Hello again, here is chapter V of this story!

Reviews are appreciated, flaming isn't.

So now enjoy!

Chapter V: The battle begins!

For a few seconds, it was silent again. Nino enjoyed these seconds and used them to take a short break. Then already, the next enemies appeared: Three big swordsmen came from the hallway and made their way in her direction, crossing the many corpses of their allies. She had done this many times over since they entered the fortress. It was easy, almost too easy. A fireball flew, one of the men screamed, the next one ran right into a pillar of fire. A shadow came down from the ceiling and cut of the head of the third enemy. It was their basic tactic. Nino waited at the gateway and the foes, who thought there was only a little girl, where rapidly killed by her magic, then Jaffar came down and sliced open the remainders.

Nino was already much better with her tome and Jaffar could see her grow. She had become so much better in just one battle… From outside the castle, enemy soldiers entered the gate. A Wyvern rider flew into the corridor, pumping his on the ceiling. Along the bottom of his wings, two snipers targeted the little girl. Nino, dodging the arrows, had trouble focusing on her spell, but finally, she brought out the fire blast. The resistanceless Wyvern was instantly grilled and his rider fled in terror. The two snipers tried their best to catch the girl. They began to understand why they where ordered to go here. Their constant fire was stopped by a sudden "booh" from behind. They turned around but the only thing they saw where two daggers reaching their necks. This wasn't some kind of illusion, Jaffar was just way to fast for them. In a full speed sprint, he crossed the gateway and stopped right in front of Nino. She gave a little scream.

"Stop doing that! I always think you'll hit me!"

Jaffar just nodded.

His attention was caught by two knights at the end of the hallway. He ran in their direction to face them. At the same moment, Nino noticed a lone paladin coming down from a near hill toward them. Out of instinct, she started throwing fireballs at him. He avoided with much skill, speed and elegance. But Nino couldn't help thinking to see a surprised look on his face. She didn't recognize him until she heard his familiar voice.

"Stop, Nino, please stop with that!" Kent yelled. In the first moment, Nino was shocked she almost killed an ally. But when the knight came closer and she saw he wasn't damaged at all, she sighed in relief. He dismounted his horse and raised an eyebrow. "Done already?" he asked, looking at Jaffar who sat on top of two knight corpses. "We're not sure about that. There may be more of them farther inside," Nino informed. "Where did you come for?" Jaffar asked. "There's trouble in another castle. You're needed there. It's right north from here. I'll clean up here." Jaffar raised his shoulders. "Come, Nino," he said.

So the two left, leaving Kent, seeing another swordsman storming out of the castle. They weren't really concerned about it. Kent would do it with ease.

"Nino…"

"Yes?"

"You've… You've much improved," the assassin said with strange smile. It looked like when someone tries to laugh with a broken jaw.

"Same to you!" Nino answered with a wide grin. Jaffar just raised an eyebrow.

"In smiling, I mean!"

Again, Jaffar did his best to give a smile, but it was more scaring than anything else.

"But you still have much to learn, haha!"

"…I guess so."

Finally, they reached the other castle. There were Sain and Wil, fighting at least a half doze of cavaliers and a few archers and it where still getting more. Sain stabbed down a horseman and Wil shot three arrows at the same time underneath Sain's arm, felling three archers. But two new cavaliers stormed toward Sain and four bowmen replaced their three companions. At the same time, two Wyvern riders launched their mounts from the tower of the fortress. The only thing that prevented them from piercing Sain was a hail of fire. Surprised, he looked into the sky as the two riders thumbed down next to him. An enemy paladin saw his chance and pushed his spear forward. Unable to get everything at the same time, couldn't dodge. The paladin saw victory drawing near, but his vision was abruptly stopped by his head leaving his body. An assassin landed behind him, his dagger covered in crimson red. Now, Nino rushed to help too.

Slowly, the Caelin knights began to understand the situation. With new courage, they struck even faster. Soon, the air was filled with the sound of metal and fire clashing on armour and running through flesh. Four archers aimed Jaffar, but the arrows never reached their target. He vanished and, in a flash of red, appeared again behind the bowmen. Three of them fell onto the ground lifeless. The fourth one stunned as he recognized the attacker.

"I-it's the Angel of Death!" he yelled in terror and ran away, just to be caught by Sain's lance. Slowly, the quartet began to win from the Black Fang mass. After some time, Kent also rejoined them. With the quick swordsman on the front, a mage and a sniper backing him up and a paladin duo blocking the escape way, the enemies had no chance on living. The group entered a bigger hall. This made them move easier, but it also meant there was more place for the foes, too. Suddenly, a paladin with eight cavaliers entered the hallway. The three Caelin knight's recognized the paladin, who was connected to bad memories.

"I am Cameron! This fortress is under my command. I won't let Master Lloyd down!"

He and his battalion stormed forward in full speed, their lances right before them. Jaffar immediately killed two cavaliers. A couple of fireballs and arrows backed him up and blew away four more. Kent and Sain stormed forward and killed two more horsemen. But the last one, Cameron himself, kept his gallop. He lifted his halberd hacked aimed Nino. "No!" Jaffar screamed. Nino closed her eyes and held her hands above her head in fear. When she thought it was over, a flash prevented the paladin. He, Nino and everyone else looked into the direction of the entrance. There stood a mage, his arm stretched in their direction, a thunder tome in the other hand.

"Erk!" Nino yelled in relief. Behind her, Cameron lifted his axe again. Erk casted his spell, but someone else was faster. "Rest in peace", Jaffar whispered into the paladin's ear. He felt an unbearable pain in his back. His halberd fell on the ground and, with his arm still in the air, he slowly followed it. The assassin lightly jumped off of the horse, which ran away in terror.

"Thank you, Erk!" Kent yelled and rode over to him.

"It was nothing. I came to ask for reinforcements and then I saw what happened. I just had to help."

"Reinforcements you say? Where do you need them?"

Now, the whole group had reached him. They looked at him, their eyes showing their silent curiosity.

"Guy and Lyn… Lady Lyndis… whatever… have reached the shrine of seals already, but they're having trouble with the Black Fang commander."

"Brother…" Nino murmured.

"Alright", Kent ordered. "Sain and I will clean up this fortress. Nino, Jaffar and Wil will back up Guy and Lyn."

"Well, sir tactician Keith ordered to bring the knight's of Caelin…" Erk said, laying a sarcastic tone on the words sir tactician. "Maybe we better…"

But no one listened. Kent and Sain rode back to the castle and the others moved toward the shrine. Erk shook his head.

"And this means I am the pour guy to tell sir tactician he has been ignored again. But he shouldn't be all too mad… He's used to it."

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Phew, that's finally done! Sorry that I didn't update for so long time! I wrote some shorter stories and have been busy with other things.

Skythief, the stealing bird