The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 63
An Uneasy Peace
Gaius had many things hit him over the head in his brief lifetime. Many strange things for that matter. No, a Taguel's hand somehow was not the strangest. Certainly the fuzziest. One time, on a certain heist he would much rather never speak of again, he got hit over the head with a candelabra in the shape of various portrayals of Naga. That was a nasty bruise at the time. He was pretty sure that was the only time he could consider himself to have been blessed by Naga. Since that candelabra knocked him out, he was not in the alleyway where is fellow thieves got caught. And that allowed him to make a quick escape. The blow did leave a nice bump at the time.
A flying hoof to the back of the head however, that left a much nastier mark.
Gaius groaned as he lay face down in the dirt. He could already feel a large welt forming on the back of his head. All around him, his friends had drawn their weapons. He could hear Bubbles barking out commands to Laurent and Tharja. Something about a Pegasus flying around them?
"For justice!" A girl's voice cried over Gaius's head.
Gaius raised his gaze. Stars danced over his vision. His head swam as he struggled to stand up. As he swayed in place, Panne rushed over and steadied him.
"Gaius, you need to be more aware of your surroundings."
"My surroundings need to be more aware of me." Gaius slurred as he struggled to clear the fog from his mind, "I was walking when that damn hoof hit me."
"Gaius!" Robin sprinted over to the Thief. He ducked beneath another swoop from their airborne assailant. Tharja muttered nearby and launched a nasty dark spell at the enemy. But it missed, "Look at me Gaius." Robin stood in front of the thief, "How many fingers?"
"Four and a thumb." Gaius snarked back before reaching up to gingerly touch his head. He felt something warm and slick matted against his hair. His face paled as he drew his hand back and saw blood covering it, "Oh… that is… that's my blood."
He stumbled back into Panne.
"For Naga's sake, Gaius. This is not the time to become squeamish." The Taguel snapped as she kept the pale thief from toppling over.
"Keep him safe." Robin ordered Panne before turning around to look at Tharja and Donnel. As he turned, he saw torches flickering in the shadowy forest around them. The Valmese soldiers were drawn to the commotion. The tactician barked over at Anna and Donnel, "Soldiers! Be ready!"
Both nodded and drew their blades. Robin could see a furious look on Anna's face as some of the Valmese soldiers broke through the trees and charged. The Merchant dashed forward and buried her blade to the hilt in the first enemy she saw. Donnel followed her, parrying away a deadly slash that could have cleaved the young woman in two.
"Tharja!" Robin called, "That rider-"
"Is a pain in my ass." Tharja hissed as she fired a thunder spell into the sky, "I don't think I've ever seen someone fly this well before."
Laurent stopped firing his spells abruptly. The scholar blinked. A long frown fell over his lips.
"I have." He pointed up at the rider.
Robin followed his finger. He finally got a good glimpse of their attacker. A young woman. About as old as Donnel. Blue hair tied back in two pigtails to keep it from flying in her face. A determined expression on her face as she nestled her lance in the crook of her arm and dove down at the Shepherds.
"You know her?" Robin asked Laurent as the scholar turned to combat the Valmese soldiers flooding the area.
"Know her? I grew up with her." Laurent shook his head, "She was always a bit of an airhead."
"Says the guy we found staring up at the sun in a desert." Gaius called over as he regathered his wits enough to fend off some of the enemy.
"Well tell her to knock it off. Before she injures one of us further." Robin said.
A furious cry erupted from Tharja's lips as she sent a massive burst of dark magic into the sky. Robin gulped.
"Or before Tharja rips her limb for limb."
Laurent nodded, "One moment." He cleared his throat, "DUNDERHEAD! Knock it off!"
"Dunderhead?" The pegasus rider cried as she swooped low, "No one calls me dunderhead you spectacled piece of… Laurent!?"
She soared into the sky once again. As she ascended higher, some Valmese arrows raced after her. She twisted out of the way. Again, she guided her pegasus low. This time allowing the beast to gently land on the dirt beneath her. Once she landed, she peered over her mount's head at Laurent. Her eyes widened and an excited gasp rushed from her lips.
"Oh my gosh! Laurent!" She bounced up and down in her saddle, "It is you!" She frowned, "Why did you call me dunderhead, you dunderhead? For that matter, why are you hanging around the enemy? And why is there a giant bunny next to the stupid one I hit earlier?"
"Did she just call me stupid?" Gaius asked through grit teeth as he backed away from a Valm soldier.
"She better not have called me a rabbit." Panne snarled as she kicked another soldier back and backpedaled beside Gaius.
"These people are not the enemy, Cynthia." Laurent sighed, "They are friends."
"They are? Since when?" She pointed her lance at Tharja, "That one creeps me out. Since when did you start hanging out with scary people, Laurent?"
"You can ask questions later." Robin spoke up, "We have an entire Valmese army to deal with right now." Robin turned and blasted a soldier away with a powerful wind spell, "Can you help us out at all?"
"Help? Of course I can-"
A blast of magic slammed into her armored chest. The girl cried out as she flew off of her mount. Robin furrowed his brow. He traced where the magical blast came from.
A fat mage stood deep in the shadows. Plump lips curled into a pleased smirk as one hand gripped a red spell book. Robin furrowed his brow and stepped between him and the Shepherd's newest ally.
"Oh ho?" The fat mage chuckled, "A challenger then? I'm flattered. But you will not best the great and powerful Excellus."
Robin frowned and dodged a blast of lightning. He twirled and shot a powerful ball of fire at the fat mage. The mage yelped and ducked away. The trees behind him instantly caught fire as the spell slammed into them.
"Focus on the rebel mages!" Excellus barked at the Valmese, "I want them alive! Not necessarily unharmed."
Robin face twisted into a scowl. They planned on capturing him and his friends? That would not happen while he still fought. He gathered lightning into his hand and fired a massive blast of thunder at Excellus.
The bolt grazed the man's side. Excellus hissed in pain. He flicked the pages of his spell book and gathered dark energy into his palm.
"Robin! He's casting Ruin!" Tharja cried out in alarm.
Robin gulped, "How bad is that?"
