Inside Castle Caelin
The most prevalent sounds of battle came from Castle Caelin's throne room. Bodies were strewn everywhere, yet none bore the crest of the invaded Lycian province. There were only two combatants still within the throne room, and they were currently locked in fierce combat with one another. They stood in the exact center of the throne room, their sword arms nearly invisible to the untrained eye. Both warriors struck out at one another, both giving no quarter, and having none returned.
"I see that mother has taught you well." Zephyr said, a playful combative smirk barely visible on his face. Yet it turned into a momentary gape of shock, when his younger brother of two years got past his guard. Cyrus' saber came within inches of slicing Zephyr's cheek, had the raven haired swordsman not sidestepped the strike.
"That's a little something new!" Cyrus snarled, bending back at the waist as Zephyr retaliated by swinging his long single edged blade in a wide ark. The long blade passed just inches in front of Cyrus' face, as the strike was intended to bisect him.
"Enough of this then." Zephyr sighed, and to Cyrus' horror his elder brother's entire body began to shudder with magical energy. Black and purple tendrils seething with dark magic swirled around Zephyr's right arm, as a large orb of dark energy amassed in his right hand. Cyrus felt a dark chill travel up his spine upon the site. That was no Flux orb Zephyr was creating, no this was something far darker and much more powerful than that. Whatever it was, Cyrus could not allow it to touch him. Now Cyrus' body shimmered with magic energy, as white hot burning tendrils of magic snaked their way along his arms. The two brothers locked eyes for one moment, a moment in which they defied the other to cast their spell first. Then upon some unseen signal, both spells were cast at the exact same moment.
"Valflame!"
"Goetia!"
A large tongue of white hot flame shot from Cyrus' outstretched hands, as Zephyr let fly his large orb of seething black magic. The blast created when the two spells collided was so powerful, that all of Lycia could feel the earth shudder beneath their feet, and the explosion was heard even within the confines of Castle Bern. Yet for all the dramatics the two spells had created upon colliding with the other, no damage was done to the castle. Yet the same could not be said for Cyrus, who now lay in a crumpled heap at the foot of the steps that led to the throne.
"I will give you credit brother. You did put up a good fight, yet your skills with magic are pitiful compared to my own. Yet that is something father can easily rectify." Zephyr said in a soft mocking tone. He only got several paces towards his fallen younger brother, when an outstretched arm blocked his path.
"Not just yet." A toneless voice said, causing Zephyr to scowl as Ephidel spoke. "I have searched the castle, and found no trace of your youngest sibling. I wish to examine his mind, and see just where he's gone to."
"Do as you must." Zephyr scowled at Ephidel, as something was not right about this man. "However should any permanent damage be done, I will personally pay your Lord Nergal a visit."
Ephidel gave a toneless laugh that was completely devoid of any emotion. "I would like to see that very much. However, was that concern in your brother I heard in your voice?"
Turning on his heel, Zephyr strode from the throne room. "He is my brother." Zephyr cursed himself for allowing that troublesome part of him to surface again, as he strode off.
Outside Castle Caelin
Florina drove her lance through the back of a Laus soldier, who had gotten too close to where Lyndis and the remaining defenders of Castle Caelin had gathered. The lance protruded through the man's chestplate, and he dropped to the ground in a heap once the petite Pegasus Knight retracted her lance.
"Florina!" Lyn cried out as she ran up to her friend. "Thank the spirits you made it out. Where is Cyrus?"
Florina twisted her lance between her fingers in a guilty manner. "He … He wanted me to go without him. He said that he would hold the throne room…"
"By himself!?" Kent exclaimed incredulously. "There were over two hundred soldiers marching upon the throne room! How in the name of Elmine could someone survive against those odds, even with Captain Cyrus' considerable skill!?"
Florina's face fell, as she continued to twist her hands around her lance. "He said that he could handle things…"
"Kent, have you no shame?" Sain chastised, scowling as brushing past his red armored companion as he placed his hands gently upon Florina's shoulders who to her own surprise, did not recoil at the flirtatious knight's touch.
"You did very well in today's battle Florina." Sain said in reassurance. "May I ask, did you manage to see anything as you flew here?"
The Pegasus Knight thought for a moment, then spoke once more. "I did see another force riding towards the castle at full gallop. They were led by Lord Jace." She added, as the defenders seemed to have gone pale at her news. Yet upon revelation that Jace was leading this force, they cheered loudly.
