Chapter 4: Perfect Shot
"Gah!" The sound escaped my mouth as my back made impact with the ground. Blazemane whinnied and ran in circles around me as my opponent approached me. I raised my arm in an attempt to disarm him, but his blade was already at my neck. The sparring was over and I picked myself up after he removed his blade, using Blazemane as support. My opponent left at a brisk pace without a word. "What a gentleman…" I mumbled as I held onto Blazemane with one hand and covered the large slash on my side, "Let's go Blazey." I said and Blazemane slowly walked by my side as we approached the closest infirmary. A cleric quickly came up to me once I arrived at the entryway.
"Are you hurt?" she asked as she examined me.
"I am. I got a large gash from sparring." I admitted as I showed her the wound. She silently nodded and gently led me towards a bench. I sat down and she immediately started healing me. The other clerics tended to Blazemane, gently brushing her mane and feeding her carrots as they checked for injuries. I closed my eyes and relaxed while my wound was being tended to. A few minutes later, I heard footsteps coming towards me and I slowly opened my eyes to greet them. "S-Sir Cain!" His towering presence startled me.
"Commander Glacia." He greeted me with a smile and sat down beside me, "Something happen to you?"
"I got a little hurt during a sparring session." Right after I spoke, the cleric tending to me had finished and silently left us to our conversation, "What are you doing in here anyway? Were you attacked?"
"I was, in fact. Have you seen a masked and horned… creature around?"
"No, not at all." He gave me a very concerned look and seemed to be lost in thought.
"Hmm… good. I was… worried." He said slowly as he stared at the stone floor.
"Should… should we tell someone?"
"I've already informed Sir Jagen, however he doesn't believe it requires immediate action. Dismissed it as a bandit attack." We sat in an uncomfortable silence as we pondered the possibility of an attack on the castle.
"I'm quite certain the guards would be able to handle an attack." I admitted, breaking the silence.
"Our guards are the strongest in the country… yet I worry they can't." The silence started to settle down again, but was interrupted when Cain stood up, "Look, I'm sorry for bothering you with this. I should get going." I watched him as he walked out of the room, pausing in the doorway to look back at me before walking out of sight. I sat on the bench for a few more minutes before deciding to head back to meet with my platoon. I asked a cleric to lead Blazemane back to her stable before walking out and she silently agreed. I walked through the castle's hallways, lost in thought until I saw two people standing near my room's door. As I got closer, I heard Luke's loud voice.
"Hey! Glacia's back!" he exclaimed as he waved to me, "Where have you been? We assumed you were out training, but I didn't see you out there."
"I just got a bit roughed up. What are you two doing out here anyway?" I said as I joined up with Luke and Rody.
"Luke's been going on and on about wanting a cleric on our team…" Rody said, "After having a mock battle with another platoon that had a healer, she has been the only thing he can think about."
"I will admit, however, a healer would be quite useful." I admitted. Luke excitedly put his arm around my shoulders.
"You see? Even Glacia the Terrible agrees with me!" he exclaimed. I resisted the urge to protest his use of that nickname when I saw Katarina and Ryan turn into the hallway. They were walking towards us quickly.
"Good news! We're going to have a new team member joining us soon!" Katarina excitedly exclaimed as she joined us, "It's going to be a cleric!" Luke's eyes lit up at the mention of a cleric.
"A cleric! I just cannot wait to see how beautiful she is!" Luke's excitement was channeled through his intense grip on my shoulder. Shortly after, a figure appeared in the hallway. "She's finally here! Out of my way! Let me at her!" He freed my shoulder from his grip and pushed Ryan out of the way as he sprinted towards the figure. The rest of us followed him at a slower pace. When I got to his side, I noticed his shocked expression.
"Ah! You must be the commander I've been told about. I am Wrys, a humble curate. I am pleased to meet you!" He smiled as he spoke to me. He was wearing a blue-gray robe that draped over his feet. He had a wooden staff in his hand and his head glistened in the sunlight that filtered through the windows above us. Luke was still staring in shock. "I heard of your achievements here and I would like to offer my services as a healer." Wrys paused for a while once he noticed Luke's reaction. "Are you alright, my boy? You look awfully pale."
