Author's Note: I think I've gotta turn in two weeks' notice at one of the jobs. They've just proven inflexible time and again with ridiculous amounts of work that I have to do. I'd rather not have their policies staining my just started work record by saying I'm unreliable when I've only missed days do to super important events and being really freaking sick. So yeah, I'm going down to one job in early September, it looks like. Until then, the chapters may be one a week or one every 1.5 to 2 weeks. Sorry about that, I'm trying to keep up as best I can.
KaiserUltima: Awkward moments are pretty prominent right now. With all the fallout and people trying to find ways forward, it was bound to happen.
Thatguythere: Thanks! I tried to spin all the supports with character so people can almost always see it as either friendship or romance and then get confused when those characters are interacting with other characters and making you question who is with who. I, as the manliest of men, indulge in literally every romance I get my hands on, particularly romcom mangas and anime since I get a kick out of those. I actually did plan Florina's push forward out in advance, since I knew I wanted it to come after the big Dread Isle fiasco. And you're right, this certainly isn't game over for Lyn, though she's got many issues of her own to consider.
Nintend101: I'll admit, Will and Lyn haven't had as much time to interact as they did during her story. I've focused a lot more on his relationship with Hector then I thought I would (Bromance ahoy) but I don't feel like it's been bad. From here on we'll get to see how those changes affetc their relationship from before and now and what both of them are going to do about it. Interesting point about Rutger. I had to look him up since I didn't know who he was, and though he is half Bernese in 6 I suppose you could twist it to say he's Lyn and the Tactician's child. Though I always thought that would be Sue (Green hair and all that).
Heystardust: My editor actually mentioned this. He was never a fan of Lyn returning to the plains in the game because he felt like it was her shirking her responsibilities, especially after her grandfather died. I plan to address that as well going forward, though I've touched on it briefly in the story even now. Lyn and Will and whether the Lycian league should allow them to rule, and whether or not they WANT to rule are all important factors for me to play out.
UltimaBuster92: It's interesting but Lyn always struck me as hesitant. She comes off as confident, but that's because she never really steps outside of her comfort zone of being Sacaen. even in the game, she returns to the plains unless she marries Hector or Eliwood. So in the fic, I wanted that to be addressed. She has to challenge herself and her way of life constantly, and figure out what she truly wants. Also, I ship Will/Florina pretty hard and I knew I needed to spend a lot of time developing their relationship so people could see her as a viable rival to Lyn in Will's eyes, so I did. In most other fics any other girl never stands a chance against the Sacaen Princess.
Guest: Well, Will is much more hesitant about romance than other things, so a bit of Florina-isms that rubbed off on him came to the forefront. I'm glad you're enjoying it.
Pixelsaber: I never really noticed when or how the pacing got better, but I'll hope I keep it. Lucius forgiving the man who killed his parents (Since he'll never know it was Renault) was a moment I knew I needed even if I killed Renault off. Otherwise, his insistance on Raven giving up on revenge would sound hollow. Guy pushing Priscilla despite his thoughts towards her is why he's such a good guy though. Even if he doesn't get the girl, so long as things worked out happily he'll manage. Serra, once more, continues to probably be the most fun and complex member of the party these days. Her superior act versus her caring for others versus whether or not she truly is even a selfish person all come out in her supports with hector in a way they never touch on in the other supports. So I took that and tried to spread it to some of her other supports, but it had to come back to Hector at the end of the day. This may mean poor Serra won't get as much screen time for a little while, but it's because I get to foucse on other character's since she's more secure for a little while. As for your last comment, you'll just have to read to find out (shameless plug is shameless).
Please enjoy!
Chapter 67: New Resolve
To whom it may concern,
This missive is to inform the Elimine church of the death of Excellency Renault. We met him briefly in our travels and he provided great assistance to our cause. Sadly, the men in pursuit of us were far too strong. The Excellency protected us with his own body, resulting in his demise.
Forgive us for this loss to the Elimine church. It was our lack of strength which led to his death. However, we are eternally grateful he saved our lives. I can only hope this provides some comfort to any who will miss him.
William, Tactician to Lord Eliwood
Will rolled up the scroll carefully, before handing it off to the carrier pidgeon. This little one had been his faithful companion ever since he and Wallace had rescued her on their travels. Her wings had been broken and after treating her carefully over a few weeks while they traveled away from Ilia, she had refused to leave his side. In trying to figure out how to send a letter to Matthew, she had eagerly scooped it up and flown away. When she had returned with a reply, Will had been amazed.
