The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 73
Cured by the Curse of Love
Noire furrowed her brow. Her long fingers carefully inched around the arrow wound in Kage's abdomen. Blood soaked into the fabric of his black robes. Sweat caked the exposed skin on his neck, face, and arms. The archer frowned and glanced over at the increasingly worried Cynthia.
"We need to get that arrow out." Noire said, her voice quiet and filled with uncertainty.
Cynthia paled. She directed a flurry of hand waves and signals at Noire. The archer gave the pegasus knight an extremely confused look.
Cynthia smacked her forehead and pointed at the arrow wound. She then made a pulling motion followed by what looked like her trying to say something would explode?
Noire sighed, "It's either we have a lot of blood coming out, or a lot of poison going in."
Noire placed a hand on Kage's forehead. His temperature continued to rise. He still retained consciousness, but his eyes were completely out of focus. Every single one of his senses seemed to be shattered. She had never seen a poison like this before. Her mother had made some deadly substances before, but nothing that worked this fast. Noire let out a weary sigh.
"Their arrows were barbed. So this won't be pretty." Noire grabbed the splintered shaft jutting up out of Kage's abdomen, "You need to be ready to put pressure on it." She told Cynthia.
Cynthia gulped and nodded. She looked around for something to place over the wound. When she found nothing, the pegasus knight tore off a large piece of cloth from the hem of her skirt.
"Ready?" Noire asked."
Cynthia gave her a shaky nod.
Noire started to pull. The reaction from Kage was instantaneous. A loud cry left his lips as the barbs on the arrowhead ripped into the flesh and muscle. Chewing them up like jagged teeth. Noire gulped as she felt a sudden spike in the Force around her. The spike centered around Kage. She stopped pulling and left the arrow buried inside of him for a moment.
Naga above he is powerful. Noire thought.
That spike in the force sent shivers down Noire's spine. He was not this powerful before. He had been on more or less equal standing with Lucina in the future. He was more skilled than the Princess. However, the pair did their best to remain equals. But that one pulse in the force left her stunned. His power had spiked exponentially in the years he had been away from his friends.
A scowl formed over Noire's face. He left them. He and Maul both. Their departure helped to seal the fate of Ylisstol. Their strength combined with her father's made them formidable opponents for Grima. It gave the Fell Dragon caution whenever he chose to engage the Shepherds. When they left, Grima was able to act with impunity. Sending out too many strikes for Noire's father to keep up with. Eventually, they were all overwhelmed as the Fell Dragon claimed victory.
This bastard betrayed us by abandoning us. Noire thought as she glared at Kage's weak form.
She should leave the arrow in. Let him die. Let him feel agony. Let him understand the pain all of them went through when another friend or parent died to Grima's horde. The pure selfishness in Maul and Kage's actions helped kill them all. Helped kill Noire's father. Helped defeat her mother. Led to their desperate gamble. A last ditch attempt to stop Grima by jumping back in time and defeating him before he could regain his full power.
Cynthia gulped and poked Noire's shoulder. The archer glanced over at her old friend. She could see the pleading in Cynthia's eyes. The desperation. She really cared for Kage. Really wanted him to live.
Why? Noire could not understand it. Kage had shown his true loyalties when he abandoned them. Cynthia had always been so much more naive than the others. She probably gave Kage a second chance as soon as she ran into him during this timeline.
Of course she would. Noire thought.
Cynthia reached over to Kage and brushed a gentle hand over his pale, sweaty face. Noire's eyes widened in surprise when the traitor did not recoil away. In fact, Cynthia's touch seemed to help calm him down a little bit. He might not be able to see or hear properly at the moment, but the Force allowed him to know who was nearby.
Noire exhaled as Cynthia gave her another pleading look.
Why do I have to be friends with her again?
Noire yanked on the arrow as hard as she could. The arrow head ripped out of Kage's abdomen. Forcing an enormous scream from the weak man's lungs. Cynthia pounced on the bleeding wound. Pressing her cloth wrapped hands hard over the bloody hole in his gut. Immediately, the fabric turned a dark red color.
"Keep the pressure up." Noire muttered as she marched across her cave over to a small pack she brought with her from the future.
The pack was filled with the basic essentials. A few vulnaries. One of her mother's elixirs. Which she would most definitely not waste on the traitor. Such a luxury must only be used under the most dire of circumstances. And to Noire, Kage's condition was not dire enough.
There were tools for making more arrows. Including some black feathers she brought with her. She would have to do that soon as well. An empty quiver for an archer was practically a death sentence on the battlefield.
There was an extra knife for cooking or for stabbing things. A knife she had yet to use in fact. The sharp edge glinted in a ray of orange sunlight that filtered into the cave. Perhaps she should start wearing both knives on her person?
The last item in the pack was the one thing Noire held closer to her than almost anything else. A small, silver ring with magic runes etched into the band. Her mother's wedding ring. Noire gulped and tore her eyes away from it. If she delved into those memories, she would not save Kage. She would just let him die.
She grabbed one of the vulnaries and marched back over to Kage.
"Let me see it." Noire muttered.
Cynthia gulped and pulled her hands away from the bloody wound. Noire moved quickly. She peeled away the heavy black robes from Kage's body. Cynthia flushed a little bit as she did so. Her embarrassment evaporated when both girls saw the true extent of the wound.
A curse slipped from Noire's lips. Thick, black, veiny lines ran out from the arrow wound as blood continued to leak slowly from it. Criss crossing through his body like a dark spider web. The poison was visible in the arteries and veins. Noire could see it snaking through Kage's body through his pale skin. The archer quickly uncorked the vulnary and dumped half of its contents onto the wound. The liquid sizzled once it hit the wound. Bubbling for a moment, then sinking deep inside of it. It stopped some of the bleeding. But not enough to leave it exposed.
"Get him to drink the rest." Noire said as she started to investigate the wound a little more.
