" Kent motioned with his hand for Sain to stand down before he could say anything this time. "Please mind-"
"I am proud of my heritage." Lyn spat through clenched fists and gritted teeth. "I will NOT accept aid from one who disparages my heritage. Come, Kent, Sain, Robin… let's leave."
"... as you wish." Kent, seeing as there was no hope in further negotiations, gave his consent.
Sain shot the marquess a murderous look before following behind Lyn.
Robin waited for the other three to move first before wordlessly taking up the rear. Although he didn't say anything, his expression wasn't anything near pleasant.
"Don't you dare turn your back on me!" Marquess Araphen roared. "Guards! Seize them!"
Most of the castle guards were extremely confused, especially since allegedly this group of people helped secure their earlier victory. However, the nearby guards chose to not think about the details and follow the orders of their marquess. They leveled their weapons at the departing party.
Before the situation got ugly, and before any of his allies could even draw their weapons, Robin raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. In an instant, all the lamps in the castle went out. Although there was some natural light that reached them, the difference in lighting was drastically different to the point where all the guards stopped in their tracks.
Suddenly, a circle of flames sprang up around the marquess. Unlike regular flames, the light emitted by this fire based spell was purple. He could only gasp in shock as he tried to move his body away from the fire.
"What type of magic-" Marquess Araphen had a look of absolute shock on his face. "He must be on the same level as Count Reglay…"
"I must warn you…" Robin icily began. "These flames are not any you've seen before. One touch is all it takes, and your body will burn beyond repair. The best healers in the land will be powerless to help you."
"You bastard!" The marquess spat.
Without turning his body, Robin looked over his shoulder at the marquess. Marquess Araphen rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating… there in fact was a small purple flame dancing in front of the magician's eyes. Behind his gaze, the marquess could sense some sort of killing intent, some form of lust for murder so strong that it sent chills down his spine. He nervously swallowed his saliva.
"If any of you still wish to stop us, I will collapse this ring of fire upon itself, instanting burning your beloved marquess to death." Robin continued, ignoring the marquess's insult. "This will be your only warning."
The guards nervously looked at one another, not knowing whether or not heed Robin's warning or not.
"You dimwits! Don't let him kill me!" Marquess Araphen desperately hollered. "Is my life worth nothing to you?"
Seeing as their orders were now clear, the castle guards lowered their weapons and returned to their positions.
"Marquess Araphen…" Robin continued with the same murderous tone. "We do not wish to cross swords with your men. However… Since you've made your stance perfectly clear, let me be the one to inform you: if this Lundgren guy stands in our way, I will personally send him six feet under. When that happens, the future marquess of Caelin will certainly remember the insulting way you have treated her."
"You think your small band of mercenaries stand a chance!?" Marquess Araphen roared. "Lundgren has mobilized everything. The girl will never reach Caelin alive! You NEED my help!"
"You overestimate your capabilities." Robin retorted. "And you underestimate mine. Need I remind you, your life is still within my grasp."
The circle of flames around him closed in on the marquess by around an inch or two, leaving his facial complexion slightly paler.
Robin turned back to see the astonished faces of his friends. He made a gesture forward with his hand. "Come, let's go. They won't try and stop us anymore."
The flames surrounding the marquess were dispelled by Robin only after he left Castle Araphen.
"That… mongrel!" Marquess Araphen spat. "If only she weren't so arrogant! If she heeded my request, I would have lent her aid. We Lycian nobles will never understand those prideful savages!"
"Are those your true feelings towards the nomads of Sacae?" A voice behind him asked.
Just when the nearby guards didn't think the marquess's face could be any paler, reality proved them wrong.
"Rath!" the marquess chuckled nervously. "My comments do not reflect on you. You are my captain. I am proud of your service."
"Sure." Rath snorted. "As long as we bend our knee to you, you care not where we're from. But when an equal comes to you from my land? What conceit."
"Rath!" Marquess Araphen raised his voice. "How can you speak to me like that? I have treated you well, have I not? I've paid you and treated you better than your kind deserves."
"Clearly, you are still stressed, marquess." Rath closed his eyes and shook his head. "One's true nature is only revealed in times like these, after all. My service to you ends here."
No one tried to stop him as Rath made his way out of the castle.
With Lyn…
"That marquess is a lout!" Sain declared after they had left Araphen. "Don't worry about a thing. After all, we're all here for you."
"Robin… I had no idea you had a thing for theatrics..." Wil teased. "That thing you did back there… It was seriously badass."
"Did you see that guy?" Matthew laughed with both hands resting on the back of his neck. Apparently, Serra had 'convinced' him to lend Lyn his help. Seeing as he didn't have any pressing missions at the time, Matthew had (reluctantly) agreed. "He was so scared, it looked like he was about to shit himself!"
"Serves him right!" Serra declared. "How shameless of him to ask something like that of a lady!"
"Still… I've never seen any magic like that back there…" Erk mumbled as he was still trying to process what he saw.
"Well anyways, it's clear that Lyn appreciated your words." Florina suddenly said. She had noticed how flushed Lyn's cheeks were when Robin stood up for her. "Like… REALLY appreciated them."
"Stop that! Stop teasing me!"
"I know you better than anyone else here, Lyn! You can't hide anything from me!"
Surprisingly, Florina was the one that uplifted the mood of the entire party.
'Robin, Robin, Robin… your emotions really flared up there.' the familiar voice in his head chastised him. 'It seems that you've grown rather attached to that girl…'
'Yeah, you're probably right.' Robin admitted in his head. 'Still… if any of my other friends were treated that way, I'd get just as angry.'
Their group continued to travel further into Lycia. Just before sunset, they heard the sound of galloping behind them. From the noise, it seemed to be just one single rider.
"It's that guy we helped!" Sain turned around to look. "What does he want?"
"Easy, Sain." Kent reminded him. "This may not have anything to do with the Marquess's actions."
"Rath?" Lyn asked as soon as the nomad was in earshot. "What is it? What are you doing out here?"
"I overheard the marquess…" Rath explained as he stopped his horse in front of them. "Lyn of the Lorca… proud daughter of Sacae… I would join you. Allow me to add my strength to yours."
"Really?"
"I terminated my service to that man. Allow me to make up for his actions."
"Thank you Rath. We'd be glad to have someone like you on our side."
New Characters:
Matthew (Thief, 18): HP: 65% Str: 55% Mag: 15% Skl: 70% Spd: 75% Lck: 50% Def: 25% Res: 25%
Rath (Nomad, 24) : HP: 80% Str: 65% Mag: 10% Skl: 70% Spd: 65% Lck: 40% Def: 35% Res: 30%