Here's a new one for you all! Have fun reading all this... This one is my longest so far... I can only hope that I can produce this much on many other ocassions. Anyway Disclaimer yada yada yada... Please R&R!
Kyle opened his eyes. He wasn't any longer in the realm of sleep…now he was back in the real world… He sighed.
He'd been having such a pleasant dream…the end of this war…the end of the black fang…the end of everything, and then celebrations…. Then it had all ended as he woke up.
Kyle got to his feet, carefully walked across the long thin boards that made up the loft and grabbed his lyre. Then he made his way back across the boards and to the ladder that lead up to the ramparts, of the wall. He sat down atop one of the blocks that made up the wall, and began to pluck at the instrument. He looked up toward the sky. It was almost completely pitch black…except for a small stripe of sunshine far off, and barely peeking over the mountains.
Soon he began to sing: "along the shore where we wait and in the wars in which we hate…there comes the breaking of the silver shore………and on the throne made of gold…where sits the king of old…on this land we are saved… From this fiery hatred and rage do we find our fears assuaged…and never again shall we be down…"
His song was complete…yet he was still in pain on the inside… Something was torturing him…but what? Kyle looked down at Lyn. Was she the reason for his pain? Was…she…the thing…he'd sought for?
But quickly he shook his head. "No…she isn't it. I can't be searching for a person…" Kyle said reassuring himself. Then he again cast his steel gaze toward the sky. "What I'm looking for…it has to be in Caelin…"
Only minutes passed, yet they seemed to drag on for hours… Kyle was quickly becoming upset with the sun and how slowly it was rising. Oh how he wished that he had the power to control the days, and nights… Oh, how he would have cherished the ability to make his long agonizing nights…last only a few seconds.
Suddenly he heard someone coming up the ladder from behind him. Kyle rose quickly from the wall, and stood facing the ladder. Suddenly he noticed some green hair, and relaxed as Lyn's head popped up over the wall.
"What are you doing up so early?" Kyle asked her as he went back to sit down on the wall.
She didn't respond for a few moments as she made her way to the wall and sat down beside him. Then she finally said, "I heard you again last night." The single sentence was confusing to Kyle.
"What do you mean?" he asked, staring with cold indifference off toward the mountains.
She seemed to follow his gaze. "I mean I heard you having nightmares again. They deeply trouble you it seems. You don't scream. Nay you simply talk to whatever or whoever is in the dream. Last night you were talking to yourself in a dream, at least that's how it sounded."
He began to pluck at a few strings of the lyre. It was not a song, and yet it was. Lyn could tell that he was playing something from somewhere far away and long ago…an ancient song of some importance. It was so sad, and yet happy at the same time. It broke at times allowing for a single hummed note to be uttered but other than that Kyle did not speak or sing.
Finally Lyn put her hand upon Kyle's shoulder. Kyle stopped playing, and took her hand off with his own. But when Lyn's hand was off his shoulder Kyle couldn't let go of her hand. It was so soft, and so warm. So filled with kindness…
"Lyndis…" he said. "I am simply a sworn servant. Until we reach Caelin that is all I am; a man who, to you, should be no different than Kent, Sain, or Jaron. We've got maybe another three hours till the real break of dawn…I'm going back down to get some sleep."
With that Kyle made his way back down and into the loft, set his lyre down, and got into his makeshift hammock bed. Then he crossed his arms and tried to go back to sleep.
Lyn went a few steps down the ladder and looked at him as he lay peacefully in the bed. She smiled a little and whispered, "Oh Kyle…you're wrong you know… You are much more than Sain, Kent or Jaron… You were my friend before we found out who I was…you agreed to come with me. You were a stranger in this foreign land…and yet when I reached my hand out to assist you…you took it willingly." There was another faint smile from Lyn, who continued down the ladder, and then walked back to the bed that she'd made the day before. She lay down in it, and covered herself up to her neck. Within a few more minutes she was asleep.
The morning unfortunately came all too early from three hours ago, and Lyn blinked slightly at the morning sun that stared in through the doorway that had been left open. She climbed up the ladder, and noticed that not only was Kyle up, he was packed and ready to go.