"Ah, no, it's nothing," I said, stifling a giggle, "Don't mind him. We're all happy to meet you, Wrys." The rest of our platoon took turns introducing themselves. Ryan finished his last sentence right before Cain found us.
"There you are! Commander Glacia, the 7th platoon is to report to the west side of the castle immediately." Cain shouted at us before running off in the opposite direction, possibly to call out more platoons for combat training.
"Guess it's time for round two." I said as I led everyone down the hallway. Katarina walked beside me while Rody, Ryan, and Wrys followed us. Luke was trailing behind them. I noticed Katarina was holding onto her book bag with a stronger grip than usual and seemed to be lost in thought as we wandered through the halls. "Are you alright?" I asked her, breaking her from her trance.
"I-I'm fine. Just exhausted from the mock battle is all." She stuttered. Her grip on her bag seemed to release slowly as we walked out of the castle's west gate. Cain was already standing there waiting for us. An unknown man was standing there with him, holding a bow at his side. Our horses were also waiting for us. Their caretakers were brushing their manes when we arrived.
"You'll be having a rather unusual opponent this time." Cain said once everyone was within earshot, "This is General Jeorge. He is visiting from the kingdom of Archanea."
"I originally came to instruct Gordin in archery, but once I heard of your platoon's achievements, I wanted to take part in your training." Jeorge explained. As he spoke, the wind picked up his long, blonde hair. It fluttered in the wind alongside his red scarf that almost blended in with his brown tunic. A white bandana was wrapped around his forehead. I could feel him looking through me, as if he can see my very intentions. "Now, take your positions. I wish to see how you fare in battle." A group of swordsmen gathered before him as he retreated behind a long, stone wall.
"Good luck." Cain said and retreated to an area where he is safe from any arrows, but is close enough to observe us. Before we were able to consult Katarina about our battle plan, we heard the sound of feathered wings above us.
"Looks like Caeda's come to join us!" Ryan exclaimed as he looked into the sky. She circled around our area for a minute before descending.
"I heard you were about to start a special training session and I flew over as fast as possible." Caeda said, dismounting her pegasus to join our conversation, "Hopefully I can be of help."
"Thank you for assisting us, we can use all the help we can get. I've heard that Jeorge is a master of the bow and arrow, the greatest archer on the continent. Jeorge, the perfect shot." Katarina said as she rummaged through her book bag, "Ah, found it! Gather around, I have a plan!" She pulled out a loose, folded piece of paper that was sandwiched between the pages of one of her many books and spread it out on the grass. "So, we are here…" she circled an area in the top left of the paper with her finger, "And, from the looks of it, Jeorge is somewhere back here." She pointed towards the right ride of the page where a large wall stood, blocking our view.
"I'd take it that we should keep Princess Caeda away from there?" Rody asked.
"Exactly. She can support us back here." She pointed towards the area near our starting area, "Luke, Rody, and Glacia should mount an all-out attack, charge Jeorge with all you've got."
"Of course! It's what I do best after all!" Luke bragged.
"It's also because archers can't counter attack at close range." I noted, ruining his attempt to show off.
"Precisely. Retreat to Wrys if any of you get too hurt. Ryan, you can help take out the swordsmen. I worry you won't be able to outperform Jeorge…" Katarina continued.
"An amateur like me can't even compare to a master. I'll support the fight back here." Ryan pointed to the area near the swordsmen.
"Are we ready then?" I asked as I got ready to mount Blazemane.
"Ha! We're more than ready! Especially me!" Luke raced to his horse and jumped on. Rody nodded before turning to get on his horse as well. Caeda whispered something to her pegasus before getting into the saddle and taking to the skies. Wrys stood by a nearby wall, taking cover from any stray arrows. Caeda landed nearby with her lance in hand, ready for battle. As her blue hair floated in the breeze, I couldn't help but to admire her beautiful, yet strong stance on the battlefield. Katarina took her place away from the battle and Ryan took position near another wall, opposite from Wrys' wall. Luke and Rody were ready for battle, taking their places on the front lines. I firmly gripped my lance and took my position between them.
