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Fire Emblem: Legend Of The Chaos Hero

Book One: In The Grip Of Hatred

By Chaos Hero Mark

Chapter XIII: Decision

"I found it sometimes unbearable to be the amoral one. The one who strives for victory at any cost, who makes decisions that no one else is willing to make and to be hated for doing the deplorable. To achieve victory, even at the expense of others won't grant you fast friends. I did care about her, and the few friends that I had. Sometimes, one has to take up the mantle of the villain to achieve it. But how much would it cost me? How much am I prepared to pay for it?"

~Mark~

"And now gentleman, to conclude our business." Gathian spoke with a slight smirk on his face. They were in castle Regallas, within the the throne room. The room's design looked similar to Trivalon's. The only differences was the throne itself, the purple and lavender, marble tiles and ash holders. The Regallas king was seated in a round table with Rugal, the rulers of Malibine, Malidone and the four nations aristocracy. "Because of Malibine and Malidone's tardiness in taxes among other inconveniences, there will be a change in a number of things. For one, more of Malidone's citizens will be required to work on our fields and fight for Regallas. Two, Malibine will offer 80 virgins as tribute to our kingdom and three, Malibine and Malidone will offer an extra 20 percent in gold and valuables every two months. Any objections?"

Malidone's king was a plump, man in his 50's who was outfitted in the thickest of robes. He wasn't happy in the least at hearing this. "You call us to a trivial meeting at this hour and then have the gall to demand more workers and virgins! You forget, the rulers of Olympia are your equal!"

"Besides." Malibine's king spoke up. He was a slender man, also in his 50's. "Our kingdoms are already suffering. I've yet to see Trivalon meet your ridiculous demands. In fact, why haven't these silly quotas applied to Trivalon as well?" Some of the nobles murmured in agreement.

"Trivalon will remain neutral as always!" One of Trivalons baron's said in his homelands defense. "We bend to the whims of no single ruler! We answer to our people alone, not some foreign ruler!"

Before an argument could break out, Gathian crossed his legs and placed it on the table. With his hands folded upon his stomach, all trace of his amused look disappeared as he snapped his fingers. A few minutes later, one General returned with three closed buckets. He placed it on the table, in front of Malidone's king. "My gift to you, Terlin." Gathian muttered under his breath. A strange odor caught Terlin's attention as the fat king opened the lid, much to his disgust. He reluctantly lifted by the hair, what appears to be a man's head. It was the head of Duke Amra. The bored noble of Malibine ran out, trying to restrain his vomit. An expression of disgust appeared on King Terlin's face as well as the faces of the other aristocrats. "Let this serve as a lesson to any man who thinks to dare challenge me. Not even my own may openly defy me. Now, imagine what I would do to those outside my family." Malibine's king, Seevis, glared at Gathian in disgust. He fought every ounce of temptation to verbally attack the Regallas king. "To be blunt." Gathian snapped his fingers again, calling for a servant with two scrolls in hand. The servant handed one to the kings Terlin and Seevis. "If the two of you cannot meet these new quotas, then our next meeting will not end in a civil manner."

"This is uncalled for!" One Trivalon noble shouted. He motioned to the three buckets near Terlin.

"Gathian, you barbarian! We of Malidone will not stand for this!" An aged duke of Malidone stood from his seat. Soon, it escalated into a series of shouting and cursing from most of the aristocracy. Gathian lost his patience and muttered an incantation. He then, set his feet on the floor, causing the table itself to split into thousands of pieces. The noise of the destroyed table quelled the outbursts.

"Anything else?" Gathian eyed them carefully.

"Rugal! What is your say on this matter?!" Seevis spat, after a moment of silence.

The Trivalon nobles looked to their leader, who did not say much for the duration of the meeting. Before he spoke up, the doors opened for Torak as the Great Knight walked up them. Gathian met him halfway and without any emotion on his face, whispered venomously. "You better have a good excuse for barging in and interrupting my meetings."

"Forgive me, my Lord. I have a message from-"

"Unimportant." He spoke up loud enough for the others to hear him.

"It's for his majesty, Lord Rugal." Torak finished, unfazed. Gathian was slightly surprised at this and motioned for Trivalon's king over.

"The message?" Rugal asked bluntly.

"A soldier under orders of Captain Knarvet sent word for you. Your apprentice, Gary Stu of Archanea, is dead. He was assassinated by an unknown party. Knarvet of the Four Cornerstones is looking into the matter. The same party was also responsible for the attack on the arena, resulting in the death of at least twenty soldiers."