"I can't cast that one yet."
Robin paled. Oh, that was very bad. A dark spell Tharja knew but did not know how to cast. He never thought he would see the day. Robin rolled away as an evil stream of black magic hissed over the ground and exploded where he had been standing.
As he came up from his roll, Robin assessed the situation. Laurent's friend, Cynthia, was slow to get up. Her breastplate dented and charred by the blast that hit her. Her pegasus had taken to the skies. Spooked by the dark magic the enemy was wielding. Laurent held off a group of Valm soldiers as best as he could. But Robin could see more gathering nearby. Ready to charge.
Anna, Donnel, Gaius, and Panne were encircled. It would not be long before one of them got hit by a lucky strike. And once one of them fell, the others would fall too. Their defense compromised at that point.
Tharja fared the best of the entire group. Her dark magic and tenacity kept the enemy from charging her. But Robin could see obvious signs of magical exhaustion setting in. The furious casting she had been doing was taking its toll. She would succumb to her body's limitations any minute now.
Robin closed his eyes. This was a fight they could not win. They were surrounded as well. Nowhere to run or hide. He had been beaten by the mage across from him.
Robin lowered his hands.
"Guys, stop."
Tharja glared over at him, "If you think I'm going to-"
"It is that or die, Tharja." Robin breathed, "And I refuse to watch any of you die needlessly."
"Hehehe!" Excellus cackled as he stepped out of the shadows, part of his robe charred from one of Robin's spells, "How noble. And somewhat smart." He gave a dismissive wave of his hand, "Take them. I'm sure General Cervantes will want to gaze upon these rebels personally."
Robin grit his teeth as a pair of soldiers rushed up to his and bound his hands behind his back. He could hear Panne uttering angry growls as she resisted being bound. Tharja silently fumed. Donnel appeared more exhausted than anything else. Anna glared hatefully at the Valmese taking her prisoner. Laurent remained silent and cooperative. And Cynthia would not shut up.
"Get your stinking hands off of me!" The girl roared as she struggled against the soldiers, "I will never surrender! The leader of the Justice Cabal never surrenders! I will tear you apart limb for limb! Do you hear me?"
Robin rolled his eyes and bowed his head as he and his friend were marched away from the flaming skirmish sight towards the Mila Tree itself. The girl had spirit. He would give her that. He just hoped her ranting would not make things worse.
"And so help me Naga! I will shove my boot so far up your ass, that I will have to wear your corpse as a shoe!" Cynthia roared as she was shoved to her knees by one of the enemy soldiers.
Tharja glanced over at the furious Pegasus knight.
"I share the sentiment." Tharja hissed, "But you should probably shut up before you make things worse for us."
"I will not be silenced! Not even a gag will do that. I will have my voice heard!" She snapped her teeth at one of the Valm guards moving a gag towards her lips.
Robin shifted uncomfortably as he knelt before a roaring fire. So far, the enemy soldiers just milled about. Much more relaxed now that the 'rebels' had been apprehended and their dastardly plan foiled. The fat mage name Excellus watched from a nearby tent. A pleased smile over his grotesque face. Robin's blood boiled as he stared back at the man. He did not like the taste of defeat. Seeing his friends at the mercy of the enemy did not help his mood either.
Gaius remained completely silent as he knelt in the dirt. Occasionally, his body would sway to and for. Still reeling from the blow to the back of his head. Panne had to be tied down more than the others. Her powerful muscles nearly broke the original binds around her wrist. Laurent kept his eyes closed. It almost looked like he was sleeping. Donnel looked nervously around at all of his friends. And Anna kept her hateful gaze trained on the soldier that bound her. Never blinking, never wavering.
"I swear to Naga! Put that gag over my mouth and I will bite your finger off!"
Robin sighed and hung his head.
"Cynthia please-"
"Don't Cynthia please me! I will not be silenced." Robin noticed Tharja's lips moving ever so slightly, "I will not be-"
Sound stopped coming from her throat. Cynthia's lips moved. But not a single noise came out. She paused, mouth agape. A loud gasp rushed from her lungs. She tried to speak again. And still, she could not make a noise. Her eyes widened in fear. Robin meanwhile glared over at Tharja.
"What did you do?"
Tharja shrugged, "I think I casted a silencing hex. I'm not very sure. The hex I would normally use requires my spell book and a lot of preparation. Using the incantation alone is a bit tricky."
"So you just hit her with a hex, and you don't even know the effects of it right now?"
Tharja glared back at Robin, "It was either that or listen to her talk us into the death penalty."
Robin frowned, "At least tell me it is not permanent."
Tharja grimaced. Her eyes flicked to and fro. Never staring directly back at Robin.
"Tharja?"
"I may have forgotten that part of the incantation." Tharja finally admitted, "I rushed the casting. Mostly to prevent me from trying to strangle her."
"At least you stopped the temper tantrum." Laurent shrugged.
Cynthia threw herself onto the ground and opened her mouth in a silent, angry scream. Her feet kicked relentlessly behind her as she tossed and turned in the dirt.
"Never mind. It's still going." Laurent sighed.
Robin uttered a long sigh, "Cynthia this isn't helping right now."
She shot up from the ground. Eyes narrowed at both Robin and Laurent. She tried to talk back to both of them. Then she threw her head back in frustration. Finally, she stuck her tongue out at both of them in fury.
"How mature." Laurent mumbled.
The brush near the camp rustled. A group of soldiers marched into the encampment. At the lead was a large, round, bald man wearing an enormous suit of armor. A thick beard and mustache covered his chin and lips. Beady eyes glared at the group of Shepherds as he strode into the camp. Tailing him was a young woman wearing simple travel clothes and a white cloth over her forehead, which held her hair back from her face. She held the hand of a young toddler beside her. Just behind her was-
Robin's eyes widened.
"Marth!" He exclaimed as he caught sight of her.
"Blue?" Gaius's head snapped up, "Blue is here? Where? I'm suddenly very dizzy."
"You have a concussion." Panne deadpanned.
"Oh right."
Marth entered the camp and froze. Her own eyes widened as she stared at Robin in shock.
