Author's Note: Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo.
Fire Emblem:
Blazing Sword of Justice
Chapter 13: The Family Away from Sacae
The warm night breeze whispered through Lyn's emerald hair as she stood at the edge of the tall ridge, gazing out silently at the ominous Castle Caelin. The rays of silver light that fell from the round moon onto the hard surfaces of stone and brick created a menacing shape that loomed in the darkness before her. The stars sparkled with their brilliant light among the moon, giving the impression of a thousand eyes casting their glance upon the young Sacaen. She shivered unconsciously and jumped at the touch of a soft hand upon her shoulder.
"Heh…sorry, Lyn. I didn't mean to scare you."
Lyn glanced to her right and smiled slightly at the young brunette that stood beside her. She had forgotten that Faren had been standing there with her, gazing out at the final destination that would be reached tomorrow. Her eyes returned to the castle in the darkness, searching the unlit windows for a sign of life as she spoke to her friend.
"It's okay, Faren. I kind of forgot that you were still standing here with me."
"Hee…I had a feeling. You're staring so hard into the darkness; everything else was probably invisible to you." Faren crossed her arms in front of her before following Lyn's gaze to the castle. Her eyes traveled down from the castle to the road in front of it. Although it was impossible to discern specific details in the dark of night they stood in, Faren thought she could make out a stone bridge that spanned what looked like a river about twenty feet across. She would have to confirm this with Wallace, Kent, and Sain when they returned to camp just beyond the woods behind them.
"I wonder…" Lyn's voice pulled at Faren in the darkness. Faren glanced over at the girl beside her.
"I wonder," Lyn repeated, still looking at the castle. "How my grandfather is doing…I wonder if he is still awake at this hour, gazing out at a window that I am trying to peer into…if he is able to do even something as simple as that."
Faren looked down at her boots, gently kicking a rock over the edge of the cliff. "I think he's going to be okay, Lyn. He's related to you after all, and you've shown dozens of times that you never give up." She cracked a smile as she spoke that last sentence, hoping it would cheer Lyn up.
A ghost of a smile played upon Lyn's lips for a moment. "I suppose so," she answered. Her eyes narrowed and she clenched her fist tightly. "However…I know that Lundgren will answer to me tomorrow. He will pay for everything he has done in his quest for power."
"So you're going to kill him tomorrow, Lyn?"
After a moment's silence, Lyn finally responded. "I don't know, Faren…" She said softly. "Right now…not even my heart knows if my blade will be strong enough to slice him down. After all…" Her gaze drifted downward sadly. "…even though he caused such pain to my grandfather, he is still my uncle. Could I really end a life of a family member, even though I've never known him? Would I be the same as him if I did that? After all…he is in my way on the path to my grandfather…while my grandfather stands in the path for him to become Marquess…"
Faren turned away from the castle, facing the forest they had walked through to get to the cliff. She could see the glow of the fire through the trees and the faintest sounds of Nils playing his flute. The notes were carried on the wind and drifted into her ears, urging her to say something to girl next to her. At last, she answered Lyn.
"Lyn…you and that man, all that you have in common is that you two share blood. If that is all it takes for someone to be family to you, then I don't think you'll be able to cut him down tomorrow. That man tried to kill you and is attempting to kill his own brother for a title as we speak." She glanced back at Lyn who still faced the castle.
"He is ending his brother's life for the sake of personal gain. If you cut him down, you would be saving your grandfather from being murdered. I think there is a huge difference between you two: you don't kill for personal gain."
Lyn turned to face Faren, a slight smile upon her lips. "Thank you for reminding me, Faren. I suppose all I needed was a little reassuring." She scratched her head then chuckled. "Let's go back to camp; I'm sure everyone is wondering why we're taking so long."
"Ugh!"
A noise of frustration erupted from Serra's lips as she huffily slammed her elbows on her knees and shoved her chin in her waiting hands. Her eyes crossed angrily in front of her to stare for a moment at the brilliant, sparkling flames in front of her in the pit. With her pale blue-gray eyes, she glanced over at the others, sitting upon fallen logs surrounding the fire that crackled warmly. This was the second time she made a noise and still they ignored her!
Her eyes wandered over each of her companions briefly. Erk had his head in a book, as usual; she could see his eyes rapidly moving across the pages of the yellow tinted tome. Lucius sat beside him, reading as well but in a different fashion; he had his smaller tome on his lap and his eyes moved more slowly on the page. Serra felt a wave of anger rush over her and forced her eyes to look elsewhere. Her eyes fell on the sky rider with orchid hair; she sat on the ground beside her Pegasus that was lying down also, combing his beautiful sliver mane. Looking to Florina's right was Wil, who was leaning against the log on the ground and staring up at the sky with his hands behind his back. Serra felt a smirk coming to her lips, as she had seen the way the archer had looked at their tactician for the past few weeks. Although she hadn't figured out if Faren's feelings echoed that of Wil's, she would try her hardest to make something happen between the two! It would be her…pet project.
A loud guffaw to her left made her wrinkle her nose and she dared to spare a glance toward the loud general where the sound came from. Wallace was standing where the light of the fire could still reach him, holding an old worn map in his hands that illustrated the surrounding Caelin. On his right was the uptight knight Kent, gazing down at the map as well and talking to the man. She couldn't hear his words, but whatever he had said prompted another laugh from Wallace. A similar laugh came from the left of the general that made her cringe and groan slightly. Her eyes fell upon the roguish green knight Sain, that ever present cocky smile upon his tanned lips. She huffed, seeing that he was ignoring her again, and her eyes drifted over to where Rath stood, restringing his bow. Of all those that had been in the legion, Rath was the one who held the title of "Most Quietest Man". Even Dorcas, the axe-wielder that was sharpening his axe on a stone—who was quite reserved around her, barely speaking two words a day to her-- spoke more than Rath ever did.
I cannot see how any of these men stand being quiet for so long, she thought. I haven't had anyone to talk to for ten minutes and I feel like I'm about to go crazy! As she finished her last thought, she realized that Nils had stopped playing his flute. She looked over at him and his sister, Ninian leaning against Nils with her head resting on his shoulder. A little away from them lay Matthew, his hands behind his head with his eyes closed, that ever present dirty blade of wheat grass in his mouth.
