I mentioned on the last chapter that I might do something while traveling back home. Well... Here it is! Enjoy~
Chapter 22: Memories of a time past
For Lyn, mornings were always difficult. Not because of the amount of work she had to get done, like feeding and water the few animals that were left or picking berries and whatever fruit she could find nearby for a meal, but because it reminded her of how alone she was.
As the only child of the leader of the nomadic tribe of the Lorca, the others always had high expectations for her. Because of that and there not being too many children around her age when she was growing up, she spent most of her time working with others and learning from them instead of playing. Still, she never complained about it. To her, she had a normal childhood with loving parents and friendly neighbors. Even moving around every few months never bothered her, finding it exciting instead, for the plains held many beauties and secrets.
Yet, those happy times would come to an end when she was fifteen—a woman of age by normal standards, but still a child in the eyes of many. It happened suddenly and without any warning. A few of the others began falling ill. The medicine man of the tribe couldn't do anything about it, but told them that whatever the sickness was, it wasn't contagious, which made people be on edge. And as more and more people began to fall ill—some of them could not stand for more than a few seconds before falling—it was already too late.
A group of bandits attacked one night, slaughtering the weakened people, men and women alike. Those that were sick quickly met their ends, being unable to defend themselves. Those that could fight were vastly outnumbered, and they too died one by one. Lyn had wanted to help fight, being one of the few that hadn't contracted the illness, but her father refused to have her risk her life.
When things were looking grim, it was her father that forces her onto a horse and told her to leave, to save herself. She wasn't having it, however. She had grown up with those people. Abandoning them was too painful, especially her mother and father. Her parents tried convincing her otherwise, but Lyn was getting hysterical. With no other option, her father tied her to the horse and had the horse run. With tears in their eyes, that was the last time the family would ever get to see each other.
Lyn returned to the ground days later, or to what remained of it, anyways. The yurts had been burned to the ground, the cattle made up of goats and horses had been slaughtered, and bodies littered the ground, their pieces unrecognizable from one another.
Though half a year had passed since that day, those memories remained burned into her mind. If she had too much free time on her hands, her mind would wander back to that day; the day she left her tribe behind… The day she became the only living survivor of the Lorca tribe.
She would get up early to get work done, yes, but also because sleeping meant having nightmares too. With every passing day, her hatred towards the bandits that destroyed her peaceful life became stronger. She wanted to avenge everyone—to allow them to rest in peace. But she knew that her skills were still lacking to do it by herself. As much as her father had taught her, he had passed away without revealing many secrets to her. Not that it mattered. She was struggling to survive as it was, leaving her little time to practice, let alone develop her own skills. Even with a routine in place, cutting corners to make time was not possible. She had to be thankful that she was able to scavenge some furniture, cookware, and a mostly intact yurt, which she quickly fixed. Also, two goats and her horse.
So imagine her surprise when, after six months of not seeing another living human being, she found a man laying down in the middle of the plains. It was as if he had appeared out of nowhere—the grass around him undisturbed, and he carrying nothing more than the clothes on his back. She went to him, filled with joy to see someone. She called out to him, but he neither responded nor moved. She had been told to always be cautious when approaching someone from outside the tribe, but curiosity took hold of her, and so she approached him.
Days passed with her taking care of the man. He looked fine except for some scrapes here and there, but he wouldn't wake up, as much as she shook him. She had brought him back to her yurt and nursed him, in a way, hoping that he would wake up, but he was too stubborn. It was only when she was getting a meal ready, preparing a carrot stew, that he woke up, as if the smell had stirred something in him.
The man looked confused at his surroundings. Lyn tired to explain to the best of her ability what had happened since she found him, but he looked distracted. He kept running his hands all over himself, only stopping when he looked down at the back of his hand. She had asked for his name, and it was then that he finally answered.
"Mark…" he said under his breath as he rubbed the spot he had been so intently been staring at. And when Lyn pointed out that it was a strange name, he looked at her confused. "Strange?" She quickly backtracked, hoping her words hadn't insulted him. Unfortunately, their first conversation would be cut short when a loud sound came from the outside. She left him in the Yurt while she went to take a look.
Not far from where they were, a group of bandits had set up camp. By the looks of them, they were from Bern, and would likely be pillaging the nearby villages. She returned to her yurt in haste, looking around for her sword. She explained the situation to Mark, telling him that she would have to take care of them. The group wasn't as big as the one that attacked her tribe, but it was dangerous to go against them by herself. Nonetheless, she couldn't leave them be, for if they did attack a village, it would be like she had ran away all over again.
