Mark casually walked back to meet his companions, panting slightly from the skirmish he just had. By the time he reached them, they were already in deep conversation. He kept quiet so as to avoid being rude.
"Well, to be fair if you hadn't run away…" Sain started before Lyn shot him a look.
"What was I supposed to think? Two men I don't know approach me, and one starts to court me out of nowhere. What would you have done?"
"Accepted my flirtations gracefully and gone on a date with me?" Sain said, smiling and shrugging.
Kent elbowed him. "I really do apologize for him my lady, I'd say he's usually not like this buuuuut….. well he is." Kent said sadly.
"Like this?" Sain said incredulously. He made a "tsk" sound and shook his head. "Why must you all be so cruel to me? What did I ever do besides be devilishly handso-" Kent elbowed him again before he could finish.
"Anyways my lady, allow me to explain. We are knights of Caelin, one of the territories of Lycia. We were tasked with finding the Marquess Hausen's sole heir, his granddaughter. Her name is Lyndis, according to a letter from the marquess's daughter."
"Well I'm sure there are plenty of people named Lyndis in the world…" Lyn started, but she looked worried.
Kent nodded. "Indeed, but there's more. You see, the marquess's daughter, Madelyn, left the castle in secret many years ago. The marquess refused to give his blessing for her proposed marriage with a Sacaen nomad, you see, so she took matters into her own hands. This was a long time ago, and the marquess stripped her of her right to Caelin. However, once he read her letter to him, everything changed. He decided to accept his daughter and her love, immediately reinstated them in position for the position of marquess, and sent us to find them and invite them back to the castle to live in peace and comfort. Her letter indicated that she was living happily on the plains with her husband and daughter, so of course that's where we went to look. However when Sain and I arrived…" Kent trailed off. Lyn held her arm and looked down.
"...My mother's name was Madelyn." Lyn muttered.
"We thought it might be." said Sain. His brashness was gone, Mark noted. He now had a somewhat serious air about him. Seems like even he could sober up when it's important. "We pressed around a bit and discovered that one person survived the massacre of the Lorca… the chieftain's daughter. Lady Madelyn had married a chieftain. Putting two and two together…"
"We understand that is all very shocking for you, but if you would allow us, please let us escort you back to Caelin. Your grandfather would love to meet you."
"And what if I'm not actually the Lyndis that you are searching for?" Lyn asked softly.
"You are." Kent said. "You look just like your mother. I have seen her portrait many times in the castle. You have her same eyes and gentle face." Lyn looked away again.
"My grandfather…" she said quietly to herself. Together, the four stood in silence as Lyn pondered her choices. Mark's mind wandered. Personally, he thought that there were too many little details for it to be untrue, and obviously those details resonated with Lyn, meaning she also thought they were true. The real question was whether or not to go along with the knights. If she refused to go, it's not like they could force her without angering her grandfather. Mark hoped she would refuse. He had suddenly learned he didn't like travelling alone as much as he thought. Maybe it was the fact that last time he did he almost died. Maybe it was the company itself. Either way, it had just started, and he would be sad to see it go. And it was going, he was sure. The look on Lyn's face was one of someone trying to find a reason to say no, but being unable. Mark understood. She missed her family, and suddenly it was back. Mark wished he felt the same about his.
Lyn turned back to the knights. "...Very well. I will accompany you to Caelin." Kent and Sain looked at eachother and smiled, before turning back to Lyn and bowing.
"We will see you there safely." Sain said. "We promise."
Lyn turned to Mark. "I know this is all very sudden. I hope you do not mind." Mark blinked.
"I'm coming along?" He asked. Lyn's face sank.
"Well… I figured you hadn't seen Lycia yet so I thought you would be alright with it. We can just travel on afterwards. I only want to meet him for now." Lyn faltered when she saw Mark's face. "You don't… have to…" She trailed off. Mark thought for a moment.
Should I? He thought. No, I can't possibly. I'm trying not to draw attention to myself. This seems like a big deal. I doubt the people of Caelin are too happy about their marquess suddenly handing the region over to a Sacaen. I can't let anyone know where I am, I've been careful to avoid people following me and at this point I've lost them. I'm free! I can't get involved in any sort of event that people will be talking about. I should just give my blessings and go. Yes, that's the smart thing to do.
"Well when you're right you're right, I haven't seen Lycia. Guess I'll tag along!" Mark smiled. THE HELL WAS THAT? He screamed internally. WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO YOURSELF? WHY DID YOU… His mind trailed off. Lyn's face burst into a joyous smile and she gave him a hug.