Cynthia took the vulnary from Noire. She crept back towards Kage's face. The back of her hand gently brushed his cheek. She then lightly pressed the cold, glass vial against that same cheek.
Kage uttered a low groan. Cynthia took that as a yes. She placed the vial against his lips and gently tilted it. At the same time, she placed a gentle hand behind Kage's head and tilted him up towards the vial. Kage's lips parted every so slightly as the life saving liquid ran into his mouth and down his throat. A few sputtering coughs left his lungs as he struggled to swallow the healing potion.
"That might slow it down." Noire said as she saw the last few drops run out of the vial. She frowned as she saw the black lines in Kage's veins creep out further from the wound, "This is beyond me." She breathed.
Cynthia looked at Noire wide eyed.
"Don't give me that." Noire replied, "I-I was never that good at magic. You know that. Potions and poisons are magic. Ergo, not my area of expertise." Noire huffed and brushed some more of her sweat soaked hair from her forehead, "I'll... I'll do my best. But only because he means that much to you."
Cynthia gave Noire a thankful smile before she returned her attention to keeping pressure on the wound.
Noire rose from Kage's side and rubbed her chin. This poison moved fast. It attacked the body viciously. Rendering its victim completely helpless. From how Kage reacted to it, it attacked the muscles in the extremities first. Practically paralyzing the victim. Rendering the victim immobile. At that point, it went after the senses. Attacking the eyes and ears. Forcing the victim to live their last agonizing moments in immobile sensory darkness. That is unless the person who fired the arrow did not kill them before that point. It would be a mercy given what Noire saw at the moment.
If I knew where exactly I was I might be able to find some herbs to slow the poison. Noire thought to herself as she rubbed her chin and furrowed her brow. But Cynthia can't talk. Thanks to a hex most likely. And a few herbs won't stop this poison. Kage will need an actual healer.
And soon too. The poisonous lines slowed with the addition of a vulnary to the traitor's system. That would only last so long. And Noire only had a pair of vulnaries left to work with. Not enough to keep the poison at bay while they traveled for help.
The archer glanced out of the cave's mouth at the large amounts of vegetation surrounding it. There would have to be something she recognized out there. Something with mild healing properties. She wracked her mind. Trying to recall the few lessons her mother managed to teach her on the subject of potions, poisons, and alchemy. But they all were basic lessons. Nothing that would really help her with something as advanced as the poison in Kage's vein.
Nevertheless, she had to try.
"Wait here." Noire said to Cynthia. The archer slung her bow over her shoulder. She did not have any arrows for it, but it would work well as a club in a pinch. And she could use it as a defensive tool while wielding her knife. "I'm going to try and find some herbs."
Cynthia nodded as she used another piece of torn cloth to tighten the makeshift bandage around Kage's wound.
Noire slipped out into the forest. Her eyes gave the sky a nervous glance. It was already growing dark. She would only have an hour or two to work with. Not nearly enough time to gather the herbs she would need to make a proper potion. And she did not want to be wandering an unknown land, in a foreign world, in a strange timeline, at night. That was a recipe for disaster. Especially with both Risen and more bandits prowling about.
Noire gulped. If the Risen found her cave, they would all be dead. So very dead. Cynthia did not have a proper weapon on her. Kage, while powerful, was out of commission at the moment. If she did not manage to make an antidote, then it was likely he would not survive the night. And Noire did not have any arrows to mount an effective defense if they were attacked.
We are well and truly screwed right about now. This is starting to look very hopeless.
She sighed and brushed her fingers against the talisman around her neck. A small flicker of confidence rushed through her mind. Noire sucked in a deep breath and focused on the task at hand.
Herbs. She needed herbs. Something that could be easily applied to the arrow wound in order to slow, or even absorb, the poison. She flicked her gaze around at the various ferns and brush around her. Even took a long hard look at some brightly colored flowers that held some potential. But still, there was nothing.
A curse left her lips. She was getting nowhere fast. And the sun had nearly set behind the mountains.
I've been such a great help haven't I? Noire thought to herself, Can take out slavers with a barrage of arrows but I am useless at actually saving someone's life. Go figure.
A low, moan swept down from the mountain tops. Noire froze. A frigid wind swept through the dark forest around her. Goosebumps formed on her skin as a chill crept up her spine. The moan crescendoed into a high pitched wail on the wind.
Noire's eyes widened. Fear rocketed through her heart as she caught a pair of ruby red eyes staring at her from the shadows. Another pair of blood red eyes flicked open. Low groans and shrieks sounded out around her.
Oh by the Force! Noire thought as she swallowed hard.
A small group of Risen emerged from the thick foliage around her. Noire snatched her bow from her shoulder and held it tightly in one hand. Her knife sat ready in the other hand. Not that they would do her much good. The Risen around her were all hulking monsters of some sort. Three were mountainous creatures with large axes that could easily chop her thin bow into twigs. Two more were tall, gangly looking creatures with executioner hoods over their hideous heads. Noire gulped as she saw their legs sink into a gelatinous, shadowy mass near their feet.
Slow moving Risen, but deadly. If she was to survive this, she would have to be nimble. Dodge their attacks and engage in quick strikes that slowly chopped away at their defenses. Noire took a deep breath and brushed her talisman one more time. A wave of courage and confidence surged through her mind as the first Risen took a step towards her.
The first of the tall Risen rushed at her. It's massive, clawed hands swiped at her. Noire ducked and jabbed her knife into its ribs. The Risen uttered a low moan then swiped at her again. A swipe Noire jumped back from.
A warning raced through her mind. Danger behind her! She rolled away as an ax nearly took her head from her shoulders. More fear surged inside of her as she realized the Risen had managed to surround her.
They were tightening the noose. The circle shrank. Limiting her options for avoid their attacks. Noire gulped and lunged at one of the ax wielding Risen. Her knife bit into the monster's chest. The Risen recoiled back. Noire tried to use the small opening she created as an escape route. But a heavy, clawed hand smacked her in the chest and sent her falling hard to the ground.