She climbed completely up the ladder, squinted and then tried to shield her eyes from the sun's light. In the process of blocking out the sun she slipped on one of the steps on the ladder. Lyn went sailing through the air, and closed her eyes waiting for inevitable meeting with the stone of the wall.
Suddenly however she found herself seemingly hovering above the ground. She opened her eyes, and stared at the ground, wondering why in the world she hadn't hit yet.
"Are you okay?" someone asked. Lyn began to struggle within the grasp of the voice's owner.
"Lyn!...AH! OW!! Blast it would you stop already?!" the voice cried out. When Lyn didn't appear to hear him, the voice suddenly said, "Lyndis open your eyes!!"
Lyn acquiesced immediately. When she looked up the sun seemed to be silhouetting someone, or something.
Lyn held up her hands to shield herself. "Whatever you, that has hold of me, is I beg ye to leave me alone!"
"Lyn… It's me Kyle." She looked up. Indeed their stood her friend, sword at his side, rucksack on his back, and sleeping mat all rolled up.
"Oh…Kyle… I-I'm sorry I hadn't seen you there," Lyn said still trying to catch her breath.
Kyle was holding the side of his cheek, a place that Lyn assumed she'd kicked him. When he moved his hand to reach to let his rucksack down she noticed a drop of blood slide down his cheek. She reached her hand up and touched just below the cut gingerly.
"Oh, did I kick you?" she said remorsefully.
Kyle nodded, and procured a vulnerary from his rucksack. Lyn, however, snatched the healing ointment out of his hand quickly and after cleaning the wound with a cloth, began to apply the ointment. Kyle in the meantime was trying to push her hand away.
"Please..s-stop. No! Lyn don't worry about it I can handle it myself."
Lyn nodded. "I know… But I feel bad about kicking you. So I'll take care of the wound."
With the last of vulnerary applied she dabbed Kyle's face slightly with a second, pure white cloth. She backed up a little looking his face over a few times to make sure there was no scar, and then smiled.
Kyle touched where she'd accidentally kicked him, and then finally he smiled, and bowed.
"Thank you…Milady Lyndis," he said.
She shook her head, and stamped her foot. "No!" she yelled. "Please don't call me that…" A slight tear formed in her eyes. "…I don't like being called…Lady Lyndis… I loath it when Kent calls me that…or Sain…and…if she called me that…"
Kyle patted her on the shoulder. "It's not so bad is it? I mean…you have people that are fiercely loyal to you, and would lay down their lives for you."
She nodded.
"Especially me…" Kyle whispered hoping that Lyn wouldn't hear.
But his wish fell upon a hard heart. "What did you say?" Lyn asked.
"I...umm…said that you have wonderful friends that would lay down their lives for you."
Lyn nodded. "Yes, yes I heard you the first time…but what did you say after that?"
Kyle shook his head. "I…I have no idea what you are talking about…"
Lyn leaned upon his chest, and seemed to nestle herself upon him. Kyle was blushing. He held her by her shoulders and looked down at her. He wanted to ask if she was okay…but didn't. She had closed her eyes and was content to just stand there upon the weathered ramparts of the fortress.
Eventually Kyle, who was feeling slightly uncomfortable…and yet happy at the same time, moved Lyn away from him, so that she now stood looking at him. She was still smiling in that goofy way she had been. Kyle chuckled a little bit as he watched her.
"So… What's with the smile?" he asked still smiling.
She shook her head. "It's a secret. I'm not going to tell anyone."
Kyle shook his head and remembering that he still had some chores to do he lifted his pack, and walked off. But Lyn kept her ever-vigilant gaze, and smiled wider as he walked away.
After he'd gotten free of Lyn he began to tap at his chest wondering what in the world had happened. He…He'd never felt such an attraction to anyone before…it was terrifying him. Kyle remembered his training. He recalled how grueling an experience it had been. He remembered how the keeper of the training grounds would lash out the whip whenever someone fell or stopped during training. Kyle remembered how that whip had dug daily into his flesh, and how much that made him want to hate people…and eventually he had.
