The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 92
The Sword of the Radiant Warrior
Mist covered the Kiba mountains. Blue moonlight pierced the mist. The occasional hoot of an owl completed the eerie feeling around the small group traversing the ridge line.
Luke paused in his march. His boots sank a little bit in the damp earth. He could smell the moisture in the air. Another storm was coming. If they did not find Noire and Say'ri soon, then the trail could go cold. At that point, he would have to rely on only the Force in order to find them. Noire did not have a strong enough presence in the force for Luke to sense her effectively.
Damn you Kenobi. Why did you not train her? He thought to himself as a chilled wind swept over the jagged peaks, down the ridge, and into him, Brady, and Prince Kage.
Brady carried the young Prince in one arm. His other hand planted his staff into the soft earth. Luke glanced back and saw Kage sleeping soundly. Head resting on the Priest's shoulder.
"Don't say it." Brady snarled.
"I look cute sleeping in your embrace." Luke smirked back.
Brady let out a long groan, "If I didn't have my hands full-"
"I'd kick your ass." Luke snorted, "Keep fantasizing, and I might just think you have ulterior motives for always wanting to fight me."
"I am a priest." Brady frowned.
"Not a very good one." Luke replied, "And you wouldn't be fighting me, you'd be fighting Cynthia."
"I do not want to-" Brady hung his head and let out a loud huff, "Naga damn you." He shook his head then glanced up at the dark sky above them.
Stars innumerable twinkled high above the mist and trees. A full moon dominated the sky. It's blue light making it easy to navigate the narrow mountain trails. But Brady was not looking up in order to marvel at the stars' beauty. His blue eyes scanned the sky, hoping to see the silhouette of a Pegasus soaring past the stars.
"She's been out there a while now." Brady grunted as he adjusted Kage in his arm. The little Prince snorted, turned his head over, and let out a quiet snore.
Luke nodded grimly. His own eyes glanced up at the night sky. Cynthia took off on her Pegasus in search of both Noire and Say'ri hours ago. Back when the sun still sat over the mountains. She had not been seen since. And now, Luke was starting to worry.
Cynthia was many things, clumsy airhead being one of them. But she was not someone to wander too far from her friends. She knew Luke and Brady were trying to track Noire and Say'ri as well. Regardless of if she had seen anything, she would have returned by now.
Unless something happened. Luke thought.
And if anything did happen to her… his right hand balled into a fist. If someone harmed Cynthia, they would not live to see another sunrise. If someone harmed Say'ri and Noire, then they would answer to him. He tried his best to contain the immense anger he carried because of Maul's training. During this entire search he applied many of the lessons Yen'fay gave him. He moved forward with a calm, collected mind. While he assumed the worst, he also knew that giving into his rage would only exacerbate the situation. It would not help him here.
But the temptation was enormous. He could feel the dark leviathan in the force rumbling in his mind. Sweet whispers of power that he had grown so familiar with danced through his thoughts. Maul's venomous teachings plagued him still. Every so often, out of pure reflex and instinct, he would let the dark side take control. Power would swell inside of him. A blood lust would burst forth. He would feel like a hunter again. A predator searching for prey that dared to step out of line. And Yen'fay's voice would bring him back. Cynthia's love drove away the darkness. And his devotion to his friends, whether they liked him or not, refocused his mind.
Brady trudged up to his side. His staff planted into the soft ground next to him.
"Any ideas?" The priest asked as he adjusted Kage's weight, "Cause this kid is starting to get heavy."
Luke returned his attention to the jungle around them. He closed his eyes and drifted into the force for a brief moment. Being incredibly careful to avoid sinking too deep into the dark side. Sensing another force sensitive was a relatively simple exercise. It was one of the first things Maul taught him to do. Using this technique, he was able to detect the location of others with the force's gifts so long as they were strong and close by.
The past few hours yielded nothing whenever he tried. But now, he sensed something. A faint, anxious flicker. One he recognized as Noire's.
"Yeah." Luke looked up at the peak of the mountain, "We've got to get over the mountain."
Brady's eyes bugged out of his skull, "Wh-what?" He shook his head, "Okay, if we're doing that, you have to carry yourself for a couple hours. I can barely feel my arm right now."
"Deal with it." Luke grunted as he marched up the trail once again.
Brady grit his teeth and followed, "Asshole." He muttered.
The pair trekked further up the mountain trail. As they rose higher, the canopy thinned out. Allowing both men to have a clearer view of the night sky and stars around them. Endless pin pricks of light that stretched out forever in every direction. Luke sucked in a small breath when they reached the peak of the ridge. For some reason, he felt enamored by the moon and stars above him. They were so close now, he felt like he could reach out and touch them. There was a longing there he had never really noticed before. And could not place as to why he felt such a thing.
He shook his head. Focus. He needed to focus.
"Spot Cynthia?" Brady puffed as he reached the peak. He used some rope to strap the slumbering prince around his back. Sweat caked his forehead as he leaned heavily against his staff. "And another question, why did we leave the horse?"
"The horse would not fit on the trail, you know that." Luke grunted, "We'll find it again once we find the others. It is a loyal beast."
"Doubtful, but whatever you say." Brady remarked as he tried to catch his breath. He reached for his hip, grabbed his flask, and brought it to his lips. He grimaced after he took a drink then shook the bottle near his ear, "I'm running low."
"So?" Luke asked.
"So, unless you want to see me cranky, I suggest we hurry this up." Brady frowned.
Luke rolled his eyes, "You are always cranky."
"Am not."
Before Luke could reply, he heard something on the wind. A faint rustling in the brush nearby. His eyes narrowed as he glanced in the direction of the disturbance. He allowed the dark side of the force to bubble to the surface. He could not sense any danger, but he also could not be too careful. The Force had been deceptive and hostile to him as of late. He did not want to become too reliant on it.