Lyn felt relief wash over her upon this news. Her tactician was returning to her, along with Eliwood and his forces. "Thank the spirits he got Cyrus' message."
"We need to link up with Lord Jace at once." Kent said, attempting to get around the guilt he felt for frightening Florina. "We'll be able to retake the castle if we do."
"Um Lyn." Florina spoke up once again. "I could do a fly by and see how many hostile forces are left, and I could relay that to Jace."
"Are you sure?" Lyn asked, concerned for her friend.
Florina nodded. "I'll be alright. I'm much more confident than I was. I know I can do this."
"Fly fast, yet stay safe Florina." Sain said, as she mounted Huey once more. A moment later, both Pegasus and rider were flying high and fast towards the mountains.
Astride Brego, Jace had just rounded the large mountain that hid Castle Caelin. He stiffened at the site of the place. It was positively swarming with hundreds of Laus and Plegian forces, and somewhere in all of that were Lyn and Cyrus. Then his stomach gave a jolt of horror, as he remembered that their oldest sibling was among the attacking forces. He'd never met Zephyr, as he was only a baby when he was taken from his crib by his mother, but Raja had told him that at even at such a young age as Zephyr had been, he was deadly with both a blade and magic.
"In the name of Elmine…" Eliwood breathed in horrified shock upon seeing Castle Caelin.
"Cyrus and Lyn are in there." Jace said, gripping the blade that Lyn had given to him. "I hope Naga has smiled upon Lord Hausen this day, and he is still alive."
"With any luck." Hector growled as his horse came to a stop to Jace's left. "That snake Darin will be here as well. I've been meaning to introduce him to my axe."
"All in good time Hector." Jace said calmly, although he secretly agreed with the Ostian Lord. He had a few choice spells that he would like to test out on the Marquess of Laus. "Wait is that a Pegasus Knight?"
All eyes looked to the sky, and became fixed upon the figure in the sky. Some had to shield their eyes against the sun in order to see, yet upon recognizing who it was, a smile split his face. Florina steered Huey into a dive, yet she did not see the archer who had targeted her until Eliwood had called out to her. She screamed and jumped from Huey's saddle, not realizing that she was still in the air in her panic. Jace and Eliwood cried out in fear, a moment the Pegasus Knight crashed almost comically into Hector, knocking him off of his horse. Were it not for the seriousness of the situation, Jace would have laughed.
"Florina, are you alright!?" Jace asked worriedly as he helped the petite knight back to her feet.
"I believe so." She said shakily. "I didn't see that archer."
"Neither did I." Jace admitted. "And what about you Huey? Are you unharmed?" Florina's Pegasus had landed beside his rider. Tossing his silvery mane, he nickered softly in pacifying way to the tactician.
"Florina." Eliwood began, once she was back on her feet. "What's going on? What's happened?"
"We managed to hold back the majority of the invading forces for some time." Florina began to explain. "But they managed to break through. There was a strong fighter leading this force, I think Cyrus called him Zephyr. Cyrus headed straight for the throne room when the Laus forces broke through, to cut this Zephyr person off. That was the last time I saw him, as he sent me to go and find Lyn."
"Lyn managed to escape?" Jace asked, feeling some of his worry dissipate.
Florina nodded. "Yes. Along with the rest of the Legion, and several hundred other defenders."
"Thank Naga." Jace sighed, as Eliwood placed a hand on the tactician's shoulder.
"Well this is all good and everything, but will somebody help me up?" Hector growled, and despite the seriousness of the situation, Jace and Eliwood could not stifle their laughter as they hauled Hector to his feet.
"Alright then." Jace said, a plan beginning to form in his mind. "Time to retake the castle."
Castle Caelin's dungeon
Cyrus' vision was blurry, as he regained consciousness. The last thing he had remembered before blacking out, was Zephyr's spell slamming into him after that deafening explosion. Something that tasted awfully like copper met his tongue, and bringing his hand away from his mouth, realized that he was bleeding from his mouth.
"Ah good. You're awake now." A toneless voice reached his ears, and Cyrus' crimson eyes looked up into a said of bright gold eyes.
"Who in Naga's name are you?" Cyrus asked, a sight quiver in his voice.
"You may call me Ephidel." Ephidel replied in his normal toneless manner.