Lord Uther's favorite errand boy, she thought bitterly. I don't see why Lord Uther won't entrust an important mission to me! I can be just as good as Matthew! Just because I let that bit about Marik slip, doesn't mean I'm worse than him! Why, I bet I—
"Hey everyone, sorry that took so long!" Lyn's voice erupted through Serra's thoughts. She looked up at Lyn who was flashing a reassuring smile to Kent as he asked her a question. Faren stepped out from behind Lyn, stretching her arms toward the sky. Serra noticed out of the corner of her eye movement in Wil's direction. She smirked again and scooted closer toward Lyn, dying to hear the conversation.
"Well, I wanted to ask about the river," Faren started, pointing at it on the map to Wallace. "It looks to be about twenty feet wide…how deep is it?"
Wallace let out a throaty chuckle. "How deep? You're not going to have us wade across it, are you? It's at least thirty feet deep!"
Faren looked crestfallen. "Well, that's no good…"
"Perhaps in this case, it would be best just to cross the bridge." Kent's voice calmly stated. "The forest around the castle is very thick; the enemy cannot hide heavily armored men and we won't be able to ride horses through the thick underbrush."
"Sounds like a plan, my boy!" Wallace grinned and winked at Faren. "Perhaps you should learn a bit or two from Kent, young lady!" He then broke out into a loud laugh.
Faren weakly echoed his laugh, looking slightly hurt before shoving the usual cheerful looking smile on her face to mask it. Lyn smiled and watched Wallace laugh, placing her hands behind her back and politely waited for him to finish before asking a question that had been on her mind most of the night.
"Sir Wallace? Do you think there is a chance that my uncle will take part in the battle tomorrow?"
Wallace lowered the map, his grin vanishing from his face. By the light of the crackling orange and yellow flames, he looked menacing with his eyes narrowed seriously at Lyn before speaking.
"Will he participate? Lady Lyndis…have Kent and Sain not told you anything about Lundgren?"
Both Kent and Sain looked down at the ground guiltily before Lyn shook her head. Wallace sighed and sat down on a large boulder that was nearby.
"Well, it's no big deal that they haven't told you—but you need to know what you'll be up against tomorrow." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before speaking again.
"Lord Lundgren…he is the younger brother of your grandfather, Lord Hausen. They are different as night from day. Lord Hausen is more of a scholarly man; can't say I've seen him hold a sword before. Lord Lundgren on the other hand…that man can be a beast. He's been training from a young age, attaining the rank of general by the time he hit his twenties." He raised his eyebrow as Lyn stared back at him. "And believe you me, that's a damn good feat. I didn't earn this rank 'til I was at least twice as old as you!"
"Sounds like his ruthlessness went to his head…" Faren murmured, sitting down beside Lyn.
"He'll most likely be guarding the gate to the castle tomorrow," Sain interjected. "He'll throw us what he has left of soldiers and then if that doesn't work, he'll fix his mistake by trying to kill us himself."
"Heh…sounds about what that fiend would do." Wallace cracked a grin and rolled up the map, handing it back to Kent. He rested his arms on his legs as he leaned forward, looking Lyn in the eyes with the upmost serious expression.
"I must warn you, Lyndis…that man has the rankings of a general for a reason. Whatever your heart tells you you must do tomorrow, your blade must carry your conviction through without fail. Otherwise, you'll find yourself at the end of Lundgren's blade."
A heavy fist slammed down onto the oak desk, sending a saucer and cup flying off of it onto the floor. It hit the ground with a crash, spilling the hot tea over the red carpet and shards of ceramic like a flood. The man ignored this, his eyes glaring at a spot on his desk. Finally he turned and faced another man, a soldier, dressed in red armor and quivering slightly as the intimidating man's eyes fell upon him again.
"General Eagler has fallen to Lyndis and her cadre?!" Lundgren spat these words out, baring his teeth at the poor soldier like a wolf, his eyes narrowed at his prey as it spoke.
"Y-Yes, My Lord…and his platoon of soldiers."
"Eagler had twenty men, twenty trained men, and yet he fell to some Sacaen savage!?" Lundgren growled again as his eyes swept the moderately furnished den they stood in.
"What about that dotard, Wallace? Or did he get lost on his way to the battlefield?"
"I-It's quite possible, Sir. T-There was a fog earlier and there is no s-sign of General Wallace anywhere."
Lundgren hissed in frustration and with a clenched fist, punched the soldier hard in the jaw, sending the man sprawling to the ground. The man groaned, a hand to his face.
"That damn bald crackpot! He probably joined up with Lyndis and those knights!" He looked down at his hand, casting a brief glance across his knuckles, looking to see if he had taken injury from punching the soldier.
"Wallace has always been far too loyal to Hausen…It nauseates me. Never mind…I won't need him. I can outfight him and anyone else that Lyndis may have picked up."
The soldier slowly stood up, his hand still on his jaw that was already beginning to swell. With some difficulty, he spoke again, his words slurry.
"I-Ish My Lord…planning to fight…tomorrow?"
"Only if the remaining miserable fools can't kill Lyndis on their own."
Lundgren stepped forward toward the east wall, his eyes drifting on his sword that mounted the wall. It was a thick steel blade, polished to perfection and the ebony hilt shone with traces of the firelight springing upon it. He reached up and grasped the blade by the hilt and effortlessly pulled it off the wall. His eyes swept up the blade as he held the flat end close to his face and ran a finger down the blade that was trimmed along the edge with traces of ebony. He grinned. Oh, how long had it been since this blade had tasted blood? Tomorrow, that will change. Tomorrow, everything will end…Lyndis, Hausen…and he would have free reign in Caelin. Free to do what he wanted, what he pleased. After his place had been set, it would then be time to set the real plan in motion, something that made him feel even more eager for tomorrow's sunrise.
The small girl cried softly, her sobs echoing all around her in the sea of white fog she was surrounded in. The blue-stone amulet around her neck shook as her chest drew in and out short breaths from sobbing. A hand reached out to the girl's hidden face in the fog, wiping away tears that could not be seen.
"It's not fair," The girl told the hand as she whimpered. She wrapped her arms around her body, the fabric of the emerald robes fluttering softly. "I don't want to leave this place."
"I know you don't." The hand answered her back. A dark red sleeve embroidered with gold trimmings draped down the arm of the hand as it fell to its owner's side. Although his face was hidden by the fog as well, one could hear the sorrow in his voice as he spoke.
"I don't want you to leave either."
A short sob sounded from the girl again.
"I don't think I'll ever see you again…I-I may not be able to return to this place ever again."
"We will see each other again," The boy's voice insisted in the fog. "When I am of age to leave, I will come find you again." A rustle came from the boy's robes as he fumbled with something in his pocket. At last, he drew out a small bracelet that had rubies centered in golden swirls. He took the girl's hand that was draped by her side and placed the bracelet around her wrist.