"We gonna keep going or-"
Luke raised a hand, silencing Brady. To his credit, the priest knew that he had to shut up. Both men reached for their weapons. Luke's fingers brushed against the hilt of his lightsaber. Brady's hand gripped the handle to his ax.
"Where?" Brady whispered.
Luke nodded to their right. A thicket sat on top of the mountain ridge. Large ferns made it nearly impossible to see into it. Brady pivoted, making sure to place himself between the thicket and the prince on his back. He drew his ax and eyed the thick brush.
"Animal?" He asked, voice hushed.
Luke furrowed his brow. That was certainly a possibility. Wild boar roamed the countryside. And while a single boar was not much to worry about, a group of them could do damage if they managed to get close. Luke was not interested in dealing with those animal's fiery tempers and sharp tusks.
He waved his hand. The ferns pulled away as the force brushed against them. Luke peered into the darkness.
Nothing there.
Strange.
Wings flapped in the wind. Luke's gaze snapped skyward.
Cynthia's pegasus crashed down onto the peak in a landing that was far from graceful. The impact startled Brady, who let out an alarmed cry, backpedaled, tripped on a vine, then proceeded to rolled down the other side of the mountain.
"BRADY!" Cynthia shouted from atop her Pegasus as she and Luke watched the Priest tumble down the trail with Kage.
Luke gave her a withering look.
"Sorry." Cynthia said sheepishly.
He shook his head and charged after Brady. Sheer, rocky cliffs lined the narrow trail down the mountain ridge. The soil felt slick beneath Luke's boots and he raced after Brady and a now wide awake Prince Kage. More than once, he slipped and nearly joined Brady in a slide down the mountain. Only his extensive training and sharp reflexes kept him from tumbling.
Cynthia raced above him. Trying to cut off Brady and the Prince further down the trail. Luke shook his head as she zoomed out ahead of him.
"Couldn't have warned us before landing there, could you?" He grumbled as he hopped over a fallen tree limb and continued his mad dash after Brady and Kage.
His eyes widened. The trail had a gap in it. No wonder they had not encountered many travelers passing through this section of the mountains. It was impassable. And Brady was tumbling right towards the drop off.
"LUKE!" Brady shouted.
The priest fumbled with the plants around him. Trying to grab a hold of something to slow his descent. The Prince screamed on his back. Terrified of the cliff. Brady grit his teeth.
Naga has a sick sense of humor if this how I'm going to die.
The ground fell away beneath him. Brady twisted his body so that he faced the rocky cliff. He desperately reached for the edge. Fingers grazed the dirt, but he missed the handhold. His stomach shot up to his throat as he started to plummet down to the jungle below.
He descent stopped abruptly. Brady let out a loud cry of pain as his shoulder popped out of its socket. He grit his teeth and looked up. Luke had a hold of his right wrist.
"As much as I would enjoy the peace I would get from your untimely death, I can't let it happen." Luke gasped.
Brady let out a loud sigh of relief as he legs kicked in the air, "Just pull me and kid up already!"
Luke clenched his jaw. He pulled with all of his strength. Then he reached out with force and used it to bolster his strength. With a loud cry, he managed to tug Brady back onto the trail. Once he was safely on the ground again, Luke fell backwards, gasping for breath.
"You are a heavy bastard." Luke huffed as he craned his head up, "I suggest you quit drinking."
"And I suggest you quit being a complainer, but neither of us are going to get our way." Brady snapped back. He undid the ropes holding Kage onto his back. The Prince jumped onto the ground and scrambled towards Luke.
"You okay?" Luke asked the boy.
The young prince threw his arms around Luke's neck. Luke froze.
"What now? Not used to hugs?" Brady muttered as he got up from the ground and shuffled over to a tree.
Luke watched as he leaned against the tree with his dislocated shoulder, "I can pop that back in-"
Brady slammed his full weight into the tree. A loud pop rang out through the night. The priest uttered a loud howl of pain.
Luke blinked, "Fine then, hurt yourself."
"Screw you!" Brady cried as he flopped down beside the tree.
As he sank to a seat, Cynthia managed to land her pegasus behind them on the trail. The blue haired girl hopped off of her steed and gave its mane a small scratch.
"Good girl." She whispered with a smile. She glanced over at the two exhausted boys, "So, find anything?"
"What do you think?" Brady groaned as he hovered his healing staff over his shoulder. The gem on top of it glowed green and he let out a relieved sigh as healing magic poured into the joint.
Cynthia cringed, "Well, it could have been worse."
"Yeah, I could have died. No thanks to you." Brady remarked.
"Calm down." Luke sighed as he pried Kage from his neck and lifted the Prince away from him. The young boy instantly bolted towards Cynthia and wrapped his arms around one of her legs.
"Oh, did the mean boys scare you?" Cynthia asked with an amused laugh.
"You both have never seen me get mean." Brady grumbled as he stopped healing his shoulder. He shrugged his shoulders. Feeling the ligaments and muscles in his neck and upper arms pop, loosen, then tighten once again, "Naga, I need sleep."
"We can't sleep now. Not until Noire and Say'ri are found." Luke grunted.
"So that's the other girl's name!"
Luke spun around. Standing across the gap, like a ghost in the mist, was a man wearing shimmering steel armor. A red headband held back a mane of dark blue hair. Sharp, dark eyes studied Luke, Brady, and Cynthia as he gazed across the gap in the mountain trail. At his hip, rested a long sword. Unique in design. Unlike any Luke had ever seen before.
Brady jumped to his feet and drew his ax. Cynthia yanked Kage behind her before adjusting her lance so that the tip pointed towards the stranger. Luke did not draw his weapon. Instead, he eyed the man carefully.