"I'll be relying on you once again, Madelyn." Will said softly, patting the pidgeon. She cooed happily, before grabbing the missive and taking to the skies.
They had finally arrived in Badon. However, little about their predicament had changed. He turned to his notebook, picking up the quill once more.
At last, Eliwood was united with his father. Sadly, it was not a happy meeting. Nergal, for reasons of his own, wanted to use Ninian's power to open the Dragon's Gate. While I don't understand her and Nils' power entirely, I realize how dangerous to the world this can be. It must be why they were always on the run from the Fang. Now, they'll travel with us once more, which will hopefully make them a little safer.
When the Dragon's Gate opened, a dragon emerged. Thankfully, Nils showed up to snap Ninian out of her trance. Sadly, though the Dragon was stopped, we lost Lord Wallace. He stopped Ephidel, Nergal's morph that looked an awful lot like Mark, before we were force to close the doors with him inside. The unstable dragon exploded, taking them both from this world.
Our troubles did not end there. Nergal reappeared, only for Lord Elbert to attack him and deal him a fierce blow. Nergal's tenacity was not to be underestimated, however, leaving Lord Elbert to die in his son's arms. As we escaped, Excellency Renault turned back to halt the advancing forces. Though I cannot be sure, he most likely perished as well.
The trip back was fraught with issues. Our company has never suffered a loss before, my own insecurities causing a rather large blow-out with Hector. Thankfully, since then, things have been getting better. We were knocked down, but we'll stand once again. I suppose… I have Florina to thank in part for that.
Eliwood, however… He remained with his father's body for the duration of the voyage. I don't think he emerged once, barely even eating the food Fiora or Lowen would offer him. I imagine he cradled his father's hand for hours, as if in some way he had the power to warm him back to life.
Will closed the book. He supposed one day he'd have to try and write more elaborate details on all these events so it was a better take on it than his haphazard accounts, but he felt he hit the mark pretty well. He looked behind him to see Ninian, Nils, Lyn, Hector and Eliwood emerging from the stairway.
Lyn hadn't been talking to him much lately, which seemed a little strange. At least, until he remembered that he had begun to suspect that she, along with Florina, may feel something… else for him. Speaking for himself, he still wasn't entirely sure what he felt for them either.
Florina had kissed him though. That much was an undeniable fact. It was a kiss that, despite his uncertainty, weighed on his mind. It had felt… nice. Special, even. He shook his head. First, he needed to help Eliwood get back on his feet. Now that he was finally out of the room, he needed to know Eliwood could pull through.
"Hey guys." He said, raising a hand in greeting. They all spotted him and came over to the table. "Ninian, are you doing okay now?"
"Better, at least." Ninian said with a small smile. "Resting on the journey back helped a lot."
"I'm glad." Will said. "Nils… did you get taller?"
"Hah!" Nils cried happily. "And I thought Ninian was the only one who noticed!"
"It's felt like ages." Will said. "I'm sorry we haven't had proper time to talk with each other."
"It's okay." Nils said. "I know you've been busy with things. Was it really only a year though? It feels like it was so much longer than that!"
"Geez." Hector said. "You two sound like long lost brothers or something. You can stop with the doe eyes now, yeah?"
Lyn looked away. "Hector, come on." Will said. "Cut me a little slack."
"No way." Hector chuckled.
"Hector acts mean, but that's pretty much one big act. He's a gigantic softie." Will said to the siblings.
"I'm right here." Hector grumbled. "Besides, act mean? That's a pretty rude thing to say."
"It's nice to see you again, Lord Eliwood." Ninian said with a slight bow to Eliwood, who had been staring at the table and not really following the conversation.
"Oh." Eliwood said, lifting his head slightly. "Yeah… good to see you."
"You're the man that helped Ninian last year, right?" Nils said happily. "You're Elbert's son too… the red hair, gentle eyes… even your voice. You're just like him."
Eliwood's eyes widened. He looked up at the smiling Nils. "Where… where did you meet my father?"
"At the Dragon's Gate." Nils said sheepishly. "He… set us free after we were captured again."
"I was afraid of that." Will said. "I'm sorry I couldn't come help you sooner."