But adventures throughout most of the region had made him forget his hate…at least for normal people… He still had retained a hate for the training groundskeeper. That man was vile, cruel, malicious, vicious, and evil. Kyle also loathed Nergal, who had raised Kyle like an unwanted son. Kyle could still remember the long talks with Nergal.
Suddenly a small left door of the fortress opened, and Jaron strode in.
"Please tell the lady Lyndis that we are ready to depart whenever she is."
Kyle nodded.
"I'll do that," he replied. "I'll do it right now." Kyle walked over to the ladder, and called up. "Lyn! Lyn! Damn it Lyn where in blazes are you?!"
When she failed to answer him again Kyle grabbed one of the rungs of the ladders, and climbed up. Atop the ramparts as he looked around he could not see her.
"Lyn? Lyn where are you?"
Suddenly Kyle caught sight of someone leaving the fortress, and carting someone away. The person being carted away…seemed…familiar… Then Kyle realized what was going on, Lyn had been captured!
Kyle looked around quickly and angrily. 'How did they…?' Suddenly out of the corner of his eye he noticed a ladder that was leaning up against the side of the high wall.
"Ah! DAMN IT!!" Kyle screamed. Immediately Kyle jumped clear off the wall, rolled as he landed, and took off running down the path.
Kent, Sain, and Jaron who had been outside tending to their horses watched confused as Kyle ran off down the path. Fearing that something had happened the three leapt atop their horses and rode off down the path as well. Kyle was very fast, and the three had to ride their horses at near top speed just to keep up with him.
Suddenly the three noticed up ahead what he was chasing. A man riding upon a horse had hold of a woman with green hair.
"Umm… Kyle?" Jaron said. "Not to sound heartless, but why are we chasing after that man when we need to get Lady Lyndis back to Caelin?"
Kyle responded by drawing his sword as he neared the horse. Then he leapt at the horse itself. There seemed to be absolutely no strategy to his assault. He landed square in front of the man atop the horse. The horse reared, neighed, and stopped.
"Get out o' me way ye little welp!!" the man screamed. Kyle however would not move. The three knights came up quickly from behind. "Oh, now look what ye've done!" The man dismounted the horse, drew an axe, and approached.
Kyle waited for a few seconds and when the man attempted to strike ducked under the axe, and suddenly drove his sword up into the man's stomach. Drops of blood launched out of the man's mouth like arrows, and the villain dropped to the ground.
"…How? You…can't…be…this…" Kyle withdrew his sword allowing the corpse to drop to the ground, wiped his sword on the grass, and sheathed it. Then he walked over to the horse, mounted it, and rode off in the opposite direction. He passed Jaron, Kent, and Sain as he rode back toward the fortresses. The three knights exasperated turned their horses round as well, and followed Kyle.
Lyn awoke near ten hours later, with fluttering eyes. Around her Kent, Sain, and Jaron were asleep. Kyle was sitting beside where she lay tending to a fire. He looked at her, and suddenly his eyes lit up. He reached near his pack, and picked up a small cup, filled to the brim with an aromatic tea. He handed it to her.
There was a long period of silence before he finally spoke.
"I was scared you know…" he said as he stared at the bright popping coals of the fire. Lyn stared at him.
"I mean…when you were captured… I was…afraid…" Lyn took a sip of the tea that Kyle had handed her, and grimaced. "It's made of some kind of root that the villagers picked and showed me how to prepare…"
Lyn nodded still trying to forget the taste. "I know. It's called panapou root. It's commonly used for bettering the condition of a various afflictions."
Kyle nodded. "That's…yeah that's what they called it." Another long silence. "Well… You'd better get some sleep… I want to get you to your grandfather alive, and I wish to set out tomorrow. We'll pass through some small villages by the Biran Mountains. We would do well to restock, and make sure that we've got fresh weapons. It wouldn't be wise to be unequipped if we're surprised again…"
Lyn nodded, and then turned back into the bed and lay down. Kyle however couldn't fall asleep. He simply sat there and stared at the still glowing remains of the fire, or at least…he stared at something that was there.