"I-It's so pretty…but what is it for?"
"This is a symbol of my promise to you." As he closed the clasps of the bracelet, his hands moved down slowly to her hand. He gently clasped it as he whispered softly.
"I promise that I will find you again."
Faren stared at the dark ceiling of the tent as she lay upon her sleeping pallet, the foggy memory replaying in her mind again and again.
'I promise that I will find you again'…the words echoed softly across her mind, belonging to a voice that was so familiar to her. The bracelet of rubies and gold sat coldly around her wrist, the same place it had occupied so long ago.
Why can't I remember anything? She thought bitterly as she put her hands over her face. She felt the bracelet slide down her arm. I hate having these scant snatches of memories…I want to know who I am! Is that so wrong?
A soft sigh came from her right and Faren moved her hands to glance over as Lyn rolled over in her sleep. Finally, the Sacaen had drifted off to sleep, spending what seemed like hours just simply rolling over to find a comfortable spot. Faren knew that Lyn was worried about tomorrow. So was she. After all, tomorrow was what they had been journeying for for nearly a month. Then after tomorrow…what was there for her? She had started this journey over a year ago to find her past, yet all she got was a few foggy memories of what seemed like her and a few other people. Then she met Lyn and became involved with helping her to her grandfather. Although she had regained more foggy memories in the time she spent with Lyn, she knew that time could not go on forever.
There may not be any answers for me in Caelin, she told herself. It would probably be best if I leave soon after to go back to finding my past…alone. Yes, alone. After a mere month of traveling with other people, Faren loathed the thought of traveling alone again. She had gained so many new friends here within the legion that it would make her depressed to leave them so suddenly.
But these friendships are based on lies, she told herself. Only two of them know that you have amnesia. You've kept it hidden from the others like a shameful secret. But it is shameful. Those that have no memory of their pasts are considered to have done something so horrible that the gods feel the need to purge the influence of the deed by removing the memories that shaped the person. A silly superstition from the time before the Scouring, but…effective in keeping my mouth shut.
A soft rustle came from outside the tent that the five girls shared. Faren sat up straight, staring through the dark cloth to see a trace of a shadow by the light of the fire. It's probably just one of the guys standing watch again, she told herself. But the need to verify this with her own her eyes became too great and quietly pushed the covers off of her before parting the tent flaps and crawling out into the dark night.
Wil jumped and reached for his bow as he whipped his head toward the girl's tent. He relaxed as he saw Faren's form standing up from the entrance. He smiled and beckoned the tactician to sit beside him, moving his bow to his left as she accepted his offer.
Wil leaned back against the log as he studied her. "Can't sleep?"
Faren shook her head. "Not exactly. I just had a dream."
"A good dream?"
"…I'm not sure. It didn't seem happy to me."
"Ah." Wil rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, feeling at a loss for what to say for once. Luckily, Faren spoke to break the silence.
"So how long have you got left on your watch, Wil?"
"Oh…about ten more minutes, I think. Then I wake Sain for his turn. After Sain is Wallace. He's taking the last watch."
"Mmm…say Wil?"
"Yeah…?"
"What are you going to do after tomorrow?"
Wil looked at Faren as she gazed into the fire. "What do you mean?"
She spoke softly, not taking her gaze off the entrancing dancing flames.
"I mean, after we face Lundgren. What do you plan to do?"
He hadn't considered any plans, to be honest. So, he answered her honestly.
"Heh…I have no idea, Faren. I hadn't thought that far ahead."
She smirked before looking over at him. Her hazel eyes seemed to glow with the reflection of the fire in them. "I figured you would have had your next destination all planned out."
"I'm more of a free spirit," he admitted to her. "I haven't been to my home in Pherae for ages."
"I see…" She turned back to the fire, the smirk vanishing from her lips. Wil poked the fire with a nearby stick before asking Faren the same question she asked him.
"So what are you planning to do after we face Lundgren?"
She leaned back against the log, entwining her fingers together on her stomach. "I don't know what I want to do. I mean…well, I'd like to go back traveling to see if I can find anything about myself, but…" Her eyes drifted downward again as she spoke even softer. "I don't want to leave everyone in the legion. I know it's only been a few weeks, but I feel like we're all a family."
Wil smiled slightly. It dawned on him that she asked that question so they could talk about the subject for either of them. Wil glanced up at the moon among the stars in the sky. Suddenly, Faren stood up and stretched before yawning. She offered him an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry, Wil…I'm starting to feel sleepy again. I'm going to try to go back to sleep."
Disappointed, but he tried not to show it on his face as he stood up. "Ah, it's okay, Faren. I should be waking Sain up now anyway…" He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He smiled his friendly smile. "But I want to say before you go that…" He trailed off for a moment, his voice suddenly vanishing.
Say it, he urged himself silently. Say it!
"Hm?" Faren gave him a quizzical look. He inwardly sighed and forced himself to keep that smile on his face.
"…that I think you don't have to decide tonight on what you're going to do after tomorrow. Perhaps Lyn will be able to help you with your decision after being able to see her grandfather."
Faren smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Wil." She bade him good night and crawled back into the dark tent from where she came. Wil sighed in exasperation as he whispered what he wanted to say to her face to her retreating form.
"I don't want you to leave either."
Morning seemed to have come all too soon to Faren as she felt herself being jarred awake by Wallace's loud laughter. She sighed quietly before throwing the blanket off of her and quickly straightening up her sleeping pallet.
It had been decided last night that all of the legion's supplies that weren't used for battle would be left there in the glade they had slept in. Wallace had pointed out that it would not be a good idea to be carrying tents and sleeping bags into battle; they would be quite a hindrance. They would come back for it, of course, but it helped to keep her hands busy as Faren felt waves of nervousness in her again. After placing everything in a neat pile, Faren headed over to her black stallion Renegade in order to prepare him for riding with two riders again.
"Good morning, Renegade," She smiled at the black horse and he nickered softly in response. She chuckled and adjusted the saddle to where it would fit her and Nils comfortably.
"Nils will be riding with us one more time, Renegade. Okay?" He snorted in response and she gently patted his long nose, gazing into one of the horse's dark brown eyes.
"Don't worry…" She said soothingly. "Tomorrow will be our last battle. Then we all can have the break we deserve." Renegade licked his mistress' hand gently before nudging her. Faren smiled and quickly climbed up into the horses' saddle. She eased him over to where the others were gathering and Nils clambered up behind Faren.