"I can fight too," said Mark as he got out of bed, his movements slow, but steady.
"I...won't stop you if that is what you want," she said, half hoping he would stay in bed instead. "But, what about a weapon? Do you carry one under that cloak?"
He seemed to search himself for something, but when it provided nothing, he gritted his teeth before turning to look at her. "I do not," he admitted, "but I do not need one. You will be my sword."
"I don't understand what you mean. Please, just wait here!"
"Wait!" He grabbed her wrist before she could leave again. "I am a strategist. A tactician! If I can't help you directly, then I'll take the role of your shield, though only metaphorically speaking… What I mean to say is that I will give you guidance."
The proposition was a strange one, but one that she would quickly be glad to have accepted. Somehow, Mark seemed to have an eye on the whole area. Normally, when outnumbered, it is easy for the enemy to sneak up on you when you are fighting someone else, but every single time Mark called out where, how many, and when they were coming.
The battle ended with an impressive victory for their side. Despite taking a few hits, she was able to remain standing and defend Mark through it all. Mark, on the other hand, collapsed without warning immediately after. He would not wake up until the next morning. He took no time to ask Lyn for directions to the nearest town, which she found strange, given that a traveling tactician should know the area, but then thought that the an could be suffering from a mild case of amnesia. She told him the way to go, but when she saw that he was leaving, she felt like she shouldn't let him go on his own. Perhaps it was her own selfishness talking, wanting to become stronger, but she tried to convince him to allow her to go with him.
He was hesitant, telling her that she was too young to be thinking of adventuring with someone she just met, but she kept insisting. Finally, he said he would do so, if she had permission from her parents… Telling him her past was hard, but she was able to make it through. At one point, while on the verge of breaking down, he squeezed her shoulder. Somehow, the simple gesture felt reassuring, and though he kept silent during it all, she felt that he understood her pain.
That day, they made a promise. He would become her master strategist and she would be his peerless warrior. It was the type of promise a kid would have, yet, he did not mock her, instead nodding and offering her a warm smile for the first time since they met. The next day, they would depart on what would become a great adventure of self discovery for Lyn, one that would take her through a journey she never expected.
On their first stop, they met the knights Sain and Kent, of Caelin. They both had been searching for her, revealing that she was the granddaughter to the Marquess of Caelin, who was in poor health. They also learned that her uncle, Lord Lundgren, was trying to have her killed to secure his spot as successor to the title of Marquess.
Knowing that a living member of her family remained besides her, she decided to go meet her grandfather. But she suddenly found herself at a crossroads between her family and her promise to Mark. She could not force him to come with her on such a dangerous journey. She was ready, though saddened, to part ways with him to keep him safe.
Mark, who had remained quiet for most of her exchange with the knights, only asked one question: "What do you want to do, Lyn?"
"Though we've known each other for a short time, your companionship would put me at ease during this journey," she confessed. It was strange. He was in every sense of the definition, a stranger to her. They had been together for some days and she hardly knew anything about him. Yet, something about him made her think that he understood what she was feeling at any given time. Maybe it was because he was the first face she had seen in months, or maybe because he had helped her survive the two battles they already had. Either way, she trusted him. "I do not wish to put you in danger. We may be attacked many more times in the future and I can't guarantee your safety…"
He closed his eyes, looking what she could only describe as disappointed. "Then I will see you to Caelin. Once there, we shall part ways."
She was overjoyed by his words. Mark would remain as her shield, as he had put it before. Once more, she asked for his friendship and for his aid, knowing that he would provide them as he had done so far. But deep down, she was saddened by his words. Their days together would come to pass, and then, they would have to say their goodbyes…
They would meet many allies and fight many battles together in the coming months. Lyn also obtained the legendary sword Mani Catti, which had chosen her as a worthy wielder. She was happy to be surrounded by such kind people. She was especially happy to see her old friend, Florina, who had been training for some time to better herself as a pegasus knight. Everywhere she looked, everyone seemed to be getting along with one another. But Mark… Well, he helped everyone, but she could swear he was putting up a wall between himself and everyone else.
Ninian had once said that Mark had a "strange air" about him. Nils concurred, saying that the tactician didn't seem to belong there. The others had many good things to say about the hooded man, but they all agreed that he was not a man of many words outside of combat. To Lyn, this image painted by the others was nothing like the man she had gotten to know. He was patient, teaching her about tactics even if she had a hard time with it.. He was kind, always helping others before they asked. He was a good listener, lending her an ear whenever she needed to talk something out. And he was wise, giving her advice about how to cope with the loss of her family and ease the pain as well as the nightmares.