"Robin?"
She looked at the other Shepherds bound in front of her. Her eyes settled on Cynthia and stayed there. Robin gave both girls a puzzled look. He saw tears bubbling up in Cynthia's eyes. Before he could stop her, Cynthia surged to her feet and rushed towards Marth. Two soldiers caught her around the waist and held her back. The Pegasus Knight fought viciously in their grip as she tried to reach Marth.
"What is the meaning of this, Cervantes?" The black haired woman with the toddler demanded.
"Lady Say'ri, these rebels caused quite a stir and-"
"These are not rebels." The woman frowned, "In fact, the blue haired girl is my good friend, Cynthia. And your men are keeping her from reuniting with someone obviously very important to her."
Cervantes paled, "G-good friend?"
"Yes." Say'ri replied, "And I believe she considers the others her friends as well. Any friend of hers is my friend as well. Do you plan on apprehending my friends, General?"
"W-well, they attacked and-"
"Eight lightly armed travelers attacked a massive army encampment? I find that difficult to believe General. No one is that stupid." Say'ri folded her arms over her chest. Kage clutched her leg as she spoke, "Release them."
"What!?" Excellus cried. Any glee from his victory long gone with the arrival of Say'ri and her little brother, "General you cannot be considering this?"
"General, remember who you are speaking to." Say'ri narrowed her eyes dangerously at the nervous man.
Cervantes gulped. His beady eyes looked over at a fuming Excellus. Cervantes uttered a loud huff then bowed to Say'ri.
"Of course, my Lady." He waved a hand at his men, "Release the prisoners. This is just one enormous misunderstanding in the end."
"Cervantes." Excellus snarled.
"And you!" Say'ri handed Prince Kage over to Marth and marched over to Excellus while the Shepherds were cut free. Say'ri glowered at the man. He sneered at her. But it did not deter the furious Chon'sin princess, "I know exactly what you did." She breathed, just loud enough so that he would hear, "I may not get my vengeance now. But when I do, you will be begging for my blade to cut your throat."
Excellus paled as her furious gaze penetrated his own. The Valmese tactician swallowed hard, but did not retort. With a wave of his hand, a bright light appeared beneath his feet. His body shimmered and he evaporated away.
"Whoa!" Gaius cried, "What was that?" He rubbed the back of his head, "I really hit my head hard huh?"
"You didn't hit your head. Cynthia did." Panne sighed.
"Why would she do that to me?"
Panne rolled her eyes, "Robin, he is going to need a healer."
"One will be provided immediately." Say'ri said. Two soldiers raced off to fetch one, "In the meantime, we have some things to discuss."
As she moved towards the group of Ylisseans, Cynthia had her binds removed. The blue haired girl barreled towards Marth. She nearly tackled the taller girl to the ground. Silent sobs wracked Cynthia's body as she wrapped her arms around Marth. Marth quickly embraced the other girl.
"I'm so happy to see you are safe." Marth breathed as Cynthia bawled.
Say'ri glanced over at the pair. She had a feeling she knew who the other blue haired girl was. Kage's rescuer was none other than Cynthia's sister. The same sister that was supposed to be dead. She furrowed her brow. Luke had a lot of explaining to do later. If she ever figured out where he went. For all she knew, Equus defeated him. Gods, she hoped not.
Say'ri stood in front of the Ylisseans.
"Which one is the leader?"
They all gave each other uncertain glances. Gaius moved to raise his hand but Panne swatted it down.
"With Ben not here, Robin would be in charge." Donnel said, nodding in Robin's direction.
Say'ri's gaze fell on the Tactician. He looked a little weary. And the coat over his shoulders could use a tailor. But otherwise he was mostly unharmed. However, she could tell he was just as uncertain about who their leader was as the others. Not the mark of a man in charge.
"Oh? Where is Ben then?" Say'ri asked.
Robin shrugged, "He saw someone falling from the Mila Tree and went to investigate."
Say'ri gulped, "He saw Equus then."
"Who?"
"An enemy. A powerful one at that. Another friend of mine named Luke challenged him in order to buy myself and Cynthia time to escape." Say'ri let out a worried sigh, "I'm not sure what happened after that."
Worry rushed over Robin's face. A powerful enemy? How powerful was Equus? He could not be as powerful as Maul. Then again, Ben reached for his strange weapon almost as soon as he sensed him. He only used that weapon one other time. Against the Risen back in Plegia. When they were chased through the desert and running out of options. For Ben to immediately resort to his secret weapon meant that he considered Equus extremely dangerous.
He became distracted when a healer entered the camp and made his way over to Gaius. The thief let out a relieved sigh as healing magic poured into his body. Closing up the wound on the back of his head and easing the enormous headache he had. As the healer worked, Cynthia ended her embrace with Marth and turned around. She gave the thief a sheepish smile.
"I expect a damn good apology when you can talk again." Gaius grumbled as he glared back at Cynthia.
"Talk again?" Say'ri wondered out loud.
"Yeah, about that." Robin nodded over at Tharja. The Dark Mage had removed herself from the crowd and positioned herself near the edge of the small camp. No doubt searching for any sign of Ben, "Tharja put a silencing hex on Cynthia. But she might have messed up the incantation."
"Meaning?"
"We don't know how long Cynthia will be unable to speak."
"Robin!" Marth cried, "Why on earth would you let Tharja do that?"
"Well it's not like I could stop her." Robin shot back, "I was kind of tied up at the moment."
"Enough!" Say'ri snapped, "We are all very tired after today. This has been a stressful evening for all of us. You are welcome to rest with the army tonight. Tomorrow, I will accompany you back to Charlet. I believe my older brother is camped outside that city. I have a feeling he is anxious to see Kage again."
Robin drew back in surprise, "Kage?" He looked down as the toddler bounced over to Say'ri and tugged on her pant leg, "Him?"
Say'ri chuckled as she reached down and picked up the little boy, "Yes him. Kage, meet Robin."
Robin took a long look at the boy. He appeared to be just over a couple years old. Light blond hair rested on top of his head. A cheerful smile rested over his lips. Bright blue eyes stared back at Robin. If the tactician did not know any better, he would have assumed that this little boy looked like a younger version of the Kage he knew. The one that nearly killed him and all of his friends.