There was an uneasy stillness that settled onto the battlefield. Luke and Rody were watching carefully, ready to react to whoever made the first move. I occupied myself worrying about Jeorge's skill and position. Ryan decided to break the stillness as one of his arrows lodged itself in the shoulder of one of the swordsmen. He didn't even flinch and began running for us.
"Split up!" I shouted. Luke immediately charged the right side of the enemy group while Rody took the left. I was left with charging towards the bulk of the group. As I charged, I heard arrows fly past me, some hit their targets and the others hit the grass. A swordsman ran at me at full speed with his sword out in front of him. I used Blazemane's weight to force my way through the crowd to avoid the attack. The blade grazed my hip armor and I retaliated with a swift swipe of my lance. This knocked him down and his blade fell as well. Focused on my recent victory, I failed to notice another swordsman that was coming from my left. I was too late to block the attack, but his attack wasn't able to reach me. A white blur crossed my field of vision and the swordsman was suddenly on the ground. I looked up and Caeda waved at me before flying away for more battles. I smiled to thank her and returned to charging the enemy.
At this point, the group was split into two. Luke and Ryan were handling the right half while Rody and Caeda handled the right group. Wrys bounced back and forth between the groups, healing any injuries he could see. It was as if the Red Sea has parted and a clear path was made between me and Jeorge. Before I could take that path, I felt a strong force hit my shoulder armor. I looked down and noticed it was an arrow. Jeorge is participating now, I thought to myself, I've got to get to him before he hits anyone! In an instant, I whipped Blazemane into a sprint. I heard Jeorge's arrows raining down on the battlefield and the sound of arrows on dirt. Blazemane sprinted around the wall, almost losing control and throwing me off. In front of me was Jeorge with an arrow nocked and ready for me. I raised my lance and charged straight at him. Once Blazemane had passed by him, I regretted this decision. Blazemane turned to face him once again, but I didn't. I had one hand gripped around my lance and one hand around the arrow in my side. I looked up to see him nocking another arrow and aiming it straight at me once again. He expects another charge, I thought as I fought through the pain, change of plans.
"Charge him, Blazey." I whispered in Blazemane's ear. She whimpered at the statement, knowing full well what Jeorge had planned for me. "Trust me." I gave her a few pats on the head and stroked her neck. She looked back at me to ensure that I was positive about this decision before kicking up dirt with her front leg. Jeorge knew the charge was about to happen and pulled back on his bow. Obediently, Blazemane charged him once again. I let go of the arrow and held fast to the reins. I knew that if I didn't succeed here, the battle would be over. Right before Blazemane got to Jeorge, I pushed myself off of her in the opposite direction of Jeorge's position. An arrow flew by Blazemane's hind leg and embedded itself in the ground. Once the dust from the charge settled, Jeorge was met with a surprise attack from me. I threw myself and my lance at him from the dust clouds and felt the force of his bow against my lance.
"Not quite." He said with a smile. He slipped out from under my lance and landed a shot on my right arm. I gritted my teeth as I fought to stand. I saw him ready another arrow and prepared to accept my loss. Before I was able to swing my lance one more time, I heard the beating rhythm of hooves on dirt and noticed that Luke and Rody were riding towards me.
"Watch out! The cavalry's here!" Luke shouted at the top of his lungs and charged at Jeorge with his lance raised, similar to my first attack. Jeorge assumed I was already out of the fight and turned to fire at Luke. The arrow landed and Luke slammed his side into the wall, in pain and unable to properly command his horse in that state.
"Heh." Jeorge softly laughed to himself, but stopped short of a complete laugh. I had thrown my lance to the side, just in his field of view to create the illusion that I had given up. Before Rody could think about his move, I had already made mine. I unsheathed my sword and fought against the building pain to get behind Jeorge. I put my arm around his neck and put my sword's blade threateningly nearby.