The day she met her grandfather was one of the happiest days in her life. They had saved him from certain death. What's more, the sickly man she had seen in bed was revitalized instantly by her presence, it would seem. She made a decision to watch over him in Castle Caelin until he was back to his full health. Sain, Kent, Wallace, Wil, and Florina would all be staying with her too, which she was glad for. The rest departed in the following days. Mark was the third one to leave, behind Matthew and Rath, only three days after they had arrived.
By chance he had seen him about to board a coach near the castle's gate. She went to him, her legs moving as fast as they could. She called out to him, hoping he would stop. Having him leave without any last words felt wrong. Thankfully, he did stop.
"Mark…," she said, slowing down her pace until she was standing before him. He pulled his hood down, revealing his messy brunette hair that had grown long in their months of travel. "You don't have to leave so soon. You deserve some rest after all the fighting we went through. I could talk with grandfather and ask for a room for you, if you like."
"I appreciate it, Lyn, but that won't be necessary," he said. From all the members of their small group of people, he was the only one that called her by that name. Not even Florina, who had known her for years, called her Lyn anymore. "I've kept my promise to see you to Castle Caelin. Your grandfather was also kind enough to pay me for the services I provided you during your journey." He showed her a hefty pouch of gold coins. "I refused the payment, but Lord Haussen is a stubborn man."
She chuckled, knowing that her grandfather was the kind of man that would force such a thing onto another. "Won't you reconsider?"
He gave it some thought for all but a second before asking, "what do you want to do, Lyn?"
For a second time since she had known him, he was offering her a choice. The first time she had told him she wished for him to accompany her, and so he did. It would have been easy to say something like that again and have him stay, if only for a few days, but she knew that that would be too selfish from her. "I cannot ask you to stay," she told him. "It's just… I'll miss you… Never would I've imagined everything we would go through together when I first found you in the plains… You've taught me much; helped us more than anyone could ever ask for, and I'm sure you've learned all you can from us. I have the upmost respect and admiration towards you, Mark, and I know that you will become a master tactician. This coming from someone that's witnessed you potential firsthand."
"You are too kind," he told her as he smiled. "I did not do anything extraordinary. That was you and the rest. I am very proud of the progress you've done in only a few months. I think you could become the greatest warrior these lands will ever know, Lyn. Just remember to not let your guard down. Even in a castle keep, danger lurks around the corner. You'll have to be your own sword and shield from now on."
The man on the coach, not pleased with having had to wait so long, coughed into his fist to let them know they should hurry up. Mark looked towards the man, nodding when their eyes met. "I shouldn't keep them waiting…"
Her body instinctively went to his, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his chest. For a few seconds, all she could hear was his heartbeat. He returned the hug, but eventually they had to separate. With his hands on her shoulders and their eyes locked, she said, "I… I hope- No, I know that this will not be the last time we see each other. For that, I won't say goodbye… Until we meet again, Mark. Be safe."
"Until we meet again, Lyn."
And he was gone, a rail of dust left the by couch being the only thing left…
Lord Haussen recovered with haste. Within a few weeks of Lyn's, now Lady Lyndis, arrival, the two of them would take walks together around the castle. It was a wonderful time. She learned many new things, especially what was expected of someone of her status. Still, there were many times that she felt overwhelmed by everything. Whenever that happened, she would climb a hill and look towards the horizon, in the direction of her homeland, and think about the plains.
She was happy, despite lesser complaints, to be in Castle Caelin. Every few days she was able to meet with Florina and have a normal conversation like they used to… though she still called her Lady Lyndis instead of Lyn. Their conversations would often turn to reminiscing about their journey to Caelin together. One day, Florina said something that stopped Lyn on her tracks.
"You always smile when you talk about those times, Lady Lyndis," the young pegasus rider said. "You especially do so when you speak of Mark… I know you've always thought fondly of him...but… Could there be...more to it than missing a friend?"
"I…" She had to wonder, was that really the case? To her, it was inevitable to talk about Mark when speaking of those times. After all, they had spent much of the time together on and off the battlefield. The fact that they had shared a tent a number of times, though he insisted not to, only added to the assumption that there was some deeper meaning behind Lyn's interest in the tactician. But she couldn't remember ever thinking about such things. It wasn't as if she wasn't aware of her being a woman and him being a man, or the fact that he was seven years her senior. Yet, with that one question, while her mind was still unsure, made her cheeks heat up.