"Hello there." Robin smiled at the young Prince.
"It is long past his bedtime." Say'ri breathed, "Cervantes, see to it that my friends are well accommodated. I will require horses for the journey to Charlet in the morning."
"As you command, my lady." Cervantes bowed, "Anything for General Yen'fay's sister."
Robin noticed the dark look on Anna's face at the mention of the General from Charlet. So he was Say'ri's older brother. That could complicate things. He said a quiet goodnight to both Say'ri and Kage. Once the pair walked away, General Cervantes cleared his throat.
"I will send a small party out to find your missing friend, Robin." The bearded man said, "It would not do good for one of Say'ri's personal friends to remain missing. In the meantime, please follow my men. We have some empty tents you can use."
Robin nodded his thanks and waved for the others to follow. As the group walked to their tents, Robin thanked whatever gods actually existed. He and his friends were alive. Surviving through this ordeal and somehow ending up allies with a very powerful Valmese woman was an incredible miracle. He still could not figure out how that happened. But it had something to do with Marth and Cynthia.
He looked over at the two girls as they disappeared into a nearby tent. The gears in his mind turned. Both had blue hair. Both were great warriors. Both very determined in their own ways. One was louder than the other.
Robin's jaw fell open.
"They're sisters?"
"You're just figuring that one out, Bubbles?" Gaius patted Robin on the shoulder, "I figured that one out on hair alone." He slipped into the bigger tent meant for the Shepherds, "I call top bunk!"
Robin sighed, "Of course you do."
He still worried about Ben. The crazy swordsman had been gone far longer than Robin thought he would be. But Ben had been through far worse before. He managed to somehow survive the impossible. Robin believed his friend would be found and brought safely to their camp. Then this crazy journey might finally be done. After all, they all had to rush back to Charlet. The Embargo would be in place soon. Personally, Robin did not want to remain in Valm. He had seen enough of it in order to long for the gentle plains and bright forests of Ylisse once again.
He sighed as he stepped into the tent. A small smile ran over his face as he looked at his friends.
Laurent had begun picking apart a small Valmese book he found in the tent. Donnel had already passed out in his bunk. Anna lay silent. Robin could not tell if she had fallen asleep yet or not. Gaius and Panne were chatting with each other. The Taguel somewhat fretting over Gaius's head injury. Meanwhile, the thief was doing everything he could to get her to stop nagging him about it.
Tharja seemed to be the only one unable to completely relax. She sat, cross legged, on her little bunk. Worry all over her face.
Robin sighed and made his way over to her.
"He's alright." Robin said, doing his best to reassure the dark mage.
Tharja frowned, "I know. Just-"
"You care a lot about him."
Tharja's dark eyes flicked over to his.
"Do not tell, Gaius."
Robin let out a chuckle. He ran a finger over his lips.
"Sealed." Robin smirked before giving her shoulder a gentle rub, "Rest up. I'll let you know when Ben gets here."
Tharja nodded then reluctantly laid down on her cot. Spell book clutched close to her chest. Robin took a deep breath and nodded to himself.
They had succeeded in one part of their search. They had found Marth. Safe and sound. One needle in the haystack had been found. Which was far better than what Robin expected to happen. He smiled to himself. Tomorrow they would start journeying back to Charlet.
It was time to go home.
Marth drew in a deep breath as she entered the tent behind Cynthia. The inside was designed for two residents. A pair of cots rested a few feet apart from each other. A small table sat at the end of the tent, between the two cots. Cynthia bounced inside of the tent and spun around, an enormous grin on her face.
If she could actually speak, Marth knew she would be talking her ear off.
"I know. It is a nice space for a little tent." Marth sighed as she sat down on her cot.
Cynthia frowned. A gasp rushed from her lungs. She rushed up to Marth and grabbed what was left of her right arm. Her chin started to quiver as more tears bubbled in the younger girl's eyes.
"Oh this?" Marth breathed, "A long story."
Cynthia frowned and used two fingers to make horns on top of her head. Marth uttered a small laugh as she screwed her face up into a hideous, almost comedic snarl.
"Yes, Maul is the one responsible for this."
Cynthia let her arms fall to her sides and shook her head. She then pointed at Marth and made a motion across her throat that made Marth pale.
"You-you thought I was dead?"
Cynthia nodded. Marth frowned.
"Who told you that?"
Cynthia tapped her chin with a finger. Trying to figure out how to tell Marth who without being able to speak. She snapped her fingers and wiped a hand over her face. Her expression turned extremely grouchy and dark.
"Oh…" Marth closed her eyes, "Him." She blinked, "Wait a minute! You spoke to Kage!"
Cynthia nodded.
"Are you insane, Cynthia! You have to see what he has become. He is evil."
Cynthia put her hands on her hips and gave Marth a doubtful look. The younger girl frowned at Marth and shook her head. She pointed at herself and tried to signal something. But Marth could not understand her.
"Cynthia, could you try to-"
Cynthia stomped her foot, frustrated. She repeated her frantic motions. Trying to tell Marth some sort of elaborate story. Finally, the girl threw her hands up in the air and marched over to the small table. There was one drawer in the table. She yanked it open and jumped up and down in delight as she found a piece of paper and charcoal. She frantically scribbled some words down and handed the paper over to Marth.
Marth arched an eyebrow and read over what she wrote. Disbelief filled Marth.
"He saved your life as well as Say'ri's? From a Deadlord?"
Cynthia nodded.
Marth ran a hand over her chin. That seemed hardly believable. After seeing what Kage had become in Plegia, Marth did not believe he had a single ounce of good left in him. He betrayed people who called him friend. Betrayed and tried to kill her. Then stood by as Maul actually killed her and took her arm. That did not sound like someone willing to lay down their life so that others had a chance at escaping.
Cynthia could see the doubt on Marth's face. She let out a sigh and sat down on her cot. Arms folded over her chest and legs crossed. She nodded at the paper in Marth's hands. Telling her it was the truth without saying a single word.
