Hello again Dear Readers! Due to one reviewer's plea, and my own desire, I am continuing this fiction into multi-chapter-ness! So here's your cue readers, if you want to see something happen, or something changed, review and I'll see what I can do! R&R, the power of the author compels you! Well, I'm sure you're tired of reading me rant on, so without further adu…
Disclaimer: The author of this story does not own the Fire Emblem series, nor any part of it.
Departure – Chapter Two – Longing Reunion
"Please, no. Legault, why are you doing this?" Legault ignored the pleas and questions, raising his dagger high. He stared into those blue eyes he had grown to love, a tear falling from his own, he thrust the blade down to her throat. Isadora closed her eyes in fear and let out a final scream, before the knife silenced her.
"You monster!" Legault quickly turned to see the face of an angered knight, clad in green armor with messy blond hair, Harken. Legault quickly began to back up as Harken haphazardly forgot his training and ran full on towards Legault. The knight's eyes darted towards Isadora's corpse as he passed it in his pursuit of Legault, the snarl on his lips intensified. Increasing his speed, Harken hurled himself at Legault; Legault attempted to kill the knight with a quick swing of his knife, but missed. Harken completed the distance and tackled Legault to the ground, Legault closed his eyes and bracing to meet with the stone floor of the castle, but the impact never came. Instead, Legault felt incredibly stiff, and he noticed the halls had become near silent, save for the slight sounds of wood running against metal.
Cautiously, Legault opened his eyes, to see a bland, coarse, tan cloth above him. Legault picked himself up and looked around. He saw more of the cloth all around, and below him was grass, a tent, his tent. The realization then came to Legault, a dream, all just a dream. Had it really just been a dream? Unsure, Legault got all the way up and exited the tent quietly, outside was an aging man tending a cast iron pot which hung over a contained fire.
"Jan," called Legault, Jan turned quickly, mildly startled.
"Ah, Legault, did you sleep well?" asked Jan.
"Fine," answered Legault abruptly. Then asking a question of his own, he continued "Have we made it to Castle Pherae yet?"
"No, we're still not. You've asked me this three days in a row now, anxious to get this one finished?"
Legault shook his head. "I suppose it feels like I've already killed Marquess Thria several times now."
Jan smiled somewhat grimly. "Brendan would be proud to see you fill his shoes so readily. Now, eat some breakfast."
"Well now, what do we have here, porridge? Lovely, I assume this will be lunch and dinner too?" asked Legault, already knowing the answer. Jan chuckled as he spooned some of the liquid into a bowl.
"Of course, I know it's your favorite. Perhaps we'll get something else in the next town."
Legault smiled as he knew that they would most likely only get some more ingredients for the slop they ate day in and day out now. Yet it was something freshly cooked, and the ingredients didn't go bad too quickly, so it wasn't all bad. Legault suddenly decided to change the topic; he needed to start thinking about the day to come "Is anyone else awake yet?
"No, we best get ready to get going again, I'll wake them." Jan walked off to a small collection of tents, giving Legault time to think. Legault began to think of everything that had happened, the long road he had traveled, the ten years that had past. After separating with those who had followed Eliwood, Legault had gone to Bern. It became Legault's quest to see the Black Fang revived, as it once was, not the abomination Nergal made it. This however proved to be a task of little ease, former Fang members were skilled at not being found, and there was little to no ways to find new members without drawing the eye of Bern's king and therefore military. Legault had to try and find members though, so he started by searching the areas where the Black Fang used to operate. The mountain fortress yielded nothing, nor the water temple. Even the villages surrounding these areas were yielding nothing, but when Legault had begun to think that there was truly no way of finding any of the Fangs, he stumbled onto something he did not expect. Jan--Jan had moved to a village just slightly away from the Water Temple, beginning to try and start life anew. However when Jan saw Legault, he dropped this new life to help him. Like Legault, Jan had devoted his life to the Fangs; any attempt to breathe life into that large part of his life was something worth doing in his mind.
Many years past and Legault managed to gain a few men who proved trustworthy enough to recruit, thanks to Jan's help. Jan had proved himself quite useful in this, as Jan was far more knowledgeable of how the Fang operated administratively. Finding recruits, meeting them secretly, things Legault only knew from his initiation. They only had nine members now, including Jan and Legault, but it sat better with Legault that way, there would never be need of a sweeper that way, no man who would dedicate his life to killing his comrades, as there would be too few comrades to make it a full-time job. Now the new Black Fang had continued as it once had, working to slay those who abused their power, using funds stolen from these men to survive.
As Legault brooded over this history, the rest of the Fangs had woken and gathered to eat their breakfast for the day of travel ahead of them. Legault looked at the group, the few Fangs which had devoted their lives to something as unglamorous as he had. There was himself, Jan, Garrett, Cahrre, Erin, Leon, Holt, Ria, and Charles. Of these Erin and Ria were the only two females in the group, and seemed to make a point of being more aggressive than the men to assert their standing as assassins.