"Ah, clever…" he said as he dropped his bow, "You win this time." I released him from my grip and sheathed my sword. I heard the flapping of wings and the thud of hooves on hard dirt. With the battle over, I sat down in the grass and the feeling of pain took over. Jeorge was by the wall helping Luke up. The pain increased as I tried to move around. I was beginning to get lightheaded from the blood loss. I felt myself fall, but I didn't feel the impact of hitting the ground.
"Ah, Glacia, are you alright?" I heard a voice as I closed my eyes and tried to shift my focus from the pain. I felt something warm on my side as I began to feel the pain leave me. In a few minutes, the pain was gone and I opened my eyes to see Caeda's worried face. She had one arm around my back and her other hand on my chest. "Oh thank goodness. I was worried Jeorge went too hard on you."
"Mmm… he was a bit rough." I admitted. I noticed Wrys standing over me with his staff in hand, "Thank you." He gave me a warm smile before Luke walked up to me.
"You alright Glacia?" he asked. I was surprised by his use of my actual name and not his nickname for me, "I hit the wall pretty hard, but you've had it a lot worse!"
"I'll be alright." I said with a slight smile. I took Caeda's hand as she helped me stand. Once I got to my feet and got my lance back onto the side of Blazemane's saddle, Cain and Jeorge approached me.
"You've got a strong fighting spirit." Cain seemed to be writing something in his small book, "That's what I like to see."
"I was certain that once I got a shot in you'd be done for, two max." Jeorge seemed to be both surprised and confused, "I see a strength in you that I've only seen in- oh, never mind. It's just very rare. The strength and the will to keep going no matter what. What is your name?"
"I'm Glacia, commander of the 7th platoon."
"Glacia… I'll remember that name. I look forward to fighting alongside you one day." He turned towards a nearby group of trees and motioned someone over. A small archer appeared from behind the trees and hurriedly ran towards him, "I'm afraid I cannot lend you my aid, but… Gordin, could you go in my stead?"
"Yes, sir. Gladly." The archer agreed and Jeorge left us shortly after. Gordin was lightly armored with just a pair of shoulder plates and a light breastplate. Underneath, he had a green tunic on and cream white pants. Before I could call the rest of the platoon to come and greet our new team member, Ryan had already ran up to him.
"I'm so excited! You're part of our team now, big brother!" Ryan was hugging Gordin around the waist and refused to let go.
"I guess I am." Gordin ruffled his little brother's hair before giving him a hug as well. The similarity between the brothers was astounding. They had the same green hair as well as the same hair style. I noticed Cain watching them intently.
"Sir Cain?" I asked to get his attention, "Do you have any brothers?"
"Brothers… not by blood, but one by bond," he replied while watching the brothers, "He left his role as an Altean knight in pursuit of a more peaceful life. I hope he's safe out there." Before he could reminisce more about the former Altean knight, the rest of my platoon started gathering around us. Gordin had his arm around Ryan's shoulders as he walked towards us. Cain cleared his throat before speaking to everyone, "I've been watching your battle strategies as a team. Commander Glacia of the 7th platoon, of the twenty junior knight platoons, you placed…," he paused to flip through his miniature book, "First! Exceptional work, I expected no less from you."
"I'm glad… I hope my plans helped." Katarina's face glowed with pride.
"Your training is not over, however, so continue to work hard. You may return to the castle at your own leisure." He closed his book and walked back towards the castle. Gordin walked towards me with Ryan trailing close behind.
"Commander Glacia? I apologize. I didn't properly introduce myself," he said as Ryan positioned himself right next to him, "I'm Gordin. I'm a fully-fledged Altean knight, although I still take lessons from Sir Jeorge."
"It's a pleasure meeting you Sir Gordin." I shook his outstretched hand, "Thank you for agreeing to help us." I left the two brothers to themselves and walked towards Katarina. "I'll be heading back in. I need a change of clothes and some time to think."