"No, it's okay!" Nils said quickly. "It was our own fault for getting captured. We used a small dory to get away, but there was a storm… I fell out of the boat. Lord Elbert jumped in after me, but the next thing I knew… I was back on Valor."
"So Lord Elbert probably washed ashore and was recaptured then." Will mused. "Ninian, meanwhile, continued to drift."
Nils nodded. "For a time, I hid in that old cave we used when we first escaped the Fang. Maria's old hideaway. Luckily, there were a lot of supplies we had left behind. The jerky hadn't gone bad or anything."
"I wish I could've remembered where that cave was." Will said sadly. "We could have found you a lot quicker if so."
"I already told you it's okay." Nils said. "We found each other again, after all. I sensed something really dangerous at the Dragon's Gate, so I knew I had to go. I think… that must've been when you all were starting to fight there. Once I got there… you know the rest."
"When we pulled Ninian from the dory, she'd lost her memory." Lyn said sadly. "I feel like such a fool now for bringing her straight back to her captors. We should've left her on the ship even if Fargus' men didn't approve."
"No, they would simply have come for me anyway." Ninian said sadly. "My power is… much greater than Nils'. But my heart is… so much weaker. When Nils fell overboard, I didn't know what to do so I… I became lost in myself. If I had simply been stronger… all of this could have been avoided."
Nils shook his head. "Ninian's physical and emotional strength is greatly drained whenever she uses her power. Nergal… exploited that weakness."
"So, the reason Nergal was after you…" Eliwood began slowly, his voice still soft. "Was because you possess the power to call dragons?"
Nils shook his head. "I think it's because we can open the Dragon's Gate. Calling Dragons is much simpler. Nergal can already do that."
"Are you serious?!" Hector shouted.
"But it requires a tremendous amount of Quintessence." Nils explained.
"Quintessence…" Will muttered. "That word is showing up a lot lately. In the ruin, Renault's words… I feel like I've heard them before too, from somewhere… Mark maybe?"
"It's the term Nergal uses for the substance of the human spirit. Power. Energy. The essence of a life itself. Nergal steals this."
The table fell silent. They were afraid to ask the next question, but Hector managed it. "What happens to those whose Quintessence is stolen?"
"They…" Nils began, swallowing. "They die."
The table shuddered. So Nergal could absorb life from a person at any time, leading to their death? This was too much, even for them. "But you don't have this power." Will said quickly.
Nils shook his head. "Neither Ninian nor I possess that power. We only have our danger sense." He sighed. "Anyways, Nergal needed to gather a huge amount of Quintessence. So he sent his henchman, Ephidel, to get close to Marquis Laus. Using the Marquis' son's death as a vaulting point, Ephidel planted the seeds of war in Darin's broken heart. Replacing the grief with anger at Ostia, who he felt had the medicine to treat his son yet did nothing."
"To what end?" Hector growled. "Also, we never received any request for aide from Darin! We would've helped in a heart-beat had we the medication!"
"I don't think Darin ever sent a letter." Will said. "Even if he did, the Black Fang may have simply intercepted the letter. Darin's mind, after his child's death, was likely too muddled to care about the details. As long as he had someone to blame other than himself…"
"The seems like the Quintessence in each person varies in strength." Nils explained. "A person of strong mind and body has hundreds of times more energy than the average person. Though, it sounds like there aren't a lot of people like that." Nils smiled sadly. "It would take Nergal tons of years to find people with enough strength to match that amount of Quintessence. To that end, he said it was far easier to get the Quintessence he needed by starting a war."
"Making up with quality with quantity?" Hector growled. "Is that it? Black-hearted fiend! Are all men nothing but pawns to him?"
"Ephidel brought Lord Elbert to the Dragon's Gate. He said he'd found the ideal source they sought. Nergal's plans for war had been stopped, yet he was happy." Nils continued. "He'd taken… the energy from the knights traveling with Lord Elbert. He was sure Lord Elbert would provide even better Quintessence."
"Nils." Will said softly.
"Oh. I… I'm sorry, Lord Eliwood." Nils said, bowing his head quickly.
"No I… it's alright, Nils. When I found my father at the Dragon's Gate, I knew his knights must no longer be alive. Draug, Valbar, Norton, Amelia, Meg, Kellam, Effie, Harken. Each one of their names in engraved in my heart. I'll be sure to let my mother know. " Eliwood said softly.