One of the Risen pressed down on her knife hand with a heavy boot. Terror shot through Noire's heart as she stared up at a death mask. The red eyes glowed mercilessly down at her as its ax rose over her fallen form.
So this is out it ends. She thought as her eyes stared at the razor sharp edge of the ax. At least I will be reunited with mother and father now.
The ax came thundering down. Noire squeezed her eyes shut and braced for death's embrace. It never came. A wet squelch hit Noire's ears before the ax could bury itself in her slim body.
The archer gasped when she opened her eyes. A hand ax sat embedded in the Risen's mask. The Risen took a few, staggered steps back, then dissipated into a cloud of black ash. The two other ax wielding Risen looked up from Noire's fallen form. A loud battle cry rang out.
A steel ax flashed through the night air. It smashed into a Risen's face. The Risen uttered a loud, death screech before fading away to dust. A wooden staff smacked the two, executioner Risen back. Noire caught sigh of her savior. A rough looking young man wearing black priest robes. The last rays of sunlight revealed some blond hair and a long, thin scar over one of his eyes.
And father said there was no such thing as luck.
The priest bashed back the remaining three Risen with his healing staff. Noire smiled a little as she recognized an old friend.
"Thank Naga." She breathed.
"Oh yeah, sure. Thank the dead divine dragon for saving your life." The priest remarked, his voice grainy and gruff.
The archer jumped back up to her feet. A small laugh left her lips as she stood shoulder to shoulder with the intimidating priest.
"It's a figure of speech, Brady." She hummed as she twirled her knife in her hand.
"Excuses, excuses. Ya'll never gave any credit where it was supposed to go." Brady grumbled as he brandished his ax, "We gonna finish these ash faced freaks off or not?"
Noire dashed forward and slashed her knife across the tall Risen's hoods. The blade bit into the sackcloth over its face. The Risen shrieked as it reeled backwards. Brady followed up with a devastating swing of his ax. Nearly cleaving the Risen in two.
Noire ducked as Brady swung his healing staff like a club. The heavy wood staff smacked into the side of the other hooded Risen. Knocking the tall, lanky creature over. Noire jumped from her stooped position and launched her knife into the last ax wielding Risen. The Risen uttered a strangled cry then faded to ash on the wind.
Brady finished off the last Risen with a quick swipe of his steel ax. The Risen let out a low moan then crumbled to ash on the forest floor.
Noire let out a relieved sigh. She wiped some sweat from her brow and replaced her bow over her shoulder.
"You're a lifesaver, Brady." She breathed.
"Oh now ya thank me?" Brady rolled his eyes. He huffed and shook his head,"You're welcome, Noire."
Noire uttered another long exhale before resting her hands on her knees.
"Too close." She muttered, "Way too close."
"What happened to all your arrows?" Brady drawled as he kicked at one of the piles of ash around them.
"Used them." Noire replied, "Slavers tried picking on some friends of ours."
"Friends?" Brady blinked in surprise, "Ya mean the others are nearby too?" He frowned, "How long have ya been here for?"
Noire held up three fingers, "As of right about now, three sleepless days and nights."
"Well shit. No wonder ya didn't see the Risen coming. Your lucky I was keeping an eye on their movements." Brady remarked, "Ya know if Ma heard about you not sleeping again she wouldn't be happy."
"No need to remind me." Noire yawned a little bit, "But I've had Risen on my tail since I got here. No time to sleep when you're hiding from death."
Brady shrugged, "Fair point. Though I wouldn't know much 'bout that. Only just arrived myself." He frowned, "Ah crap! If you arrived earlier than me then that means the ritual got messed up somehow. That or Naga is still bending us over. One of the two."
"Brady! You're supposed to be a priest." Noire shook her head with both slight disappointment and mild amusement.
"Priest? Pfft! Ya think I chose this getup?" Brady remarked as Noire snickered a little bit, "Ah shit you've got your ma's creepy laugh going now. You're definitely outta sorts. You sure you haven't slept for three days? Cause I now think it might be longer than that."
"I'm laughing because I am very happy to see you. And I'm not just out of sorts because I'm tired. The friends I ran into are well-"
Brady arched an eyebrow, "For the love of Naga tell me it isn't Owain and Inigo."
"I wish." Noire muttered, "They'd be easier to deal with in this case. Right now, one of our friends is badly poisoned."
Brady frowned as he leaned against this staff, "What kind of poison?"
Noire shrugged, "I don't know. I used a vulnary to slow it. But now that you're here, he might stand a chance of living." She waved for the priest to follow here, "Come on. I've been hiding out in a cave nearby."
Brady frowned as he followed Noire back towards the cave.
"Creepy laugh and taking up residence in dark caves? Your ma would be proud, Noire." He said with a dry laugh.
"Oh shut up, Brady."
Cynthia sat down beside Kage. Completely exhausted. This day had gone so horribly wrong so fast. It was hard for her to even wrap her mind around it all. First Kage got sick. That in and of itself was not a good situation. They would have had to slow their journey down in order for him to get healthy again. Which would have taken at least a couple days if Cynthia's initial thoughts on his fever were any indication.
Then she managed to get captured by the very same slavers Yen'fay tasked her and Kage with hunting. Cynthia tucked her legs tight towards her chest. She felt so embarrassed and frustrated about the whole situation. Guilty too. If she had not gotten caught, then Kage would not have chased after her. He would have never been shot by a poisoned arrow. They would not be in this mess.
Thank Naga Noire found them when she did. Otherwise they both would not have escaped the slavers. Kage probably would have been killed. And she would have been sold as a slave to some nobleman. Forced to do unspeakable things that made her tremble.