"Thank you Torak." Rugal muttered quietly. "You may go."

The Great Knight left without another word. Rugal turned to the Emperor who said. "Go home. The meeting's almost over anyway." Rugal nodded in acknowledgment and before gathering his retainers, Gathian whispered something in his ear and ended off with. "I'd like your answer when we next meet."

Once the Trivalon representatives left, Terlin became more angry, instead of intimidated. "I, for one, refuse to bow to more of your ridiculous demands!" Terlin spoke in an irritated tone. "The citizens of Malidone are already losing heart for their king! Some are becoming more vocal in their protests!"

Gathian narrowed his eyes at the Malidone king. "God cannot tolerate sin. He cannot bear to look at it or live in harmony with it. He is so righteous, to the point where he can do as he please and none can hold him accountable."

Terlin shot a direct insult to Gathian. "Your religious tirade is unimpressive! I dread how much more unimpressive God really is!"

Ignoring him, Gathian continued. "Replace God and sin with me and excuses and the end result will be the same."

Before anyone else could say another word, King Terlin commanded that everyone must leave the room, leaving only him, Seevis and Gathian. Reluctantly complying, the aristocrats of the three nations were whispering among themselves of what's transpired. Many were clearly having no great love for Emperor Gathian, but many more were too afraid to confront him. Direct challenges were clearly suicidal and the death of Duke Amra only reminded them of why Gathian was feared by many.

Once the three rulers were alone in the throne room, Terlin stood before Gathian and began his spat with little restraint. "When you sought to conquer Elabark, Tethys and Ravverine, our aid is the only reason you are prosperous! Who do you think you are to suddenly make demands upon us?! If it's war you desire, then you and your God had better start begging for mercy!" Terlin then, pointed his finger at Gathian. "I've no love for you, Emperor Gathian! You forget it is me and Seevis that made Regallas what it is! You can't even run your own kingdom, seeing as how your own law-abiding citizens despise you! How the devil an ass-wiping peasant like you was made king, I'll never understand!" Before adding his final say, Terlin spat on the floor in contempt. "Many of us hate you, but those snakes and pigs of nobility haven't the steel to confront you! Some of those bastards actually enjoy your benefits of wealth and whores, in exchange for their souls! But I and Malidone will no longer tolerate the Regallas regime!"

By the time Terlin was done, Seevis noticed the Emperor maintaining an innocent smile. His blue eyes indicated how silly Terlin's rant was. Gathian spoke with a friendly smile and a manner that would make the hardest of men shiver with unease. "Then go...and gather your numbers. You'll need the whole of Olympia and God at your side to even offer me a challenge, for I haven't had one in many a year." Gathians composure and the manner in which he spoke his words had Seevis internally anxious. Terlin tried to keep his fears suppressed, realizing what he had done. The Dark Emperor walked slowly around Terlin, saying. "What challenge could you, a lepor-infested pig, offer me? Tis' easy for me to kill you. But then...that wouldn't be a challenge at all." He stopped halfway as Terlin spinned around, facing him. "If you've even a hint of skill, perhaps you could offer me a decent fight." Gathian flashed his scepter in full view before taking a few steps back and changing it to a spear. He faced Terlin sideways as he kept his spear behind him. "Of course, the collective carries more value than the individual. Either way, tis' not that any would miss your passing, for you matter not. What is your take on this, Seevis? Whose side are you on?"

The Malibine king remained silent the entire time. Like Terlin, he hated Gathian. The only difference was, he wasn't prepared to throw everything he worked for away and go into war. He became conflicted in his decision. "Malibine is the sister of Malidone and will stand by its family, regardless. We'll show you what happens to those who think they can trample upon the pure nobles! I'll see you all the way ta Hell." Was Terlins final words for Gathian and parted. Seevis followed him out, but not before Gathian gave him some parting words.

"By the time he has his numbers, you had better decide then whose side you're on."

As much as Seevis hated him, he had to choose whom Malibine will ally themselves with. A decision that weighed heavily upon him. A decision that he may one day regret.

- I -

The devious priest had trouble sleeping. In the next room, he could clearly hear noises and moans of their lustful act. He didn't know what caused his subordinate to be angry, yet aroused at the same time. Either way, Tauz's moaning kept him awake, much to his dismay. Jazmal threw off the thick covers and grabbed his Fortify staff. He was about to exit the room when an Assassin plunged through his window and into his room, crashing against a few jars. "Who's there?!" Jazmal screamed as he held his staff up in defense. Grabbing a lamp nearby to pierce the darkness better, he saw the blood drenched, body of his assassin, Viper. A shocked Jazmal murmured. "What happened out there? Did you complete your mission?" Viper struggled to lift himself to his knees. His body was covered with a few minor scars and two sword wounds to his torso. He removed Mark's scimitar from his sash and presented it to his employer.