'Is this fire…a representation of my heart?' he thought to himself. 'Have…I gained a glow? Is there actually a spark of…happiness? Or…is it a spark of love?' Kyle shook his head trying to rid himself of these thoughts. 'Not that it really matters… When this is over I'll be picked up by the Black Fang and then I shall be forced to go right back to work after slight chastisement…' Kyle sighed. Could he not be free? Would he not be allowed the time to be with those he loved?
With these thoughts in his head he lay his head down on the dirt and drifted into a sleep that he knew would be haunted by nightmares. But he was slightly comforted that he and the knights had rescued Lyn. Had they lost her… Kyle didn't even think about that sort of circumstance.
The next morning came all too quickly, and Kyle woke as early as always, and found as usual that the three knights were abed, and Lyn was up. Kyle climbed his way up onto the ramparts to find Lyn where she'd been yesterday when she'd been taken.
"You know…" he said startling her. "You shouldn't be up here alone after what happened yesterday."
She nodded bowing her head a little. "I know… But I adore watching the sun rise… It's the beginning of a new day…"
Kyle nodded while gazing at her. "Yeah… It is simply breathtaking…"
Then he turned. "I'll go wake up our other compatriots..."
Lyn turned around and watched Kyle as he left. "If only you knew..." she whispered almost inaudibly. "If only you knew…how much you mean to me…"
"Lyn!" Kyle suddenly called. "Come on! We're all prepped and ready to go!"
Her somber mood suddenly changed, "I'm coming! Just wait for a moment!"
Quickly Lyn came down the ladder and ran outside. Kent, Sain, Jaron, and Kyle were all seated upon horses. "Where is the horse that I shall use?" she asked.
Kyle patted just behind him on the horse. "Here. You can ride with me."
Kent smiled and said, "A chivalrous man indeed! To think that my thoughts of your relation to the lady were somewhat diminished… It seems that it is quite the opposite!" There was jovial laughter in his voice that seemed to bounce with his words.
Sain however, merely scoffed in annoyance at Lyndis not riding with him. Though his heart was a righteous one Kent and Jaron both wished that his mind was not always so lust-filled when it came to dealing with women.
"Yes well, I don't see why Lady Lyndis clings to him as though he was saving her from drowning… It is completely conceivable for a lady to be seated upon the horse of a daring knight." Sain looked at his fingernails in an arrogant fashion.
Kent prepared to say something but before he could I whacked the horse with the reigns. Startled the beast jumped and took off.
Noticing that their companions had already taken off the three knights snapped the reigns and followed suit. However it was painfully clear what had happened. Kyle had not wanted to listen to another argument so he'd taken off without telling them where they would be stopping.
"Well," Kent called from atop his horse. "I suppose that wherever he stops, we stop. That seems to be the gist that I gather from this flight." Sain, and Jaron nodded.
The three said very little, as they were intent on following and not getting left behind in the rampaging speed that Kyle was keeping the horse. They knew that Kyle was intent on making up for lost time and as such was driving the animals, and the group itself, much harder than normal.
When finally Kyle began to slow the group the sun was almost setting. A few small villages were gathered together around the base of Taliver Mountain. At the time there were only two, but it seemed from some charred ruins that there had once been three. Kyle got off the horse, and took a few tentative steps forward into the remains. He put his hand down and felt them. Cold! He had suspected as much…
He rose, and turned to face his friends, hen shook his head. "I'm sorry Lyn… The trail is cold…by a day or two at the most… We just missed them!"
Sain turned to Kent and whispered into his compatriot's ear: "Who? Who did we miss?"
"The Taliver bandits of course," Kyle said to Sain. The knight in green still holding his cupped hand to Kent's ear stared in surprise at Kyle. "You… You heard what I asked?"
Kyle nodded. "Yes. I can hear many things almost inaudible, without the pain of high-pitched noises. As of now I can hear the rustling of the grass in the wind… I can hear…rats rummaging amongst the village remains…and people talking in the other two…and…hm? That's strange…"
"What?" Lyn asked. "What do you hear?"
Kyle shook his head. "Well…I don't know how accurate I am but I hear the beating of wings and neighing…as though a Pegasus was on approach… But they exist only in Ilia…so how can that be?"