"Thank you." She said simply. Mark looked down at the green hair just below his chin, his arms still up in the air from his reaction to her quick advance. Eventually he chuckled and returned the hug. Oh. He thought. I guess that's why. He and Lyn had just become friends. He was right before, he would be sad to see it go. To sad. So sad in fact, that he wasn't going to let it happen. He had maybe two friends around his age growing up. Lyn would be only the third. He learned something important that day. Try as he might, Mark would never make it as a loner. His journey and aimless travel was missing something before, and suddenly everything seemed natural. He would help Lyn to Caelin, and then they would continue their world traveling. Hell the knights could come too! They seemed like nice guys, he was sure they'd all get along. He was putting himself in danger, but by St. Elmine if it wasn't worth it.
The four traveled towards Caelin on horseback for the rest of the day. Lyn was riding with Kent, who was happy to be of service, and Mark rode with Sain. As they rode, Mark lost himself in his books, a stupid grin on his face. For the first time since leaving the manor, he was genuinely excited. Suddenly he felt like he had nothing to prove. He was just on an adventure with no goal or danger. That's what he always told himself, but now he really, truly felt it. The burdens of why he left and what his father had done no longer mattered. The world was huge, and though his father ruined a small portion of it for him, there was plenty left to see and explore.
Eventually night fell and the four got off the horses to make camp. Kent and Sain set to work getting a fire going as Lyn set up the tent. Mark sat with his hand ablaze, using it as a light source to continue reading his books which rested on his crossed legs. He felt like he was on the verge of something important in his research, but he just couldn't get it. Yet. Having finished setting up the tent, Lyn walked over next to him and sat down, staring at the sky.
"Thank you again Mark. It means a lot to me. Really."
"No trouble." Mark replied aimlessly. Lyn laughed.
"Of course it is. I can tell it pained you." She glanced at him. He shot her a look and closed his book.
"Yes, well, regardless I agreed right? So it can't be so bad to be a real problem. Don't worry about it." He wished that he truly felt that way. Yes, he said it was worth it, but that doesn't mean that there would be no repercussions. He had to be careful. But still, he's the one who agreed to come along.
Lyn rose up again and yawned. "Well, you have a point. But still, if you ever need to talk about it or something, don't hesitate. We're friends right?"
"...Yeah. We are." Mark said. And with that, Lyn walked into her tent.
"Ah, there you are." Mark looked up to see Kent walking towards him. "I've been meaning to speak with you. I'd like to get to know you better." He held up the carcass of some animal. "Dinner?" He offered. Mark nodded in appreciation and put away his books. Sain followed Kent and set up the firewood, removing the grass around it so as not to start a fire. When he finished he looked at Mark.
"Mind doing the rest?" He said. Mark raised a hand, lit it on fire, and touched the wood. Soon the fire spread and there was a warmth cutting through the cool night air. "Ah perfect." Sain said, falling into a laying position and putting his hands behind his head. "I've been waiting for this all day." He smiled contentedly and quickly passed out.
Kent shook his head. "Oh Sain, you fool of a knight. I'll never fully understand your attitude." He turned to Mark. "Don't be confused, I'm very glad he is my friend and my fellow knight, I just wish sometimes he would be more… knightly, I suppose."
Mark shrugged. "It's just who he is. Can't change that easily." Kent nodded.
"Sage advice." He leaned back. "I thank you for the time you spent with the lady Lyndis. She was telling me on our horse how you helped her deal with some bandits after she saved your life. I am grateful." Kent looked at him.
"I just did what anyone would do."
"But you had the skill to pull through. Your tactics in the battle today were rather smart as well. You placed a lot of trust in yourself and us both, and your assessment of our abilities were perfect. Your skills are better than perhaps even Caelin's own tacticians."
Mark laughed. "Surely you jest. I'm just any old tactician. I'm nothing special."
Kent shook his head. "I disagree. You acted quickly, with precision, and with skill. You obviously have experience. Where did you learn?" Mark stared at the fire. This was the exact question he hoped Kent wouldn't ask.
"...Etruria." He said plainly. He hoped Kent would leave it at that.
He didn't. "Where in Etruria?" He asked. Mark could tell it was just innocent curiosity. It still upset him.
"...Etruria." Mark repeated softly.
Kent picked up on the hint. "I see." He said solemnly. "I won't pry. It clearly bothers you. Please, forgive me. I simply wish to know you better."
Mark sighed. "Eh, don't worry about it. It's getting late. Do we have a plan for tomorrow?"