Marth pressed her lips together. Something had happened to Kage in the months after the Plegian War. She was anxious to find out what. But also skeptical that he really would act so selflessly.
The warrior's eyes flicked up as Cynthia grunted. The younger girl fumbled with the buckles on her armor. Marth rolled her eyes and set the piece of paper to the side.
"Let me help."
She undid the buckles for Cynthia and set her dented, charred armor off to the side. A small frown fell over Marth's lips.
"You know that is going to be expensive to fix, right?"
Cynthia rolled her eyes.
"Yes, I am going to mother you right now." Marth breathed, "Someone has to."
Cynthia grabbed the paper and scribbled some more on it. She handed it over to Marth. Marth looked down at it. The words: Thank you Luci; were written. Big and bold. A small smile ran over Marth's lips. The older girl sat down on Cynthia's bunk and pulled the girl in for a hug. Cynthia sniffled and held on tight.
She was not sure what Cynthia was thanking her for. It could be something as simple as helping her take her armor off. But Marth had a feeling it was more than that. Perhaps Cynthia was thanking her for living. For surviving and finding her. For making sure they arrived in the past safely and were able to save their future. Marth closed her eyes and rubbed her younger sister's back.
"You're welcome, Cynthia."
Ben grunted as he adjusted the unconscious Kage over his shoulders.
"You know, if I had hands I could help you carry the brat." He heard Dooku point out beside him.
Ben sighed, "If you had hands, you would not be helping me with anything. You would be trying to kill me."
"Trying to kill you?" Dooku frowned as they walked through the dark forest, "Hardly. Those were never my orders."
"Oh, I seem to recall plenty of times where you wanted to kill me for fun."
"That was when we were on opposing sides in a war, my old friend." Dooku drawled, "And I never really desired to end your life, Kenobi. You seem to forget, the first time you and I encountered each other, I offered you friendship."
"While I was held prisoner on Geonosis." Ben shot back, "Not exactly the ideal way to propose friendship."
"I apologized at the time."
"We both know how false that was."
Dooku snorted, "Fair point."
Ben sucked in a deep breath. His muscles were beginning to burn. He could not carry Kage for much longer. And the boy would need a healer soon. The wound in his side might not be fatal now. But if left untreated it could fester. Then it would be a long and painful road to recovery for the boy. If he could just find his friends, then he would be able to set Kage down and work on treating the wound. Tharja would probably help. She had a small knack for modifying her dark magic in order to perform healing tasks.
But where were his friends? He had been hiking through these woods for what felt like hours now and he found no sign of them. Which worried him. Had they been captured? It would explain why the Valmese patrols had suddenly stopped. Those patrols would only come to an end if they captured whatever they were searching for.
"So, Kenobi." Dooku continued, "Do you still consider yourself a Jedi?"
Kenobi frowned at the question, "Of course I do."
"But the order is dead. Why continue to follow in their ways?" Dooku said, "You and I have a common enemy now. I have my own personal reasons for wanting to destroy Sidious. And you no doubt wish to avenge the Jedi Order."
"I do not desire vengeance, Count." Ben countered.
"We both know that is a lie." Count Dooku replied, "I can sense it in you, Kenobi. The pain and anger. The deep feelings of loss and betrayal. You should embrace those feelings. The power you could tap into is beyond even your wildest imaginations."
"That is what you did, yes?"
Dooku nodded.
"And yet, you're technically the dead one. And I am still very much alive." Kenobi smirked as he saw Dooku frown, "I'll take my chances with the Jedi Code. Thank you very much."
"Hmph." Dooku folded his arms, "Suit yourself."
The Count glanced at Ben as he continued marching alongside the younger man. The much younger man. Dooku still did not understand how Kenobi looked the same, yet so very different at the same time. There was a youthful vitality to him that had not been there the last time they encountered each other.
"Speaking of alive." Dooku said. Kenobi let out a long, irritated sigh. Much to the Count's delight, "How are you so much younger all of a sudden?"
"When you figure out how you are somehow alive, you can help me discover the answer to that question." Ben replied.
Dooku furrowed his brow in confusion, "Something happened to you, Obi Wan. Something neither of us completely understand."
"You can say that again." Ben replied, "And for the record, on this world, call me Ben. If the Empire does come along at any point, I'd rather not let them know I'm here."
Dooku gave him a surprised look, "So Sidious does not have a presence on this planet? That is rather interesting. Is this world in the unknown regions then?"
Ben shrugged a little bit, "I don't know. I'm still trying to figure out how I ended up on this planet."
"How you ended up on this planet?"
"Well, Count," Ben drew in a deep breath, "Technically I survived the initial purge of the Jedi. But when I tried going into hiding, the ship I was on was attacked. I managed to get into an escape pod. And well-"
"You were blown to bits by a turbolaser?"
Ben gave the Count an incredulous stare. The older, undead man shrugged.
"It is what I would have done."
"How much of war criminal could you be?"
"Easily as much as the Jedi were. Or do you forget how many worlds starved because of Republic campaigns." He saw some guilt in Ben's eyes, "Oh you have not forgotten. I see. But, I cannot hold you at fault for those Kenobi. You were one of the few Jedi Generals that actually remembered the code and followed it. You were an honorable opponent that way."
"Why thank you, Count. I did not realize you were capable of such false flattery."
Count Dooku frowned, "It is not false flattery, Kenobi. Unlike the Jedi I was able to see some of the good qualities in my enemies."
Ben rolled his eyes. He doubted that very much. Count Dooku had mercilessly slain untold numbers of Jedi Knights during the Clone War. Both directly and indirectly. It was his actions that sparked a war that slaughtered billions of people. His actions that led to the downfall of the Jedi Order. He was not capable of anything good. Not anymore.
He heard Dooku chuckling to the side.
"You cannot solely blame me for all that has happened, Ben." Dooku drawled, "The Jedi were just as much as fault as I."
"How so?"
"If they were not such failures at being peacekeepers, I probably would have never left the Order."
"Then the Clone War would never have happened."
"Oh no, it would have." Dooku countered, "Sidious would have made certain that it did." The older man strode alongside Ben as they made their way towards a small clearing with a little pond in it, "Did you ever learn why I left the Jedi order?"
