The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 71
Hello There
She held her breath in the darkness. This cave had served as fantastic shelter so far. Cold and damp during the day. A great, shady shield from the heat and humidity that sat over this land like a heavy blanket. The air always felt so sticky. So unlike the world she had grown up in. Ylisse had been much more temperate. Cooler and perhaps a bit drier than this place.
The young woman brushed some brown locks from her sweaty face. Where exactly was she anyways? She remembered the desperate battle inside of the Exalt's Palace. Her and her friends' last ditch effort to push back the Risen horde. She could remember Lucina barking for all of them to sprint towards the time portal that opened like a giant blue eye in the throne room.
She swallowed hard and ran a hand over her eyes. Some tears threatened to come crashing down her cheeks. They welled up in thick pools that had yet to spill over.
She remembered her father's sacrifice. The last Shepherd, fighting alone against Grima and his undead army. He bought just enough time for all of them to escape through the portal. Just enough time for hope to survive.
The young woman sniffed again and flinched as a mosquito buzzed near her cheek. She swatted at the annoying bug and let out a heavy sigh. A shuddering breath left her lips as she swallowed back the tears. There was no time to cry right now. No time to mourn. Someone had come near her cave.
She flinched again as she heard voices near the cave's mouth. Her left hand wrapped tight around her bow. The few arrows she had left in her quiver tempted her. Her other hand reached up to snag one. If anyone walked into her cave, they would be met with a hail of arrows.
She did not know who resided in this land. Were they friends or foes? Bandits and ruffians? Or noble knights and soldiers? Some Risen had followed her through the time portal. She had managed to evade them so far. But it was only a matter of time before they found her and attacked. Could these voices she heard be some new ability they developed?
They're probably waiting to try and get me while I sleep. She gulped a little bit, They'll probably succeed to.
She shook her head. Her one hand fell from her quiver towards a small talisman strung on a necklace around her neck. She let out a relieved sigh as she felt the enchantments on the small object take affect. A wave of confidence welled up inside the anxious girl.
THE RISEN WILL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE! ANY ENEMIES WILL FALL BEFORE MY MIGHT! BLOOD AND THUNDER! I AM INVINCIBLE! I AM-
She let her hand slip from the talisman. A small gasp escaped her pale lips.
Too much false confidence that time. Much more than normal even. She must be feeling very anxious right now. The talisman gave her strength and confidence when she felt afraid. A way for her to always be strong in the face of overwhelming terror. A way to stare down Grima's horde and laugh in their face. One of the greatest gifts her mother could have possibly given her.
Sorrow filled her as more tears threatened to surface.
Mother.
She clasped the talisman and used what little magic her mother had time to teach her in order to prevent the enchantment from taking effect.
She missed her more and more every day. It had been three years since the fateful battle where her mother went missing. Likely captured by the Risen.
Was she even alive anymore? Did Grima execute her after she refused to give in to whatever demands he had? She shivered and uttered a small whimper at the thought. Her mother had been the strongest person she had ever known. So powerful and determined. She never gave in to the hopelessness that surrounded all of them. Had fought so hard to protect her and her friends.
Naga how she missed her.
The young woman gulped and tapped her fingers along her bow. She shoved the tears back once again.
Get it together, Noire. She thought as she heard more rustling from the forests around her.
She slowly pulled an arrow from her quiver and nestled it into her bowstring. Her fingers tapped along the feathered end of the arrow. Her blue eyes narrowed as she focused in on the forests outside of her hiding spot.
She expected Risen to emerge from the trees. She did not expect ruffians. And these ruffians were heavily armed. Axes were strapped to their backs. Swords rested on their hips. Various shields where slung over their forearms. A few archers followed them. Noire gulped when she caught sight of a horseman trotting alongside the foot soldiers as they strolled past her cave.
Noire slowed her breathing. Quiet, deep inhales. Slow, soft exhales. As more bandits passed by the mouth of her cave, she felt her hand pull her bowstring tighter. If anymore passed by, it would only be a matter of time before she was spotted.
She closed her eyes for a split second. She did not feel any danger despite the presence of these thugs crossing her temporary doorstep. Perhaps they were just passing through after all.
"Boss." One foot soldier approached a lean, gangly man who sat upon a gray horse, "They're this way."
Noire strained her hearing. They were talking about something. Someone in fact. But who? Were these bandits about to prey on innocent people? Noire gulped with some mild apprehension.
If they were about to attack some innocent people, then it was her duty to stop them. The problem was, she was not sure how to go about it. Not even sure if she was fully capable of taking all of them on herself. If she activated her talisman, all restraint would be gone from her mind. And there would be no going back. No caution to her actions at that point.
No, she needed to play this one safe. Figure out who these bandits were after. What their goal was. Then, when she felt like she had the advantage, she would strike.
"You said there was just two of them?" The obvious bandit leader asked the foot soldier.
Noire panicked as some sunlight peeked over the treetops. The first rays of sun that signaled a new day. She fought back a small yawn as she realized she had not slept at all for two nights now.
A little hard to sleep when I have to keep one eye open for Risen.