"And what is it you want Ephidel?" Cyrus asked, as he took in his surroundings. He must have been in Castle Caelin's dungeon. He was chained by his wrists to a chair, and there was a table between him and Ephidel in the small cell. A single candle was lit in the middle of the table, giving Ephidel a far more chilling appearance than was normal.
"I wish to know where your brother is." Ephidel replied, causing Cyrus to scoff.
"And you really think I will tell you that?" He sneered. "Go and torture me all you want, you'll never know where Jace is."
Ephidel tutted, and shook his head in a dismissive manner. "Torture is both inhumane, and a waste of time. It only gets one the fastest lie in order to end the pain. No, no my way is far more direct and precise."
With that, Ephidel's eyes bored into Cyrus'. Cyrus immediately felt a sharp presence attempt to enter his mind. His fists clenched tightly upon the arms of the chair so tightly, that his knuckles whitened. Cyrus began to throw up mental blocks, attempting to keep out the invading presence that was Ephidel, who gave a toneless laugh and pressed his mental attack further. Cyrus was now gripping the chair so tightly, that the arms began to splinter.
"You. Will. Have. To. Do. Better. Than. This." Cyrus strained, as he attempted to distract Ephidel from entering his mind. He could not allow this man into his mind. He had to retaliate. He had to get into Ephidel's mind. Focusing all of his mental strength into a point as sharp as glass, and forced his own mental attack past Ephidel's, past the guards the man through up, and found when he entered his mind … Nothing. It was a seething mass of black mist. Ephidel's mind was a raging black void. With a sharp gasp, Cyrus pulled out of Ephidel's mind.
"Abomination!" Cyrus gasped, still looking into Ephidel's eyes. "You're walking blasphemy of the three magics. Whoever your creator is, has violated the laws of magic!"
The sounds of battle reached their ears, and then a very familiar voice called out. "Cyrus!"
Ephidel turned towards the sound of the voice, and a fist caught him in the left side of the jaw. He staggered back, revealing Jace in the doorway. Jace struck out again, catching Ephidel under the jaw in an uppercut that sent him flying over the table, and past Cyrus to crash against the opposite stone wall.
"Are you alright brother?" Jace asked, as Cyrus cut his bonds with a small Elwind spell.
"I am now thanks to-" Cyrus began, but Ephidel getting to his feet drowned his words out. Cyrus wrapped his arms around the abomination's waist, and hoisted him into the air. He intended to put him through the small table in the center of the cell. Jace's blade hit the floor with a loud clatter, as he lept into the air. He grabbed Ephidel's head in his hands, and together the two brothers forced Ephidel through the table, and splitting the table in two.
"Who in Naga's name is this man?" Jace asked as he retrieved his blade.
Cyrus growled, as he retrieved his saber from where it had been stored with the confiscated weapons of the defenders who had been taken prisoner within their own castle. "He's no man. He is a Morph."
A dark chill shuddered down Jace's spine. "An abomination of magic." The two brothers prepared to finish Ephidel, when he vanished in a bright flash of light.
"Damn!" Cyrus cursed. "He phased away!"
Ephidel's escape notwithstanding, after several more hours of intense fighting Castle Caelin had been successfully retaken. Lucius had been freed, along with a tall and well built man named Raven, who had been hired by Lord Hausen in the year since Lundgren's defeat. Lord Hausen was very much alive, and being accompanied by a light red haired woman who turned out to be an Ostian spy named Leila. Leila had been assigned by Hector's older brother Lord Uther to infiltrate and spy upon the Black Fang, to whom the Morph Ephidel commanded in lieu of his master.
"It was Ephidel who goaded Lord Darin into attempting to start his war with Ostia." Leila explained. "When Lord Elbert found out, he rushed with nearly all the Phearan knights to the Black Fang fortress."
"And where would that be?" Eliwood asked.
Leila opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off by a smoky female voice. "I believe I can answer that."
The sound of heeled boots walking upon stone reached their ears, and when Jace and Cyrus turned towards the sound, their eyes widened. The newcomer stood a head taller than Cyrus, a sheet of blond hair fell down well past the woman's waistline. The woman's eyes were like her son's, a deep crimson. Her clothing with the exception of her black heeled boots, was a dark blood red. And there was a long blade with a dark gold hilt was sheathed upon her left hip. Raja Ebonhart regarded everyone with a kind motherly expression, which would have been rather pacifying, were it not offset by her formidable appearance.
"The Black Fang is located on the Isle of Valor."