Lyn rode up beside her on her own horse Rain with Ninian riding behind her. Lyn gave an uneasy smile to Faren, who noted how pale she looked. She quickly glanced around at the others before whispering to Lyn.
"Lyn, are you okay? You're as pale as a ghost!"
Lyn nodded distractedly, feigning a smile to Sain who grinned at her ahead. She turned to look at Faren, her smile becoming tired.
"I feel very nervous…I hope we'll be able to defeat Lundgren and save my grandfather."
Faren gave her an encouraging smile. "Don't worry, Lyn. We will." As she finished speaking, Rath rode up next to Lyn, staring at both of the women with emotionless eyes.
"Lyn of the Lorca."
Lyn jumped at the sound of Rath's voice and whipped her head around at him. "Oh…you scared me, Rath. Um…what is it?"
He regarded her coolly before speaking again. "Do you feel Father Sky's temperament on the wind?"
Lyn blinked before tilting her head slightly as she cast her eyes toward the blue sky. Faren did as well, feeling utterly confused by Rath's words. There were a few grey clouds marring the otherwise perfect blue sky that morning; something which she felt was not a good sign.
"Rain…" Lyn answered slowly. "Father Sky is giving us rain today."
Rath nodded and looked over at the others. Wallace was in the front, talking enthusiastically with both Sain and Kent on their steeds. Kent looked uptight and there was even a strain on Sain's cocky face. Florina was behind them, looking nervously back at Lyn periodically from atop Huey. Dorcas stood stony still next to Wil who was smiling nervously as he tapped his bow against the ground. Serra had her arms crossed and seemed to be telling Matthew off, who by the looks of it, wasn't taking a word she said seriously as he twirled the wheat grass in his mouth with a faraway look in his eyes. Erk and Lucius just stared at the two; Lucius smiling a bewildered but polite smile while Erk merely looked disgusted. At last, Rath spoke again.
"Let us pray that this is not a sign that we have displeased Father Sky."
"We'll get through it, even if it is." Faren insisted, bringing the Sacaens' glances to her. She smiled her trademark cheerful smile.
"The Goddess of Justice is on our side! We will see a way through rain, fog, soldiers, anything that may stand in our way! We will defeat Lundgren, unite Lyn with her grandfather and restore peace to Caelin!"
A loud hearty laughter resounded from the front, Wallace being the cause of it. He winked, grinning widely.
"Well said, Lady Tactician. Now!" He raised his axe high above his head as he turned toward the path that would lead them to the castle.
"Shall we get to marching to our destiny?! Ha ha! Bard! Play us a song!"
Nils blinked, looking taken aback for a moment before digging into his pouch and pulled out his wooden flute. Glancing over at Lyn and Ninian who both nodded at him, he placed the flute on his lips and began to play the melody. Faren smiled and urged Renegade forward as the musical notes drifted through the air on the wind. The sharp prickings of sound filled the ears of the legion, and it seemed to ease their fears of what was to come as the sky above them became covered in large ominous black clouds.
Lyn took a deep breath as she felt the soothing sound of Nils' flute flow through her. I'm going to face my uncle today,she thought and felt another wave of nervousness wash through her again. I won't lose to him and I'll meet my grandfather for the first time. This is the way that you would want it…right, Mother?
As the last notes of Nil's song echoed on the wind, Lyn took a deep breath and spoke loudly.
"Everyone…thank you for sticking by me. I ask for everyone's strength one last time. We've come too far to quit now!"
An encouraging roar of approval sounded throughout the legion as they began their ascent up a steep hill that would give them the view of Castle Caelin.
"We are with you all the way, Lady Lyndis…now and forever!" Kent declared, flashing a rare smile back at Lyn. Sain chuckled and smirked back at her.
"Milady Lyndis can count on your Emerald Knight's strength!"
Kent raised an eyebrow at Sain. "Emerald Knight?"
Sain grinned back at him. "It sounds so grand, yes?"
"Ha ha ha ha!" Wallace's booming laughter drowned out the beginnings of another Sain and Kent argument. "For Caelin, Lord Hausen, and Lady Lyndis, this old bull will fight to the bitter end!"
"Which the end hopefully won't be bitter," Wil grinned as he flashed a thumbs-up sign to Lyn. "The end will be great for us!"
"We…we are all with you, Lyn!" Florina spoke softly as she clung to Huey's mane. "I'll be fighting with all my strength today!"
"And so will Erk!" Serra called out to Lyn, giving Erk a shove forward as she smiled happily. He grunted and rolled his eyes as he clutched his book tighter.
"That goes without saying, Serra…and stop shoving me."
Dorcas chuckled at Erk and Serra. "You need not worry at all, Lyndis. I think we all are prepared to fight with all our strength."
"As long as my nimble fingers don't get hurt, of course." Matthew's voice slid over from behind Dorcas as he twirled a dagger in each of his hands. He grinned and winked at Faren who playfully rolled her eyes at him.
"Lyndis," Rath began as he gripped his bow tightly. "I have already pledged my strength to you. My resolve will not fail."
"St. Elimine will bless us in this battle, I am sure of it." Lucius smiled up at Lyn as the legion neared the top of the hill. "As Lady Faren said, we have the Goddess of Justice on our side."
"And us too!" Nils called out from behind Faren, warranting a giggle from her. Ninian also smiled and nodded in agreement with her brother.
"Yes, we're with you to the end, Milady Lyndis."
Faren smiled over at Lyn as she saw the emerald haired woman wipe a tear from her eye. She smiled happily and whispered, "Thank you, everyone…"
As they reached the top of the hill, everyone paused as the clouds above rumbled their greeting. Gone were the patches of blue sky, replaced by the angry gray clouds, ready to burst open at a moment's notice. Faren edged Renegade into a stop as she gazed out at the waiting Castle Caelin. Beyond the stone bridge that they were not far from was a platoon of soldiers, all standing before a man dressed in blood red general armor. That must be Lundgren,she thought nervously and glanced over at Lyn.
Lyn dismounted Rain, giving her horse a pat on its head before walking up in front of the group. The wind picked up, the breeze pulling at Lyn's emerald ponytail. Huey nickered in the back as Florina whispered comforting words to the Pegasus before casting her eyes to the Sacaen in the front. Lyn gripped the Mani Katti's hilt before slowly pulling the sacred blade out into the world. Although there was no sun peaking down between the clouds, Faren swore that the blade itself sparkled in Lyn's hands.