"What girl?" Luke asked.
The man snorted, "Oh, come on now. Are we going to be like that? Let's get past all of the dumb posturing already." He gave the group a small bow, "The name is Priam, and well… I am the bastard responsible for capture all of you."
Luke gave the man a skeptical look. Sure, he had fancy armor and a strange sword. But he could not possibly think that he could capture him, Brady, and Cynthia. One man was not strong enough to take on all three of them. Hell, Luke doubted this idiot could even challenge him. He did not sense anything especially strange about the man. Nothing more than a normal human being.
Luke snorted, "If you think you are going to capture us, I'm afraid I am going to have to disappoint you." His hand drifted towards his lightsaber.
Priam brought two fingers to his lips. A shrill whistle sounded through the night.
That was when Luke sensed danger.
And the force continues to betray me.
A large group of mercenaries emerged from hiding spots along the trail. They were surrounded. A dozen bows and arrows aimed at them. Swordsmen and ax wielding brutes guarded those archers. And Priam smirked from his side of the trail. Luke glared at him.
"Who said I was alone?" Priam grinned.
Luke's fingers twitched. Anger swelled inside of him. His eyes glanced around at the mercenaries that inched closer to him and his friends. His hand drifted to his lightsaber. Wrapping around the hilt, ready to wrench it free from his belt so that he could slaughter these miscreants.
"Ah ah ah." Priam chided. He noticed, "Don't move a muscle, or your friends become pin cushions." Luke froze as Priam spoke, "You see, I have been told that I only had to capture Princess Say'ri, Prince Kage, and you." He pointed at Luke, "The rest… well… blood makes the grass grow, right?"
Luke's eyes flashed dangerously.
"But we both don't want that." Priam continued with a wave of his hand, "I'm not the kind of guy that likes to needlessly murder people. So, if you would kindly hand your weapons over to my men and come quietly, we can resolve this in a much swifter manner. I mean, after all, you do want to see Say'ri and… what was her name again?"
"Noire." Brady snarled, surprising Luke with his fury.
Though he did not blame Brady. If it weren't for the archers pointing their deadly arrows at Cynthia and Kage, he would have already unleashed his fury upon Priam and his men. If not for Yen'fay's teachings reverberating through his mind, he would not have cared about either of them and killed all of the mercenaries anyways. That is what Maul would have wanted him to do. His old Master would have considered this scene an utter embarrassment.
And if he killed all of them, he would likely not find Say'ri or Noire. Not easily at least.
"You heard him." Luke reluctantly sighed.
He unclipped his lightsaber and tossed it to the ground. One of the mercenaries scurried up to him, snatched the weapon, gave it a curious glance, then shoved it into a leather pack on his back. They did the same thing to Cynthia's lance and Brady's ax. But when one of them tried to take Brady's staff, the priest resisted.
"Get back!" Brady growled.
"Let it go Brady." Luke said, trying to keep calm as well.
Brady gave Luke a furious glance, "You know who this staff belonged to."
"And you'll get it back, I promise."
Priam uttered a small laugh, "We'll see about that won't we?" He nodded his head. His mercenaries bound Cynthia, Brady, Kage, and Luke. Their arrows remained pointed at all of them. Luke frowned. Priam did not relax when they were tied up. He was a cautious mercenary. Which meant he likely knew who they were and what they were capable of.
You are a lot more intelligent than you look. Luke thought as he stared hatefully at the wild haired mercenary.
Priam snapped his fingers. Two more mercenaries appeared from the mist behind him. Both carried a simple rope bridge. They threw one end across the gap. Two mercenaries on the other side caught it and tied the rope bridge down.
"Alright everyone, time to go home for the evening." Priam smiled at Luke as he was pushed over the bridge and past him, "We'll get to know each other over breakfast. Won't that be fun?"
Noire took a deep breath. She held it. Then exhaled. The air, wherever she and Say'ri were held, smelled dry. Especially when compared to the humid, damp air of the jungle they marched through. Naga, she wished she could see. But the damn mercenaries and their damnable leader, Priam, seemingly forgot to remove their blindfolds. Yet another factor in this entire mess that made her both anxious and furious.
She was an archer. Sight was her most important, and treasured, sense. Without her sight, she felt helpless. Unable to pinpoint a target. Unable to take aim at anyone. She taught herself all of those skills. Molded herself into an impeccable archer. Prided herself on her ability to hit any target. And now, she could not see anything. That made her anxiety flare. Panic descended on her.
Calm down. Noire scolded herself.
She recalled an old exercise her father tried to teach her when she was just a small child. Noire was not sure if she could properly use the heightened senses the force could grant her. But she had to try. If she wanted to escape this place with Say'ri, she would have to learn where she was first.
She shifted in her seat. Feeling a fur blanket slide away from her legs. Cold stone brushed against her legs. Her second clue as to her whereabouts. The first clue had been the air. The sudden dry, stale scent. Not much moisture penetrated Priam's little hideout. Which meant it was sheltered from the elements. The stone indicated some place on the ground. Perhaps even in the ground. A cave of some sort? It would make sense given their close proximity to the mountains when she and Say'ri were captured. But the Kiba Mountains were vast. They could be anywhere along the jagged range.
A fire crackled nearby. Noire detected the faint sizzling of meat on a skillet. Her mouth watered as the scent wafted up to her nose.
Clue number three, it was mealtime. It had not been too long since Priam capture her. They marched for several hours, then were placed in their seats upon arriving at the hideout. Which likely meant the day was long gone.
Night time, meal time, and tied up in a cave. Now she needed to locate Say'ri.
Only one way to really do that.
She gulped. Hesitant to raise her voice at all. So far her captors had not mistreated her. Well, they had. She was livid about the blindfolds and rope binds. But beyond that, they had not struck her or screamed at her. No torture or torment. Just silence and the occasional check up with some water thrown in there every hour or so.