Kage uttered a weak groan next to her. He was fighting so hard right now. Cynthia could see him struggling with everything he had to remain conscious. His eyes were glazed over. If she moved a hand over his face, he would not see it. He could not hear anything either. Noire attempted to speak to him before he had been reduced to this state. And he did not notice.
The only indicators that he was still alive were the shallow rise and fall of his chest, and his subtle reactions to Cynthia's occasional touch. She reached over and placed a trembling hand on his forehead. The fever had started to rise again. That would only make his condition worse. She flicked her eyes down to his exposed abdomen. The makeshift bandages she made from the hem of her skirt were soaked with blood now. And the dark lines that ran out from the wound nearly reached his chest.
Cynthia gulped. If those black rivers of poison reached his heart, what would happen? Would Kage die? She shook her head.
I cannot start thinking like that. He won't die. Cynthia thought as she glanced over at the suffering man, He can't die. He's like Luci. He can't die.
His breathing grew more shallow as time passed. Whenever she checked his temperature, his movements became less and less strong. At first, he'd recoil before realizing it was her hand checking him. Now, he barely twitched. Kage was losing the fight.
Noire where are you?
Cynthia looked out of the cave's mouth. Night had taken over the sky. Stars sat high over the mountain peaks nearby. A smiling crescent moon shone still, pale light onto the forest floor. She could hear a small breeze whistling past the cave. The rustle of the trees and ferns in the wind would have been soothing if she was not so worried.
Kage had been the first friend she encountered since arriving back in time. While their meeting could have gone better (she laughed to herself a little bit as she recalled his exasperation with her actions), it gave her tremendous relief to know that she was not alone in this timeline anymore. And true, he had been grumpy, mean, downright horrible at first. But once that initial anger faded away, Kage was still Kage. A grumpier version to be sure. But he still cared. He still fought for those close to him.
Cynthia reached over and intertwined his fingers with her own. His hands felt so cold compared to her own. It was as if the life was being sucked right out of him by the terrible poison.
Maul does not control you, Kage. She thought as she recalled how hard he fought for her against the slavers. How he came rushing to rescue her despite his own illness. Despite being wounded, he still fought on. How he fought tooth and nail to help his sister Say'ri, even though those actions would lead to a different future for his younger self. One where he likely would not grow as powerful as he was now. Cynthia saw his heart in those actions. Saw the good shattering the evil chains Maul placed on him.
You… She felt some tears well up in her eyes as she watched his breathing slow down, You can't die, Kage. She swallowed hard and held his hand tighter, Who else is going to put up with my clumsiness and antics? She choked a little as his own grip started to slacken, Who is going to help me reunite the Justice Cabal? It can't be reunited if you're gone.
Footsteps echoed through the cave. Cynthia's teary eyes flicked up to the cave's mouth. Her heart soared as she saw Noire step back inside. It sank just as quickly when she noticed nothing in her hands except her bow and her knife.
Just as the hope left Cynthia's heart, a gruff, intimidating voice shot through the darkness. A voice that made her want to jump up and down with joy.
"Aw hell it's you two!" Brady cried out in the darkness.
If Cynthia could cry loudly she would have. Tears started to run down her cheeks as she saw Brady slowly stalk into the cave. A look of pure annoyance and disdain on his face. His sharp eyes narrowed at both Cynthia and Kage.
"Do I have to?" He asked Noire. He pointed his staff at Kage, "Because I know exactly who that prick is and what he did."
"So do I, Brady." Noire breathed, "But he has been in this timeline longer than us. He knows where we are and how we can find the others."
"Cynthia would know."
Cynthia sniffled and gave Brady a small wave.
"Well damn, time travel made her quiet." Brady snorted, "I'd never thought I'd see the day."
Cynthia frowned at him.
"No, she's been hexed." Noire muttered, "And if I were to take a guess, I would say my mother is responsible for it."
Brady blinked, "Your ma is nearby?" He shivered, "Oh gods, please don't tell me that. I'm having a hard enough time as it is right now."
"My mother is not that scary." Noire frowned as she folded her arms over her chest.
"Says her beloved child." Brady said dryly.
Cynthia frantically waved at both of them and pointed to Kage. Brady rolled his eyes and let out a weary sigh.
"Fine." He grumbled, "I'll heal the bastard."
Cynthia clapped her hands. Accidentally clapping the back of Kage's hand as well in the process. Kage let out a small groan as his hand started to sting. Cynthia jumped and cringed. She ran a gentle hand along his forehead. Calming him down.
"Alright," Brady knelt down near Kage's waist, "Let's take a… whoa."
His rough fingers ran over Kage's torso. One finger ran a line from the thickets black branch in his veins down towards the blood soaked bandages.
"What in the hell?" Brady frowned, "How'd he get this shit in his system?"
"Arrow wound." Noire shrugged, "And if you want my opinion, it was a long time coming."
Cynthia frowned at Noire.
"It's true." Noire replied nonchalantly.
"Maybe so, but this is a brutal way to go out." Brady mumbled as he pulled the bandages back. He wrinkled his nose in disgust as he saw the bloody wound, "Damn." He looked up at Kage, "You couldn't have dodged it you son of bitch?"
"He can't hear you." Noire sighed as she gathered up some firewood from near her travel pack.
Brady blinked, "Cynthia can't talk. And this asshole can't hear me?" He began to cackle, "Oh Naga, this might be a dream come true."
Cynthia lashed out with a fist. Her armored hand managed to slam right into Brady's cheek. The priest reeled back and let out a loud groan.
"Aw hell!" He rubbed his bruised jaw, "Geez!" Brady spat out some blood from his mouth, "That ain't a way to convince me to keep working, ya know."
Cynthia stuck her tongue out at him.
"Now your just being rude."
"For Naga's sake Brady!" Noire snapped, "Get to work already!"
Brady flinched a little bit as Noire's more aggressive side bared its teeth. He threw his hands up defensively.