Before she could answer, Florina dismissed the question, apologizing for making things awkward. Not being able to think of an answer bothered the greenette.
The same day, during one of the walks she would take with her grandfather, Lord Haussen noticed that she was troubled. As one would, he asked what it was about. And, as to be expected of a member of the Lorca tribe, Lyn answered in full honesty that she was thinking about Mark.
"You mean that tactician that came with you when you first came to visit me?" Haussen asked, though he already knew the answer. He continued before she could answer. "He was an interesting fellow, from when I talked to him. Not that we talked much. I spoke with him twice, once the day you arrived, and again the day he left."
"He told me you paid him for his services the day he left, but did not mention the two of you having a conversation," said Lyn, suddenly feeling curious. She wondered if her grandfather had said something to him that would cause him to leave. "You ask him to leave, did you? You aid him out of the blue. Perhaps he took your intentions as something else."
"Heaven's, Lyn. I wouldn't do something so underhanded. I only thought he deserved payment for his role. After all, he kept you safe and was there for you even when I was stubborn enough not to listen to you. Helping you come here unharmed was no small task. His efforst could not go an army with only a few soldiers to direct was impressive, to say the least. So much so, in fact, that I'd offered him a position here, as our tactician."
"He didn't mention anything about it…"
"Well, may have been for the best that he did not talk about it. I fear I may have been too interested into his past, and that caused him to leave so suddenly. When someone with such skill is within arm's reach, one cannot help to become curious about them."
Lyn considered the possibility. Though she had talked in detail about her life growing up with the Lorca, Mark never made a mention of his past. Even when talking about places he had visited before the met, he kept the locations vague, giving generic descriptions to most of them. "What did you ask? Perhaps you said something that opened a wound in him."
"You are awfully interested in this man, Lyndis. I would ask you to give it a rest, given that he is long gone and nothing else has been heard from him since, but, in the short time we've had together, I've learned how stubborn you can be when you set your mind onto something.
"Very well, let me think… We spoke of many things, like where he learned tactics. He said that he had spent years studying texts, which I found unlikely because he would address me as "m'lord". As it happens, he was raised a farmer, though didn't explain where he learned to read and write."
"A farmer?" That was something she did not expect. Mark gave her the impression of being part of an important family, though perhaps a lower house or one with many children. To have a humble beginning like farming was something else they had in come.
"So he said, if you are to take his word as truth."
"You think he was lying?"
"One can't dismiss the possibility. During our last talk, he mentioned a place called Plegia. He quickly realized he had slipped. It was shortly after that that he excused himself left. And before you ask, I've studied maps of Elibe as well as its history since my childhood. There is no mention of it anywhere."
It was one more mystery to attribute to the mysterious tactician. Where her education had been more limited to Lycia, she could not recall ever having heard of Plegia either. What she did know was that, from the way her grandfather put it, he did in fact have a hand in Mark's decision to leave. It hadn't been intentional from what she could tell. Getting mad at him for it would be a waste. Instead, she was glad that he had shared it with her. "Thank you, grandfather. I feel like I understand things better now."
"You are very welcome, Lyndis."
Ninian's death had not only taken them all by surprise, but it had also lowered the morale of everyone. Eliwood, Nils, and Lyn had taken it the hardest. As for the tactician, he had been a good support for everyone, lending a shoulder to cry on for Nils, comforting words to Eliwood, and reminiscing with Lyn about the time they had spent together with the dancer. It had been enough to bring the three of them out of the slump they were in. What no one had noticed was that, as much as he seemed to have accepted her death, he was not without troubles of his own.
The first one to notice was Hector. He, Eliwood, Lyn, Farina, and Florina were all sitting near a campfire, trying to warm themselves up after a cold day of work. They had all been quiet, letting their eyes do the talking for them. That was until Hector spoke up.
"There is something wrong with Mark," the bluenette said as he poked the fire with a stick. The entire group turned to look at him, waiting for him to explain his reasoning. When he noticed the stares of his comrades, he sighed. "You didn't notice?"
"He's been helpful to us all, and looked fined whenever we talked. I assumed he was fine," said Eliwood. Hector shook his head.
"You spend a lot of time together," said Hector to Lyn. "You hadn't noticed either?"
She felt a ping in her heart. Had she been so busy with her self-loathing and grieving that she had missed the signs of Mark's own grieving? "No…"
Hector let out a sigh. "I take it that you haven't visited his tent recently. You should take a look for yourself."
