A/N:
*Dances around singing* ~Main story time~
Right, so... not much I have to say at the beginning here. Most of my own comments on the chapter will be reserved til the end of it. But until then, sit back, enjoy, R&R. Word Count (2131)
A young woman brushed her snowy hair over her shoulder as she knelt down to take off one of her knee-height, blue boots. Her features were delicate, nothing like that of her brother. She wore a silver tunic with blue designs laced across, the same shade which matched her trousers, and a short navy cape. She reached a hand into the troublesome piece of footwear from before, the dark fingerless-gloves she wore, with silver stitches to match the pattern on her tunic, ending just below her elbows. The woman bit her lip as she tried to find what had made its way into her boot, closing her sapphire eyes as she continued her search.
"Lady Iris." Another woman called, catching the attention of the white-haired lass from before. The woman wore the armor of a halberdier, the deep shades of green, matching her eyes. Her long raven hair held back by a single band, she watched the girl before her intently.
"Diana," Iris replied, turning her attention back to finding the object that had been irritating her foot.
The halberdier crossed her arms, frowning as she continued to watch the scene before her. "Are you finished yet, milady?"
"Just one moment…" The young noble said, holding her boot upside down and shaking it out. As she put the piece back on, and wiggled her toes around, the foreign object seemed to have been cleared out. "Perfect." She added, smiling as she glanced up to her guard.
"Yes, yes, Princess." Diana responded with a sigh. "Though I do have to wonder… have you forgotten where we are?"
Iris looked around her at the houses which lined the streets. It was a rather large town, the guards were quite incompetent though, corrupt, and easily bought out. The princess never liked the idea of being sent here, of all places, to meet that hunter with news from the west. "No, Diana." The princess said, casting her gaze to the ground.
"I should hope not." She waved the princess forward, the two walking the streets towards a tavern one of their other companions had decided to visit. "It is my duty to protect you, milady." The halberdier started. "We haven't heard back from your brother in Khadein yet, and it's worrisome. For your mother's sake, please be cautious, Iris."
"I know, Diana." The princess said, looking up to her companion. "You needn't worry for me so."
The halberdier let out another sigh. Princess Iris really could be a piece of work sometimes. She was still too young and didn't understand that she wasn't invincible. They had arrived at the tavern. Diana drew a hand across her face before she opened the door. "I just hope Rufus hasn't…"
Right there, passed out at a far table, was their red cavalier. Iris looked up to her guard, a smirk stretched across her face. "Looks like he has again, huh?"
The halberdier stormed forth, her eyes narrowed, making her way to their wayward cavalier. "Rufus!" She yelled, drawing the attention of many of the other patrons. No reaction came from the red knight, except a few twitching fingers. "Dammit, Rufus, get up!" She called, lifting the man by his collar and shoving him against the wall.
The knight finally snapped to attention. As much as he could. The man looked at her through his half-opened blue eyes. The red knight had a crew cut, and a shabby little goatee, more like just a little chin fuzz, but he always insisted it was a real beard. "Wuzzit…" He said.
"Dammit, Rufus. This is the third time this week. How do you expect to defend the princess if you're drunk?" The halberdier lowered her tone this time around, hoping to draw less attention. Though, Iris was still sticking quite close and standing over her shoulder, enjoying the show.
"A'm jus enjoyin a drink." He tried to explain with that stupid grin on his face.
Diana shook her head before violently pulling the knight forth. "Oh, not anymore."
"Ay! Leggo!" The cavalier tried to argue, waving his hands around in a pathetic attempt to escape.
The halberdier dragged the man out of the tavern, throwing him to the ground once the group was outside. "Will you get your act together?"
"Aiee!"
The guard wheeled around to see the princess and a strange girl on the ground. "I am so sorry." The girl said, rubbing her head of messy dark brown hair. She wore black robes with golden embroidery, and a pair of matching gloves which covered three quarters of her arms. She opened her ruby eyes, looking down at the young swordswoman she just knocked over. "I-I really didn't mean…"
"You." The halberdier started, her eyes narrowing upon the young mage. "Do you know what you have just done?"
Iris rose from the ground, rubbing the back of her head. "Peace, Diana." The princess said, managing to calm her guard down. She looked back over to the mage before her, who was nervously looking back in the direction she came. "Hey, what's your name?"
The mage's eyes widened, her attention turning back to the company before her. "Celeste." She quickly answered. "N-Now, if you really don't mind, I gotta go…"
The young swordswoman looked at her guest, raising an eyebrow. "So soon?"
"Oy!"
The group looked back in the direction the voice had sounded. A group of thugs started to approach. Their leader was a burly man, who carried a large axe over his shoulder. His body crossed with scars, he sneered at the group.
"Oh no…" Celeste muttered.
Rufus shambled over, poking at the thug's chest. "An o'r you?"
"Name's Astor," the thug started, shoving the drunk back to the ground. "An I am the one's gonna take the reward fer that girlie there." He said, pointing to Celeste.
"Reward?" Iris repeated, looking over to the mage. "Are you some kind of criminal?"
"No! I'm not!" Celeste tried to explain, waving her hands in defense.
"I knew she was trouble, milady!"
"Diana, please…"
"I've 'ad enough a this!" The thug stated, drawing out his axe. "Boys!"
"Iris, get back!" The halberdier ordered as she ran over to pick Rufus off the ground and lead the group away. They continued running, navigating their ways through the alleys of the town. Eventually, they came to a halt. A dead end.
The mage looked around, biting her lip as she played with her collar. "What now?" She asked, looking towards the group that got her into this mess.
