Mark met with the rest of his friends outside. The sun was beginning to set over the mountains, and the town was slowly being rebuilt by the townspeople. Despite having a large portion of the village surrounding the castle burst and ravaged, the people were in high spirits. The shops were closed with the exception of those selling food, and everyone was gathered together, having a party of all things. Music was being played, couples were dancing in the street, and the town was slowly being rebuilt by the able bodied. Mark's mind flashed back to the streets of his own city, historically untouched by war. He doubted they would have the same positivity in tackling the aftermath. Mark walked over to his friends, away from the action. They were gathered by the gate leaving Araphen. Despite being completely geared up and ready to leave, everyone was solemnly looking at the festivities. The hero's of the day, sulking in the shadows.
After a little while of sitting in silence, the group was jolted from their trance by a sudden arrival.
"Lyn of the Lorca!" A voice shouted, above the music, the sound of galloping hooves bringing it closer. Lyn turned and raised an eyebrow.
"Rath?" She said, trying to locate him. "Is that you?" Rath trotted over from the main gate of the castle, an unsure expression on his face.
"Yes, Rath." He said, his deep voice resonating against the stone of the gate. "I have come with a gift and an offer." He sheepishly, which Mark pegged down as an act he would never see Rath do, hopped off of his horse and walked over to Lyn. His face grew more determined as he got to her and he began to walk quickly. Lyn blushed and took a step back.
"U-um… what are you-?" She stammered, before he finally reached her and dropped to a knee in a bow.
"Lyn!" He said. He paused.
"...Yes?" She said, confused.
"...Please, let me join you."
Erk whistled quietly and leaned in to Mark. "I must say, I didn't peg him as the sort to desert his marquess. He said he was the captain of the guard, right?"
Mark nodded, "Yeah, something like that. I honestly can't remember if that's actually it specifically, but he's obviously important."
"You don't need to join me Rath." Lyn said sympathetically, lifting him up from the ground. "You're needed here! I may not be the fondest of the marquess, I have to admit, but…" Lyn looked down sadly but shook her head. "But he's still a marquess, and if this festival is anything to go by… well he could certainly be worse at his job." Lyn looked like she hated to admit it. In that moment, Mark saw a lot of similar feelings he felt not long ago going through Lyn's mind now. He made a mental note to talk to her later and confirm if he was right.
Rath shook his head, "That is exactly why I am not needed. The marquess is more than able to take care of this land without me."
"You sure?" Spoke up Matthew. Everyone turned to him. He held up his hands. "Hey, I'm just saying, it looked to me like you're the sole reason Araphen hasn't been taken over by Caelin."
"...I'm sorry, what?" Lyn said, looking at Matthew. "What do you mean taken over by Caelin? What does my grandfather have to do with this attack?" She looked to Kent and Sain, who both held grim expressions and looked at the ground in thought.
"...It is actually your granduncle Lyn." Rath said quietly after a long pause. "He has… usurped… your Grandfather. In fact, the castle received a report that the old marquess is likely already dead. That doesn't mean it is confirmed, though…" Rath said, trailing off. Lyn was staring coldly at the ground, processing what she was hearing. Lyndis's Legion had gone completely silent. Not even Serra was clamoring to Erk anymore. The group found itself devastated as a celebration happened right next to them. "So, please, Lyn, you will need all the help you can get." Rath said, bowing again. "Please take me with you. If it makes you feel better, I will return to Araphen right after we are done claiming you the throne."
"...Welcome." Lyn said. The tone of her voice made Mark's heart sink deep into his gut. Lyn was clearly devastated. She looked forward with dead eyes. "... Come on everyone. Let's march." She slowly walked out of the gate. Everyone slowly picked up and followed her. Mark and Erk stood were they were in the back.
Erk turned to Mark. "We'll get her on the throne. Don't worry." He said. And waited. "Uh, hello? Mark?" He waved a hand in front of Marks face. Mark blinked and turned to him.
"Oh, sorry, what?"