Lyn did so immediately, getting up and walking to Mark's tent. She had seen it many times before. She could at times find things there before he would. It was a familiar feeling like that of her yurt back in the plains, so she planned on finding something that was out of place, thinking that was what Hector meant. What she found in the tent astounded her.
Parchments covered the floor almost entirely from the entrance of the tent all the way to Mark's desk. Every single one of them were filled to the bring with notes written in Mark's handwriting. Ink was splattered everywhere too, as if he had written it all down on his hands and knees. Taking a closer inspection of the papers, she saw that the main subject of them all was Ninian.
"Mark!" She called out in a panic when her eyes met the back of his head. He was still writing, his hands covered in dried ink. She did her best to approach him without messing with the papers, tippy toeing between the small spaces where the ground was visible. She kept calling out to him, but he did not react to her. It took her reaching him and embracing him for him to recognize that there was someone else in the tent with him. "Mark… Please, don't do this to yourself."
"Lyn…" His voice sounded much weaker than she remembered. He slowly let go of the pen, letting it drop and splatter ink nearby. "I…failed you all."
"You did not, Mark! You should not blame yourself over this. It wasn't under your control. No one knew the dragon we were fighting was Ninian, not even Nils."
"You don't understand," he said, turning to face her. She didn't know how she had missed it before, but he looked exhausted. It was as if he had grown a year or two for him in days. Seeing him in that condition made Lyn want to hold him closer, but he would not budge. "It is my job to keep you all safe! You've all put your trust in me, letting me gamble with your lives because you trust me enough to know that I'll do my best to guide us to victory. Ninian trusted me, and I let her die! I need to understand why that happened so that I can prevent-"
"It wasn't your fault, Mark! No one blames you for what happened!"
"It doesn't matter if someone blames me for it or not!" For the first time since they'd met, he had raised his voice at her like that. He looked angry, but to Lyn, more than that he looked like a broken man. "It was my responsibility! Mine! Why aren't you mad?! You should yell at me! Gods know that I deserve it!"
There were many things running through her mind that she wanted to tell him. He had been there for her. She had to be there for him. Instead of saying, she chose to let him let it all out of his system. She held him close, held him tight. Because he was hunched over and sitting on the floor while she was on her knees, for once, she was also taller than him. He struggled, going on and on about it being his fault. Every time, Lyn felt her heart breaking more and more for him. And when he finally broke down, sobbing as he repeated "I'm sorry" over and over again, she held him even closer, letting him cry on her shoulder.
That was one of the memories she always held dear, for he had opened up to her in a way he had never done. It was then that she knew, without question, that she really liked him, maybe even loved him. As the days passed, she wanted to tell him too, but the opportunity never presented itself. Before she knew it, they had fought their final battle against the Black Fang and Nergal, and come out victorious. Ninian was even returned to them, which Mark confessed that he felt redempted because of it.
Lyn, Kent, Walace, Wil, Sain, and Florina were to return to Caelin. Mark wanted to go with them, but he had to return to Eliwood and Hector to Pherae and then Ostia. He promised Lyn that he would return to Caelin last, saying he had something important to say. With smiles on their faces, they parted ways. Little did she know that he would never reach Caelin. And as the days turned to weeks and the weeks to month, the light of the promise he had made dwindled down. She knew that something may have happened to him. She sent letter to Hector and Eliwood, hoping that they would know what had happened to Mark. They both said that when they last spoke to him, he was planning to go to Caelin. No one had heard from him since.
As the first year passed since they made that promise, Lord Haussen had recovered enough to continue his work. Thought she held him dearly, she did end up leaving Caelin. She never planned to stay there for more than necessary, though she did would still visit often, for her grandfather still lived and many of her friends served him.
Through the years, she continued to wonder what happened to Mark. She was worried that he had fallen ill or had been attacked on his way to Caelin. She traveled all around Elibe, hoping to hear anything about his whereabouts. Nothing. That is until a certain old man appeared, saying that he knew where Mark was, and showed evidence that he wasn't luring her into a trap. A scroll, which she had never seen before, was first presented to her. She was about to leave when the man pulled out a tattered old green cloak. It was, without a doubt, Mark's…
So much had happened since she found him again. Robin. That was his real name. Having had known him for so long under the name of Mark, she had a hard time calling him anything other than that. He didn't mind, though. His name wasn't the only thing that had changed about him. He was more expressive! He smiled much more, even when others distrusted him, and even laughed without a care in the world. It was as if he was an entirely other man, not that Lyn complained about it. She had changed too in six years' time.