"Your father… told us he had a son." Nils began his story anew. "He said you were blessed with natural fighting ability, though you had no taste for it. He said that compassion would make you a better ruler than he had ever been. He told us… he'd sooner sacrifice himself than see his home embroiled in the flames of war."
"That's…" Eliwood trailed off.
Nils continued. "When Ninian and I had lost all hope, he would speak to us of happier things. Well, he mainly talked about you and his wife, but to Ninian and I… it was like talking with Will and Maria all over again. Their warmth, their kindness… saved us from the darkness."
"Father…" Eliwood stood. "I'm sorry I… I can't right now."
Eliwood hurried from the inn. Hesitantly, Ninian stood up, glancing at Hector. Hector chuckled. "Go on then."
Ninian nodded before hurrying after them. "Is that… ok?" Lyn asked.
"Well, we could follow, but you two seem to be having some sort of weird vibe going already." Hector said. "That's not going to help Eliwood get any better."
Lyn sighed. "I'm sorry, Will. I don't mean to be awkward, I just… I saw you and Florina earlier."
"Oh." Will managed.
"I'm… not sure how to approach the two of you right now. I'm trying not to be… I'm not sure, but it's just… it feels like it won't be like before." Lyn said.
"Why wouldn't it be?" Will asked.
"Eh?" Lyn asked.
"Whether Florina and I become something more, I don't think our interactions themselves would change much. We grew close because of the way we talk to each other now, not so we could change how we act completely." Will said, crossing his arms. "Is that… wrong?"
"No!" Lyn said quickly. "No, it's me who's… I'm sorry."
"Stop apologizing." Will said. "You make me feel like we did something wrong."
"You didn't." Lyn said with a smile. "That's why… that's why I said it was unwarranted."
"So… how do we fix it?" Will asked.
"I uh… I'm not sure yet?" Lyn said uncertainly. "Is that okay?"
"Yeah… yeah." Will agreed. "We'll work through it. We always do."
"You are the master tactician." Lyn said with a grin.
"And you the peerless warrior." Will finished.
"So, are you guys also going to make out?" Hector said.
The two blushed and looked away. Any progress they had just made felt like it had gone completely out the window.
"Lord Eliwood." Ninian said softly, approaching him as he sat on the bench outside.
"Ninian." Eliwood said softly in acknowledgement. "I'm sorry about before. I just… I feel like I still need time to think."
Ninian sat next to him, but remained silent as they looked up at the stars.
Eliwood spoke again. "The entire time, I sat there, holding his hand. I wondered: what could I have done differently? How could I have made it so I could save him? Save Lord Wallace? Save Excellency Renault? I wanted, more than anything, to return to mother with father by my side, and now… I feel like I can never face her again."
Ninian still remained silent. She wasn't herself sure what to say. All she wanted to do for him was listen.
Eliwood looked at her, noting the still haphazard look about her. He chuckled softly. "Should you be up? You've had a rough time… you're coloring's still not very good yet. You should probably rest."
Ninian felt her chest tighten. It was the same feeling when she had spoken to Lord Elbert. To Will. To Maria. There was too much kindness in these people.
"Look at you, all scratches and bruises." Eliwood said idly, brushing her shoulder softly. "Why didn't you let Serra or Priscilla take care of you? Proper healthcare is the most important thing, you know…"
"Why?" Ninian managed. Eliwood cocked his head, as if he didn't understand the question. "Why are you… all of you… so kind to us? It's… all of this… it's all my fault. These nightmares… all the terrible things…"
"Hey." Eliwood said softly, turning Ninian towards him. He gently raised his hand, wiping away her tears. "Crying ill suits a girl of your beauty, Ninian. I'll be fine so please… don't cry."
"I'm sorry." Ninian sobbed. "I'm so… sorry."
"No." Eliwood said. "There's something, I know I should have said it earlier, but please listen to me nonetheless. You aren't responsible for what happened to my father. You suffered just as much as he did. Please… don't punish yourself further."
Ninian blush lightly. "Lord Eliwood, I…" She suddenly felt a sharp pain stab her head, grabbing it tightly as she screamed suddenly in surprise.
"Ninian! What is it?" Eliwood cried.
"Enemies!" She replied. "Enemies draw near!"