"I said we'll get her on the throne."
Mark looked at his friend in confusion. "Why are you telling me that? Tell Lyn!"
Erk shook his head. "No, you miss my point." He said, poking a finger into Mark's chest. "I'm just telling you what to say when you try to make her feel better once we set up camp."
Mark blinked a few times, before chuckling nervously. "Uh, How did you know I was gonna-"
"Mark, please, don't insult me. I've known you too long. I know what you're thinking."
"...Yeah, ok. Go on ahead, there's something I gotta do really quick." Mark said to his friend. Erk hesitated for a moment before reading Mark's expression and shrugging.
"If you say so. Don't get lost to far behind." He said, jogging up to the others. Mark waited for a few moments before turning to the corner of the gate.
"...Alright Matthew, you waited. I'm guessing you want me." He said, tired. It was almost dark now, so if Mark hadn't counted out the heads he saw leaving, Mark would've completely missed that this one stayed behind. Quietly, Matthew stepped out of the shadows.
"Hey." He said plainly. It wasn't a joking plainly either, just a normal hello. Matthew held a serious look on his face.
"What do you need?" Mark sneered.
"I just wanted to say thanks again for letting me-"
"Liar."
"..."
"..."
"...Alright. I stayed because you wanted to ask me something."
"How did you know?"
"Well, it only makes sense considering the conversation we just heard. Go on, ask."
"... Is Lyn's grandfather still alive? The report that Rath talked about said they didn't know."
"Nope, he's dead. Lundgren rules Caelin. If it makes you feel better though, few support him."
"Define few."
"His personal army. The civilians all know he killed his own brother for the throne, and since they make up Caelin's main army…"
"Then Lundgren's personal army is made up almost entirely of mercenaries." Mark guessed, to which Matthew nodded. "It's unlikely someone who isn't a marquess would have that much money which means once he killed his brother he must have used the treasury to instal his own army. He's bleeding his own country dry. The best plan would be to let him do so and take over after, if we weren't trying to do anything other than take over the castle, but since we want to put Lyn in charge, time is of the essence, or she'll have nothing left to lead. If his personal army is already big enough to try and take over another region that means he's already made a huge investment. Likely the people on the outskirts of Caelin are starving already. This also explains why marquess Araphen did what he did."
Matthew tilted his head to the side. "Did what he did?"
Mark nodded. "You heard it, he openly didn't give us the aide he said he would. But I don't think that's true."
"How so?"
"It's Rath. He said he had a gift and an offer, but he hasn't shown us the gift yet. Judging by the packs on his horse, it's gold. He's waiting until we are away from Araphen to show us. Marquess Araphen is helping us, but he knows that a spy..." Mark shot Matthew a glare, "... is likely working in Araphen. Essentially, he's covering his bases in case we lose. He can deny helping us at all. But there's more."
"There is?" Matthew said, genuinely surprised.
Mark nodded seriously. "He also made it a point to point out my presence within our group. He wants me to help Lyn gain the throne, but he wants to make sure I don't have the time to stick around to bolster Caelin's military afterwards by staying in one place. He's essentially placed a very small time frame for us to succeed, and everything will work out for him. Sneaky little stuffed up noble PRICK!" Mark kicked the stone wall of the gate and silently cursed the music still happening in the background for making the situation seem better than it was. He composed himself with a few deep breaths. "Thank you for the info. Let's go." After that little speech, Mark started walking back to the others.
Matthew laughed light-heartedly, making Mark even more angry, and ran with him. "Gotta say, putting all that together that fast just from me saying Lundgren only had his personal army is exactly why people like me know who you are my friend."
"I am NOT your friend." Mark said through clenched teeth. "And I still don't trust you."
Matthew slowed down a little and looked genuinely disheartened by Mark's words. Mark didn't believe it actually made him feel down in the slightest. "... Alright, if you say so." Matthew mumbled sadly, catching back up.