"Alright, alright. Don't kill the priest now." Brady let out a heavy sigh, "Can't a fellow have an opinion nowadays? Naga above." He muttered as he returned his focus to Kage's wound, "Symptoms Noire?"
"Loss of strength in the muscles." Noire explained as she tried to spark a fire, "Trouble breathing, intense fever, loss of sight." Noire huffed as she struggled to get sparks going, "Need I go on?"
Brady whistled, "Hoo boy. That's pretty bad."
He held his staff over Kage's still body. The gem at the top of the staff glowed a bright green color as healing magic poured into Kage.
Cynthia watched with growing anxiety. Her eyes remained fixed on Kage's chest and eyes. As more healing magic poured into him, she noticed his breathing become stronger. His eyes were not as glazed over. They held some life to them now. He flicked his gaze around for a moment.
"Wh-where?"
"Knock him out." Brady ordered Cynthia.
Cynthia's jaw fell open as she stared at Brady in shock.
"Well?" Brady nodded at Kage as he started to panic next to Cynthia, "Do I need to do it myself? I'd be more than happy to."
Cynthia shook her head. She was responsible for Kage's condition. So she would be the one to deal with his wrath once he woke up. Before Kage could try to lift his head and figure out where he was at, Cynthia cracked him across the jaw. His body went limp on the cave floor.
Cynthia glared over at Brady. And to her utter shock, she saw him giggling uncontrollably.
"You're too damn gullible, ya know that?"
Cynthia gave Brady an appalled look. In the background, Noire snickered quietly as she finally got a fire started. The warm glow of flames helped brighten the mood in the cave. There was something about a warm fire that always raised Cynthia's spirits. Even in desperate moments such as this one.
Brady pressed his lips together then exhaled. He lowered his staff and let out a tired sigh. One of his hands ran through his short, blond hair.
"Well…" He smacked his lips together, "Without good medical supplies, that's gonna be the best I can do." He nodded at Cynthia, "We need to get him to the nearest village for proper treatment."
Cynthia nodded. She moved away from Kage and went to go whistle for her Pegasus. She stopped halfway and stomped a foot into the ground when she realized she would not be able to call for her noble steed.
Noire shook her head. Why did her mother have to go and place such a complex hex on Cynthia? The Pegasus Knight must have really done something to upset her. Noire sighed and walked over to Cynthia.
"It can probably wait for a night." Noire said as she wrapped a reassuring arm around Cynthia's shoulders.
"Hate to break it to ya both, but it can't wait." Brady called over, "I need good potions for his condition yesterday."
Noire rolled her eyes, "I'm trying to comfort her, Brady!"
"Well comfort her later. Go find her pegasus." He nudged Kage's limp foot with his boot, "And this idiot's horse too. When you do find 'em, I'm gonna have to take this dumbass to the closest village. He needs my healing staff near him at all times at this point. Ya'll fly ahead and alert the healers in the closest village. By the way, where are we?"
Cynthia made a 'V' with two of her fingers. Noire blinked in surprise. Brady let out a frustrated cry and ran his hands over his eyes.
"Valm! We're in Valm!" Brady cried, "How'd the hell did we end up in Valm?" He shook a fist at the cave's roof, "You just love jerking our chain don't ya, Naga!"
"Brady." Noire sighed. She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head, "Where in Valm, Cynthia?"
Cynthia made a few frantic hand signals.
"Common tongue please!" Brady snarked.
Cynthia stomped her foot and stuck her tongue out at brady.
"And ya'll call me the rude one." The priest snorted.
Cynthia let out a frustrated huff. She pointed at Kage then drew out a house in the air with her fingers.
"Kage's home?" Noire guessed. Cynthia nodded, "Chon'sin!"
Cynthia smiled.
Noire gulped, "Please… please Cynthia, be honest with me. Have you run into Lady Say'ri?"
Cynthia nodded with a big, innocent grin on her face.
"Does she know?"
Cynthia blinked and nodded again.
"We're surrounded by idiots, Noire!" Brady hollered as he listened in on the conversation.
"Oh… Cynthia…" Noire shook her head and rubbed her eyes with one hand, "Why? Just why?"
Cynthia started to make a flurry of signals again.
Noire held up a hand, "Explain when you have a pen and paper. For now, we need to get Kage to a healer. I'm guessing Koto is the closest major settlement?"
Cynthia nodded.
"That means these are the Kiba mountains." Noire muttered to herself, "The city is roughly three days east from here, as the crow flies."
"Then ya'll got no time to lose." Brady noted, "Hurry up and find that flying horse thingy and dumbass's black steed. And I know it is black because this idiot is just that predictable." He nudged Kage's still form again.
Noire huffed. Brady, always the person to tell it how he saw it and not give a damn what anyone else thought about his opinion. Except when it came to his mother. Then it was her way or no way. Noire snickered. If Cynthia had already run into her mother, then that meant there was a chance Brady would run into his.
Oh that is going to be fun. Noire thought with a dark snicker.
"Stop laughing like that!" Brady shouted as the two women rushed out of the cave and sprinted off towards Kage and Cynthia's campsite, "You're gonna creep me out!"
They did not hear him. Both girls disappeared into the dark forest surrounding the cave. Brady uttered a long sigh as he leaned heavily against his healing staff. He glanced back at Kage limp form.
The poison had stopped spreading. As long as Brady pumped some healing magic into his body, it would stay stagnant in his veins. Might even retreat back towards the wound a little bit. But a healing staff could only do so much with a poison this lethal. He still wondered how a group of slavers came across something so potent. They would have had to get the poison from a dangerous mage. No way any common thug could make something like that.
He ran a hand through his short hair again and strode back over to the warm fire. Brady took a seat and stared into the flames as he waited for the girls to return with the mounts.
Noire and Cynthia will fly ahead to prepare the healers. And I'll make sure the idiot lives on the way there. He let out an annoyed breath as he placed another log into the fire. Three days of non-stop riding to save that traitor. When did I become so generous?