"Ga-Gary Stu's...sword." Viper barely managed to utter his words as the inflicting wounds were slaying him. Jazmal pointed the red ruby of the Fortify staff at Viper and began his incantation. Soon, a bright blueish light filled the entire room and eventually dissipated. Viper saw all trace of his wounds gone and looked at his employer. They heard the disgraced Marshall's voice as he charged the door down.

"Jazmal! Are you alright?!" He spoke, sword drawn in the nude.

"You twit!" The Saint barked at him. "Tomorrow, I demand you fix this door and shut the hell up! I can't a moment of sleep, while you and your whore are moaning like rabbits!" Tauz sneered at his superior, wanting to say something. Jazmal however, was unimpressed at this gesture. "And wipe that sneer of your face! You look uglier than a filthy bandit!"

Tauz stormed off angrily as Jazmal had shaken his head, embarrassed at his subordinate's nude display. Viper stared at his employer coldly. He used all his willpower to control his anger after his humiliating defeat by Knarvet and Lyndis's Legion. He whispered in order to catch his employer's attention. "If you're finished, I want my payment."

The devious priest groaned in irritation as he searched under his bed for the gold. He took out a leather brown bag full of coins of every size and handed it to the Assassin. "Here is your pay." Viper opened the bag to make sure that the money was there as Jazmal turned his back and stared at the sword. He was busy admiring the scimitar that would be added to his private collection. "Now that its done, your next target is Captain Knarvet of the Four Cornerstones." Viper sealed his bag and stared at the unsuspecting priest.

"There's just one problem." Viper whispered in a venomous tone. "During the assassination attempt, I ran into Captain Knarvet."

Jazmal turned around in shock when he heard this. "What?! I thought your guild was competent."

Ignoring his outburst, the Devil Serpent added. "He had help...from the foreigners."

"You jest." the Saint hissed angrily.

"Knarvet is strong, but it's the woman who troubles me more." Viper thought to himself. "I want extra payment for their heads in addition."

This demand angered Jazmal even further. "You greedy pig. I don't give a damn about the foreigners! I'm only paying you to kill Captai-"

Before he could finish, Viper suddenly teleported from Jazmal's eye and stood behind him. "Don't move a muscle, or I'll kill you before you can even scream for help."

Jazmal, suddenly feeling a hint of fear, spoke out of desperation. "How dare you take my generosity and piss upon it. Do you know who I am?"

"No, and I care not." The Assassin slowly drew his blade as Jazmal felt the urge to fight back. His fear held him back, much to his unknowingly benefit. He was highly skilled in light magic, but was clearly no match for Viper's speed or skill with the blade. The Assassin held the blade where Jazmal could see it. "This Shamshir of mine is permanently stained with the blood of Formortiis."

"Formortiis?" Jazmal repeated that name as his blood ran cold. "You can't mean the Demon King from Magvel!"

"The very one."

"The War Of The Stones took place nearly two centuries ago. There's no way his corpse could still exist."

"Hmph. You really know nothing." Viper mused. He shifted the blade near to Jazmal's back. "No matter. I myself do not know who created this poison. Though I can assure you, no Restore Staff or Antitoxin can save you once this penetrates your flesh."

"What do you want?" Jazmal whispered. Viper could hear the fear in his voice.

"You will pay me 600,000 gold per head, for my next targets. If you're unable or unwilling to do so, you'll wish I had killed you this night." Suddenly, Viper appeared right in front of Jazmal, up close in his face. The Saint was too afraid to even move. "By the way, what was Knarvet doing there? You told us this job would be easy."

"It was." Jazmal mumbled nervously. "I swear to Elimine, it was. I had no idea Knarvet would show up there."

Viper remained silent from that point on. He slowly backed away from the priest and lifted the bag over his shoulder. He climbed against the window and dived off. Jazmal ran to the window and saw him landing on his feet, already sprinting his way out of any unwanted eyes. Jazmal threw a jar broken in a fit of rage. It didn't take him long before he knew what Viper meant by 'wishing he had died today'. He could be exposed, despite the system favoring a man in his prestige. The Saint panicked as he rattled his mind on how to save himself.