The camp lacked the luster it had just one night ago, despite two new faces into the fold. Wil was getting used to a new bow that Rath brought him, and Rath leaning against a nearby tree as he did so. Dorcas was sitting on a stump, chin in his hand, quietly watching Wil shoot. Soon Wil was hitting the nearby target with every shot, and he, Rath, and Dorcas all muttered to each other quietly, laughter from previous nights replaced with nervous glances to the sky, and the occasional eye-shift to other members of the camp. Kent and Sain were off together barely in vision, standing together and looking at the stars. Now that everyone knew that they had just fought other Caelin knights in the last battle, Kent and Sain had been uncharacteristically quiet. They couldn't even bring themselves to look at Lyn anymore, and after leading the group ever closer on their journey, immediately left to their current position once the camp was set up. Serra had her knees on her chest and was pouting, poking a stick into the fire and quietly watching sparks flew into the night. Erk sat back to back with her, reading a book. It was odd to see the two so relaxed together, Mark thought to himself, but in the end he supposed they really did get along well. Florina was flying lazily in the sky, going nowhere. Mark thought of it as the pegasus knight equivalent to pacing about ambivalently. Matthew was laying on his back, his hands behind his head, eyes closed, listening to the crackle of the fire. It almost looked for a second like he wasn't the conniving danger Mark had him pegged as, but maybe that's just what he wanted Mark to think. Lyn had turned in for the night.
Mark sat near the fire, reading his books. Well, reading is a loose term in this case. At the very least, he was looking at his books, but his mind couldn't help but wander. It was over. Marquess Araphen had completely ruined the rest of his journey, single-handedly. Mark would have to disappear for at least a few months, he figured, before he could risk coming back to Lycia after this campaign was over. And not only that, but that disappearance would have to be immediate. The thought devastated him. Mark knew he'd have to leave eventually, but he'd hoped he could at least celebrate the victory with his friends. Now, that hope was dashed, and unable to be whole again.
He was brought back to reality by Lyn, emerging from the tent. She sleepily walked over and sat at the fire. She had clearly been crying, with noticeable streaks going down her face. She had a coat made of plain animals draped on her shoulders, and brought around her upper body. Her hair wasn't in it's usual style, instead just falling to her mid back. She'd obviously been trying to sleep, but it also obviously wasn't coming. Mark sighed, wishing he could do some thing about it, but he was too caught up in his own problems. He went back to his book.
He needed an escape plan. Should he wait until the Lyn is officially put on the throne before he leaves? Maybe, he thought, he should only wait until the final blow is dealt to Lundgren. Then, as soon as it is, in the confusion of it all, he'll give the order to storm the castle and the run in the opposite direction. Mark cursed himself for the idea, and cursed himself more that it was a highly practical idea. Maybe if he really didn't want to risk it, he would leave before the final fight. Who was he to bring someone into power in a foreign country anyways. Eventually Mark quickly came back to reality, since Florina swooped down having noticed Lyn, and together they took to the sky. As soon as they did, Mark felt a pain in his chest. He thought back to the many times Lyn comforted him when he felt down this whole time, and in her darkest time he literally saw her and ignored her presence. He felt awful. He sighed heavily and went to his pack. There was one solution for times like this, Mark found.
Setting up his easel and canvas, Mark sat by the fire and slowly began to paint. Mark stared across the fire at his best friend and his employer, now having fallen asleep against each other, still back to back. He smiled weakly at the sight. At least Erk was doing well. He adjusted himself to be able to see them better, and began to paint them. He started with the sky, which he always liked to start with. A lot of his paint had dried out from not being used the whole journey, but some of the paint he had packed had been well preserved. After the sky, he moved on to the fire, leaving space on the right side of the canvas for the two main protagonists. Just as he finished up the fire, he heard the pegasus land behind him a little ways. Glancing back, Florina was leading the pegasus away for the night and Lyn was heading back to her tent. As she past Mark, she looked at him. She didn't look any better, but she tilted her head to the side.
"What's that?" She asked.