A low groan left Kage's lips as he lay across the cave. Brady glanced back at the wounded man.
"Even after traveling through time, you're still a royal pain in my ass."
Brady sniffed as he thought more about Kage's wound. The wound could not have happened to a more deserving person in his opinion. The poisoning was a bit much. But if anyone deserved to get shot by an arrow, it was that bastard lying across the cave from him.
Brady reached into a small pouch at his side and withdrew a small flask filled with his last stash of firewine. He raised a small toast in the air.
"To karma."
The worry in Yen'fay's heart had not died away one bit. A few hours ago, Cynthia came screaming through the skies over Koto. The silent girl landed her pegasus in the middle of the Palace courtyard and rushed towards his study in an absolute frenzy. Leaving her new companion behind.
When she burst into his office, she quickly scribbled "Kage's poisoned." on a scrap of paper. At that point, Yen'fay demanded to know where he was. Which is when she tried to explain that he was a few hours behind them with a healer friend. And of course, he could not make sense of her frantic, incomprehensible hand motions.
Thankfully her friend, Noire, could speak. The calm, brown haired woman explained that another one of their friends, a priest named Brady, was riding towards Koto with Kage. The two young men were a couple hours behind them since Cynthia's pegasus could fly faster than Kage's horse could gallop.
And so, after ordering healers to prepare for Kage's (or Luke as the servants and other palace residents knew him) arrival, Yen'fay marched to the steps leading up to the palace and waited. Hands folded behind his back. Doing his absolute best to appear calm and composed despite the worry in his heart.
Cynthia wanted to wait with him. But he ordered her to go get some rest. She just finished flying for three days straight. It would do no one any good if she collapsed from exhaustion on the palace steps. The healers needed to be focused on his gravely wounded little brother at the moment.
Noire managed to convince Cynthia to go rest in the end. Say'ri paid the pegasus knight a visit before leaving to oversee the preparations in Kage's room. That left Yen'fay alone last person that was not a servant in the palace, Noire.
The girl was a quiet one. She had not spoken a word to Yen'fay beyond informing him of Kage's condition and his location. Yen'fay himself was not much for starting conversation. But in this instance, he felt like he had to. He had to know who resided under his roof.
"Noire?"
The weary young woman glanced over at him.
"Shouldn't you be resting?" Yen'fay asked.
Noire shook her head, "I slept a little bit on Cynthia's pegasus. I'll be fine for a few more-" She uttered a loud yawn, "minutes. Besides, I need to make sure Brady didn't do anything stupid."
Yen'fay arched an eyebrow. Noire's shoulders sagged.
"He's not Ka-" Noire caught herself. Yen'fay had told her about the situation regarding Kage's name, "Luke's biggest fan."
Yen'fay inclined his head. So his hunch was correct. Brady and Noire already knew both Kage and Cynthia long before their encounter near the border. Which meant these two were also children from the future. Who's children? He would not ask. That was private information best kept to themselves. If they wished to reveal such a secret, then it would be their prerogative. But Yen'fay would not pry into such matters.
"How long has Cynthia and Luke been here?" Noire asked Yen'fay.
Yen'fay took a deep breath, "They have resided in the palace for a while now. As for when they arrived in Valm," Yen'fay shrugged, "I know Luke arrived roughly one year ago. Although," He leaned closer to Noire so only she could hear him, "He actually arrived in this time nearly four years ago."
Noire blinked. That made sense to her. It would explain why he aged the same as the others. Plus, the ritual he and Maul used was nowhere near as precise as Naga's. So there it was highly unlikely they arrived at the point in time they wanted to arrive at.
"And Cynthia?" Noire whispered.
"Nearly a year ago." Yen'fay nodded back.
Noire's eyes widened. Naga's ritual was not as precise either. That was not good. How many of the others would just fall into this time without any idea where they were. Let alone what point in the timeline they arrived in? They all expected to arrive in the past together. At a point just before the death of Exalt Emmeryn and the start of the war with Plegia. None of them expected to become separated as they passed through the time portal.
Noire rubbed her forehead.
"Great. Time shenanigans." She grumbled, "My father always told me there was no such thing as luck or coincidences. I'm starting to think he was very wrong."
Yen'fay chuckled, "And how do you know this coincidence really is a coincidence?"
Noire narrowed her eyes at the Chon'sin general, "Fate really is that fickle, isn't it?"
Yen'fay nodded, "So I have noticed."
Both paused as they heard hooves pounding towards them. Yen'fay glanced up from Noire. His heart jumped to his throat.
Riding at full gallop towards the palace was a priest on a black horse. Sitting in front of him in the saddle, body limp, face pale as a ghost, was Yen'fay's little brother.
It took all of Yen'fay's self control in order to restrain himself from charging down the steps towards his brother. The horse bounded up the steps towards the palace doors. As the priest and Kage reached the top of the steps, the palace healers came rushing out with a stretcher in tow.
So this is Cynthia's priest friend, Brady. Yen'fay thought as he eyed the exhausted, brutish looking young man, He does not look much like a priest of Naga.
Brady handed Kage's limp body off to the healers. Yen'fay sent a long glance at his little brother as he was rushed off to his room to be treated. He knew he could not follow. The healers needed space to work. The last thing they needed was him hovering over their actions.
Brady uttered a long, weary sigh as he slid off of Kage's horse. As his feet touched the ground, he planted his staff into the stone walkway and leaned heavily against it.
"Naga, I'm beat." He breathed as he rubbed his neck, "Ya'll have any idea how exhausting it is to ride full gallop for three straight days?" He snorted, "Bastard's lucky I consider Cynthia a friend."
Yen'fay frowned. Brady really did have a low opinion of his little brother. He would have to find out why.
"Luke is lucky indeed." Noire nodded, emphasizing Kage's fake identity.