Lyndis narrowed her eyes as the fell upon the distant figure clad in red general armor. She need not ask Wallace, Kent, or Sain who that man was. She already knew that man's identity. She gritted her teeth as she tightly clasped the Mani Katti in both hands, thinking of the decision she had reached last night regarding Lundgren's fate.
"It's time to end this, Lundgren!"
Lundgren stood in his general armor, the armor the color of newly spilled blood with silver lines crossing about it. He clutched his black-hilted ebony trimmed sword as his dark, hateful eyes glanced over the soldiers that stood before him. A loud rumble of thunder sounded above them as he scowled.
Only thirty men?Lundgren thought as his eyes scanned the dull faces of the men that stood before him. Bah…the rest of the Caelin Guard has gone into hiding to avoid execution. They're all cowards. Nevertheless, this should be plenty to destroy Lyndis…and then my wretch of a brother!
He stepped forward, raising the ebony trimmed sword to the sky. The crowd before him that spoke in hushed whispers silenced themselves as their lord spoke.
"Soldiers of Caelin!" He roared as the thunder crashed above him, sending a jagged bolt of lightning above the castle's towers.
"The imposters are upon us! Beyond the hill past the bridge is where they will appear! You must show no quarter to these wretches; they seek to destroy the balance in Caelin which we protect! I, as the new Marquess of Caelin, am waiting to see your test of loyalty to me!"
A wave of murmurings flowed through the crowd of soldiers as they cast doubtful glances to each other among their whisperings.
"The new Marquess?"
"Has Lord Hausen passed?"
"You idiot...stay your tongue!"
"Silence!" Lundgren roared angrily and the sky echoed his anger with a loud crash of thunder. He narrowed his eyes anf his mouth twisted into a scowl as his eyes spied figures emerging onto the hilltop across from the bridge. Several were on horses, but many more were on foot. He could see what looked like a woman with a long flowing ponytail dismount from a horse and unsheathe her sword, facing in his direction. As he gazed at the figure of the woman, he came to the realization of who it was. He pointed his sword toward the group of figures, the point of the blade at the chest of the faraway woman as he screamed in fury at the men before him.
"Let none of them pass! Kill them all! Do not let them cross the bridge!" As the crowd of soldiers roared in acceptance and turned to face their foes, Lundgren hissed quietly, never taking his eyes off the woman's figure.
"It's time to end this, savage!"
The heavens opened up and released their fury in the form of water upon the earth below. Rain droplets stabbed the earth in sheets as the sky above howled in anger as the two armies met each other and clashed, the clangs of steel being lost on the wind. Lightning snaked across the sky, providing flashes of light to the ground below as the battle began.
Lyn snaked her way between two mounted horsemen before quickly turning around, jumping into the air, and delivering powerful slashes to their exposed backsides. The men cried out in pain and she turned away, raising her sword to block an axe that nearly came down upon her head.
She snarled at the man that held the axe, lightning shooting through the sky to temporarily light up his face. The terrified expression upon his face made Lyn falter a moment. The soldier felt this and pressed hard against his axe. Lyn gasped and tumbled back into the mud, her face being barraged by the falling rain. She raised her sword to block the next blow, but it never came as a large steel axe cut through the man's abdomen. He screamed and fell backward into the mud as Lyn saw Wallace rumble past her. She silently thanked the general and quickly clambered to her feet, ignoring the mud that clung to her backside and weighed her down. She quickly ran forward into the incoming men as she could hear Wallace scream above the thunder.
Wallace roared as he swung his large steel axe into two approaching swordsmen. They both grunted and were sent flying into the dirt that was quickly becoming mud. He screamed at them as the rain began to pour harder around them.
"You disgust me! You have brought shame upon yourselves! If you wish to live, then don't get back up again!"
He turned his back on them and slammed his axe into a nearby knight on a horse, sending the knight sprawling to the mud. The man scrambled to his feet as Wallace raised his axe high over his head and tried to bring it down upon the man's head but was met instead with his sword. Wallace pushed hard against the soldier's sword, growling angrily at the man.
"How many of you have embraced Lundgren's lies?!" Wallace gave a mighty shove with his axe, causing the swordsman to fall to the mud. As the man lifted his sword to strike Wallace again, Wallace stomped down hard on the man's sword arm elbow, shattering the bones to pieces. The man on the ground howled in the pouring rain as Wallace lumbered off toward Wil as he saw the archer fall to his knees.
Wil panted, and let out a sharp cry as he pulled the arrow out of his leg. He ignored the sharp stinging in his leg and the blood that began to seep from his wound as he notched the bloody arrow to his bow and took aim at the archer that shot him. He released the arrow and ducked as the enemy archer sent one back, it missing him by millimeters. He heard the cry of the other man before it being drowned out by the thunder.
Wil shakily climbed to his feet, feeling his left leg throbbing in pain. As he notched another arrow to his bow, he felt a soft hand upon his leg. Glancing down for a moment before returning his eyes to the battlefield, he called out to the person.
"Serra! What are you doing!"
"What does it look like I'm doing?!" She screamed over the poundings of the rain. Her white cleric robes and her favorite purple scarf were already drenched and covered with mud. As much as she detested being dirty, she bit her tongue as she placed her stave near Wil's wound. The orb on the stave began to glow in a soft blow before stretching its light to Wil's wound. As she sighed in relief, she heard Wil yell above her.
"SERRA MOVE!!"
She gritted her teeth and rolled to the right as she heard the sound of fire roaring suddenly in the spot she had occupied. She clutched her stave as she lifted herself out of the mud to glance up at a mage that held another magic fireball in his hands. She looked around for Wil, but he had apparently been swallowed by the enraging battle. The man glared down at her before smirking cruelly. Serra closed her eyes. She knew what was about to happen.
So much for living a better life, she thought bitterly and waited for the deathblow.
"AAGGH!!"
"Serra! Get up!"
Serra opened her eyes and stared with shock up at her savior. Sain panted as he stood in the mud, his hair drenched from the rain and there was a terrible bloody gash across his cheek mingled with mud. His headband was gone, allowing sweat to mingle with the rain upon his dirty face. His sword was veiled in blood. He reached down with his free hand and grabbed her gently by the arm and hoisted her to her feet. She stared up at him as he spoke quickly.
"Are you hurt, Serra?!"
"N-No…"
"Good!" He pulled her arm tightly and she quickly followed him, both of them weaving in and out of the fighting. As they emerged from the fighting, Serra gave a loud gasp of horror as she spied Sain's horse on the ground, dead from a sword gouge in the neck. The blood poured from the horse's neck as her eyes had been frozen in fear forever.