Kent nodded. "Yes. Lady Lyndis has requested that we stop at a shrine east of here. There is supposedly a sword there that Sacaen people pray to when they travel."
Mark nodded. "I've read about that I believe. The Mani Katti, correct?" Kent nodded. "Alright. Well, I plan to return to my reading for the night. I hope you understand."
Kent stood up. "Of course. Good night Mark. I thank you again."
Mark yawned. "Yes, no problem at all. I look forward to continuing our friendship." Kent paused. "...What?" Mark said.
Kent shook his head. "Nothing it's just… you sounded a lot more formal when you said that." Mark blushed and looked down.
"Y-yeah I'm… working on it." He said. Kent nodded and layed down a little ways from Sain. Soon enough, he too passed out.
When Mark woke up, he immediately regretted his decision to read until the sun began to rise. As he painfully blinked the light from his vision he saw that most of camp had already been taken down, and they would probably be leaving within a few minutes. He slowly sat up from the ground, feeling a book slide off his chest into his lap. He yawned, stretched, and stood up.
"Morning." Mark said to no one in particular.
"It's midday." Kent said, packing his sleeping roll onto his horse."
Mark blinked at the sky until he made out the sun's position. "Ah. So it is." He stated plainly. He picked up his pack and sleepily put away his books. Sain jogged up to him and handed him another book.
"Whats this?" Mark asked, taking the book into his hands.
"It's yours. You threw it at me at some point to keep me from mumbling in my sleep." He said jovially.
Mark soon recognized the book and pocketed it into his pack. "Thank you. Sorry if I hit you." He said.
Sain waved a hand dismissively. "Ah don't worry about it. You missed."
Mark nodded. "Alright so when are we leaving?" He said.
Kent looked in the distance. "Lady Lyndis says that the shrine is only a short distance on horseback from here. We can leave any time we wish." Mark thought about it for a moment.
"Where is she anyways?" He asked. He hadn't seen her yet.
"Over here!" He heard her call to his right. She was a little ways away, waving at him. She was standing on a slightly hilled area, and looking eastward. "Just checking out the path to the shrine. It looks clear!" She started walking back towards Mark. Mark double checked to make sure he had everything he came with. Once he was sure he did, he hopped on the back of Sain's horse, opened up a book, and entered his own zone.
When the group arrived at the shrine, everything seemed normal. A few guards with axes patrolled the front side of the shrine, which from the way they were approaching was to their right, and all and all everything seemed peaceful. The structure had no roof, just three walls on either side and the back. Mark awed at the simplicity in the building's structure, thinking about how the dull brown of the brick contrasted against both the grass and the blue sky. Mark thought about sketching it into a notebook, but eventually decided it wasn't worth it. To his right, Kent slowed down his horse and allowed Lyn to descend. Mark did the same. Stretching from hunched over his books, he noticed a small little group of huts a little ways away. An unusual hill formation was blocking the horses from travelling to the front, so it looked like Lyn was going to travel on foot. Mark noted these hills as a sign they were getting closer to Lycia, and exiting the plains.
"This will only take a few minutes. I will return shortly." Lyn said to the knights. They nodded and looked around from atop their mounts. The sun rested a little ways off the middle of the sky and beat down hard. Mark fanned himself with a book. He glanced at the shrine entrance. A woman was talking with Lyn, who hadn't quite reached the front yet. The woman seemed panicked, using a lot of hand gestures and pointing at the armed guards in front. After a little while, the woman started running over towards Mark and the knights, and Lyn drew her sword and started for the entrance.
"Hey…" Mark said to the knights on either side of him. "Can either of you two see what's happening over there? I've been reading for too long my eyes haven't adjusted to the distance yet."
Sain looked at him. "Sorry, I havn't really been paying attention. There's a woman running over her, you see, so I had my mind on… other matters." He chuckled to himself like he was the funniest man in the world.
Kent remained silent. He squinted towards the entrance of the shrine. Lyn was waiting behind a wall, sword drawn. Suddenly she burst forth and cut down one of the guards. Kent's eyes went wide.
"It's a battle!" He cried, galloping towards the hills.
"H-hey wait!" Sain said, following him quickly. Mark didn't get the chance to call out that their horses couldn't travel over those hills, so he started sprinting after them. His mind raced. It was possible that he would be the only one able to help, if he could cross the hills on foot, which he could. The knights could dismount, but they've obviously been trained on horseback. It would be counter productive to have more people fighting who don't really know what they're doing on foot. No, better they stay out of it. They'd need a way over the wall, or they'd have to go all the way around, which would take way too long. Mark slowed down as he neared the wall. He inspected it closer.