Brady appeared puzzled, "Luke?"
"A mercenary in my household. The one you rescued in fact." Yen'fay spoke up, "It is the name he wishes to use around here."
Brady eyed the taller man. His thin lips pulled into a tight frown.
"Who's the stiff guy?" He asked Noire as he jabbed a lazy thumb at Yen'fay.
Noire leaned up to Brady's ear and whispered a reply. Brady paled and uttered a loud gulp.
"Aw shit- I mean-" He cleared his throat and executed a perfect bow, "How ya doing, Lord Yen'fay?"
Noire facepalmed, "General." She corrected Brady, "It's General Yen'fay."
"It is?"
Yen'fay uttered an amused chuckle. He clasped a hand on Brady's shoulder.
"Titles do not matter to me. And I should be bowing to you. You saved Luke's life. I am in your debt." Yen'fay nodded to both Noire and Brady, "Now, you both must be exhausted. There are rooms ready for both of you. Go rest. I will come and fetch you when Luke is healed and awake."
Noire nodded and uttered another loud yawn.
"Thank you very much, General." She said before sleepily walking back into the palace.
"Yeah uh-" Brady shrugged, "Thanks uh- sir?"
Yen'fay gave the rough priest a small smile as he walked into the palace. The General waited for a moment and cast a wary glance around him.
No one else nearby. Good. That meant no one heard his and Noire's conversation. The less people knew about the future, the better. He turned on his heel and strode towards his study. There was no way he could sleep tonight. Not until he knew if Kage would live or not. And if he could not sleep, then he would work. There was nothing wrong with getting a head start on tomorrow's affairs.
Cynthia sat out in the courtyard. A week had passed since her and her friends managed to bring Kage safely back to the palace in Koto. One very long week since Kage nearly died.
The Pegasus knight gulped as she sat on a stone bench beside the large pond in the palace courtyard. Her bare feet rested in the carefully manicured grass around the pond. A cloudy sky sat over her head. She sniffed the air and let out a long sigh.
Another rainy day in Chon'sin.
I should probably get indoors soon. She thought.
But she did not want to. This courtyard, the bench next to the pond, it had become her thinking place. Because in the past week, she had been doing a lot of thinking. It was all that she really could do since she could not talk to the others.
Noire spent most of her days training near the Koto barracks. Perfecting her skills in archery. Brady bounced back and forth between helping tend to Kage and replenishing his own supply of healing reagents. Neither really paid much attention to her. How could they? She could not talk to them. Could not communicate effectively. She managed to tell them where Lucina was. And that so far, the Shepherds were completely unaware of who they really were. But beyond that, she did not know much regarding their other friends and their whereabouts.
And while she was concerned about her fellow time travelers, most of her worry still lay with Kage. Two days after undergoing treatment for his poisoning, he woke up. Cynthia tried to barge into his room to see him. But a guard remained posted outside of the door. Kage- Luke- did not want to see anyone. Only General Yen'fay and the healers were permitted inside his room.
Cynthia scowled as she folded her hands in her lap. Letting them rest in the soft, silk fabric of the kimono around her body. The quiet trickle of water running into the pond from a small brook filled her ears. It helped calm her mind.
So what if Kage did not want to see her? It's not like she cared. Cynthia nodded to herself and folded her arms over her chest.
An ache rushed through her heart.
Who am I kidding? She hung her head. I do care.
Her thinking place allowed her plenty of peace and quiet to really think about how much she cared. There were very few people in the world who could tolerate her antics. She knew that. Lucina was one of them. But she did so out of sisterly love more than actual tolerance. The rest of the Justice Cabal tolerated her because, well, great minds think alike. Noire and Brady considered her a friend. But even in the future, they weren't extremely close.
And in this timeline, Kage had been the only one to put up with her. Even Say'ri could only put up with Cynthia so much when she had her voice. And Say'ri was her closest thing to a friend in this timeline.
She brushed some of her blue hair from her forehead. She went without the pigtails today. A little change in her appearance never hurt anyone. It actually felt kind of nice to let her hair down for once. She felt a little bit like Lucina in a way.
Luci's hair is always so pretty.
Cynthia pressed her lips together. Despite her best attempts to distract her mind, she could not stop thinking about him. The ache in her chest continued to grow. She did not know what it could be. Was it hurt because he did not want to see her? Was it something else? Did she eat something bad and was now having gas? Naga she hoped not. That would be embarrassing.
She chuckled to herself as a few koi fish swam near her. She smiled down at the curious fish.
Everything here is so beautiful and elegant.
A soft breeze brushed through the courtyard. The water rippled before her eyes. Her reflection shifted. When the water stopped moving, she noticed Kage's reflection beside her.
Cynthia froze as he took a seat beside her.
He said nothing. Absolutely nothing. Cynthia gulped and glanced over at him. The only thing covering his torso were the thick bandages around his abdomen. Simple, comfortable pants covered his legs. He also wore no shoes as his toes curled up in the grass.
He looked so much healthier now. Cynthia let out a relieved sigh at that fact. For someone who nearly died a week ago, he appeared to be well on the mend.
Her cheeks flushed a little bit as she noticed her eyes wandering along his form. She gulped and averted her gaze back to the pond. Her hands folded tight in her lap.
"I suppose I owe you an apology." Kage said quietly.
Cynthia arched an eyebrow.
"I-" Kage took a deep breath as he gathered his thoughts, "I swore to protect you and I failed. For that I am sorry."
Cynthia stared at him in shock. When did he swear to protect her? Her heart thumped in her chest. Was that a promise he made to himself?
Kage pursed his lips. He let out an awkward breath, "If Yen'fay found out I'm not in bed resting he'll throttle me."
He abruptly got up and swiftly marched back over to his room. Cynthia blinked.