"Something about the Dark Side taking hold of your heart?"
Dooku snorted indignantly, "And this is why I lost all respect for the Jedi Order. All of them far too clouded by their own fear and ignorance to understand the truth. I left the Order because I knew the Order had become corrupt. Weak even. The Republic was rotting. And, much like a tree; if the roots rot, so do the branches. The Jedi were part of the corruption that led to the Clone War, Kenobi. I saw that and sought to leave it all behind me."
"Then you joined the Sith."
"For nobler reasons than you think." Dooku shot back.
Before Ben could snap back a reply. Torchlight lit up the clearing. Ben readied himself for a fight as Valmese soldiers emerged from the trees.
"Hold there, sir!" One soldier called, "Are you the one known as Ben?"
Ben frowned, "I am?"
The soldier waved at him, "Come with us. Your friends are sharing our camp. Princess Say'ri also wishes to meet you tomorrow morning." The soldier noticed Kage slumped over Ben's shoulders, "We will also have a healer look at your wounded comrade right away."
Ben hesitated to follow. But the Count strode ahead of him.
"Where are you going?"
Count Dooku glanced back at Ben, "To their camp of course. Even this renewed body tires at some point. And you need to keep an eye on me, per your own words. So I guess you are tagging along."
Ben scowled. He still was not sure about this. How could he be certain that his friends really were safe and free still? However, the Valmese men did not outright attack him. They did not try to apprehend him or kill him. Perhaps they were telling the truth. Somehow, the Shepherds had made more unexpected allies.
At this point, he really felt like he should not be surprised.
Sunlight filtered through the canvass roof of the Shepherd's tent. Robin groaned. He blinked his eyes open as a warm ray of sunlight rested over his face. A loud yawn left his lips as he stretched his arms over his head. Several joints popped. A satisfied sigh left his lips.
Gods it had been so long since he slept that well. No strange visions. No rocks jabbing into his back. Just a good night's rest. It was long overdue. He swung his legs out from his cot and rested his feet beside his boots. One hand ran through his brown hair. A slight frown fell over his lips as his fingers pulled down some hair past his eyes.
I need a haircut.
He brushed his hair from his eyes and glanced around the tent. Everyone else was still sound asleep. Robin chuckled a little when he saw Gaius in the bunk beneath the one he claimed, curled up beside Panne. The pair must have fallen asleep talking to each other.
Robin reach down and pulled his boots on over his feet. He then reached over and grabbed his coat from the cot. As he threw it over his shoulders, he noticed one of the cots had another occupant. He was not there now. But his boots were beside it.
The tactician surged to his feet and rushed out of the tent, slipping his other arm into his coat sleeve as he went. The camp had started to come alive this morning. Last night's sentries were being replaced. Other soldiers milled about, putting out the dying embers of fires. The tactician could smell breakfast being cooked somewhere nearby. Ah, hot food. Perhaps even a vegetable or two. That excited him.
But he still did not see Ben. Robin furrowed his brow and wandered a ways until he arrived at what had to be the Mess Tent. Lo and behold, sitting at one of the tables was Ben. A steaming cup of tea in front of him.
A large grin busted out over Robin's face as he strolled into the mess tent and clapped a hand on Ben's back. Startling the swordsman.
"I knew you'd be back." Robin laughed as Ben jumped in his seat.
The swordsman chuckled, "You will never be able to get rid of me that easily." He brought the cup of tea to his lips and took a small sip, "This is very good tea. You should try some."
"I think I will. Once breakfast is ready, of course." Robin took a seat beside Ben, "So… what happened?"
"Hm?"
"What did you find?"
Ben sighed, "Well-"
"He found me."
Robin noticed Ben visibly cringe as a rich, aristocratic voice hit his ears. Robin turned in his seat and saw a much older man sitting across from Ben. The older man had a cup of tea in front of him as well. He sat straight and proper in his seat. Clearly trained to act like a noble of some sort. The man saw Robin's perplexed expression.
"I am an old friend of Ben's." He held out a stump to Robin, "Dooku."
Robin smiled, "An old friend eh? Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Robin."
He shook Dooku's stump. Doing his best not to point out how that the man's hands were missing. That would be rude after all.
"A pleasure." Dooku used his two stumps to deftly pick up his cup of tea. "So, Ben, my boy," Ben cringed across the table, "Are you going to introduce me to all of your new friends."
"Unfortunately." Robin heard Ben muttered, "Once they are all awake of course."
"And they will be roused soon, I am sure." Dooku leaned back in his seat, "We have a long trail ahead of us. A week to make it back to Charlet. And not many moments to lose."
"The Embargo." Robin nodded, "Yeah, I'm not keen on being trapped in Valm."
Ben nodded in agreement, "It is unfortunate that is happening. I would have liked to have stayed a little longer."
"In order to finish searching for your son." Robin said. Ben froze as he brought his glass to his lips. Eyes darting across the table to a rather intrigued and amused Dooku, "Me too Ben. Unfortunately, we can't. Who knows when we would be able to get home to Ylisse if we did."
"A son?" Dooku chuckled, "Ben, you never mentioned this to me."
"Well-" Ben quickly gulped down a huge amount of tea.
He took a deep breath and muttered something about needing something stronger to drink. A long sigh left Ben's lips. Robin could not help but notice how uncomfortable Ben seemed around Dooku. Was this old man really an old friend of his?
"His name is Luke." Ben breathed, "And that is all you need to know."
"Does he share a Mandalorian lineage?" Dooku asked.
Robin saw Ben's face pale.
"Mandalorian?" Robin wondered, unfamiliar with the term.
Ben shook his head.
"No, he does not. He is not Satine's."
Robin's mouth fell open in realization. Dooku thought Ben and his first love had a child together. That would have been a safe assumption to make. Robin probably would have made the same guess if he ever thought long enough about it before.
"Anyways," Ben cleared his throat. Eager to change the subject, "Did you find Marth?"
Robin's lips parted into a wide grin, "We did. And speaking of her."