Hector sighed. "So… what do we do now?"
"I wonder what actually happened to Nergal." Lyn said thoughtfully. "Lord Elbert delivered such a grievous wound to him when he attacked, so I had hoped…"
Nils shook his head. "Those wounds won't kill him."
"That's what Lord Elbert said too." Hector growled. "What did he mean by it?"
"Nergal can heal himself using Quintessence." Will said suddenly, surprising all of them. "His wounds… heal quickly. His body… doesn't age."
"Will, you…" Lyn said.
Will shook his head. "I… I'm sorry. I don't know where… but…"
"You're right." Nils said sadly. "Nergal doesn't age. He's hundreds… maybe thousands of years old."
"So he… he isn't human?" Lyn asked.
"If nothing else, he's… AH!" Nils suddenly cried, gripping his head.
"What is it?" Hector asked in concern, rising from his seat.
"Call everyone! Enemies approach!" Nils shouted.
"Eliwood…" Will muttered. "No, for now we'll handle this without him. Let's go!"
"Here you are!" Eliwood shouted, suddenly bursting into the room.
"Eliwood!" Lyn cried in surprise.
"Get everybody ready for battle!" He said to Will, who nodded. "I want these foes driven off quickly so the villagers of Badon are safe. If there's any way we can cut off the enemy commander and force a retreat, all the better!"
"A sound plan." Will agreed. "I'll grab Fiora and we'll get a view of the terrain as quickly as we can. If there are archers, finding the commander might become more difficult, but I think Lucius may be able to help me with a few light magic tricks."
"You stay here." Hector told Nils.
Nils crossed his arms. "Hey! I can help you you know! I was awesome back when Lyn took back Caelin!"
"Nils, you really would be a great help but… maybe Ninian needs you more right now." Lyn said kindly.
Nils looked at Ninian, before sighing. "Yeah… okay."
The groups hurried to arose the rest of Eliwood's Elite, before leaving the tavern. As they did, Nils noticed Ninian trying to sneak out with them.
"Ninian." Nils stated, his eyes glinting dangerously. "Where do you think you're going?"
"I…" Ninian stuttered, knowing she was caught red-handed. "I was going… to help…"
"You're still too weak." Nils said with a sigh. "I even stayed behind to keep an eye on you…"
"But… I merely wish to help Lord Eliwood… just a little bit. I know he… I know he doesn't hold it against us, but we… we stole his father's life from him. I know… I know this can never make up for it, but… please." Ninian said, bowing her head low.
Nils sighed. It was the first time Ninian had been so stubborn about something she knew she shouldn't be doing. But, he supposed he should be supportive, as her little brother. "Give me your hands." He instructed.
"Nils?" Ninian asked curiously, tilting her head to the side.
"I'll give you some of my power." Nils said. "You'll just get in the way if you go out in the state you're in."
"Nils… I'm sorry." Ninian said, gripping his hands.
Nils chuckled. "You don't have to be. We're family. Family sticks together." He gripped her other hand with his, before bringing them up to his chest in prayer. As he did so, Ninian drew close, her forehead touching his own as a strange blue glow surrounded them. After a moment, Nils smiled, before drawing away, their hands parting. "Whew. That should do it. Help them for me, too, okay?"
"Thank you, Nils." Ninian said happily.
"I'mma sleep." Nils replied sleepily, before laying down on the nearest table. Ninian hurried outside to the rest of the party.
"Lord Eliwood!" Ninian shouted, hurrying up to the group. Will and Fiora were in the air, surveying the terrain, but landed quickly as Ninian approached.
"Ninian!" Eliwood cried in surprise. "You shouldn't be out here!"
"Please," Ninian said, bowing low, "allow me to help."
"I have no intention of forcing you to fight." Eliwood replied.
"I am no mere dancer, Lord Eliwood." Ninian said with a sly smile. "Much like Nils flute, my dances have the power to… invigorate. Please, allow me to demonstrate."
Ninian began to move. First, one leg swung wide, before the other suddenly rose in the air, as she back flipped gracefully. Then, she began to move her body softly from side to side, inching downward until she was crouched in a ball. Then, one arm shot up as she brought herself up at an angle, before softly reaching her hand out toward Eliwood. Eliwood had found himself unable to tear his eyes away from her as she danced. While it had been short, when she extended her arm out towards him, he suddenly felt a rush of energy fill his body, as if he had a whole night's sleep to work on. "This is… amazing." He said. "It's like my whole body is... wrapped in some sort of energy."