"Yeah, boss." The bandit grunt nodded, "A guy and girl. The guy looks pretty useless. Might sell well for manual labor stuff. But the girl… that'd be the prize."
"Is that so? A real beauty then?" The gaunt rider questioned.
"Absolutely boss. Some people will pay a very high price for her. Guarantee it."
Noire's eyes widened. Some anger flashed through her heart.
Slavers, pure scum. The lowest form of criminal. Thieves stole to get by. Bandits preyed on innocents and often killed villagers for fun. Both rubbed Noire the wrong way. Both crimes needed to have justice dealt in their own way. But slavers held a special spot of disdain for the young woman. There was something about taking an individual's free will that boiled her blood. Perhaps she got that trait from both her mother and father. Which was ironic considering her mother often used unwitting subjects for her experiments.
Mother never enslaved anyone though. She always set everything back to what it was once she finished her experiment.
And her father had a great dislike for slavers. She never really knew why though. Her father had been so focused on battling Grima and defending what remained of humanity that he did not have a whole lot of free time to spend with her.
"Alright, lead the way." The Slaver leader nodded, "We'll take the girl. If the boy cooperates, we'll take him too."
"And if he doesn't cooperate?"
The thin Slaver's lips parted into a sinister grin, "Well then we get to have some fun this morning."
The large group passed by the cave. Never bothering to check it's dark depths for the blue set of eyes watching them. Noire tightened her grip on her bow.
She had a mission to complete. She had to find Lucina and the others. The future must be saved. It would do her no good to go and get herself killed battling slavers that outnumbered her nearly twenty to one. But she would never be able to live down the guilt if she just let these Slavers have their way.
A long, heavy, frustrated sigh left her lips. Noire carefully emerged from the shadows of the cave. She snapped her bow up. Arrow nocked. Ready to fire into anything that moved. She could not be too careful in a land she did not know.
She narrowed her eyes as she followed the slavers' footprints in the mud. The rain from the night before softened the earth. Not a sound hit her ears as she followed the bandits. Her boots sank into the mud at her feet as she carefully followed the large group of slavers deeper into the forest. Further away from her shelter.
She pressed her body against the back of a tree as the group stopped moving. Her breath got stuck in her throat as she waited for cries of alarm. Did they spot her? Was she about to taken? Or killed? One of her fingers brushed her talisman. Should she risk it?
"They're in that clearing boss." She heard one of the slavers say.
"Good. Let's get em."
Noire peeked around the tree and watched as the group pressed through a small thicket and entered a clearing. Noire could not see who was in the clearing. Her vantage point was poor here. She needed to get higher up.
She slung her bow over her shoulder and grunted as she jumped up and gripped a tree limb above her. She groaned and used all of her strength to pull her thin body up the tree.
A loud wheeze left her lungs after she made it up the first few branches. Her arms shuddered as she lay still on the tree limb for a split second. Damn her anemia! She already felt lightheaded. The heat did not help matters.
But she still needed to get higher. She reached for the next tree branch and gulped.
Time to go be a hero I guess. She swung herself up to the next branch, Lets see how fast I can get myself killed.
Cynthia slowly blinked her eyes open. Soft light from the rising sun filtered through a small gap in the roof of Kage's tent. The rays hit her eyes and caused her to squint. A long, loud yawn left her lips as she stretched her arms high over her head.
Something heavy shifted near her hip. Cynthia blinked and glanced down. Kage's arm was wrapped around her side. The Pegasus Knight's cheeks turned a deep scarlet color. She heard the young Sith Lord mutter weakly behind her head. She froze for a minute, then carefully slipped out from beneath his arm.
She turned over to look at Kage. Concern filled her face. His face was coated in a layer of cold sweat. The neck of his shirt was damp as well. More weak mutters left his lips. Cynthia gulped and pressed a gentle hand against his forehead. A sharp breath rushed from her lungs. He was burning up.
Cynthia frowned and sat upright in the tent. She knew he should not have stayed out in that rainstorm. Now Kage was sick. She saw his throat bob up and down as he swallowed hard in his sleep. Her eyes shifted back and forth as she debated whether or not to wake him up.
If he's really as sick as I think he is then he needs to rest.
Cynthia let out a small sigh and flashed another concerned glance at the young man. She wished she had a blanket she could wrap over his shivering body. Something to help him sweat out the fever that had gripped him in the night. He looked so pale. So weak. So unlike how he normally appeared. He would need someway to gain some strength back once he woke up.
I'll try and make him some food. And he needs water.
Cynthia nodded. Food and lots of water. That was the remedy back home. That and one of Miss Miriel's concoctions. Or one of Aunty Tharja's even more potent elixirs. Those foul tasting remedies always worked wonders. But the memory of them did send a shiver down Cynthia's spine. Naga, they tasted revolting. She wished she had one now though. One of those elixirs would have helped Kage get back on his feet in no time at all.
Cynthia carefully crawled out of the tent. Careful not to accidentally bump into Kage's still form. He needed to sleep. The last thing he needed was for her to accidentally wake him up. Hell, that was the last thing she needed. Kage would be extra grumpy then. And an extra grumpy Kage was a no fun Kage.