A moment's more concentration and he spoke again. "Now…it has landed…a few meters from here on the other side of the wall…in front of the village nearby. There are two men and one girl that seems very frightened. She keeps apologizing over and over...."
Lyn suddenly leapt off the horse, and broke into a run appearing on the scene in a matter of moments. Right behind her was Kyle, followed by Jaron, followed by Kent, and Sain.
"Florina? Florina it is you!" Lyn cried with joy embracing the lavender haired girl as one sister would another.
"Lyn! Thank goodness I finally found you! I heard you had left with strangers, and…I got worried…so I…"
"So you came looking for me," Lyn finished. The girl who's name was apparently Florina hugged Lyn back, and then broke off for a little bit still holding Lyn's arms.
"But…on my way here…my Pegasus accidentally landed on him…"
"Did you apologize?" Lyn asked.
Florina nodded. "Mhm. Again and again and again."
"Maybe she did apologize but I still want a little compensation for my injury!" one of the two men bellowed.
Kyle walked up and got in between the two men and Lyn. "Listen, she said she was sorry. Can't you just let it slide and let us past?"
But one of the men shook his head. "No! Never! That flyin' mule a hers is wortha pile o' gold on its own! The two women that we'll be takin' off yer 'ands is gonna make even more!" With that the two dashed past the group and a good deal more men came out of hiding.
"Damn…" Kyle said. "I should've known there'd be an ambush."
"Why's that?" Lyn asked him.
Kyle drew his sword as he walked past her to take the lead. "Because where there's one rat," he explained. "There's at least ten more, and this lot looks bloodthirsty enough to try and kill us all… Alright here's the plan: Lyn you go into that village, and warn them. Florina will fly over the wall, and warn the other village. Kent, Jaron, Sain, and I will continue on to kill the rest of the soldiers."
Everyone nodded and the plan went into action…just to be stopped when Lyn came out moments later shouting something about now having an archer in the 'Legion'…
Kyle stopped for a few moments as his plan was altered…but in a very effective way. The archer attacked a fellow archer on the other side, and then Florina flew over and struck as well. It was a good combination and both would need the experience.
Kyle turned his attention back to the battle as a man with a large sword in his hands came running to attack. Kyle knew that he'd let himself become distracted and immediately held his weapon up to block. As the man's sword neared Kyle's, time suddenly seemed to slow down. Kyle allowed the metal to touch, allowed himself to hear the sound, and immediately ducked under and slashed at the man's torso cutting an enormous and fatal gash into his opponent.
The man screamed and dropped to the ground. Kyle however was moving before the man had even fallen. He raced out, ducked under two axe strikes, and then struck out himself. Two more bodies dropped down on his left and right. Kyle could hear Lyn's boots right behind him. Was she using him as a shield?! Kyle shrugged. It didn't really matter. He was a good villain killer, and if she could get to the man…well then maybe they would have a chance after all.
Suddenly Kyle realized that he had reached the leader of the brigands. He smiled and looked behind him…but Lyn wasn't there! He looked around in a sudden daze, and noticed that she was busy trying to stave off a different brigand. She hadn't been using him as a shield…she'd been acting as a distraction so that Kyle could defeat the leader!
"I guess it's up to me then…" Kyle whispered to himself as he slowly approached the leader.
"What kid?" the man asked as Kyle walked slowly up. "You lookin' fer a whippin' too?" The brigand held his sharp, steel axe high in the air as a token of intimidation.
Kyle held his sword in the ready position. "Listen, I've lost a lot of time wastin' around here. I'm kinda pissed off already and if you don't want to make it any worse on yourself, then I'd surrender."
The man however didn't listen. Holding his axe into the air, he charged. Kyle waited with closed eyes, listening for the man to arrive. The pounding of the feet on the grass came clearly to Kyle's mind, and with lightning strikes Kyle had parried the man's attack and struck three times.
The body dropped to the ground just behind Kyle's feet. The rest of the brigands, seeing their boss defeated, dropped their weapons and ran for their lives. The man lying on the ground was covered in a pool of his own blood. His face was soaked, his clothes were stained red, and his axe was lying in his hand.