But she had to speak. She needed to know if Say'ri was held nearby or not.
"Say'ri!" She hissed.
"Yeah?"
Noire let out a relieved sigh. Say'ri was nearby. Good, that would make conveying any escape plan to her relatively easy. Now the hard part, figuring out how to escape.
She struggled against her binds.
"You'll break your wrists." Say'ri whispered over to her. Hearing the archer trying to muscle her way out of the binds, "These guys know how to tie a knot."
Noire slumped in her seat. So far, none of the mercenaries cared about their chatter. Either they had not noticed, or genuinely did not care if she and Say'ri spoke to each other. Noire really hoped for the latter.
"Are you still blindfolded?" Noire asked, keeping her voice hushed just in case.
No reply. Noire sighed.
"I still am."
"Oh!" Say'ri replied, "Sorry, I nodded my head."
"Thought so." Noire shook her head, "Any ideas as to where we are?"
"I smell bacon." Say'ri remarked, "But I doubt we are in a kitchen."
Noire let out a small laugh, "I'm guessing a cave of some sort."
"So we are still in the mountains. Good. That means Luke and the others have a chance of tracking us down."
Noire let out an audible sigh. Honestly, she was not sure if Luke actually would try to find them. Things didn't go well when they last spoke. That conversation about her training ended with him nearly taking her head off with his lightsaber. If he was anything like the bastard she had grown to know since arriving in the past, then he would leave her to rot with Priam. He left all of them in the future. So the pattern would fit.
"You doubt he'll come for us?" Say'ri asked.
"You don't know him like I do." Noire muttered.
Say'ri shifted in her own seat. Noire heard a fur blanket rustle against coarse stone nearby. Say'ri was closer than she originally thought. Even better.
"Probably not. But right now, the only way we are getting out of this mess is if he proves to be a better man than we both believe."
Noire felt surprised. Say'ri did not hold a very high opinion of her own brother. Although, according to what Cynthia told her, their relationship got off to a rather rocky start upon his arrival in Chon'sin after the war with Plegia.
"Do you really think he could be better?" Noire asked.
Say'ri let out a long sigh, "I will admit, he is at least trying. Yen'fay has been mentoring him for a few months now. And while that also grates at my morals, Yen'fay has not imparted any traitorous ideas into his head."
"That's because he didn't have to. They were already there. Courtesy of Maul." Noire grumbled.
Say'ri was silent for a moment, "You and your friends mention that name a lot."
"Maul?" Noire repeated.
"Yes." Noire swore she could see Say'ri nodding her head through her blindfold, "You speak his name, but you never speak of who he is."
Noire bristled, "There is not much to talk about. Maul was a monster. He trained Luke. He hated my father. And now, he is dead. The world is a better place because of it."
Noire scowled. There was a lot more to the traitorous wretch named Maul than that. But she did not want to discuss it. The very mention of his name evoked both fear and anger in her. If not for his cowardice, Ylisstol might have been able to stand against Grima. The combined strength of Maul and her father held off of the Fell Dragon, the Deadlords, and the Risen horde for years. Yet his own obsession with destroying her father prevailed over any sense of duty and honor. And she hated Maul for that.
She hated Luke even more for going along with it.
"Alright." Say'ri breathed, detecting the venom in Noire's tone, "Then we won't talk about him."
Noire let out a small, relieved sigh. Good, she did not really feel like talking about her past anyways. Her focus needed to be on finding a way to escape.
"What about your parents?"
Noire's thoughts blanked.
"Wh-what about them?" Noire stammered, taken off guard by Say'ri's question.
"Well," Say'ri continued, "You have lived among my family for several months now. You speak very highly of your parents. Yet, you hardly speak of them at all. Only rarely do you bring them up." Noire bowed her head and bit her lip as Say'ri continued, "Were they not good to you?"
"N-no, they-" Noire fumbled with her words as she tried to gather her thoughts. She let out a heavy sigh, "I know my parents loved me. But-"
"But?"
"Well, our lives were consumed by the war with Grima. There was not a lot of time for them to actually be parents." Noire's bound hands sat in her lap as she spoke, "Father was… distant. Very aloof. I mean, he occasionally attempted to be a father to me. But now that I look back on it, he was very out of his depth. He was always a far better General than a father."
Again, Noire swore she could see Say'ri nod through her blindfold. Not only that, she thought she saw the flickering, orange flames of a campfire over Say'ri's shoulder. Noire shook her head. Her mind had to be playing tricks on her.
"What about you?" Noire asked, desperate to change the subject, "How were your parents?"
Say'ri uttered a slight laugh, "Present. Very formal. Myself and Yenf'ay were meant to be the golden children of the kingdom. Examples to our peers and the other nobles on how a proper family should conduct themselves." Noire saw Say'ri smile wistfully, "Father was always strict with us. He cared deeply about honor and respect. But he loved us. Fought for us. Made certain we were always taken care of. I remember when I was a little girl, he would come into my room to wish me goodnight. And he always had an old legend to tell me." Say'ri uttered a small laugh, "He told me all about great heroes of old,the Radiant Hero and Alm the Conqueror. But my favorites always involved the Hero-King from Archanea. Father had me spellbound when he told me tales of the Hero-King's triumphs and tragedies. How he persevered through every hardship in order to defeat great evils and unite people. They always inspired me to be better, stronger, wiser." Say'ri intertwined her fingers, "As for mother, she was a typical noble woman from a powerful dynast. She married my father when her family was looking to gain political power in the Kingdom. She loved me and Yen'fay. The nurturing hand to my father's firm, guiding hand."
"That sounds nice." Noire said. Not realizing the words that slipped from her lips.