But despite knowing that he was on her heart, she still couldn't tell him that. Not while they were once more in a state of war. He was the army's tactician once again. He was a busy man, more so when Isadora appeared and told them that the Black Fang, or what remained of it, was after him. She would have to put her own feelings on hold.
But Mark had a different plan. He kissed her. She kissed him back. It was a moment almost seven years in the making. She wished time would stop there to enjoy the moment. While that did not happen, they would share more in the future.
She was heartbroken when he was first attacked. Seeing him suffering and on the verge of death for days was something she never would want to see again. She vowed on that moment that once he recovered, she would be his shield as well.
And that brings us to the proposal. They had just won the war earlier that day. The last thing she expected when Mark had told her that he had something important to tell her was that he would propose. Her cheeks flushed and eyes widened as he looked at him kneeling before head. She had been quiet for a long time, just looking at him as if to see if he was being serious or not.
"I never thought this far ahead," she told him. "With everything that has happened, I was happy just by being by your side. This… Marriage… It is beyond my wildest dreams! I don't care if you do not have a ring, my answer remains the same. Yes, I will marry you… Robin."
Covering the whole story of a game in a single chapter is hard, which is why I concentrated on vital parts of the story. Having it be a sort of flashback for Lyn made it work nicely, IMO.
I wanted to post this to hopefully get me back into posting more often, though it sounds like it'll be a busy few days for me with having to get a license, going to the dentist, getting a hair cut, and all the normal things one does after moving.
On to reviews!
XenoEmblem4TW -Yandere is someone that is infatuated so much with someone to the point of being dangerous to that person and those around him. In other words, being super sweet to the person you like, but also being a psycho lol. It's a common Japanese term used in manga and such. Ho ho? Sumia and Chrom, you say? I'm interested in hearing what makes you think that.
Muggzy -Glad you approve of that change. I like those two too, so I want to take advantage of them in the future. Same can be said of Raimi. She's shown up a lot more on this story, but her role is small. We'll see what the future holds for them all. I think the biggest thing is that Chrom won't feel the pressure of marrying anyone just yet. I have hinted at who his wife would be, but because of how things turned out, that has a chance of changing. That also means that I could have Lucina (future) be the child of Chrom and Sully, while in this timeline Chrom would marry someone else. Oh, the drama! Emmeryn working through the Valmese war will be really fun to do. Because Walhart says that he took Emmeryn's last words to heart, maybe having her live could alter events on a massive scale.
Whatstoknow -I know the feeling. Trying to read a story on a bumpy ride is never fun. I know what you mean about the spoilers. Even by reading the summaries when browsing stories, you could find massive spoilers. I had to avoid those like the plague before I got the game. Now that it's out in a lot more places, there are a ton more stories for Fates too. I hope no one ruins the game for you :S
potatoman098 -I had said before that I wanted to make shorter chapters to increase the rate I upload chapters. I mostly was talking about that. I don't think anyone has ever told me they wanted shorter chapters for this story. I think the people that like short chapters don't bother reading this in the first place lol. We'll see what I do. I do enjoy making long chapters. It's just a time management thing.
Yellowclover -I do want to have a few chapters to explore relationships with characters, yes. Also, fluff is always good. With the war over, it'll be easier to do stuff like that. That's not to say that there won't be small stories going on. I do have some things that I want to do. I also want to change the narrator so that I can switch perspective in a chapter, something that I normally would never do. I want that so that I can have a lot of different characters doing stuff on a single chapter without having Robin be there. Like I said before, I have a ton of small idea bunnies in my mind and this will give me the perfect excuse to use them. I see what you mean by the whole blood thing. That does make sense, and it differentiates it from the blood magic I was talking about, where the caster is using their own life essence/vitality to cast a spell. That also links with Nergal's past, in a way. Also, remember what happened to Canas' brothers. They ended up as vegetables(?) after delving too deep into dark magic that they couldn't control.
AdvancedAlto -To answer your questions without spoiling anything big: Yes, Ninian is married to Eliwood. Though, based on their ending, she is likely in a weakend state and could possibly die soon, as she was said to have died shortly after giving birth to Roy...that is unless someone does something about it *wink wink, nudge nudge* I've had a few ideas for Nils in the past, but I always keep pushing them aside. I know that I will bring him in at some point, preferably before Ninian and Eliwood are seen, but I need to flesh out my current idea. Oh, Armadas. I have a situation in mind that would require Hector to go get it again, but there are big consequences for that, mainly having to "pay" for its use. For this one, I can't say for sure when it'll happen.