- II -

"Soldiers of Trivalon!" Knarvet shouted for their attention. The entire battalion stood outside the arena in silence before the Lancer. "Our brethren has fallen in the line of duty. Their blood was callously spilled by a guild! I want you to search everywhere, leaving no stone unturned! We are looking for men wearing these!" The Lancer showed the cloak and insignia of Vipers guild. "I shall have a portrait of the leaders face by tomorrow, so that we can get everyone involved! If you come across any of his accomplices or suspects, arrest them! If they resist, kill them! I want this battalion to search all over Hera! I will send another two for Artemis and Hercules! I trust you enough to bring order, justice and peace of mind to our fair nation! For our families! For Trivalon!!"

"FOR OUR FAMILIES!! FOR TRIVALON!!" The soldiers shouted in unison. Once Knarvet gave his instructions and had a Sentinel lead this battalion, Knarvet returned to the castle to get the red Wo Dao. While going to a certain room, he came across a servant carrying a tray of meat soup, three loaves of flat bread and hot tea. He asked for the servant to bring the food with him to a particular room, much to the servants dismay.

Knarvet noticed this and asked. "Who is the food for?"

"Adviser Shirl, commander."

"Don't worry. I'll speak to him and take responsibility." When they arrived, he motioned for the servant to wait, while he went inside.

"Wake up. I must speak with you." The Sword Demon stretched himself as best as he could, wiping the sleep out of his eyes. To his right, he saw the Lancer staring at him. "Have you come to a decision yet?"

"...no."

"Decide now, your time's up."

"...what do you want of me?"

"A partner. You will be taking orders till this is over, but only from me." The elite opened the door and motioned for the servant to enter. He went to Karel, took out a key hanging from his neck and unlocked his wrist bonds. The servant placed the meal before Karel and then left. "Go on. You'll need your strength." The Sacaen ate the meat soup and flat bread in silence. "Your sword was starting to crack, so I had the finest blacksmith fixed it without altering it too much. Your sword is rather strange and remarkable at the same time. Did your family give it to you, by chance?" The swordsman didn't answer as he continued to partake in his meal. Knarvet saw this and thought he overstepped his boundaries. "My apologies. I did not mean to offend. The thing is, I care for my family. I would go to great lengths for them. I would fight any foe to protect them, regardless of their prowess. Tis why I wish to be strong... for them."

While Knarvet waited on Karel to finish, The Sacaen thought about what Karla was doing now. He heard that she fell for Bartre, a warrior from the Western Isles, who was in the same Lycian Alliance Army as he was. He didn't dwell on it for long, but soon felt something inside him missing. A piece of himself. He shrugged off this feeling, but it would only return and get much worse.

- III -

"Hope I haven't kept you all waiting!" Mark called out to the Legion as he and the Regallas prince stood near the throne. Edgar stayed near the throne, while the Tactician stepped forward to address his former companions. Before he said a word, Mark motioned for the double doors to be shut. The Dark Prince held out his hands, using his powers to conjure a breeze that shut both doors, in haste.

"Mark." Lyn began. She didn't know what to tell him as he couldn't hide his inner conflict.

"I'm fine. I just wanna get this over with."

"So you're gonna tell us what the Hell's happening?" Sain spoke up. Lyn was about to walk up to her friend, but Rath held her back, much to her dismay.

"That depends if you hinder me." Mark responded to Sain's question. The knight wanted to spit an insult at Mark, but Kent restrained him. "I'll get straight to the point. The guild who attacked me...their leader is man called Viper. I learned not too long ago, that he alone carries a poisonous toxin called the Pale Horse. It's said to be so dangerous that it's rumored to have originated from the corpse of a very powerful demon."

"So that's why the Restore Staff didn't work." Priscilla muttered in shock. The others were taken aback by this as Mark waited a moment for that to sink in. "I've never heard of a poison that renders it useless."

Before she went further, Mark continued. "That and Antitoxins are useless. The blood alone is contagious if it touches your skin. Of course, not even the nobility of Olympia's nations would know of this. Very hard stuff to acquire, but we'll not dwell upon this." He looked at each of them carefully as he said his next sentence with and icy tone. "Have any....have any among you heard of Emperor Gathian of Regallas?"

Kent spoke on behalf of the group. "We have." Mark motioned with his hand, waiting to learn how he came upon that information. The Caelin commander turned to the group for approval and said. "From a man named Candel Jack."