"I used my power channeled through Ninis' ring to dance for you, Lord Eliwood. It won't last forever, but while it does, you'll be protected and have energy to spare. Please… allow me to remain at your side." She said with a soft smile.
Eliwood sighed. "Very well, I can't deny this is an amazing power. If it makes you feel better, join the battle alongside us. But don't leave me side, alright?"
"Okay!" Ninian said happily, blushing softly.
"We're not in great shape." Will said. "They've brought a ballistae, so taking to the air isn't going to be a good idea. What forces do we have?"
"We can go wake up more people, but our entire group may not be best to use in this darkness." Hector said. "Right now, we've got Eliwood, Ninian, Myself, Lyndis, You, Fiora, Lucius, Erk, Priscilla and Marcus."
"We'll make do." Will said. "Smaller forces will work well. Lucius, Can you make use of this?"
He handed a small rune to Lucius, whose eyes widened in surprise. "How did you find this?"
"I made it." Will admitted begrudgingly. "It's taken over a month, but that rune is the prototype for enchanting weapons. What it can do, is channel light magic and create a barrier."
"Ah, you'd like me to create barriers to protect the nearby homes from the fighting?" Lucius asked knowingly.
"Please." Will said with a smile.
"Consider it done." Lucius replied.
"I couldn't find the leader, I'm sorry to say." Will admitted. "So, we're going to have play this carefully."
Placing a finger to his head, Will began to think hard. North and South currently unknown. However, once clear, walls surround and difficult to traverse. They won't risk pegasus knights of wyvern riders for it. Going forward, enemy unknown. Night hard to see through, even with my eyes. Perhaps Matthew or Legault?
"Did someone call?" The bemused voice of the former Fang said from behind them, making Will jump.
"How in the-"
"I had a feeling you'd be needing me." Legault said with a smile. "I've also brought the Pirate and the Archer with me."
"I uh… I've been thinking." Dart said sheepishly. "After all that stuff happening… I wanna help you guys a bit longer. That okay?"
"Of course it is!" Wil replied cheerily. "Right?"
"Yeah, of course it is." Will affirmed. "Thank you, Dart."
"So, what do we need to slice?" Dart asked.
Will returned to his thoughts. Well, with Legualt here, leading a main squad is going to be a lot easier. Lucius needs to focus on protecting the houses, but there may be enemies that try to target him. Send a good guard with him.
"Fiora, I need you to guard Lucius while he uses the rune. Any enemies nearby are likely to use magic, so your Pegasus will be at a small advantage compared to the rest of us. This way, you also stay out of the ballistae's range."
"Understood." Fiora replied.
Enemies bound to double near entrance or just outside town. However, other than that, splitting up seems uneccessary. Will's thoughts came to an end. "Eliwood and Hector will lead us forward. Any side path can be taken by Lyn and Erk, While Priscilla sticks with us for healing. Marcus and Dart should also be at the front, just in case they try to surprise us at the entrance. Be careful."
"My eyes can't see through walls." Legault said playfully. "So uh, outside of the gates is going to be pretty hard to see. Try not to get stabbed, okay?"
The team nodded nervously.
"Step aside, sir monk!" Fiora called, as she threw a javelin into the darkness. Lucius did as instructed as a bolt of light shot from the darkness, missing him. The cry of pain told her the javelin had hit it's mark.
"Thank you, Dame Fiora." Lucius said. "I don't that attack would have hurt me too much, but I appreciate the warning all the same."
"No need to take unnecessary risks, right?" Fiora said kindly.
"You have a point there." Lucius agreed. Placing all his attention on the rune, Lucius focused his magic in it. A moment later, a small barried of light emerged from the rune and slid forward just slightly, creating a wall in front of the house's gate. This way, if any enemies tried to take refuge or ransack, they would be repelled by the barrier. It was a useful tool Will, Erk and Canas had managed to construct. He found it nice that the first product, rather than the enhanced weapons, was for the protection of innocents.
"Whoops!" Legault said, sliding to the side as another blast of light just missed him. "I've got him!" He called, vanishing quickly into the night. A moment later, they heard the sounds of a quick struggle before silence again, Legault reemerging from the darkness. "Got my new cloak dirty and everything…" he sighed, attempting to wipe the blood away.