She shook her head and uttered a silent laugh to herself. His grumpiness would not get the better of her. It may have gotten the better of Luci, but it would not break her. Besides, as far as she could tell, Kage needed a true friend around right now. Especially after she heard about his three visions from the night before.
Her pegasus snorted and shook its head as it stayed resting beneath its tree. Kage's own steed remained asleep. Cynthia furrowed her brow and looked up at the dawn sky above her.
That early still? She thought, Hm… I normally don't wake up this early. She pursed her lips then shrugged, Oh well.
She gave her Pegasus a small wave before turning around and carefully pulling Kage's travel gear out of the tent. He had more food than she did. Probably healthier food too. He needed healthy food. Sick people cannot stomach candy or other rich foods very easily.
A thrilled smile rushed over her lips as she found a small jar of rice in his pack. That would be perfect for him. A nice bland food to settle his body down. She pulled out a small pot from his travel pack and moved to start gathering some firewood.
As she gathered some twigs, her mind wandered to what Kage revealed to her last night. Three visions, all of them terrifying. They did not even pertain to her and she felt afraid of them. She could not even begin to imagine how Kage felt after experiencing all of them. Since she ran into him all those months ago, he had put on this grumpy, terrifying persona. Exuded pure strenght. But in those moments when he explained the visions to her, Cynthia saw that facade melt away.
That was why she did not act like Lucina around him. Luci might want to be rid of him after everything he had done. But Cynthia still saw the boy she grew up with inside of him. The fun loving guy that loved to pull pranks and cause mayhem with the other members of the Justice Cabal. There was just a layer of grumpiness over that fun loving side that needed to be broken through. And the only way she could break through it was if she treated him like her friend. Luci did not seem to get that.
Then again, he did try to kill Luci. Cynthia frowned as she stacked some twigs at her feet.
She still was not sure how she felt about that fact. Kage did try to kill Lucina. She could not dispute or rationalize that one. Even Uncle Ben and the other Shepherds agreed that he tried to kill her older sister.
There was one explanation she did have for such an action though. Maul. Her face darkened as she recalled the vile monster. Kage confessed to her that he was terrified of the hold Maul managed to have on his mind. Had on his soul even. Perhaps Maul pressed Kage into facing Lucina. Maybe he had no choice.
Cynthia uttered a long, confused sigh. She reached into Kage's gear and grabbed the small flint and stone he had in a side pocket.
He always had a choice. Cynthia grit her teeth as she struck the flint and failed to get a spark. She struck the flint and stone again. The same results. No fire. She let her head fall back and she mouthed out some frustrated words.
Alright focus. Her tongue stuck out of the corner of her mouth as she carefully ground the flint against the stone. A small spark danced off of it. Her heart soared. Then sank as the spark hit a puddle of water right next to her pile of sticks.
Everyone else made fire starting look so easy. She thought glumly as her shoulders sagged.
She stared down into the pot of uncooked rice. A low groan emanated from the tent behind her. She took a deep breath and pointed a firm finger at the flint and stone in front of her.
You will start a fire for me!
She struck the flint again. Sparks spat off of the stone and into her pile of sticks. A small flame burst up from the damp tinder. Cynthia gasped with excitement. She clapped her hands, then fanned the flames. Soon, a small fire burned next to the little tent. And the rice boiled in a small pot of water over it.
She leaned back in the soft earth and let out a satisfied sigh. Kage would wake up and have breakfast ready to eat. Surely that would make him a little less grumpy.
Cynthia frowned as she looked up at the morning sky. Soft clouds lazily lumbered over the mountain peaks. Her mind once again wandered to Kage's visions.
The first vision was about Maul. It took place during the first siege of Ylisstol. And in that vision, Kage realized how afraid he had been of Maul's control over his life. Had even told Cynthia, in some vague terms (but that still counted to her), that he was afraid of Maul's hold on his mind and heart.
The second vision involved a dark space with a reflection staring back at him. An evil reflection. One that showed him the power he could wield if he just gave in to the dark side of the force. Cynthia gulped. Kage was already so powerful. It boggled her mind to think that he could get even stronger than he was now. Then again, Maul and Uncle Ben were both extremely powerful too. They were masters. Kage was not. He still had growing to do. So it was not inconceivable that he could grow stronger.
But his path to that strength led further into the blackness. Cynthia glanced back at the tent. He was terrified of that path. She saw it in his eyes when he explained that vision to her. And that was what convinced her that maybe Kage was not as bad as Lucina thought. He feared his own power. Feared the dark side of the force. Feared what he could do to others if he truly lost himself to fear, rage, and pain. It gave the young Pegasus Knight some hope for him. Kage wanted to better himself. Otherwise, why would he try to save his younger self from Maul's eventual arrival?
Cynthia nodded as she laid back and folded her hands behind her head. The rice would take a few minutes to come to a boil. Then a few more minutes to cook all the way. She thought about going to check on Kage. But she decided against it. Knowing how clumsy she was, she would accidentally bonk him on the head with her foot or something.