Both Ben and Dooku turned to see Marth enter the Mess tent. The young warrior froze upon seeing Ben. She appeared uncertain on what to do. A broad smile crossed Ben's face when he saw her.
"It is good to see you again, Marth."
Marth nervously swallowed, "Likewise, Ben." She replied, her tone stiff and unsure. She glanced at Dooku, "Who is he?"
"Dooku, my lady." The older man bowed his head to her, "And please, join us. The tea here is wonderful." He beckoned to an open chair at the long table.
Marth hesitated. In the end, she reluctantly sat down.
"How is Cynthia?" Robin asked.
Ben drew back, "Who?"
"My sister." Marth answered, surprising Ben, "We stumbled into each other by complete accident last night. And she is still rendered silent, Robin."
Robin grimaced, "Oh dear. I'll talk to Tharja, see what kind of cure she can whip up for that hex."
Ben glanced back and forth between the two, "What exactly did I miss?"
"Cynthia got us caught because she is apparently an airhead who can't recognize friend from foe." All heads turned to see Gaius and Panne strutting into the mess tent. The thief pointed at the heavy bandages wrapped around his head, "Courtesy of her Pegasus."
"Ah. I thought Panne finally beat you senseless." Ben replied as he took another sip of tea.
"Oh ha ha. Very funny." Gaius slumped down in a seat while Panne went to get both of them tea, "I still have a headache from it. Hey Whiskers! Extra sugar in mine please."
"I know." Panne called back.
"So who's the old fart?" Gaius asked, making Ben choke on his tea.
"My name is Dooku. I'm an old friend of Master Ben's."
"No kidding. You're Benny's old pal." Gaius grinned, "So, what kind of embarrassing dirt can you give us?"
"Oh plenty."
Ben cleared his throat, "Not now. We have other things to worry about at the moment."
"Aw." Gaius said, "I was hoping to be able to embarrass Benny. You and I got to do that sometime, Stumps. Especially when Tharja is around."
"Tharja?" Dooku gave Ben a sly look.
"It is nothing."
"Oh? Making do me eyes in the night ain't nothing, Benny." Gaius smirked, "I saw you two that one night in the hideout. All that was missing was for you two to fall all over each other and for the clothes to start coming off."
"I swear to Naga, Gaius, I will give you another concussion!" Ben snapped back, causing everyone else at the table to bust out laughing.
Robin wiped a tear from his eye as Panne placed a cup of tea in front of him. As that happened, the other Shepherds filtered into the mess tent. Groggy Donnel pulled up a chair and waited for breakfast to be served. Sleep still filled his eyes. And his hair was sticking out in all different directions.
Laurent was already completely ready for the day. All he had to do was eat. He gave Marth a stiff nod before sitting down and opening his spell book. His eyes flicked up at Dooku for a minute. But then returned to his book. Not bothered at all that there a stranger dined with them.
Anna pulled up a seat. A cup of tea sat in front of her weary, red eyes. Ben had a feeling she probably cried herself to sleep again. No doubt having to reside among the Valmese was hard on her. These were the same soldiers that served the nation that killed her sister.
Cynthia was the last one to arrive. The poor girl looked horrendous in the morning. Hair splayed out in all different directions. Eyes half closed. Feet trudging forward as she dragged herself to breakfast. She pulled a seat up beside Marth, sat down, then let her head fall to the table. A soft snore left her lips. Marth rolled her eyes and nudged her awake again.
Ben's mouth started to water as the cooks emerged with plates of food for all of them. Dooku raised his eyebrows at the strange foods on his plate. Ben meanwhile, dug in. Enjoying the meal of rice and grilled fish immensely.
Gaius nudged Dooku's side.
"Hey, Stumps?" He pointed at the old man's seared fish, "You gonna eat that? Cause if you're not, I will."
"Be satisfied with your own food, Gaius." Panne said as she dug into her own fish.
"I'm just saying." Gaius replied, "Can't let a good fish go to waste."
Ben nodded in agreement. He wiped his face with a napkin and glanced around the table. One person was still missing. And he knew why.
"If you'll excuse me." Ben said as he rose from the table.
"Oh boy!" Gaius smirked, "Going to go wake up your girlfriend?"
"She is not my girlfriend." Ben snapped, pointing a finger at Gaius.
"Keep telling yourself that."
Ben huffed and marched away while the others chuckled at his expense. He swiftly made his way through the camp back over to their tent. He entered the tent and found Tharja still sleeping in her cot. Her entire body curled up around her spell book.
Ben sighed and walked up to her. He brushed a hand against her shoulder.
"Tharja, its-"
She surged upright and wrapped her arms around his neck. Ben froze as Tharja embraced him.
"Thank Grima you're okay."
Ben blinked, "Ah… I told you I would be."
He felt Tharja freeze. The dark mage's eyes flicked up and down as she realized what she was doing. A deep blush ran over her cheeks as she quickly tore her arms away from Ben and cleared her throat.
"So-so-erm… breakfast?"
Ben smirked, "Of course. Why else would I be waking you?"
Tharja smirked back, "Because you enjoy my company. Why else?"
Ben chuckled and helped her to her feet. Once she slipped on her sandals, the pair emerged from the tent and made their way back to the mess tent.
Breakfast was in full swing. Stores were being told left and right. Cynthia was trying everything in her power to communicate to the others. Her hands waved all over the place as she made signs no one understood. Finally frustrated, Marth's younger sibling folded her arms and pouted.
Robin chuckled then noticed Ben approaching with Tharja.
"Holy crap. She didn't try to burn you alive."
"That only happened once." Ben replied with a smirk.
"It can always happen again." Tharja answered as she grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the only spot available at the table. Right next to Dooku.
The old man glanced at the odd woman. He could feel the dark side of the force swirling through her and around that strange text in her arms. His eyes flicked over to Ben. Oh how he wanted to fall over laughing right now. The righteous Jedi Knight was falling for this woman? This would be something every single padawan at the temple would have gossiped about for months on end.
"You must be, Lady Tharja." Dooku said as he acknowledged the Dark Mage. He watched with a smug grin as Ben squirmed a little in the seat across from him.