"Don't look," Sain grimly said, his eyes blazing. "I already took care of the bastards that did that to Pearl."
Her gaze drifted next to the horse where she could see two men, both impaled on Sain's green lance, nailed to a tree with their blood pouring down to join the mud on the earth.
Serra looked up and saw two horses standing back beyond the fighting. As the lightning snapped across the sky, she saw Faren's familiar green cloak being shared by the siblings who both were atop Rain. Both Ninian and Nils had frightened looks upon their faces, Nils looking particularly upset in his sister's arms. Faren was atop Renegade, her blue tunic already soaked. Sain pushed Serra toward them and quickly turned back to head into the fighting.
Serra clutched her stave as she saw Sain slice a nearby soldier's stomach before kicking a nearby man. She suddenly heard Faren's voice in her ear.
"He was worried about you when he saw you fall to the ground near Wil."
Serra looked up at the tactician who smiled at her through the rain. As the lightning lit up the background, Serra's eyes flickered to Faren's shoulder where a dark red stain had set in.
"Oh my god! Faren!"
"It's nothing!" She smiled again and this time Serra could see the pain she was holding back before. Her eyes resumed to the battlefield.
"I'm more worried about Lyn right now! I haven't seen her and there's about twenty men left!"
Serra glanced back at the battle, raising a hand to shield her eyes against the falling rain. She could see the others clearly, the rain having thinned a little. Kent was parrying blows with another man on horseback before Erk had sent a fireball to his exposed back. To the right of Erk, she could see a flash of light which could only have belonged to Lucius. As another man fell, she saw Wil kneeling on the ground again, his other leg being the victim of a sword slash. A swordsman was creeping up behind Wil. Serra tried to yell out to warn him, knowing that her voice would not carry over the roar of the rain and thunder above them. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Matthew appeared behind the swordsman. He thrust out his arms in front of the man, quickly slamming his back against Matthew's chest. With a flick of his wrists, Matthew's daggers slid across the man's throat and Serra could see a spray of blood as the man fell to the ground. Another man nearby had fallen to the ground, the victim of Dorcas' axe. Dorcas swept up his axe from the corpse, covered in blood that Serra could not tell whether it belonged to him or those that he had taken on. A flash of lightning lit up the sky again and a streak of white followed it, a lance streaking down onto an unsuspecting enemy lanceman. Florina seemed to be having difficulty with Huey in the rain, but she guided the Pegasus toward the bridge, where Serra could see Rath atop his horse firing arrows onto another man that nearly took Sain's head off. Beyond the bridge, she saw a flash of familiar green and cried out.
"Faren! I think Lyn's across the bridge!"
Faren nodded, grimacing as she felt the wave of pain from her wound course through her again. The thunder above them roared again as her voice was lost among the wind.
"Lyn and Lundgren must be facing each other."
Lyndis stood, panting at the edge of the stone bridge as the rain fell around her. She was drenched with water, mud and blood, a gash on her left arm and right leg. Her eyes narrowed hatefully at the man in front of her. He was clad in armor, the color of newly spilled blood with silver edges marking the edges. His face was exposed to the world and for the first time, Lyndis saw the man behind her pain.
The man's face was filled with hate as he stared back at Lyndis, clutching a sword with an ebony hilt. Creases lined his brow and around his mouth, and his thick grayish eyebrows were brought together above his glaring angry obsidian eyes. His long gray hair flowed behind him wildly in the torrent of wind. As the rain danced around them, neither of them spoke for a few moments. At last, when the lightning snaked across the sky and the clouds rumbled in reply, Lyn spoke.
"You must be Lundgren."
He sneered at her. "Of course I am. I am the leader of this army and soon to be Marquess of Caelin. And you must be that Sacaen savage, Lyndis."
Lyn growled, clutching the Mani Katti's hilt with both hands. She felt the rain crawl down in between the cracks in her gloved fingers, but she held on tightly.
"I am no savage, Lundgren! You are, for trying to kill your own kin! Have you no heart!?"
As Lyn spoke the last word, Lundgren suddenly charged her, raising his sword high over his head. She gasped silently and brought her sword up horizontally as he connected vertically. She could see the rain drops running down his face like rivers in his wrinkles. He sneered at her.
"I care not for your or my brother. And I will not give Caelin to some half Sacaen savage!" Lundgren spat in Lyn's face, causing her to recoil and lessen her strength on her sword. He took the opportunity to push hard against her sword, knocking her backward onto the ground. He chuckled darkly as he grasped his sword in two hands, focusing the point downward at Lyn's chest.
"Good-bye, savage!" He roared and plunged the sword down. Lyn quickly dropped the Mani Katti and grasped the sword by its blade before it could plunge into her chest. Thankful for the leather gloves that bound her hands as she remained tightly clamped on the sword, she pushed with all her strength to lift the sword up.
Lundgren grunted, pushing back down as hard as he could manage. Both uncle and niece became locked into a strength contest; Lyn realizing it would become a stalemate between the two. She felt sharp pain on the palms of her hands, realizing that the friction between her hands and the sword caused the leather to be cut. Hot liquid could be seen running down her arms from her leather-bound hands, but she had to put that out of her mind for now.
The man above her yelled angrily, the sky above echoing his rage with thunder and a flash of lightning. Lyn gritted her teeth and quickly swept a leg to the side, hitting the red armored back end of Lundgren's right leg. She felt a dull pain in her leg pounding as she connected but she ignored it as Lundgren's foot went flying. The mud below them, made by the rain from Father Sky caused Lundgren to lose his balance and he toppled backward. Lyn snatched up the Mani Katti and slid to her knees, panting heavily. Their eyes locked onto each other's for a moment, realizing what Lyn was about to do. Lyn grasped the Mani Katti and plunged it downward toward Lundgren's stomach. At the same time, lightning flashed across the sky, filling Lundgren's eyes with white as he raised his sword horizontally to block Lyn's. The tell-tale sound of steel on steel never came.
Lyn gasped for air, feeling the rain around her beginning to wane. She released the Mani Katti's hilt and stood up slowly, taking care not to injure her leg further. She panted, drenched in rain and mud as she stared down at her uncle gasping for his life below. The Mani Katti protruded from his stomach, the edge finding the exact spot where the armor gaped itself.