"Hra…hra…hra… M-My brothers…the Ganelon Bandits…won't let this stand! They'll…They'll hunt you down, and kill ya!"
Lyn quickly caught up with Kyle. She stood there for a few moments and said, "That's finally over with!"
Kyle nodded. "Yeah…I have to agree with you… That was plain annoying…"
Suddenly Florina, a girl that Kyle assumed was a friend of Lyn's, flew over, landed the pegasus, and grabbed Lyn in a hug. "Lyn!" the girl said with a small tear coming from her eye.
"Florina…" Lyn said with slight exasperation. "Why did you follow me? It's so dangerous."
"Do you remember the knighting ceremony of the Pegasus Knights of Ilia?" Florina asked.
Lyn nodded. "Yes, you join a band of freelance soldiers to further your training. Is that what brought you here, Florina?"
"Uh-huh," the lavender haired girl responded. "I wanted to talk to you before I set out. But when I went to Sacae, I heard that you had left with some strangers, and…"
"You were worried for me? Thank you, but I'm more worried about you."
Although Lyn's kind words slightly sickened Kyle, he still smiled about it.
"Me?" Florina asked.
"Listen, most mercenaries are men, right? Bands of men? I can't imagine you being at all comfortable around them…" Lyn said.
Florina nodded with a slight display of frailty. "I know, I know… It's just… I've always dreamt of being a Pegasus Knight. I imagined I would just…work it out. Somehow."
The forlorn look upon the girls face made Kyle want to help her. But quickly he wiped away his look of sadness. Such weakness was not allowed on the field of battle…or when taking down a target.
"After today, I'm not so sure. Maybe I should just…give up…" Tears began to emerge upon the fringes of her eyes.
"Florina…" Lyn said. "Don't cry…"
Suddenly Sain burst in. "Yes! There's no reason to give up on your dream! Lovely Florina! I have the most brilliant idea!"
Kyle however was shaking his head.
"Sain!"
"You should come with us! With the addition of Wil here, we're a fine group of soldiers, and freelance to boot!"
Though Sain's idea of the group being a pack of mercenaries was rather…aggravating, he did make a good bit of sense.
"Wait…" Wil broke in. "Did you just include me?"
Sain continued. "Of course! We were destined to meet here! It's fate! Come now, Lyndis's band of mercenaries is as good a training group as you will find anywhere!"
Kent quickly broke in. "Sain… This is no joking matter!"
"Lyndis? Um, Lyn? Mercenaries?" Florina asked quite confused.
"I can give you details later. This is all a bit rushed… However, Sain is right. Will you come with us, Florina?"
"Travel with you, Lyn? Truly?"
Kyle rolled his eyes. This sentimentality was killing him.
"I would be so…so happy!"
"Fantastic! Beauteous Florina! I am a knight of Caelin," said the ever womanizing Sain. "My name is Sain…"
Florina let out a short scream and backed up behind Lyn. "Stay back! Don't get so close."
"Ah… Beautiful and yet so modest!"
Kent approached Lyndis. "I beg your forgiveness. Calling us mercenaries…"
But Lyn shook her head. "No, I approve. We can't leave Florina on her own. She requires special attention though. Can I count on you?"
Kent nodded. "Yes! You have but to ask."
So…" Wil said. "Is it really all right if I travel with you?"
"Oh, yes. Of course! If you're willing, Wil," Lyn replied.
"Actually, I'm very grateful. Truth be told, all of my money was stolen, and I'm…at a bit of a crossroads. I would be honored to count myself one of Lyndis's Legion!" Wil proclaimed happily.
"Lyndis's Legion? Thisi s getting stranger with everyday, Kyle," Lyn said laughing a little.
Kyle nodded, and smiled but did not let the happiness wash over him. On the contrary he walked over and sat down on a small stump.
"Listen everyone," he said. The giggles stopped. "Get some sleep. We leave at daybreak." Then he rolled over, and pretended to sleep on the grass. But in his heart he knew that no one would be getting much sleep tonight. They were all far too excited. He couldn't blame them however… He was too.