Tharja glanced at the old man. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"And you are?"
"Dooku." He extended a stump to Tharja.
Tharja eyed him warily. Her gaze flicked over to Ben. She could see how nervous he suddenly was. This old man put her friend on edge for some reason. A friend would not cause that.
Dooku retracted his arm.
"Perhaps it is too early for pleasantries?" She seemed a rather grumpy girl.
"Nah!" Gaius chirped, "Sunshine is always like that. Except when it comes to Benny and Bubbles that is."
Tharja started mumbling under her breath. Gaius yelped and scrambled behind Panne. He pointed a trembling finger at Tharja.
"Don't do it."
The rest of the table laughed as Tharja stopped casting her hex. As they laughed, Say'ri entered the tent. Behind her was her little brother and-
Marth surged to her feet as Kage entered the tent. The other Shepherds fell silent. All of their mirth instantly evaporated at the sight of him. Ben eyed the others cautiously while Dooku continued eating as if nothing was going on. Robin furrowed his brow and kept his hand near his spell book. Laurent, Donnel, and Anna were all tense. But none of them appeared furious. Just ready to jump in if anything happened.
Panne bristled and growled as she glared at the young Sith Lord. Gaius gave the kid a nasty snarl.
"You." Marth hissed.
Cynthia bounced from her seat and raced over to Kage. The girl slammed into him. Wrapping her arms tight around his torso. The young man hissed in pain, causing Cynthia to recoil back. She then starting fretting over the bandages wrapped around his waist.
"Cynthia get away from him." Marth warned.
"That kid has balls to face us right now." Gaius glowered.
"Both of you calm down." Ben said, his tone firm and low, "Kage is Princess Say'ri' personal bodyguard and friend. We do not want to start burning bridges when we only have one to cross home on."
Gaius grit his teeth but said nothing. He kept his anger filled eyes squarely fixed on Kage. Meanwhile, Kage did not pay any attention to Marth or the others. Instead, his eyes were fixed on Dooku. The old man smirked at him.
"Good morning young man." Dooku chimed, "I trust you are on the road to recovery."
Ben could see the boy seething. But he hid it well enough. He knew he could not best Dooku. And Dooku was not a threat right now. His hands were taken from him. And as long as Ben was there, the Deadlord would not try anything.
Say'ri on the other hand appeared quite alarmed.
"What is he doing here?" She exclaimed.
Ben quickly got to his feet, "I heard you wished to speak to me, Princess Say'ri."
The Chon'sin Princess glared at Ben, "Yes," Her steely gaze turned back to Dooku. The old man waved a stump at her before using his stumps to pick at his piece of fish, "Not here."
They both retreated from the tent. As they exited the tent, Kage awkwardly took a seat beside Cynthia. The mute Pegasus Knight was more than happy to sit beside him. But the others could not help but glare angrily as he tried to eat his breakfast.
Outside of the tent, Say'ri wheeled around on Ben.
"What is that monster doing here?" she hissed.
Ben raised a hand to calm her down, "I know what I am doing. By the way, it is very nice to meet you."
"Don't change the subject on me." Say'ri jabbed a furious finger at Ben, "I know very well what that man in there is. He is a monster. A fell spawn of Grima."
"And I beat him." Ben replied, "And he knows it. He won't harm anyone or anything as long as I am nearby."
"How can you be so sure of that?" Say'ri asked.
"Because Dooku is not an idiot." Ben replied, "He does not want to die. And he knows very well that I am more than capable of killing him. He also has failed in whatever mission he was supposed to do. Which means if he were to go back to his Master, he would die. His loyalties therefore, no longer reside with Grima."
"They are still questionable."
"Oh absolutely." Ben remarked, "That is why I cut off his hands and why I am keeping a very close eye on him. As I said, I know what I am doing."
Say'ri huffed as she placed her hands on her hips, "You should have killed it."
"I don't know if I can permanently kill him, your highness. And it is better if I can keep a leash on him than to have him running about doing Naga knows what." Ben sighed, "I don't like this any better than you or the others, but it is the only option I see available to us."
Say'ri's jaw worked furiously behind her lips. She glared at Ben.
"If you are wrong, and he harms anyone I care about in any way-"
"Then you can say: I told you so. And I will make sure he is killed." Ben answered, "Now, come." He motioned to the tent, "Breakfast is getting cold. And we need to get moving soon."
Say'ri let out a heavy sigh.
"Very well." The Princess grumbled, "But you will be taking him with you across the sea. I never want that fell creature near me or my family ever again."
"Of course." Ben nodded in agreement.
"Good."
Both Say'ri and Ben moved back into the tent. Ben could not help but notice the very sudden change in atmosphere. No more jokes bounced between seats. Absolutely no one laughed. Angry glances continued to be shot at an increasingly grumpy and uncomfortable Kage. The only people exuding some sort of happiness were Say'ri's little brother and Cynthia.
Ben glanced over at the small toddler beside the Chon'sin princess. For some reason, there was a deep sense of familiarity for Ben. As if he knew this boy. But that was not possible. He had never seen the child before in his life. Yet something tugged on his mind. A faint thread telling him that this child was more than he appeared to be.
Well, if there was anything to that thread, he would find out at some point. It was going to be a long journey back to Charlet.
Gaius chucked a chunk of rice at Kage. The young Sith's eyes blazed at the thief from across the table. Everyone, except Dooku, came to a standstill. The old man however, munched happily on his food. Thoroughly entertained
Ben ran a hand through his hair.
A very long journey to Charlet.
And chapter! This was a tough one to write. So many little story threads that had to be tied up nice and neat. So many different elements and characters to juggle. It was one hell of a challenge. I hope it turned out decent.
So this arc is starting to finally come to a close. Our heroes are returning home to Ylisse with a new 'comrade' in the fold. That should cause some fun shenanigans. And we will get a lot more character moments in the next few chapters. Including some pairings! It's time I stopped teasing some of them and started actually delivering. So yes, we will be also seeing Chrom and the other Shepherds again in the next few chapters. Then it will be off to the next big arc of this story, the Valm War. I'm so excited!
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!