Say'ri furrowed her brow behind her blindfold, "What do you mean?"
Noire sucked in a sharp breath.
I swear Cynthia's airheadedness is contagious!
"Well," Noire folded her hands tight in her lap. Her legs crossed as she tried to find a comfortable way to sit, "I know nothing about my father. I mean, I know who he is. I grew up with him. I know how he is. But, I don't know who he is. He was always very secretive about this past. I never got stories from him. Only lessons and riddles that never made any sense to me. Honestly, it was extremely frustrating. Lucina would tell me tales of how much she loved being around her father. And I longed for something like that. I wanted my father to hold my hand and tell me bedtime stories. I wanted a hug and a kiss on the forehead when I needed comforting." Noire swallowed hard as she fought back tears, "The longer the war dragged out, and the more friends we lost, the fewer anything like that happened." A shaky sigh left her lungs, "As for mother, well, you had nurturing. I had… borderline insane."
"Oh dear." Say'ri gulped.
"Don't get me wrong, Mother loved me. In her own, strange, demented way, she did." Noire reached up and touched her talisman with both of her hands, "I've always struggled with fear and self-confidence. Mother despised that. She told me: 'Noire, you are a Kenobi. You must be strong like one'." Noire shook her head and let her talisman fall from her fingertips. The pendant tapped against the top of her chest. "She made this talisman so that I could have confidence. No matter how artificial it might be, I'd never lose heart on the battlefield or in life. She wanted me to be strong and courageous in the face of Grima and the Risen. Tried to teach me magic even."
"Your mother was a mage?"
"Dark mage." Noire replied. She could practically see Say'ri shift uncomfortably in her seat. Felt a wave of nervousness seep out of her, "And I was abysmal at it." Noire started chuckling, "In one of my first lessons, I had to hex a frog. Make it turn inside out."
"Oh gods!" Say'ri exclaimed.
Noire started to chuckle a little more, "Instead-" She laughed a little more, "Instead, I only managed to make it's tongue extra long. And that made the frog panic. It got loose and hopped into Mother's potion chest, accidentally came into contact with something, then grew to the size of the entire room." Say'ri started to laugh with her as Noire recounted the ridiculous tale, "Mother did not get mad at me. She scolded me of course. But then she taught me how to take care of the problem."
"How?" Say'ri asked between chuckles, "How did you shrink the frog?"
"Shrink? No, we blew it up."
Say'ri stopped laughing, "O-oh."
Noire snorted, "Mother spent the rest of the day scrubbing frog out of my outfit. But she laughed about it in the end." Noire let out a sigh as her laughter died away, "I lost her three years before passing through the portal." Noire's voice dropped as she recalled that horrible day, "On the same night Exalt Lissa was killed. The next-" Noire swallowed hard, "The next day, Maul and Luke betrayed us." Her hands balled up into fists in her lap, "Maul was at the same section of the battle as Mother and Exalt Lissa. To this day, I am convinced he is the reason we lost them."
"Your mother was killed as well?" Say'ri asked, voice quiet and sympathetic.
"I don't know." Noire sighed, "That is the worst part of it all. Mother just… disappeared. Her workshop was destroyed in the battle. Now all I have left to remember her is her ring and this talisman." Noire tucked her knees to her chest, "I… I miss her. She was my strength, my confidence."
Say'ri scooted closer to Noire.
"Well, maybe you can rekindle those relationships now that you are here?" Say'ri suggested.
Noire let out a quiet, snort of disbelief, "I can't. Lucina made us swear not to reveal our identities to the parents. Not until we are born at least." Noire shook her head, "Besides, I don't know what they are like nowadays. For all I know, mother is a full blown murderous psychopath and father is, well, father. No, I can't have a relationship with them. Not the kind I want. In this time, I will only be a comrade. Nothing more."
Say'ri reached out and took Noire's hands.
"You speak as if destiny cannot change." Noire gulped as Say'ri spoke, "The future is already radically different than the one you know. I mean, just look at my little brother. And no, not the grown up one." Noire snorted out a small laugh, "He was supposed to be kidnapped and taken somewhere else. I was supposed to join a resistance against Walhart. And now-"
"Now we are bound and blindfolded in a cave surrounded by stinky mercenaries." Noire finished for her.
"See, already better." Say'ri said with a slight laugh, "I'm sure, when you see your parents again, they will love you. You just need to have a little faith."
Noire sniffled a little bit. She gave Say'ri a shaky nod.
"Did you just nod?" Say'ri asked.
"Y-yeah." Noire croaked.
Chatter filled the hideout. Say'ri scrambled away from Noire. A few cheers rose up from the mercenaries guarding the place as footsteps thumped against the rocky floor.
"Say'ri?" Noire hissed.
"I think someone important arrived?"
Noire yelped as a rough hand grabbed her by her left arm. The hand hauled her to her feet. Another hand grabbed the black blindfold and yanked it away from her eyes.
Noire blinked as firelight hit her vision. A massive bonfire burned at the center of an enormous cave. Tents lined the walls of the cave. The mouth of the cave faced out of a cliff side. Outside, stars dotted a dark sky. A full moon hung high over the jungle that sprawled out before the cave. Ropes hung over the mouth of the cave. Mercenaries clambered down the ropes and into the cave. One mercenary flew a white pegasus into the cave. The beast resisted its pilot. But did not buck the rider.
Noire recognized the pegasus immediately.
"Kriff!" She hissed.
Say'ri blinked as the mercenaries removed her blindfold. When she saw the Pegasus, Say'ri scowled.
"That's not good."
Four prisoners were lowered down the ropes. Noire blinked in surprise when she saw Luke among the prisoners. Cynthia kicked and squawked as the mercenaries yanked her away from the ropes and over towards Say'ri and Cynthia. Prince Kage quietly toddled along after Cynthia. Tear stains lined his face. Rage flashed over Say'ri's.