Lundgren clasped the Mani Katti's blade in futile effort as he tried to pull the blade out. His felt his strength quickly fading and he coughed, sending droplets of blood into the air. The copper taste poured out of his mouth as he stared up at his niece.
"You…you bitch…" he hoarsely muttered, seeing her form began to blur. "Never…will…you be anything…but a savage…"
His eyelids slowly closed on his lashes, and Lyn watched as Lundgren took his last breath. Lyn bowed her head and felt tears in her eyes.
"Mother…" She murmured. "I've stopped our uncle…Father…"
"Lady Lyndis!"
Lyn looked up and turned toward the bridge as the rain slowed to a soft pitter-patter around her.
Kent nudged his horse across the bridge, panting as he held his left arm carefully to his body, his face splashed with mud and blood. His eyes swept to Lundgren then to Lyn.
"Milady Lyndis…" He whispered. "You've done it…"
"Like I always thought she would." Sain strode up beside Kent, the gash across his face encrusted with blood and mud. He flashed a smile at Lyn, who noticed the pink-haired priestess that he had his free arm around. Serra's white robes were a murky brown and red and she smiled uneasily at Lyn.
"A fitting end for such a beast." Wallace lumbered over to Lundgren, pulling out the Mani Katti from his stomach. As he handed it back to Lyn, Lyn saw that he seemed to have sustained no visible wounds, but was covered with blood and mud as the rest.
Lyn turned to look back at the bridge, seeing Rath on his horse slowly trot across. He also, seemed no worse for wear, but the rider behind him had taken bad wounds to his legs. Wil smiled tiredly at Lyndis, flashing her a thumbs-up sign. She chuckled, and Florina landed beside them. She looked best out of everyone since she stayed in the sky. Her white dress was soaked with Rain and her hair was too, but she smiled at teary smile at Lyn.
"Oh Lyn…"
"St. Elimine has blessed us enough to allow us all to live through this battle." Lucius' voice flowed through the air. His clothes were torn, muddy and bloody, his right hand soaked it blood. Erk appeared beside him, looking pale, worn and dirty but smiled a rare smile at Lyn. Matthew and Dorcas appeared behind them, Matthew miraculously, not dirty at all. Lyn looked at him quizzically, to which he only replied with a knowing smile,
"My fingers are not the only part of me that's nimble, you know."
She sighed and shook her head and smiled as she saw the last of her companions approach the bridge. Ninian and Nils were on her horse Rain, sharing Faren's green cloak between them. As Lyn's eyes fell upon Faren, she saw the girl's shoulder and frowned a little, to which the drenched Faren waved her other hand as if to wave it off.
"Lyn! We're all fine!" She smiled at the girl then gestured to the castle.
"I believe your grandfather is waiting for you."
The halls of Castle Caelin were deafening with silence. Lyn felt nervous and trembled from the cold water that hung about her. Going alone in the direction that Sain and Kent had indicated, the halls covered in crimson carpet were deserted. Only candles placed at certain points lit the way and she could see works of art hung on the walls. There were portraits of a few people, but she had not seen any she recognized. Lyn passed many rooms, peering into only a few as she took small steps in order not to hurt her leg. The cuts on her hands had stopped bleeding, but they still stung with pain.
At last she had reached the oak door that Kent told her about. The wood was dark and looked very old. The door handle itself was gold plated with vine designs. She took a deep breath, and reached out to the cold metal handle. She pushed forward and entered the quiet room beyond her.
The room was nearly as silent as the hallways had been; save for a soft breathing that came from the large four poster bed in the middle of the room. Glancing to her left, Lyn could see the large bay window that gave a view of the battle below. She cringed slightly as she saw the bodies that littered the ground. There was a small group of soldiers, about seven or so disarmed and standing in front of Wallace, Kent and Sain. Lyn wondered if they had surrendered when they saw that the battle was not in their favor.
On the right side of the room, Lyn felt her breath get caught into her throat. Beside a handsome oak armoire was a portrait of a woman. The woman's dark hair framed her heart-shaped face perfectly, the locks falling about her in waves. Her small cherry lips formed a heart-warming smile to the viewer. It was the eyes that shocked Lyn the most; it was her own pair staring back at her, reflecting the smile the lips had formed. She felt tears in her eyes as she gazed at the portrait of her mother Madelyn, seeing that after so many years, she had not changed at all.
A soft moan from the bed brought Lyn's eyes to look at it. She could see a figure lying among the thick cotton blankets. She clenched her hands and walked slowly up to the side of the bed and gazed down at her grandfather.
His face was ghostly pale, perhaps the same shade that was close to death. Wrinkles lined his brows and cheeks, giving his face a sunken look. Thin bony hands lay upon the man's stomach as his chest rose and fell slowly underneath the bright emerald robes lined with gold. Slowly, Lyn could see his eyes slowly open and she stared into eyes the same shade of her own.
"Ahh…" Hausen moaned and closed his eyes again as he spoke hoarsely. "Please….ghost…leave me…to die…"
Lyn felt a pain in her heart and tears sprang to her eyes once again. She swallowed and spoke softly.
"I-I am no ghost….My name is Lyndis…Grandfather…"
Hausen's eyes flickered open quickly and his gaze hovered upon Lyn. "Lyndis…?" He murmured softly. "Could it really be…?
Lyn took a chance and sat down gently on the edge of the bed. She reached out and delicately clasped Hausen's hand in her own, giving it a soft squeeze as she looked into the old man's eyes.
"Yes…'tis I, Grandfather. I came from the plains to see you."
With his free hand, Hasuen reached up and gently touched Lyn's cheek. His hand was warm and felt good against Lyn's cold wet skin. His fingers dragged down to her chin and she could see tears forming in her grandfather's eyes.
"Oh…you…you truly are…Lyndis…my Madelyn's daughter…" He blinked, allowing the tears to flow down his face. "Lundgren said…you were dead…just like Madelyn…"
"No, Grandfather…" Lyn spoke softly. "It is Lundgren that is dead. I have come to see you and free you from him."
The old man smiled. "It is too late…Lyndis…I have been poisoned…I fear you have come only to watch me die…"
"No!" She spoke so forcefully, it surprised Hausen and he saw the tears coming down from her eyes as well as she spoke.
"You can't, Grandfather…I…I made it all the way from Sacae to come see you! I know you will be alright! You are…my mother's father, and my mother had the strongest spirit I ever knew a person to have." She smiled at Hausen through her tears. "She must have gotten it from you, Grandfather…I know you can beat this illness!"