That's it? That was all he had to say? A small apology then he marched back to his room? Cynthia exhaled and jumped to her feet. She rushed after him. Managing to slip into his room just before he could slide the door shut.
Kage uttered a sigh as he looked down at her, "Cynthia… look I-"
Cynthia held up a hand. She pointed a hand at her chest then pointed Kage's bandaged abdomen.
Kage arched an eyebrow.
"Your fault?" He shook his head, "No, this is not your fault. You-" Kage snorted as he shut the door to his room. This conversation required some privacy. Once he shut the door, he hobbled over to his mat and sat down on it, "There was no way you could have known that the slavers found us."
Cynthia adamantly shook her head. She followed Kaga and took a seat across from her. She crossed her legs and pointed at herself again. She made a few swiping motions in the air with her other hand.
"You should have fought them off?" Kage smiled a little bit, "If you managed to do that, I would have been impressed."
Cynthia flushed a little bit. When did he get such a nice smile? Cynthia gulped and shrugged awkwardly.
The moment in the tent flashed through her mind again as the ache in her chest grew. The goodnight kiss she gave him. Something she did without thinking. It still bounced around in her head. And every time it did, she felt herself drawn to Kage more and more.
She swallowed hard and gave Kage a nervous look.
"You're um," Kage scratched the back of his head as a light blush rushed over his cheeks, "You're thinking about the tent, aren't you?"
Cynthia's face went bright red. Her heart thumped hard in her chest. Both excitement and extreme nervousness rushed through her veins.
She uttered a frustrated huff and yanked at her hair.
GAH! WHAT IS GOING ON WITH ME!?
Kage laughed. Cynthia froze. She watched a he leaned back onto his elbows and kept chuckling.
"You know something Cynthia," Kage took a breath and winced a little bit from the lingering pain in his wound, "You are… you are not all that bad."
His laugh was infectious at that moment. Cynthia could feel her heart practically beating out of her chest. Her face would not stop blushing as she looked at her closest friend. A thought came to her mind that made a nervous shudder run though her.
Do I like Kage?
Not like… but like like. She mentally smacked herself. If anyone else heard her describe it like that then they would have laughed in her face. Hell, Kage would have laughed in her face.
"Cynthia I-" Kage swallowed hard, "Can I be honest with you?"
Cynthia paled a little bit. She nodded and waited for the nervous man to continue.
"In all my years of fighting bandits, Risen, and whatever else the world decided to throw at us," Kage said, "I don't think I've ever been as scared as when those slavers took you."
She could see him struggling with his words. Kage was an extremely prideful person. Cynthia knew that better than almost anyone else. For him to admit anything like this took a lot of strength on his part.
"I-" Kage swallowed hard again, "Damn this is difficult. But…" He shifted in his seat, "Look Cynthia, I… I wanted to thank you actually, back out there in the courtyard. But I didn't know how exactly to do it." He sighed, "So I just let my idiot mouth start running. Kind of like it is doing now." He shook his head, "The point is, I wanted to thank you. You-" He exhaled, "You stuck by me. I know I owe my life to Brady and Noire. But I owe it even more to you. If not for you, they would not have worked to save my life. They only see me as what I probably am. An evil man." He let out a shuddering breath, "But…. you don't see me that way. And I don't know if it's because you're just that kind or that damn naive but-"
Cynthia placed her fingers on his mouth to stop him from speaking. Kage had to thank her for that. He was about to shove his foot so far into his mouth he would have ended up choking on it.
Cynthia let her hand fall from his lips. Her innocent eyes looked deep into his own. Then she craned her head forward.
Kage's eyes widened for a split second as their lips met. A tender kiss that left the Sith Lord frozen in his seat. Cynthia pulled back after a second and glanced at him.
"How was that?"
Kage blinked. Cynthia gasped.
"Did I just-" Cynthia's hands flew to her cheek as an excited gasp escaped her lungs, "I DID!" She pumped a hand in the air, "Yes! I'm back!"
Her cheeks turned bright red as Kage lunged towards her and pressed his lips to her own. Without a second thought, she melted into the kiss
Her arms hooked around his neck as the kiss grew more fervent. Outside, raindrops started pelting against the palace walls.
Kage uttered a small gasp as they pulled apart. Cynthia heart fluttered hard in her chest as she stared into his burning yellow eyes. Hot coals that made her chest heave up and down.
"I'm um," Kage gulped, "Well, that's something I never thought I would do. Least of all with-"
"Kage."
"Hm?"
She kissed him again as she pulled his body tighter to hers.
"Stop making a fool of yourself and keep kissing me."
Thunder rumbled outside. Both of them heard Brady utter a loud curse from the corridor as a loud thunderclap surprised him. They chuckled as they fell onto Kage's mat. Neither of them noticed the storm raging over their heads. How could they. Both had finally found someone that could stand their antics.
Cynthia smiled as she lay with Kage.
The Justice Cabal was going to have a King and Queen
And chapter! Our favorite foul tempered, foul mouthed, priest of Naga has arrived folks! Thankfully too. Otherwise, Kage was probably not going to make it.
Well, this was an interesting chapter to say the least. A tough one to write too. I don't have a whole lot of experience writing romance stuff per say. And this one was even tougher because there was not as much buildup to Kage and Cynthia as there was for Tharja and Ben. That being said, this is one of my favorite pairings I thought of. It's like Tharja and Ben. I don't know why, I don't know how, but it really works in the end. Besides, Cynthia is definitely reckless enough to make a move on Kage like this. Also, I found it kind of cute that Cynthia's hex got broken by a true love's kiss situation. That was a fun little spin on the hex. Anyways, I hope I did a halfway decent job at their romance you guys. And if there is anything I can improve upon, let me know.
Anyways, this chapter wraps up Kage's side of the story before the Valm war. We will get one more Ben chapter pre-Valm before the start of the next major arc in this story. And I am very excited! There will be hardships, friendships, love… loss. I can't wait!
Let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!