The strategist raised his eyebrow at hearing that name and folded his arms. "And where is Candel Jack?" The Legion glanced at each other. Now that it was brought up, they were also curious as to where the crazy pirate was. "Never mind. We'll deal with it another time."

"As crazy as that man was, did he speak the truth on Gathian?" Lucius asked.

"Are you referring to him destroying nations and subjugating people to his will? Yes." Mark answered. His expression became hardened, almost immediately. "But that's just one of his many crimes. Crimes that none has the courage to hold him accountable for. Slave trading is his favorite and the best part of it, he doesn't discriminate in race, creed or even age. An opposition was put together during the seven years Trivalon lost their last Four Cornerstones. While King Rugal is putting on a front for Gathian, we are secretly plotting to assassinate him and all his cohorts. It isn't enough for us to kill the man. I want to destroy everything he's built at the expense of innocent lives."

By the time he was done, the Legion was silent at what they just heard. Mark was about to speak when Edgar tapped him on the shoulder and motioned for him one side so they could speak out of earshot. As the Legion murmured among themselves, Edgar whispered. "Your description of Viper...you said he had eyes like that of a snake."

"Yes." Mark whispered back. "Do you think he's-?"

"Yes. Send them away as soon as possible."

"They won't comply. Not after what I've told them."

"Mark. If there was a time I would ask you to trust me, this would be it." The Tactician didn't answer his friend. "Why will you not send them on their way?"

"It's not that simple." Was all Mark could say. He was slowly running out of excuses.

"Do not fall for the plainswoman. She will only cause you pain."

"You're making assumptions. Don't." Mark whispered in a venomous tone.

Before he could leave Edgar's side, the Regallas prince grabbed his shoulder, stopping him for a moment. "Mark. As a brother, I trust you. It's them I cannot trust."

The strategist said nothing as he walked back to the group. Lyndis ended the discussion with her company and approached Mark. "I'll make it clear, one last time. I've no intention of starting a war with Elibe, nor do I plan to in future. Whatever it is you came here for, it was for nothing."

"No it wasn't." Lyn spoke up. "If what you said is true, then we have to stop him."

"There is no 'we'. I'm sending you all back to Elibe. You can't stay here."

"What?!" Geitz shouted. "You can't be serious!"

"This is not up for discussion. Besides, what occurs in Trivalon is none of your affairs."

"What happens in Trivalon has much to do with our mission!" Fiora screamed at him. "That nightmare Lucius had about you, reflected the Archsage's prophecy! Your eyes carried no sympathy as your demonic forces decimated Lycia! You even go as far as to attack Sacae! You personally ordered your foul creatures to kill Lyndis and the Sacaen people."

"This nonsense again?" Mark hissed behind gritted teeth. He was shocked that Fiora of all people would be so vocal and bought into this prophecy. This news had shocked even Lyn and Rath.

"Mark." Geitz attempted to reason with him. "Like it or not, that old sage predicted the future and what 'could' happen. I don't believe this any more than you do, but I've a feeling this new enemy, who I'm assuming is Gathian, may have ties to you."

"Whatever ties that is, are of no business among any of you." The Tactician retorted angrily. "Some of you seem hell-bent on vilifying me. Assuming I do become this villain Fiora just had to remind us of, did Athos bother to even tell you how this happens?"

"That isn't important." Fiora interjected.

"Actually, it is!" Mark countered. He folded his arms as he began to feel a bit sleepy. "If Athos is right about Gathian invading Elibe, then 'we' will stop him." The we he referred to wasn't him and the Legion. "But I will no longer stand for being vilified by any of you or that dead fossil!"

This elected anger from Lyndis. Geitz spoke in a sarcastic tone to break up the tension. "No offense, but I ain't looking forward to spending another two months on a boat, just yet."

"You won't be going by ship." Mark corrected him, unfazed by his sarcasm. "It'll take two or three days to construct the warp. You will all return to Elibe and inform Eliwood and...Hector that this campaign is unnecessary and have them end it."

"No." The swordswoman defied him. "Not till you tell us why we're not wanted here."

Kent began to say something that offended Edgar to some extent. "The fact that you of all people are keeping company with a user of the dark arts can only tell us of your true colors."

"You really are full of it." Mark narrowed his eyes at the Caelin commander.

"How else would you have known of why we're here!" The Crimson Shield countered.

Sain added his voice in. "I always knew you had skeletons in your closet! Tell us, were you planning this whole thing from the start before you met Lady Lyndis?!"