Hausen stared at Lyn and released her hand. He gently placed his hands on either side of him and pushed himself up slowly into a sitting position. He reached out and put his hands on the sides of Lyn's face, smiling at her as he let his happy tears flow down his cheeks.
"Oh Lyndis…you give me such strength…thank you…thank you for living…for coming to me…"
Lyn let out a happy cry and embraced Hausen. He returned it, slowly wrapping his arms around his granddaughter's body. He breathed in the scent of her hair as he closed his eyes, smiling happily.
Sain walked into the warm foyer, sighing as he ran a hand through his wet hair. He glanced around, seeing the others being tended to by the castle healers that had been locked into the dungeon for resisting Lundgren. An old man stood off to the side, dressed in retainer's clothes. As he spied Sain, he bowed respectfully to Sain.
"Thank you, Lord Sain…" Reissmann stated. "Lundgren has kept us all away from Lord Hausen and convinced the soldiers that the orders to attack Lyndis were from the Marquess…"
"I know," Sain interjected. "Some of Caelin's guard surrendered to us; they said the same thing." He patted Reissmann's shoulder and smiled a tired smile. "You have nothing to fear from that blackheart anymore."
In an adjourning room next to the foyer, Faren stood, wearing her spaghetti-strap undershirt as Serra tended to shoulder that had been wounded by an arrow.
"Faren, I can't believe you got hit!" Serra exclaimed as she wiped away the blood that had dried. Faren nodded, wincing slightly as Serra pressed harder than she needed to.
"So…what happened? How did you get hit?"
"Well," Faren stared, her eyes drifting to a painting on the wall. "Nils, Ninian, and I were in the back, trying to stay away from the fighting when we saw Sain fighting near us. There were two soldiers fighting him, a swordsman and an archer." Serra paused briefly in her cleaning before Faren continued.
"It happened so fast…Nils created a shield around Sain before the swordsman struck him…unfortunately it killed his horse. And when Sain went after the swordsman, the archer had shot an arrow where Sain had been, and it…kinda hit me." She smiled sheephisly and rubbed her head.
"Sain was so angry…he…struck both of the men down and apologized profusely, as did Nils…but I told them it was okay…many of us were bound to get hurt in this fight. Then Sain suddenly ran off, saying that when he fell from Pearl, he saw you on the ground."
Serra smiled slightly and blushed. "Stupid knight," she murmured.
"Huh?"
"Oh, nothing…Oh my gosh!"
"What!?" Faren looked down at Serra in panic. "Is it worse than we thought?"
"N-No…"She said, still staring at Faren's shoulder. She looked up at Faren, a mischievous grin on her face. "I didn't know that you had a tattoo…"
Faren felt her face flush and felt nervous suddenly. "Ah…"
Serra grabbed a roll of bandages, beginning to wrap her arm up, still smiling. "So…where did you get it?"
"Um…" Faren stalled for a moment. Oh wonderful, she thought. There's no way Serra's going to keep quiet about it unless…I tell her to…
"Hellooo, Faren?"
Faren sighed and looked at Serra as the girl finished wrapping her arm, the bandages covering the wound and the tattoo. Faren spoke in a defeated and tired voice. "I don't know where I got it because I have amnesia, Serra."
She saw Serra's eyes widen in shock. "You?! You have amnesia?!"
Faren quickly shushed her, glancing toward the door where she could still hear the others laughing through it. "Please, Serra…" She begged the pink-haired priestess.
"Can you please keep this a secret? Lyn and Wil have…can you do it?"
Serra looked almost insulted and she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Keep a secret? Of course I can keep a secret!" She grabbed the tactician's hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze and winked.
"I won't say a word!"
Faren smiled uneasily back at the girl then slipped her tunic back over her head.
Why do I have such a bad feeling about this?
A few days later, Lord Hausen was well enough to receive visitors. Lyndis stood beside Hausen's bed, smiling happily down at her grandfather that was looking so much better than he had been when they first met. There was color in his cheeks and his eyes were filled with happiness as he glanced over Lyndis' legion that stood before him, many had bandages on their arms or faces.
"My friends," Hausen began, his eyes drifting from Wallace to Kent and Sain, all three standing attention. He smirked and his eyes wondered among the rest of the legion.
"My friends…I thank you with all my heart for bringing my granddaughter to me. I am deeply in debt to all of you." Hausen bowed his head, not seeing the triumphant smile on Serra's face.
"As a tribute to your bravery and sacrifices, a week from today, we shall hold a ceremony in your honor where we will bestow upon each of you rewards fitting for your deeds. There will be food, dancing...and many of our neighboring lords will attend."
Wil chuckled as Serra squealed in delight, causing Erk to edge away from her in disgust.
"Oh, how wonderful, Lord Hausen!" Serra exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "I must find the perfect dress to wear!" She winked at Faren. "Don't worry, girls. You all may ask for my expert advice!"
Lyn smiled and looked over at her grandfather. He looked up and her and returned her smile, reaching for her hand and gave it a warm squeeze.
Far far away from Caelin...
"It seems the fiasco in Caelin has given us a small amount of quintessence for the master's plan," a woman's voice stated without a hint of emotion.
"Yet it also sets back the main plan quite a bit," a man's voice replied, also devoid of emotion. "We must find a new territory to influence. Someone who isn't as beastly as Lundgren."
There was a pause for a moment then the man's voice spoke again.
"Would the Lycian territory of Laus please our master?"
A man's voice responded, different from the first voice as this one was filled with cold and malice.
"Yes…Marquess Laus will be an excellent pawn in our plans…"
Author's Note:
So…this chapter would have been out last week, had it not been for my computer suddenly killing itself. While I was in the middle of writing this. About ten pages…gone. Yeah, I was pretty mad. Lost a lot of stuff and put me out some money. But now, I have a new computer, so we should be good to go for a while.
Anyways…this chapter is written very different from what I had started to write on my old computer. I think this version is much better, though I wish I had remembered some of the descriptions I used. I feel like I shortchanged somewhere….Heh, when Serra said "Oh my god", I was tempted to put in "Omigod!" instead. I resisted though. I felt bad killing Pearl, but you know we can't invincible horses around here.
Now Lyn's story is coming to a close. You could say it officially ends after next chapter. So that means we'll be heading into the main story after two more chapters. Unfortunately, classes for me will start up again soon, so I can't promise weekly updates like I tried to maintain before. If you haven't already done so, you might wanna stick an alert on this story so you'll know when I manage to put some words up for you guys. :) Thanks for all your encouragement and see you next chapter.