"Careful!" Dart shouted, leaping forth and bringing his dual axes to meet a spear emerging from the darkness. The wyvern rider attempting to pull back quickly, but a shot from Wil's bow downed the wyvern immediately. "Not bad, archer!"
"No problem, Dan!" Wil called back.
"I told you not to call me that!" The pirate shouted back.
Lyn slid between the gap two buildings created. The darkness, though she loathed to admit it, could be easily turned into her friend. She still preferred meeting her enemies head on, but the events of Lundgren, Mark, Caelin's downfall and the Dragon's Gate had somewhat made her abandon that perspective. These opponents were not worthy of being met head on. If they would slit her throat in the night, she could easily do the same to them.
She struck, her Mani Katti flashing briefly in the night, before felling the archer near the ballistae. Erk, following close behind, fluttered the pages of the Bolting tome they had recovered from Aion. He had been training with it on and off, but had never had the chance to put it into practice. Spotting a Wyvern high above them, he figured it would be a good chance. He chanted the spell, and unleashed it.
With a powerful crack of lightning, the shot burst forth from his fingers, blasting through the wyvern into the night sky. Erk collapsed to the ground, gasping. That had used far more magical energy then he had expected. He'd have to train much harder before using it again.
Lyn, who saw him fall, hurried over. "Are you alright?"
"Fine." Erk replied. "The drain was more than I expected."
"Here." Lyn said, offering him her hand.
He grasped it gratefully, being helped to his feet. "I appreciate it."
"Let's get moving." Lyn replied.
"It's been a while since I used my sword." Will admitted as he followed behind Eliwood. "I didn't realize how much I had begun relying on magic."
"Some people are better at certain things." Eliwood said. "It's not so bad, is it?"
"For times like these? Being silent and not giving away our position with blasts of light is a pretty big help." Will admitted. "Just means I'll have to ask Lyn to start training me again."
"Oblivion awaits." An intimidating voice said, bringing the two to a halt. Ninian retreated a few extra steps, Hector blocking the path to her. Marcus and the others were fighting the few pegasus knights and axemen that had attempted to stop them at the gates. From the darkness, a Man wielding a gigantic axe emerged. "Your journey is over. Failure means death."
"No, we will not fail." Eliwood stated firmly. "I've had enough of allowing myself to mope! Come and face my sword!"
Will quickly fell back into the support position, bringing out the divine tome as he tried to read its pages. He wished he had brought his shine tome, but his cloak didn't have the pocket space to accommodate more than two tomes, and Aureola he kept on him at all times. He wouldn't risk leaving it anywhere else.
Eliwood struck, the large man blocking the blow before using his superior power to push the lord back. Eliwood tumbled to the ground, but a moment later leapt back to his feet. Realizing Will was having trouble activating the spell, Ninian began to dance once more.
She swung her arms high inb the air, before bringing them down in front of her one at a time, as her body shook from side to side. Then, she rolled her entire body, before twirling gracefully in a circle and extending her arm towards Will.
Will immediately felt the boost in power and before he could think he flung his arm forward. "Eliwood watch out! Divine!"
Eliwood, who had just dodge another swing of the axe, remained low as three circles of light suddenly surrounded the large man. The next instant, a pillar of light erupted from the ground, swallowing him whole.
Will collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. "I… I did it…"
"Not quite." Hector growled, as Eliwood sprung back into action. His blade swung, stabbing into the large man's leg and he charged out of the pillar of light, but it wasn't enough to stop him. The man kicked Eliwood with his other leg, sending him tumbling away. As Hector prepared to charge in himself, they suddenly heard a cry.
"For Pharae!" A feminine voice cried angrily from the hilltop. As the berserker turned, a woman on a white steed, with blue hair whipping gracefully behind her, galloped down the hill. Her silver sword swung high, before slashing down upon the berserker. He attempted to block the blow, but his axe gave way under the blade. Her blade sank deep into his chest, felling the leader of the attackers. The few remaining forces fled, but they were picked off quickly by Legault and Wil, who had circled around just in case. "Lord Eliwood." The feminine voice said, crouching down next to the lord. "Are you alright?"
"I'm… alright." Eliwood said, though he coughed. "Thank you for coming to my aide, Isadora."