Brady trudged over to the others. He looked frustrated. Overall, done with the day. His eyes were half open. His gait slow and weary. Noire sighed and shook her head.
"Babysitting sucks, doesn't it?"
Brady grunted as he flopped down on the ground beside her. Noire glanced down at him.
"I dislocated my shoulder for that damn kid." Brady glared at a fearful Kage, "Where's my hug!?"
Kage whimpered and ducked behind Say'ri.
"You're scaring him." Noire hissed.
"I'm scaring him!? I saved his life!"
"Technically, I saved his life." Luke said as he marched over to Brady's side. Hands bound behind his back. He glanced at Noire. Noire frowned at him, "Nice to see you too, Noire."
"No, you saved my life. And by extension, his." Brady furrowed his brow as he processed his own words, "Damn it all! I hate it when you are right."
"Are you going to pout now?"
"Yes."
"Boys, enough of that." Cynthia sighed. She glanced at Noire and rolled her eyes.
"Tell me about it." Noire nodded, "So, how's it going?"
Luke frowned as she gave him a smug grin, "Well, we noticed you were gone for too long. And we were worried about you."
"I was worried about you." Brady corrected, "Asshole was mostly irritated."
Luke gave Brady a sharp glance, silencing the belligerent priest, "And because of our worry, we decided to come and rescue you."
Noire glanced at her bound hands. She then looked down at Luke's binds.
"Good job." She replied sarcastically.
Cheers echoed throughout the cave. Noire flicked her eyes away from Luke and back to the cave's mouth.
Priam swung into the cave. When he landed, he raised his hands and gave his men a slight bow. Enjoying the congratulations he received from them.
"Gentlemen! Gentlemen! This victory is not mine alone, but all of ours!" He cheered, "And so, to celebrate, I say we have an early breakfast! Break out the eggs and bacon rations. We shall feast this morning!"
An enormous chorus of whoops and cheers followed his declaration. Pots and pans appeared from travel packs. Cartons of eggs were set near the bonfire. As Priam sauntered into the cave, he flashed his prisoners a smile.
"Well, welcome to our temporary humble abode." He said.
No one replied at first.
"It's nice." Cynthia blurted out.
Brady hung his head, "Goddammit, sometimes I wonder if there is a hamster running on a wheel instead of a brain in her skull."
Luke snorted, "You and me both."
Cynthia flashed them both a glare. But Priam laughed.
"Good friends I see. Only good friends bicker like this."
"Friends being the relative term." Noire muttered.
"Why do you have us here?" Say'ri snapped, causing Priam's smile to waver, "You said Excellus hired you to capture us. Why not just take us directly to him?"
Priam's mouth twitched, "An apt question, Princess. Perhaps I'll answer it while we eat."
"You'll answer it now." Luke snarled.
Priam gave the Sith Lord a relaxed smirk, "Oh really?"
Noire glanced back and forth between the two. She had heard about the worm, Excellus. Luke and Say'ri had an extensive history with him at this point. The Valmese tactician attempted to assassinate Say'ri when Luke arrived in Chon'sin. Then he tried to kidnap Prince Kage and kill Say'ri again. Luke and the Shepherds prevented him from achieving his goals.
The entire reason Yen'fay sent them all away from Chon'sin when the war with Archanea began was because he wanted them beyond Excellus's reach. Excellus feared Yen'fay. The Chon'sin General's presence gave the group protection from the worm's nefarious machinations. With him being called away to war, they lost that protection.
Excellus's reach was long indeed if he still managed to capture them this easily.
"What the hell, why not?" Priam shrugged. He dragged a wooden stool away from the fire and sat down in it, "Why did I bring you here and not straight to the worm himself?" He thought for a moment, "Is it bad to say I did it mostly to piss that prick off?"
Say'ri's jaw fell open.
"I mean, they don't call him worm for nothing." Priam snorted, "That Excellus character is worse than a filthy pig. But, his gold is good. And his orders were clear. Capture you three." He pointed at Say'ri, Luke, and Kage, "But he never said how. Nor did he give me a deadline or any other parameters. So, at this point, I can do as I please."
"Only until he puts a knife in your back." Say'ri warned.
Priam shrugged, "Maybe. I'd like to see him try. Doesn't seem like much of a warrior to me."
"But he is treacherous. Does that not concern you?" Say'ri asked.
Priam sniffed, "Bacon smells good." He smacked his lips together, "To be honest, Princess, no, it does not concern me. That worm has not earned a single ounce of my respect. I reserve that for actual warriors. And he is not that." His eyes landed on Luke, "You on the other hand… I've heard a lot about you."
"Good things I hope." Luke snarked.
"Only the best." Priam grinned back. He rose from his stool and sauntered over to Luke, "Luke, the bodyguard of the Chon'sin royal family. And before that, the Black Rider of Plegia."
Noire's eyes flashed. She gave Luke a stunned look.
Luke met Priam's amused gaze.
"Student to a particularly terrifying beast named Maul. The very same beast that slew Exalt Emmeryn a few years back." He clicked his tongue and shook his head, "He gained my respect by beating that one swordsman across the pond. That Ben Kenobi. But he lost it with that move. I'm not a fan of killing needlessly like that." He nodded his head and pointed a finger at Luke, "Then you killed him. Not an easy feat, I imagine?"
"Easier than you think." Luke snarled as Priam turned around and moved towards the bonfire.