"Alright. We'll stay out here a little more. The fresh air is too nice to pass up. I'll see you later." She said and waved goodbye. I turned and walked through the massive gate once more. The towering walls of the hallway never fail to fill me with awe. The sunlight shone through the windows, lighting up the hallways that I've only seen torch lit. I noticed the intricate banners that were draped on the pillars. They were a rich shade of blue and embroidered with golden thread. A simple insignia decorated the centers. As I walked past them, I couldn't help but to stare. They oddly filled me with a sense of nostalgia. I spent a lot of time going from window to window, admiring the delicate stonework and the pots of flowers placed at each one. I went from one hallway to another, taking the time to admire the castle's beauty. Soon, the sunlight waned and the sun began to set. It was at that point that I decided it was time to return to my quarters.
"Oh, but where was it again?" I whispered to myself, "Probably this way." I turned into another hallway, but didn't get far before running into someone. She had long blue hair, reminding me of my own. She had a flowing white dress with a red and gold border at the top. She had an ornate, light blue shirt underneath her dress that was decorated with gold thread. A gold necklace was draped over it.
"Oh… oh my, my apologies." She was started by my sudden appearance in front of her, "You are a junior knight, are you not?"
"Yes, I am. Name's Glacia. I'm here in hopes of being able to become an Altean knight." I replied, "Who might you be?"
"I am Elice, Marth's elder sister."
"Ah, I apologize for my lack of manners." I hurriedly apologized, afraid she may think negatively of me.
"It's quite alright. I find it admirable that you've come to help Marth."
"It's an honor to be able to serve the Hero King."
"'The Hero King'? It does seem that our people have grown fond of calling him that." Elice let out a soft giggle, "But the truth of the matter is that Marth… Marth is just a weak, vulnerable child…"
"Weak?" It never crossed my mind that anyone would see Prince Marth as weak, especially after all of his amazing deeds.
"Yes. As we speak, somewhere unknown to us, our peoples' lives are being lost. Marth cannot save those people."
"That is true. Even the most excellent kings are not able to know everything. He is no more than human; the things he can do are limited."
"Precisely. Most people realize this as reality and come to terms with it. Marth cannot do that. He firmly holds onto his belief that he can save everyone. A single loss is unbearable for him. He suppresses his feelings with all his willpower, but I know that inside, his heart breaks and bleeds…" Her face was filled with worry as she spoke, "In this cruel world, it will become increasingly difficult for him to continue to hold those ideals. Please, Glacia, if you achieve knighthood in the future… protect him somehow and keep his ideals safe."
"I will," I looked her in the eyes as I spoke, "I will protect him with all I've got."
"Thank you." She held my right hand in hers as she came closer to me. Her worried expression was washed away as she cracked a small smile, "Good luck in your training." She released her light grasp of my hand and walked past me. I turned to watch her and noticed a small circlet was resting on the back of her head. I silently vowed to keep my promise before continuing my walk back to my quarters.
It was already dark outside once I got to my living quarters. Before I could open the door, I heard a nearby door open. I glanced behind me and saw Katarina closing her door. "Oh? Katarina, where are you going?" I asked her.
"I found someone in another platoon who could join us. I'm off to talk to her. The rest of her platoon has deserted her and she's the only one left."
"I see. It would be great if she could join us. I have a feeling the battles will become harder from now on." I had a brief flashback to the battle that took place earlier in the day.
"I'll see what I can do." She said, "I'll also be trying to bring along some powerful weapons as well."
"Weapons? Where from?"
"Well… I guess I have some secret connections. I can't get them right now, but I'll try to get them before your next big battle."
"I appreciate it, but I hope you're not getting involved with anything dangerous. You don't need to go so far for me."
"It's alright. I just want to help you in any way I can," she glanced up and down the hallways before continuing, "Well, I'll be off now." She began walking down the hallway almost immediately after. I hope she's not involving herself with any shady people, I thought. Once she disappeared from sight, I opened my door and walked in. That night, I spent my free time rethinking the events of my battle with Jeorge. I was determined to get stronger, the next major battle was not too far off.