Mark's fatigue was replaced by his anger as he had enough of this. "You made your decision. I don't have ta answer to you, cur. In fact, it's better that you all leave and never return." The Tactician was determined to end this pointless argument, but the Caelin duo, Lucius and Lyn wouldn't let him.

"Assuming Gathian is the enemy Athos spoke of." Rath finally spoke up, after listening to the conversation. "What's to stop you from assuming power and taking over after his fall? Either it's a personal grudge because of the the Four Cornerstones, or you're just power-hungry. Assuming it's the latter, plus the prophecy, Lucius's visions and the company you keep." The nomad motioned to Edgar. Most of the Legion felt hostility emanating from the Dark Prince. "I don't care how noble you think you are by trying to take a tyrant, when you'll only end up taking his place! If you are the villain prophesied to destroy our home and Lyndis, I will not show any quarter, you selfish mongrel!"

The Tactician sarcastically applauded Rath once he was finished. He never expected the Wolf Of Sacae to speak that many words, much less insult him in that manner. "And you think you know all there is about me. Just brilliant."

Lyn became anxious of what was happening. She didn't know about Lucius's vision or the hostility between Mark, her knights and more recently Rath. She feared the worst when Mark spoke. "Return to your quarters. Until the warp seal's complete, not one of you will leave this castle."

"Says who?!" Sain drew his sword.

"Sain! Hold!" Kent tried to restrain his friend. Florina became scared for her friends. Guy noticed Mark feigned a smile at the display of hostility.

"There's nothing more to say." He stared with the same hostility at the Caelin knights. He pointed a finger at Sain. Despite his smile, the turmoil at the cave, coupled with the hostility received from his former companions and his past was taking its toll. He was at his limit, trying to suppress his grief.

"Mark, wait." Lyn tried to reason with him, but her plea fell on deaf ears. What none of them saw coming, was Guy's attempt to attack Mark. Before anyone could stop the Mounted Swordsman, Guy was already in front of Mark. The Tactician barely had time to register what happened as his blade was raised in order to strike him. What shocked everyone even further was the person deflecting, not only Guy's Killing Edge, but shattering the blade into pieces. Edgars movement and speed matched that of Karel and his strength appeared to be equal to that of Hector himself. Because of the impact, the swordsman staggered back slightly, holding what's left of his sword as the Dark Prince twirled his sword once, kept it above his shoulder and stood ready to attack. At this, Kent, Rath and Raven drew their swords in response.

Edgar was about to follow up on his attack when Mark got ahold of himself and shouted. "Edgar, stop!" The Regallas prince did so, keeping his sword up and his eyes on the entire Legion. Silence fell upon the room as Mark got himself together. It was time to sever his ties with them completely before it gets worse.

"Guy! What de Hell's wrong wit' you?!" Dart screamed at the Swordmaster.

Lyn became worried for him and said. "I so sorry abo-"

"Get out of my way." He murmured, cutting her short. Geitz came closer and saw how blank and lifeless his eyes were, for a moment before they came back.

"You okay, friend?" The Warrior asked in concern.

"Mark..." She murmured quietly as she tried to come closer, only to have lightning sparks show themselves around Edgar. The Dark Prince glared at her with malice. She saw the bitter hostility shown through his blue eyes. After a moment of silence, Edgar finally spoke. His tone was calm and gentle, but his words were hostile and unfriendly.

"If you hope to live past the next three days, then leave. Mark and I never wish to see any of you again. If you seek to fight him, you'll have to deal with me first if you hope to kill him. I will not allow anyone to ruin what we have worked so hard for."

At this point, Mark finished for him. "There's a history here, you know nothing of. My promise is my only priority now. What history we had is done. You now know why I've returned. Not to fulfill some prophecy of waging war upon Elibe, destroying Sacae, or Lycia. But to keep a promise, to right a great wrong that destroyed so many lives seven years ago and to obtain the very thing I seek: vengeance. Go home. You'll thank me for this one day."

With that, Edgar sheathed his sword and without another word, both the Tactician and the Dark Prince walked out of the throne room. The tone in which Mark spoke carried some sorrow. They realized too late that there was something more going on. Some were beginning to question the Archsages last words and if it was still credible. Despite the hostility between them, some wondered if they went too far, that the current war was not what they thought. For Lyn, she began to slowly see why Mark didn't want her here. She also saw an inner conflict that plagued him and she saw what no one else noticed...grief.

Authors Notes: Sorry for the late arrival. Thought it be only fair for our villain to get some much deserved screen time. Couldn't wait to get this out, but I fear that I may have handled the Legions meeting not so well.