That would be a rude awakening. She thought with a small cringe.
He probably already had a wicked headache. What with the three visions and his fever.
The third vision… that one confused Cynthia the most. Ylisstol under attack. But not by Risen or Grima. Strange soldiers in white armor attacked the city instead. Their goal was not to take the city, but to take Lucina instead. Then they had to bring her to some guy named Lord Vader. She snorted to herself.
What kind of name is Lord Vader anyways? She wondered.
She glanced up to check on the rice. Still cooking. Small tendrils of steam twirled up into the air from the boiling water. Flames licked the sides of the pot. Heating it up hotter and hotter. Cynthia frowned and used her boot to nudge the handle out of the flames.
There, now I won't burn my hand.
A small moan left the tent. Cynthia glanced back. Thinking Kage was finally starting to wake up. But she was dissapointed.
Her cheeks heated up as she remembered the last thing she did last night. It was one thing to invite Kage into the tent with her. The storm last night had been terrible. Kage needed to take shelter before he caught a horrible chill. One even worse than the one he had now.
It was another thing to give him a goodnight kiss.
Her hands gripped the sides of her head.
Oh Naga what was I thinking!? She blinked, I probably wasn't thinking. Her cheeks grew warmer. Kage was rather handsome. She shook her head and gave her cheek a small slap, No! Bad Cynthia!
Her pegasus uttered a loud snort. At first, Cynthia thought her loyal steed was agreeing with her. But, as much as she wished it to be the opposite, her pegasus could not read her mind. Her loyal steed reared its head and uttered an alarmed whine.
That's not good.
The thicket rustled across from Cynthia. The Pegasus Knight furrowed her brow. She froze beside the fire as the brush rustled again.
Was it a bandit? A wild animal? A risen? Cynthia gulped as some adrenaline pumped through her veins. She and Kage were in dangerous country now. This entire mountain range was not patrolled by the Conqueror's soldiers. Otherwise there would be no slavers in the area. Danger could lurk behind any bush, any stone, any tree. She had to be ready for a fight at any time.
She gulped. Her body jumped as something emerged from the nearest bush. Then her cheeks flushed in embarrassment as a small rabbit hopped out from the bushes. It's pink nose wiggled at her. Cynthia uttered a relieved sigh as all of the tension in her body faded away.
Just a bunny.
A rough hand clasped over mouth. Her heart started beating faster than a horse could run. Her eyes widened as a low, gruff voice chuckled behind her.
"Ain't no point it fighting, pretty lady."
Her heart pounded as her attacker yanked her off of her feet. Cynthia kicked and clawed. One of her armored feet managed to bury itself in the man's chin. The bandit dropped like a ton of bricks. Cynthia hit the ground.
Her eyes shot over to her pegasus. Her lance! She needed her lance. Her and Kage were under attack. And he was sick. It was up to her to defend the camp and-
Two sets of arms wrapped around her shoulders.
"Gag her!" A voice hissed.
A hard piece of leather got shoved into her mouth. Cynthia tried to scream. But the gag, combined with Tharja's hex, rendered her utterly silent. She kicked and struggled with everything she had. But the bandits were much stronger than her physically.
"Boss," Cynthia heard one say, "What should we do about the fellow in the tent?"
"Leave him." A thin bandit shrugged, "He's worthless. And judging by the meal of plain rice over the fire, sick too. I don't take sick stock."
Cynthia's eyes widened. These men were the slavers Yen'fay told her and Kage about. She struggled even more.
"Knock her out. Then we go back to the hideout." The boss hissed.
A heavy hand smacked Cynthia over the head. Her pegasus uttered a loud whine as her eyes fluttered. Just before she lost consciousness, she saw her steed take flight before the slavers could take her too.
The darkness took Cynthia.
One of the large slavers shouldered her limp body. Unaware that he, and all of his comrades, were being watched from the treetops. An archer perched above them. Eyes wide with concern and fear.
The archer watched the slavers march away from the camp down a dirt trail. Without a second thought, the archer hopped from one tree to another tree. Her hand tapped against a small talisman around her neck as she swung from a branch and landed silent on the ground.
Following the slavers to their hideout was a massive risk. One the archer had to take.
"Cynthia." Noire breathed as she carefully followed the Slavers.
She had found one of her friends. Now Noire had to rescue her. The archer let out a worried sigh as she followed the group of slavers like a shadow.
I'm going to get myself killed.
Kage groaned. Gods, his head hurt. It felt like a stampede of pegasi were flying around inside of his skull. Each beat of their wings hit his brain and each hoof smacked the bone around it. He shivered as he struggled to open his eyes. He felt like he was freezing and boiling at the same time. As if he dove into a hot spring in the middle of winter. Usually a semi-pleasant feeling. But this was not pleasant. His entire body felt weak. Even opening his eyes was an enormous struggle.
Once he managed to open them, he noticed Cynthia was not in the tent anymore.