"Ha!" Priam guffawed, "Great false bravado kid. You'd make a damn good mercenary, did you know that?" He reached over to a skillet cooking near the fire and plucked some bacon from it. He took a bite and savored the flavor, "Mmm… delicious." He smacked his lips again, "You see, Princess and company, the main reason I brought you here instead of directly to Wormy, was because I have a slight infatuation with great warriors." He tapped his strange sword, "I like to test their metal. I've traveled the world, looking for the best fight that can be had. Unfortunately, I just missed you, Maul, and Kenobi in Plegia. But when I heard about this opportunity, well I just could not pass it up."
"Why not just come and fight me then?" Luke asked.
Priam shrugged, "Well, this opportunity was better. Because, if things work out for me, I beat you, take you to Wormy, and make a ton of gold in the process." He gave the group a sheepish smile, "Plus, I only found out about your role as royal bodyguard when I got this job."
Luke furrowed his brow, "So, what is the point?"
"The point, is I want a good old fashioned fight. One on one. You and me, kid." Priam gave Luke a confident smirk, "So what do you say? Wanna go?"
Luke raised his brow, 'Right now?"
"Is there a better time?"
Luke pressed his lips into a thin line, "And what is the benefit for me in this? Why should I even give in to this… delusion?"
"Delusion?" Priam snorted, "I can assure you, my confidence is no delusion. But if you must ask what you have to gain from this, well-" He thought for a moment, "Tell you what, you win, I let you all go. How about that?"
Noire snapped her head over to Luke. If Luke beat Priam, they would be freed? No strings attached? That seemed too good to be true. Luke was many things she detested. But he was no slouch with a sword. He far outclassed both her and Say'ri with the weapon. And if he was allowed to use his lightsaber, then he could make quick work of Priam. They would all be freed by the time breakfast finished cooking.
Luke seemed to be thinking the same thing, "I'll need my weapon."
"Ah ah!" Priam shook a finger, "One caveat, kid. No magic." Luke frowned, "This is gonna be a fair fight." The other mercenaries cleared an area for the two to duel in. Then they encircled the area as Luke stepped forward, "Got it?"
Luke smirked, "Understood."
One of Priam's mercenaries undid his binds. Another approached him with the katana Yen'fay gave to him. Luke hesitated, clearly wanting his lightsaber more than the katana. But in the end, he reluctantly took the weapon and drew it from its sheath.
Priam bounced on his toes for a moment. He shook his arms and legs, loosening up his muscles. Then he drew his sword. Both Say'ri and Noire gulped when they saw that perfect, steel blade emerge from its sheath. A blade so sharp and hard that is shattered Say'ri's katana.
Priam rolled his shoulders. All around him, Mercenaries hollered. Calling out bets. Holding gold coins up. Most bet on their commander. Very few thought Luke could beat him.
Luke smirked. They were about to lose a lot of money.
He lunged at Priam. Priam sidestepped his thrust then swiped at Luke's right hip. Luke parried.
Instantly, he knew something was wrong. His blade shuddered. Small shards of metal skipped away from the edge of his blade. Right where Priam's blade made contact. Luke frowned.
"Nice sword." He said as he stepped back and readied for another assault.
Luke's eyes ballooned as Priam attacked faster than he could. He ducked beneath a deadly slash at his head, then scampered away from three quick chops at his body.
"Thank you. It's a family weapon." Priam grinned as he reveled in the duel, "Passed down from generation to generation."
Luke nodded, "Seems we both like using family weapons."
Their blades collided again. Sparks spat from the metal as they ground against one another. Luke grit his teeth. Surprised by the speed, power, and ferocity behind Priam's attacks. The man fought aggressive. No holds barred, nothing held back.
Priam shoved Luke back, breaking the blade lock. Luke stumbled back. Before he mount a counter attack, Priam was on top of him again. He brought his weapon rocketing down towards Luke. Aiming to cleave him in two. Luke raised his sword to block it.
The blade shuddered. Priam grinned. The two swordsman separated.
Luke took a breath. That breath got caught in his throat when he felt his blade lose all of its weight. Luke's eyes widened as he watched metal shards fall to the ground in front of him. Each one sparkled as the firelight glinted off of them.
He stared wide eyed at Priam.
"Well, I think that is a win." Priam smirked.
Luke grit his teeth. No, he could not lose. He glanced over at Say'ri, Cynthia, and the others. For their sake, he could not be defeated.
Luke took a breath and reached out with the force. His lightsaber zipped away from the hip of one of the mercenaries in the front of the circle around the duel. It hit his palm. His thumb brushed over the activation button. The sapphire blade burst to life.
Priam eyed the weapon with curiosity and mild apprehension.
"Magical?" He asked.
Luke shook his head, "Nope. Then again, you could call it that since it is beyond your meager understanding of the world."
Priam snorted out a small laugh, "Is that so? Well then, show me how powerful this weapon really is?" He readied himself for Luke's assault.
Luke bent his knees and lowered himself into Juyo's starting position. He tried fighting Yen'fay's way. He ended up with a shattered blade and a desperate position because of it. In order to defeat Priam, he needed to use Maul's training.
He needed to dance with the dark side again.
The beast within the force awoke. Luke glared at Priam. Anger filled him. This mercenary dared to mock him. Dared to take his friends captive. Dared to think him equal to his own powers. He will soon learn his folly.
Luke grit his teeth, channeled the force, and burst forward at Priam. Surprising the mercenary with his renewed speed and ferocity.
Luke cut his lightsaber in a vicious arc of blue light. He waited for the hiss of metal melting against his blade. The sound of flesh being torn open by the tip of his blade.
It never came. His arms shuddered as Priam's weapon blocked his lightsaber.
Shock filled Luke. He glanced at his weapon, then up and Priam.
"Surprised?" Priam grinned, "As I'm sure you can now tell, this isn't an ordinary sword." He shoved Luke back. Luke stumbled, still stunned by Priam's deflection, "This is Ragnell." Priam explained, "The sword of my ancestors. Blade of the Radiant Hero. It has never tasted defeat. No sword has ever matched it. Can yours?"