Hmm. He thought, feeling the cool brick. Part of it crumbled at the slightest touch. Perhaps not over the wall… He stopped himself. He couldn't bust down the wall to a sacred shrine. He'd get in a lot of trouble for something like that. He heard cries from inside the shrine as Lyn cut down person after person.
"I won't let you have it!" She cried. Mark wondered what she was referring to. Did someone steal from her? The shrine? Kent and Sain rode up to Mark.
"We can't get over those hills, the horses refuse to go. You're the only one who can help her!" shouted Kent. Mark closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall. Brick crumbled into his hair. He straightened up, ran a hand through his hair to get rid of the brick, and pulled out his sword.
"I'm not actually." Mark said. He raised his sword and struck at the wall at one of it's weaker points. He stepped back. The wall slowly untangled itself, bits and pieces falling until a giant doorway was made from it. Mark casually walked through, the knights behind him. All the fighting inside had stopped. Lyn was dueling with five people, all frozen from shock, but the biggest threat was a rugged looking man with a wicked looking sword. He and Lyn currently had swords crossed, but right now all eyes were on him.
"Mark?" Lyn said calmly.
"Yes?"
"Did you just destroy a part of the shrine that houses the Mani Katti?"
"Yes I did."
Lyn looked at him in a mix of shock and displeasure, but eventually shook her head.
"Ok, I'm sure you have your reasons for such drastic measures. As long as you're here, help me out!" She started dueling with the swordsman again. The knights drew their swords and charged the grouped up axemen.
"No!" Mark said to the knights, retreating them.
"What is it?" Asked Sain, looking around for the supposed danger Mark inferred was there.
Mark placed a hand on Sain's horse and pointed with the other. "It would be better if you fought those guys instead. They're closer to Lyn, and she can't fight multiple people when fighting someone like that." He gestured to Lyn's opponent. "I'll deal with the axemen. Fight defensive! Patrol around Lyn!" The knights shouted in agreement and charged to aid Lyn. Mark slowly turned to the small group of axemen still near the entrance. His sword and tome drawn, he started walking towards them. "And as for you guys…" He muttered to himself.
As soon as they saw him coming they started to charge at him. He touched the wall closest to him, scorching a small symbol into the wall. He ran across the room. The brigands were getting closer, but the direction change gave Mark the time he needed. When he made it to the other side of the room, he scorched the same mark into that wall. Then, he dashed towards the center of the shrine. Once there, he turned towards his foes, out of breathe from his sprint. They all stared at him menacingly. One by one, they formed a line in front of him. They stood like this for a little while. One against four.
"What's it gonna be lad?" One of them growled. "You can drop your sword and let us through to kill the wench, or you can be cut through so that we can kill the wench. Your call. Be smart."
Mark faked thinking about it. "Hmm. Be smart eh?" He chuckled. "I'm not the brightest. I think I'll let you cut through me." He threw down his sword, and after taking one last look at the spell he prepared, threw down his tome. "In fact, land a cut on me and win a prize!" He said happily, extending his arms wide in invitation.
"Your funeral." shouted one of the brigands. Together the four of them charged. Mark smiled and brought his hands together from their outward position into a clap. He mumbled the incantation to himself. From both the symbols he burned into the wall, a brilliant blue flame burst forth, making a beam of fire. The brigands screamed in agony as they fell to the ground, rolling to desperately put out the flames, but they were magic. It wasn't that simple. Mark looked on with a somber look on his face. He was happy his plan worked, for sure. This was the only part he hated. Fire magic wasn't honorable, but damn if it wasn't pretty. Force yourself to watch. He heard his father say. Think about what you are capable of doing. This is not the work of a normal man. This is not how I want you to live your live. But if you find yourself in a situation like the one that I was just in. His father had gestured to the pile of charred corpses. Mark compared them to the pile he just made. He spoke his fathers next words in unison with his memory. Then do not hesitate. Let them burn in hell.
A/N Matt: Something interesting I thought I'd do since Mark is fighting with the army this time around:
Mark: Tactician. Lv. 2
HP: 18
Str/Mag: 6
Skl: 8
Spd: 8
Lck: 7
Def: 4
Res: 3
Growths:
HP: 80%
Str/Mag: 50%
Skl: 40%
Spd: 40%
Lck: 50%
Def: 45%
Res: 60%
It just seemed like a fun thing to do. Any time Mark levels up, his stats will be updated, but this is the only time I'm showing his growth rates, which are pretty solid imo. Definitely a mage killer. Hmm. Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed.