Had he felt healthy, his mind would have been racing as he thought about the events of last night. The three visions. Opening up to Cynthia about those visions. Her out of nowhere goodnight kiss that left him stunned, flabbergasted, and just all around confused.
But his ill body had taken over his mind. One thing dominated his thoughts.
Water.
He tried to sit up. Every muscle in his body groaned loudly in protest. He felt like there were weights on top of his arms and legs. Pinning him down to the ground. As he raised his head, his vision started to blur. His mind spun. Everything looked fuzzy. He felt dizzy.
Kage gulped and let his head fall back onto the mat. Another moan left his lips.
Force it had been so long since he felt this sick. He had not felt this ill since he was a small child. Back before the war with Grima. A rancid, quiet, belch left his lips. His nose wrinkled in disgust.
Headache. He swallowed and recoiled as pain lanced through his dry throat. Sore throat. Stomach pain. Dizziness. Chills. He sank down into his mat. Crap.
He closed his eyes and summoned the force to his side. The Dark Side hissed as he tried to will it to give him strength. But his weary mind failed him, and the dark side of the force mocked him. It left him feeling weaker than he felt before.
"Damn it." He exhaled and tried again. This time, reaching for a side of the force that had become a long lost friend. A side he had not tapped into since before Maul took him under his wing.
It was a struggle. He could not recall how to call upon the light side of the force. The dark side actively snapped at him as he tried. But pure determination kept him going. He would not let the force dictate to him what he could and could not do. Least of all the dark side of the force.
When he first learned to tap into the dark side, Maul told him to access his greatest fear. At the time, that had been his fear of losing those he cared about. The war against Grima began shortly after he became Maul's apprentice. He still held deep attachments towards everyone close to him. Lucina, her parents, Cynthia and the rest of the Justice Cabal; the fear of losing them allowed him to touch the dark side of the force for the first time. Granted him power he could never have dreamed of achieving. As he lingered on that first lesson, an idea popped into his mind.
What if I tried the opposite?
He focused. He still feared losing them. Then again, his greatest fear had already been realized. He lost Lucina. At first he thought he lost her to death. When that proved false, he lost her to his own stupidity. Lost that friendship.
But he had rekindled another. Cynthia stood by him. Cynthia, despite her annoying clumsiness, did not see him as a monster. Hell, she actively cared for him. Even sought him out when he initially struggled with the aftermath of their first quest together. Lucina saw the evil in him. Cynthia saw the good that hid beneath the surface.
There! A faint feeling. Soft as a feather. Barely tangible to him. But there nonetheless. A warm, bright sensation that caused him to recoil for a split second. It almost burned to the touch. The dark side hissed. Whispered vile warnings in his mind. Beckoned him to ignore this flame he had found in the force.
He grasped the flame. Pain shot through his mind. The foreign feeling of the light side channeling through his mind and body felt like the hottest fire in the world. He gasped, focused his mind once again, and worked to channel the warmth through him.
His headache began to dull a little bit. The aches in his body subsided just enough to where he could lift his body from the ground. His head swam again as he sat upright. But he channeled the force to correct himself. He blinked and uttered a loud, strained gasp.
I did not expect it to be that difficult. He thought.
He smacked his dry lips together. Water. He needed water. Kage crawled out of his tent. He noticed his travel gear and waterskin lying down beside a smoldering fire. A smoking, copper pot sat on top of the dying coals.
He lunged for the waterskin and brought it to his lips. Cold, refreshing water trickled down his sore throat. He winced as his throat throbbed and ached with each gulp. But as more water ran down his throat, the pain faded. Now it felt like a dull ache. An annoying itch too. But he could at least manage to eat something now.
The water cleared the fog from his mind. As the fog lifted, he let out a weary sigh and winced as his head pounded again. He tried to inhale through his nose, but found the task impossible.
Stuffy nose too. Lovely. He thought with a roll of his eyes. Ouch! Ouch! Don't roll eyes. Head hurts too much.
He gulped in some of the morning air and uttered a long, loud exhale. He had water, now he needed food.
Kage glanced at the copper pot. He could smell burnt rice inside of it. He arched an eyebrow. Did Cynthia screw up trying to cook him food?
No, she would not burn it that bad. He grimaced as he looked inside the pot and found the rice completely blackened. Nothing more than a lump of coal fused to the bottom of the copper pot. He furrowed his brow as he sat still.
She would not have allowed a fire to die out right now either. He frowned then heard a snort from a nearby tree.
His black steed waited patiently beneath the tree. Cynthia's white pegasus was gone.
"Did she fly off somewhere?" He wondered out loud, "She better not have. This area is dangerous."
A loud whine came from above. Kage jumped to his feet. He regretted his actions immediately as his vision darkened and his head swam.
Curse this damn illness to the deepest pits of hell!
His eyes widened as he saw a white pegasus land next to the fire. The poor animal was in an absolute panic. It's dark eyes were wide and fear filled. Snorts emanated from it's mouth as it stamped one hoof in the dirt. Kage blinked. This was Cynthia's pegasus.
A pit formed in his gut. His heart rose to his throat.