Before Luke could respond, Priam attacked.
A slash at his right flank. A chop at his knees. A thrust at his abdomen. Priam kept Luke on his toes, and on the defensive. Backpedaling around the ring. The other mercenaries in the room hollered and cheered on their leader. Cynthia, Brady, Noire, and Say'ri held their breath as Luke struggled to fend off Priam's relentless assault.
Priam drew back away from Luke's lightsaber. Luke expected another heavy handed blow. Instead, Priam lashed out with a kick to his chest. Luke reeled and fell backwards. He lay flat on his back.
Priam pounced. Luke ducked away just as Ragnel sank into the stone where his head had rested. Luke stumbled to his feet. Priam's fist slammed into his jaw.
The Sith saw stars. He spun around and fell to the ground again. Everything looked blurry. He felt blood dripping from his lip, down his chin, and onto the rocky floor.
"Is that all, kid?" Priam asked as he stood over Luke. A heavy sigh left Priam's lungs when Luke did not reply. The Sith crawled a few feet forward as he tried to recover his wits, "I'm a little disappointed."
Luke's bleary eyes fell upon Cynthia and Say'ri again. They looked at him with fear and desperation. His jaw ached from Priam's punch.
Sharp, blinding pain erupted in his back and out his stomach as Priam plunged Ragnel into him. Luke's mouth fell open as the metal scraped against the rock beneath him. A choking sound came from his lungs as his air escaped him.
Priam twisted his sword, then yanked it out of Luke. Blood pooled beneath Luke's fallen form.
"LUKE!" Cynthia screamed.
Brady reached out and grabbed Cynthia before she could rush towards him. Say'ri stared horrified as Luke rolled over onto his back. He coughed on some blood that bubbled up his throat.
"And that is that." Priam sighed, "Not a bad fight kid. But not a great one either." He shook his head, "I'm not even hungry anymore."
Luke heard Cynthia scream again. But it sounded duller.
"Foolish brat. To think you could live without me." Maul's sinister voice whispered in his mind, "I am disappointed. You really are nothing. You only managed to kill me because I was not expecting it. Truly, you are worthless. You could not even save your friends."
Maul's mocking laughter echoed in his mind.
Something snapped in him. Something broke free. Rage and hatred erupted inside of him. The beast snarled and roared. The dark side of the force flooded his veins. Blood whooshed in his ears. Dulling all of the noise around him. Cynthia's screams. Brady's shouts. The mercenaries' cheers. And Priam's silent disappointment.
I will not lose!
The force pumped into his muscles. Luke shot to his feet. He stumbled, ignoring the blood pouring from his wound. Hatred pushed him forward. The dark side of the force gave him life. Gave him power. He sank into its depths. Letting it guide his movements and actions.
Priam turned away from his men. He looked at Luke with mild surprise. He opened his mouth to say something.
Luke roared. Every voice fell silent.
He lunged through the air. Propelled at inhuman speed by the dark side. Priam managed to raise his weapon just in time to block Luke's brutal thrust. Luke spun and delivered a devastating slash to his side, staggering Priam.
He flipped over Priam. Priam spun around. Luke buried the hilt of his blade into Priam's jaw. The mercenary stumbled backwards. Luke reached out and snagged him by his armor. He yanked Priam back to him.
Priam's eyes widened as a blue glow filled his vision. Luke's lightsaber sat inches away from his throat. He could feel the heat generated by the blade. Sweat beaded on his face as he stared at the glowing core.
"Yield." Luke snarled.
Priam glared at Luke. There was no mirth in his gaze. Only shock and… respect. The mercenary slowly nodded.
"Alright, you win."
Ragnell clattered to the ground. The mercenaries surrounding the warriors stared in stunned silence. Luke nodded and deactivated his lightsaber.
The dark side of the force gave him this victory. But he would not let it rule his actions. He would not surrender his mind to it. That is what Maul wanted. He would never give that monster the satisfaction.
Pain returned. Luke gasped and fell to a knee. Brady broke away from the others.
"Untie me, dammit!" Brady demanded, "And give me my staff."
Priam nodded, "Release them." He said with a wave of his hand, "And give the priest his staff. I am a man of my word."
Noire gasped as her bonds were cut. She stared slack jawed as Cynthia sprinted to Luke. She nearly knocked him over when she reached him. As she helped him lie down, Brady grabbed his staff, took a drink from his recovered flask, and started working on Luke's wound.
"Well boys." Priam sighed, "I failed you. And for that, I am sorry." He looked around at his mercenaries, "I don't deserve to lead you now. Because of my failure, I will have a target on my back, courtesy of Wormy. And I don't want that target on you lot as well." He waved his hand, "Go. Have happy lives."
Not a single mercenary moved. Priam furrowed his brow in confusion.
"Well? Go!"
Several slowly shook their heads.
"We fight with our leader!" One shouted near the back.
Priam drew back in shock. He stared dumbstruck as his men cheered his name. Priam glanced over at Luke.
He lost. Why would they want to follow him?
"Well, Priam." Princess Say'ri started. He glanced over at her, "It appears we have a common enemy now."
"Excellus." Priam nodded, "It appears we do. And the only way to beat him is to beat the Empire. I'll happily fight alongside such strong warriors as you and your friends." He smiled, "Tell me, Princess, how do you feel about becoming a rebel?"
Say'ri smiled. She reached down and scooped Kage up in her arms.
"I'd say it's about damn time."
And chapter! This was such a fun one to write! I love writing the bickering between these characters, as well as getting in their heads and fleshing out their characters and backstories. It is just too much fun! And now Priam is on board. Another powerful warrior has joined our heroes. The Valmese better beware.
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!