"Now," Iris started, unsheathing the rapier at her side. "We fight."
Diana nodded, setting the red knight against a wall. "She's right." She added, pulling out the lance strapped to her back. "We have nowhere else to turn. Certainly not our greatest escape attempt, this."
The princess looked over to their guest, the mage still seeming to be quite nervous around this group. "Can you fight?" She asked, her sapphire hues fixed upon the strange girl. Celeste pulled out a tome, its binding nothing like Iris had seen before. As long as it would help, she didn't care what was in that thing.
The thugs showed at the end of the alley. Some of them wielding axes, others with swords. Their leader stood back, casting a glare over to the group. As he raised his axe to the air, his men charged.
Iris shifted into a defensive stance, Diana just beside her with Celeste and Rufus at the rear. In such a narrow field as this, with the numbers of their opponents, the best offense would be a good defense. Hold their point.
A swordsman rushed toward Iris, bringing his blade around with a slash towards the princess' stomach. She jumped back, but the man kept up with his efforts, not allowing Iris any time to retaliate. Her gaze briefly flickered over to Diana, who was occupied with blocking strikes from a fighter's axe. Iris' own opponent took a misstep, allowing the princess an opening. She seized the opportunity presented, swiping with her own feet to knock the mercenary off balance, and end him with a swift blow to his heart with her rapier.
As the princess looked up to a man, charging her with his iron axe raised, an eruption of a strange black flame engulfed the man. He collapsed to the ground, his features seeming… drained, and a look of terror across his face. Iris had seen many things, but that type of magic was completely foreign to her. What was that?
Shaking these thoughts out of her head, the young swordswoman rushed forth to an axe-wielding thug Diana had been holding off, as the halberdier had found herself surrounded. The thug was slow to react to the princess' approach. His axe swung around in a wild attempt to defend himself. Instead, it only left him wide open as Iris charged, burying her weapon through his right breast. The man fell, as did another by Diana as her silver lance pierced a mercenary's torso.
Another spell burst, not far ahead of Iris, draining yet another man of his vitality. This magic terrified her. What was it? The princess was very familiar with the different varieties of magic, especially with Rowan explaining it to her as a curious child. This, this didn't feel natural.
As the group held out, the body count rose. Eventually there was only one left. The man glared at the princess as she advanced. "Y've no idea wha that girl is, d'ya?"
"I don't need to know." Iris declared. "All I need to know is that you led your men to their deaths just for some reward. You are a coward and don't deserve to continue this life."
"Tch. Ye got a lot te learn, kid." The thug spat, readying for a fight.
The princess rushed forth towards the thug, but he charged her as well. He raised his steel axe and swung forth with all his might. Iris rolled to the side as the powerful weapon fell, but just as she thought herself out of danger, the man jabbed at her stomach with his fist. The princess collapsed to the ground, clutching her stomach as she tried to get her breath back. The man chuckled as he stood over the girl, her companions unable to help as they held back their drunken friend.
'How are you able to do that?' A young girl asked her older brother as she stared at an obliterated training dummy.
'Do what?' He asked, not really seeing what she was getting at.
'The thing just shattered when you hit it!'
The young man scratched the back of his head as he thought of a way to explain this to the girl. 'Well, practice, for one. Just find your center, Iris, and nothing can stop you.' He added, ruffling the girl's snowy locks.
Just find your center.
The princess opened her eyes, picking her rapier off the ground as she leapt away, the thug's axe digging itself in the ground just where she had been sitting. As she settled just a few yards away, the princess raised her rapier before her, and charged.
The man's eyes widened as Iris charged him, unable to react in time before the blade pierced his chest. He let out a pained gasp as he glared at the swordswoman before him. "Ye 'ave no… idea…" His body fell limp as he breathed no more.
No idea about what? The princess wondered.
"Arissss!" Rufus called out as he attempted to run for her, and trip and fall on his face.
Diana ignored him this time as she made her way over to the princess. "Milady, are you unharmed?"
Iris rubbed her stomach at her guard's question. "Maybe a few bruises, but I'm fine."
"I'm… sorry for causing you so much trouble." Celeste started as she approached the others. "I didn't mean to get any others involved and…"
"Leave." The halberdier demanded, stepping forward to shield the others.
The princess stepped forward, firmly grabbing her guard's shoulder to get her attention. "Diana, what is wrong with you? She helped us, she doesn't seem to have anywhere to go and…"
"Do you not see the signs, milady?" The older woman exclaimed, gesturing to the foreign mage. "The reward, the tome, those spells? That woman is a dark mage!"
Iris reeled back as the words hit her. She looked over to Celeste, still not wanting to accept the words. "Is this true?"
The young woman cast her gaze to the ground, not wanting to meet either of the two's eyes. "Yes." She admitted. "But I left Khadein for a reason. I'm not like the ones who decided to revolt."
The princess pushed past her guard, approaching the young mage before them. "I believe you."
A/N:
What happens when you put a lord, a Jeigan-type character, a red knight, and a dark mage into a chapter together? Haha.
Anyway, I know the halberdier class is an exclusive to the Tellius games, but it's one of my favorite classes for some reason, because it's just so cool. So shh!
And as for there being a red knight but no green knight, don't worry, we'll see him soon.
Ah, but there you have it. There's Iris. Gotta admit, when I was designing her, I was really inspired by Deirdre (one of my favorites). So quiet up about the white hair thing. Just because she's of Marth's bloodline, doesn't mean they all have to have blue hair!
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Review, follow, favorite, if you enjoyed.
This is your still-hyper squish wishing you all a good day! :D