"Cynthia." He breathed.
Something was very wrong. She would not just wander away from the camp. Not without her pegasus and lance. Cynthia may have the occasional brain malfunction, but never one that extreme. Not when Kage explicitly told her this would be dangerous due to the-
His fists balled up at his sides. The flame of the light side extinguished in his mind. The dark side of the force roared with unbridled fury. Any pain in his body disappeared.
"The slavers." He snarled.
He reached out with one hand. His lightsaber jumped from his travel gear into his waiting palm. The cold metal felt good in his hands. That chill would be replaced by heat once he found those slavers and gutted every last one of them with the blade.
He swore to protect Cynthia. Nothing would stop him in that goal.
He approached the terrified pegasus. The beast snorted and backed a few paces away from him. Kage took a deep, soothing breath and reached out a gentle hand. He brushed the beast's muzzle and whispered soft words of encouragement.
He managed to hop into Cynthia's saddle. It was a bit small for him, but it would have to do. He glanced over at his black steed waiting patiently beneath the tree.
"You're in charge." Kage nodded to the black horse.
He dug the heels of his boots into the haunches of Cynthia's pegasus. The beast's angelic wings spread wide. Kage felt a thrill rush through his veins. With three mighty beats of its wings, they both soared into the morning air.
As he raced over the forests, Kage's burning eyes stared down at the thick canopy below. He doubted he would see the slavers moving beneath the trees. So, he placed his trust in the pegasus and closed his eyes. The force spread out from his body. Dark fingers pried through the forest canopy and crept down to the forest floor. Some spread out over the cracked, rocky mountains that towered over the forest.
He felt lives innumerable. Plants and animals, all connected to the force in their own unique way. All of them different in the force. Every single one innocent and unassuming. None of them his target.
His eyes snapped open as he felt vile intent a few miles away.
Hang on Cynthia. He thought as he banked the Pegasus closer towards the mountains.
Just hang on.
Ezra smiled as he hopped off of his mount. He could not help but feel very pleased. His pockets were already lined with so much gold. He was convinced he would need to buy a chest and place to keep it all soon. Slavery paid extremely well now that the Valm Empire turned a blind eye to crime and instead focused on putting down rebellions. Within a few short months, he had become a very wealthy man. Each slave he sold a prize. The prize being a mountain of gold and jewels that served to make him one of the richest men in the land. And he might have just captured his greatest prize yet.
The girl was a beauty. A little short. Very feisty. Perhaps a tad childish looking. But her looks were undeniable. That blue hair was so exotic looking. She definitely came from across the sea. Perhaps she was Ylissean? Some noble or dynasts across the border would pay a premium for her. A small chuckle left his thin lips.
Yes, he would have to buy a chest and a place to put it. The amount of gold this one girl would fetch him will double his worth at least. Of course, some of it had to be paid out to his men. They played an instrumental part in this racket. But he was the brains behind this operation. If it was not for his cleverness, not a single gold coin would have been gained by this lot.
He heard some grunts from one of his men as he dropped the girl down in the dirt. Ezra smirked as she woke up, sat upright, and immediately headbutted his closest man.
"GAH!" A large, ax wielding brute cried. He stumbled back and held his bruised forehead. The blue haired girl smirked as he gave her a furious glare. He gripped his ax and stomped towards the defiant girl, "Why you little-"
One of Ezra's throwing knives jumped into his hand.
"Don't. Touch. The merchandise." He warned, "She'll be worth a lot less if you harm her." A sick grin crossed his lips, "The dynasts like their slaves looking fresh."
He saw the girl's face pale. A small chuckle escaped Ezra's lips as he approached her.
"That's right sweetheart." He knelt down and placed the tip of his dagger beneath her chin. She stayed completely still. Her throat bobbed up and down as her eyes flicked down at his dagger, then back up at his face, "You're going to fetch me a lot of gold. That smooth skin and youthful face of yours will make me a very rich man."
She remained silent. Not a noise of protest. Perhaps she had already accepted her fate. Good, that meant less headaches as they crossed through the mountains. A submissive slave always made the process go so much smoother. If she remained this way, he might even give her some scraps to eat while they traveled.
"You boys rested?" He asked his men as he rose back to his feet.
"Yeah boss!"
"Good lets-"
A bird call sounded out from one of his sentries. Ezra frowed. He gripped his knife tight in one hand. A second bird call chirped out. His sentries were signaling him. Someone was coming.
Wings beat against the air. A white pegasus landed with thunderous fury on the ground. Ezra blinked in surprise as he saw a sickly, blond boy riding on its back. But the illness he had did not hide the rage on his face.
"You there!" The blond boy rasped, "You have exactly five seconds to let her go before I kill each one of you."
Ezra frowned as he sized the boy up. Sickly and weak looking. Dark rings sat around his eyes. He sat hunched over in the saddle of the pegasus. A further sign of physical weakness. The boy's face looked pale. But what caught Ezra's attention the most was the lack of any noticeable weapon.
A mocking laugh left his lips. He ran a hand over his gaunt chin and laughed some more.