"It's a painting." Mark said simply, turning back to it. It wasn't his best work, but he could touch it up later. "Surely you know paintings." He said softly.
"Yeah, of course." Lyn said, walking over to him and sitting down on his left. "I've just never seen it done like this."
"Well, this is how we do paintings in Etruria. How is it in Sacae?" Mark asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's not different per se… but we only tend to paint things like jewelry, bowls, and the like. We don't just paint what is in front of us." They sat in silence as Mark continued his painting.
Now is your chance. Mark thought. Make up for not saying anything before. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Lyn continued.
"Why do you bother painting what is in front of you like this? Why not just look and appreciate it?" She asked.
"Well, it's hard to explain, I guess." Mark sighed. "I just like to do it when I'm down. Besides, if I paint this scene now, I can look at it anytime I want. I can also show other people exactly what I saw, who weren't even there. I think that's something special." Mark said simply. He put down his paintbrush and turned to Lyn. "Listen, Lyn, about what Rath said, I just wanted to-"
"Don't stop painting." Lyn said quietly.
"...What?"
"Don't stop!" She insisted, forcing a smile for him. "You said you paint when you're down, and I haven't seen you painting yet so you must be really down. So… if you are… then don't worry about me. Ok?" She said. Mark's heart twisted in pain and his own failure to cheer up his friend.
"... No I can't accept that. I have an idea." He pointed to his paints. "Why don't we paint together?" He said, smiling. Lyn blinked, wide eyed.
"I have no idea how to paint!" She said.
"Alright fine. Let's paint together in another way." Mark said. He picked up his brush and continued to touch up his fire. "Could you please mix me a color that would match Erk's purple hue please?" Lyn was so quiet Mark wasn't even sure she was moving. He didn't ask again. He wasn't going to force her to. Soon though, he felt a tug on his coat. Lyn help up a small plate of thick paper that Mark brought plenty of for his painting, and on it was a deep purple. Mark smiled and took it. "Thank you. Serra's hair next please." I'm sorry Lyn. he thought. I wish that I could say anything that would be useful right now but… hopefully this at least helps you a little.
Together they carried on like this, Mark asking for colors to be mixed, and once they were done, Lyn silently tugging on his coat and giving it to him. This lasted for a few hours, until at last, all Mark had to do was color Serra's dress. He felt a touch against his arm and looked down. Lyn was resting, eyes closed, against his side. In her hand, a paper with the light blue colored paint of Serra's dress dripped to the dirt around the campfire. Mark quietly watched as she rose and fell with her breathing, making him feel tired in the process. He placed down his brush, and gently leaned back so that both of them were lying on the ground. He stayed like that for a while, staring at the sky. As he silently did so, he grew to hate himself for the thoughts he was having earlier that evening, about running away, but it wasn't enough. Mark had to leave Lycia, very soon. There was no getting around it. Logic needed to win out over emotion.
He sighed and stood up. He scooped back down and quietly lifted Lyn up in his arms and carried her back to her tent, being sure no light was streaming through the opening when he left. After packing up his new painting and his equipment, he picked out a spot near the fire and layed down to go to sleep. Before he fell asleep, he had one final thought. It's a betrayal Mark, I know. He heard. But sometimes a betrayal is an unavoidable action in order to preserve whatever it is you're trying to protect. Mark grit his teeth in anger due to the fact that, yet again, he agreed with his father's words.
A/N: "But Matt" you say, "You said school would be treating you hard." And it is, but I'm super sick and missed three days. I was too delusional to write anything from a high fever but since I'm still too sick to school, and feeling slightly better, I figured I'd pump this out and give you guys a treat, which is why it's shorter than usual. When I went to post this though I saw this story has reached 50 followers! Yay! *confetti* *Final Fantasy victory fanfare plays* You guys are awesome. Thanks. This is a lot easier to get out than multi person stories lemme tell ya. Anyways, thanks guys. Cheers to more Wanderer coming soon. :D -Matt