Legault sat contentedly watching his fellows eat their own meals, after they had, Legault stood "Break camp and prepare to march."
Isadora hurried to the audience chamber, Harken right beside her. Their Lord Marquess Pherae had summoned them to the audience chamber with an urge for haste. The two guards at the audience chamber doors quickly admitted them while offering a hasty salute to their superior officers. Already in the chamber stood Marcus, Eliwood upon his throne, and six of the Marquess's guards. Noting the presence of the two newly entered knights, Eliwood dismissed the six guards and had the doors to the room closed behind them. The three knights remaining in the room shared uneasy glances as they realized that what they were called for was certainly nothing good. To regain his knight's attention, Eliwood cleared his throat.
"Just a few minutes ago a messenger from Ostia arrived. The message he brought was a Ostian spy's report, the details included the movements—" Eliwood took a breath before continuing, obviously not happy with the contents of the said report, which lay in the lord's hand. "Of the Black Fang assassins in Lycia." Harken and Marcus took in the news with stony silence. Isadora however could not help but gasp in shock, the Black Fang's name was one she had never expected to hear on the lips of anyone except her own again. Eliwood continued without comment "Apparently, Marquess Ostia did not trust the Black Fang member Legault, who helped us in the battle against Nergal."
A momentary silence fell in the room as they remembered the bloody conflict that seemed to come from so long ago. "After the final battle with Nergal, Lord Hector had Legault monitored by Ostian Spies. For several years he moved between the borders of Bern and Lycia, occasionally and briefly Etruria as well. The Black Fang Assassins have stayed in Lycia mostly; however their targets have always been from Bern and Etruria, so Ostia has turned a blind eye. It seems to me that they have been using Lycian borders as a safe haven of sorts. However, recently the Fangs have begun moving quickly inland from the north into Lycia, their motives are not known, nevertheless their intended destination seems to be Pherae." The three knights all tensed and sent questioning looks towards their Lord "There has been rumors from various sources that Marquess Thria has been involved in some less than honorable dealings, and due to the normal procedure of the Black Fang, we assume that their target is Marquess Thria, who's visiting today and for the next several days as you all well know."
Though Eliwood's sources were more likely more reliable, rumors had been drifting idly through the halls of the castle of these 'dealings', the three knights waited once more for Eliwood to continue "To the point of your summons here then, I want you all to make sure that Marquess Thria comes to no harm whatsoever. This is a very important meeting with Thria, much is to be discussed, however there is even more to it than that. As you know Bern has been amassing its military strength for some time now, and we fear invasion from it. If a noble is murdered within these halls, our defenses shall look weaker to Bern. As Pherae is along the border of Bern and Lycia, we cannot allow Bern to see any frailty." The weight of the mission settled onto the three knights heavily, finally, Marcus decided to speak.
"When can we expect the arrival of the Black Fang, My Lord?"
"If they maintain their pace, they will arrive today, and most likely strike tonight." Replied Eliwood heavily "Marcus, I want you to lessen the training regimen of the castle guards today, they must not suspect anything, yet I cannot have them exhausted if the Fang should choose to strike tonight. Our men must be ready for battle, yet we cannot let the Black Fang know that anything is amiss, we cannot be certain if they have members in our presence. Harken and Isadora, you two will personally guard Marquess Thria, understood?" The three knights all expressed their agreement. "Then you are dismissed."
"Alright, we stop here for now," said Legault after the long hours of travel to Pherea Castle. "We move again after dark. Get some rest it may be a long night."
The entourage of Marquess Thria arrived shortly before dusk, the length of the journey obvious in the gait of their horses. Lord Eliwood walked outside the gates of Castle Pherae to meet him, along with his own entourage, Harken, and Isadora.
"Well met, Lord Kyle."
"Well met," replied The Marquess of Thria, then stretching. "It's been a long trip." Keeping with the formalities, Eliwood humored the Marquess. "Long indeed, you must be tired. Which is why I have already prepared rooms and baths for you and your attendants. Afterwards, dinner will be served, and we will discuss our business in the morning."
Marquess Thria grinned at the hospitality. "Excellent."
"These two knights shall escort you to your rooms, and remain with you for the rest of your stay, if you need anything do not hesitate to ask them."
Isadora politely greeted the Marquess, though he seemed to ignore the greeting as he sized up the two knights.
[iHe's so ignorant of the danger coming towards him[/i. Isadora could not help think as she began to lead him back to the guest rooms, and Isadora found herself terribly eager at the arrival of the Black Fang, the longing for reunion was nearly over in the worst way possible, as enemies. As the sun sank beneath the hills to the west, Castle Pherae was bathed in darkness. The Jaws of the Fangs were closing.
Well, there you have it! The second chapter! Please R&R and point out the good the bad and the ugly! Y'know, all that jazz! ;)