"You've got brass balls kid. I'll give you that." Ezra smirked. Behind him, two of his brutes held the girl back from the boy. She struggled against their grip. To no avail, "But you aren't going to win."
"Is…" The boy gasped and sucked in a deep breath, "Is that so?"
Damn this kid really looked sick. Ezra laughed to himself. A sick kid would be a worthless mouth to feed. Better to kill him now than deal with him on the road.
"Yeah. For one, you don't have a weapon." He noticed the boy's eyes narrow at him. But Ezra did not care, "And two, you look rather sick."
"Illness will not stop me from tearing you apart." The boy snarled.
"Perhaps." Ezra shrugged. He snapped his fingers, "This might though."
An arrow zipped through the air from where one of his sentries hid. Before the boy could even react, the arrow buried itself in his abdomen. The blond cried out as he fell back off of the pegasus. The pegasus, spooked, rocketed back into the air as its rider lay in a heap in the dirt.
The girl struggled harder to get to the blond boy. The boy struggled to get back up on his feet. Ezra felt like he should praise the boy as he managed to get up onto one knee. The blond gasped for air. With a loud cry, he used his arm to shatter the arrow shaft sticking out of his stomach.
"Well I'll be damned!" Ezra cheered. The others around him all laughed. Some even clapped. He had to give the kid some credit. He had some spirit in him. "You're tougher than you look, kid." He pointed the tip of his dagger at him, "But you ain't tough enough for two of those."
A loud cry rang out. Ezra blinked. One of his sentries fell out of the tree he had been posted in. A black feathered arrow jutted out from his throat. Another cry from across the trail. His second sentry dropped to the ground as well. Black feathered arrow lodged in his chest.
"Boss?" One of his men asked.
The blond's eyes widened. Ezra heard a pair of soft feet land in the fallen leaves and mud behind him.
"Hello there!" A young woman's voice chirped.
Ezra spun around. He managed to see the tip of black arrow rocketing towards him. Then he saw nothing.
Kage grit his teeth as he struggled to get up on one knee. Force, this arrow hurt! The barbed tip dug further into his body with every painful move. Every weak breath forced it to dig even further into the muscle. And for some reason, he felt even weaker now than before. Wounds had never slowed him down this much. Was he really that sick?
With a loud cry, he crashed his forearm down on the arrow's shaft. The thin piece of wood splintered in two. Allowing him to move his arms more freely. He need as much space to move as possible once he attacked these scum. These slavers who dared to take Cynthia.
His head swam as he struggled to stand up. More pain rushed through his stomach.
Come on! He thought, Get up!
He raised his head. All sound faded away. All he could hear was an incessant ringing in his ears. A constant whine that nearly drove him insane. Black rings darkened the edges of his vision. For some reason, he felt extremely weak.
He heard the slaver mocking him. His ringing ears could not make out what he said. But he knew the man felt like he had won. Kage looked at Cynthia. The blue haired girl struggled against her captors with all of her strength. But she was too small. No matter how much she thrashed, she could not break free.
She gave him a desperate look as the lead slaver pointed his knife at him. Kage grit his teeth. Another arrow was coming. He needed to move. But his body was not responding like it should.
Shock raced over the slaver's face. Kage sensed a life snuffed out nearby. Within another second, another life was extinguished. Kage raised his gaze and saw a familiar woman jumped down from a tree. Short blonde hair crowned her head. A small smirk rested over her pale lips. Blue eyes focused on the lead slaver. Once her feet touched the ground, the ringing in Kage's ears came to an end.
"Hello there!" Noire called with a proud smirk.
She drew back the arrow on her bowstring. The slaver spun around. Kage blinked in shock as Noire's black arrow zipped through the air and smashed into the space between the slaver's eyes.
The slaver took a few, unconscious steps back. He swayed in place. Then fell face first into the muddy trail. Dead.
Chaos broke out. Noire nocked another arrow and loosed it into one of the bandits guarding Cynthia. The burly brute fell dead without a sound. Noire reached up and snatched her last arrow from her quiver. She sent that one into the eye of Cynthia's second guard. As that brute collapsed to the ground, Noire brandished her bow at the others. The slavers charged at her, weapons drawn.
The dark side of the force howled in Kage's ears. He would be damned if one little arrow and a bad headache got the better of him.
Kage unleashed. All the fury and fear he felt since discovering Cynthia had been taken burst to the surface. An enormous pulse rocketed out from his body. Lifting five slavers off of their feet and sending them sprawling onto the ground.
Lightning jumped from his fingertips and into the nearest slaver. That slaver screamed briefly. A loud pop rang out as his body cooked in an instant. The lightning jumped to the next bandit. Kage's eyes blazed as he relished in the pure fear he now felt all around him.
Across the trail, Noire came face to face with a skilled swordsman. The archer danced back as the slaver slashed at her. When he tried running her through with his blade, Noire caught his weapon with her bow. She wrenched him forward. The swordsman cried out as he lost his balance. Noire reached to her hip and drew a small dagger she kept for just this purpose.
She buried the dagger into the slaver's back as he stumbled past her. He collapsed dead against a tree. Noire spun and smacked the wooden section of her bow against a charging enemy's chest. The man fell backwards and hit the ground with a loud thud. Noire jumped onto him and buried a fist into his jaw. Knocking him out.
BLOOD AND THUNDER! I AM INVINCIBLE!
Static shot through the air. The hairs on her arms stood on end. Noire snapped her gaze towards Kage. The furious boy had surged to his feet and-
Her eyes widened in both stunned awe and horror. Lightning the likes of which she had never seen before shot into one of the slavers from Kage's outstretched hand. It moved like a chain between a group of five bandits. Each bolt shot through them one after another. Each man cried out, cooked alive, then collapsed into a static filled heap.
The last few slavers grouped together near Cynthia. At this point, the pegasus knight used her only weapon available to her in order to escape.
Her teeth.
She sank her teeth into the hand of one of her captors. The man uttered a loud howl of pain. Across the trail, Noire recovered her dagger and threw it with all of her strength into one of the slavers. The dagger plunged into the man's heart. He fell dead to the mud.
Cynthia kept a firm grip with her teeth as the other slavers started to run away. She allowed her body to go limp, slowing down her final captor. The girl only let go when she felt the slaver's body start to rise into the air.
Cynthia blinked and glanced over at Kage. He stumbled towards her. Yellow eyes blazing with pure rage. Cynthia gulped and shrank a little at the sight.
"I am going to make you scream." Kage snarled at the whimpering slaver suspended in the air.
As Kage clenched his fist, a dagger slammed into the side of the slaver's head. The man's eyes glazed over as death claimed him too. Kage's eyes blazed even hotter. He uttered a furious snarl and tossed the body away.
"You could not even let me have a little fun?" He growled, turning to face Noire.
He gulped. She had pulled one of her arrows free from one of the bodies and had it pointed straight at his heart.
Kage raised his hands defensively. He should have seen this coming. The last time they spoke to each other, it did not go well.
"You damn traitor." Noire growled as she aimed the arrow at him, "Give me one good reason not to put you down right now."
Kage swallowed hard. His throat felt dry again. And… and he could not feel his legs anymore.
He fell hard to the ground. Every part of his body felt cold and hot at the same time. His headache had come pounding back. Drums banged in his mind. A constant boom, boom, boom. He felt like his skull was about to shatter. And he could not breathe. Force, he could not catch his breath. Dark rings filled his vision as Noire lowered her bow.
Cynthia scrambled over to him. He managed to see her kneel down beside him. Her hands cupped his shivering face. Gods, her hands felt so warm right now.
He fought to stay awake as sleep threatened to take him. There could be other slavers nearby. He needed to be ready to fight.
Noire approached him and glared down for a second. Cynthia gave her a pleading look. Noire grimaced and let out a long sigh.
"Let me take a look." Noire said as she knelt down on Kage's other side.
Her fingers prodded his arrow wound. Kage hissed in pain. More dark circles danced through his eyes.
Noire scowled. She jumped to her feet and marched over to one of the dead archers. She knelt down and grabbed one of the archer's arrows. A grimace crossed her face as she studied the arrowhead. With enormous cautious, she brushed her fingers over the arrowhead and brought them to her tongue.
Noire quickly spat out whatever she placed on her tongue.
"Poison." Kage barely heard her say. The booming in his ears would not stop. He could feel blood rushing in his head. A dull whooshing noise that mixed in with the endless boom.
Cynthia gave Kage a fear filled look. He started to shiver. Everything felt so cold. And he could not feel his fingers anymore. Or his toes. Fear started to rocket through his mind as Cynthia brushed a warm hand over his forehead.
"Help me lift him up." Noire told Cynthia as Kage started to lose focus, "I've been hiding out in a cave nearby. I might have some stuff to help him there."
He vaguely felt both girls pick him up beneath his shoulders. Could barely feel his feet dragging along the dirt trail. Nothing felt right anymore. It was so cold. His head would not stop spinning. Eyes could not focus. His chest felt heavy. More fear mounted inside of him as he approached a dark cavern.
He could not hear Noire's voice. Could not see Cynthia's face. Everything was dark. Blurry. Everything cold. The poison coursed through his veins as he felt his body lie down flat against something very hard.
Where are we? He thought deliriously, Where am I?
Were the slaver's gone? Did they win? Did he rescue Cynthia?
He swallowed hard.
Cynthia.
And chapter! GUESS WHO JUST ENTERED THIS STORY! We get Noire into the picture now. And already, she is very different than how she was in game. There is a very good reason for this change in personality I assure you. And I will do my best to show why in later chapters. But for now, she is not some weak, timid character like in the game. I'm sure you all can guess as to one reason why. But I won't say anything yet.
And Kage's in trouble now. Hopefully Noire can figure out a way to counter the poison in him. We shall see won't we?
One more thing before we wrap up, I am going to be traveling for the next couple of days. So there will be no new chapter for at least two days. I will sit down and get right back to work on the next one as soon as I can.
Now with that said, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!