Jace ran a hand along his blade, as agitation coursed through him. How is it that a group rag tag cutthroats had managed to infiltrate the large Ostian fortress the company was taking up residence for the night? "We cannot seem to catch a break. Yet how in Naga's name did they manage to get in?"
"When we find their leader, I'll ask him that." Hector growled, as he lifted his axe.
"What are our options Jace?" Eliwood asked, drawing his rapier.
"Chokepoints." Jace began. "Cut them off at crucial areas, and prevent them from from getting any farther into this fortress."
"And what of their leader?" Hector asked, his brow furrowed.
"I know you might not like what I am about to say Hector." Jace replied. But you might have to let their leader go."
Hector's eyes widened with shocked anger. "Jace, do you honestly expect me to -"
"Hector." Jace and Eliwood cut across in stern tones to emphasize their point.
The large man growled and threw his hands up in exasperation. "Fine. I'll go along with your plan Jace. I may not like having to let the leader of these rogues go, but I'll go along with your plan. But if the opportunity presents itself."
"If it presents itself, then the leader is all yours." Jace replied. "If things go bad Naga forbid, then we will hold up in the main hall, and wait for lord Uther and his men to arrive."
"That is our last resort I take it?" Eliwood asked, his rapier now drawn.
"If the hostile force proves to great in number or skill, yes that is our last resort." Jace replied, gripping his blade. "Now Hector, Eliwood, join my mother and lead the fortresses' guard in defense of the main hall. Cyrus, and Zephyr are co-ordinating the chokepoints. I'm taking Wil and Rebecca up onto the ramparts with Lyn."
"May I ask why you're taking our archers up to the ramparts?" Eliwood asked, his brow furrowed.
"I saw several wyvern riders approaching the fortress." Jace replied. "I'm not going to let them land."
"I understand Jace." Eliwood said, and the tactician could tell that he was still hurting from his father's death. Not that Jace could fault him one bit. "But Jace, you stay safe."
Jace caught Hector's arm, when the larger man made to follow his friend. "You keep him safe. You and that honor guard of Lady Elenora's. Because I shudder to think what wrath she will bring down upon our heads if she loses her only son."
Hector nodded once. "Don't worry that untidy head of yours. I'll guard him with my life, he's my closest friend after all."
"He's mine as well." Jace replied, releasing Hector's arm. "Naga watch over you Hector."
"Elmine keep you safe tactician." Hector said before following Eliwood, and Jace left to join Lyn upon the fortresses' ramparts. Lyn was already waiting for her tactician, the Mani Katti firmly gripped in her right hand. The archers Jace had mentioned, Wil and Rebecca were on either side of her their bows already in their hands, and arrows notched in the strings.
"Is everyone ready?" Lyn asked, smiling softly as she always did whenever she set eyes upon him.
"As we can be." Jace replied with a half-laugh. "We were expecting to bring hell to the Black Fang's doorstep in Bern. Not being chased by mercenaries while in the largest province in Lycia."
The now familiar dark shudder that signalled danger crept up Jace's spine, only moments before a large wyvern landed upon the parapet to his right. Both Jace and Lyn raised their blades, at the exact moment Wil and Rebecca pulled back on their bowstrings. The wyvern growled challengingly, as if daring them to make a move against it.
"Peace Hyperion." The wyvern's rider barked at his winged mount. The rider in question looked to be several years older than Jace, there was a tuft of white upon the untidy mop of dark green hair. The wyvern named Hyperion growled in protest, causing his rider to pull back on its reigns in a commanding manner, before said rider addressed the four warriors in front of him. "Who among you do you name as your leader?"
There was what felt to be a long moment of silence that passed between the five, before Jace stepped forward motioning to Wil and Rebecca to lower their bows. "That at the moment would be me. Who are you rider? And what business would you have with us?"
"I wish to surrender myself to you." The rider said in response to Jace's question, which caused the tactician in question to blink at the wyvern rider in confusion. "The commander of my mercenary company has fallen from grace in my eyes. Before we began hunting for your company, he ordered us to kill women and children. I refused, and since then I have been looking to defect to a company whose leader has a strong sense of honor."
"You're a Bernese wyvern rider aren't you?" Jace asked, a small smile on his lips.
"I was." The rider responded. "I deserted from my post in Bern, before becoming a mercenary who would desert from his band."
"How can we trust you then?" Lyn asked coldly, tightly gripping the Mani Katti in her hand.
"I believe we can." Jace replied. "I do not know much about wyvern tactics, but I know that Bernese knights have a strong sense of honor. Honor, not loyalty, as hundreds of soldiers desert from the Bern army because the generals are so corrupt and drunk with power."
"Indeed they are." The rider responded. "Will your company accept my services?"
"I do not lead this company, but I believe that Eliwood will accept your services." Jace replied. "Eliwood is a very honorable man, if he accepts your services I have no doubt you will have no qualms in following him into battle."
The rider nodded. "I wish to meet with your Lord Eliwood once the fighting has stopped."
"That can very easily be arranged." Jace said. "For now I want you to take Rebecca onto your wyvern. The two of you will do a fly over, and rain arrows down onto the members of your former mercenary band. Can you handle that rider?"
"Heath." The rider replied.
"Pardon?" Jace asked.
"That is my name. Heath."
Jace nodded. "Very well Heath. You and Rebecca have your orders, Naga watch over you."
"What are we to do Jace?" Lyn asked, after Rebecca had mounted Hyperion, and the wyvern took to the air once more.
"We are going to assist Hector and Eliwood in the main defense of the fortress." He replied. "Wil, join Cyrus in the west chokepoint."
For the second time that day, Jace felt the dark shiver run down his spine. He stopped just short of the stone archway that lead to the ramparts, which was the only thing that saved him from losing his head, as someone swung at him with a poorly kept axe. The axehead both embedded itself in the stone of the archway, and the wood that made up its haft splintered upon impact. Jace and Lyn shared a look, and the tactician looked at his sword arm to which Lyn had in a vice like grip. The swordswoman had pulled her tactician back at the exact moment he had stopped short of the archway.
The two shared an almost unseen nod to one another, and the two moved as one. Lyn was the first to emerge from the stone archway. The Mani Katti slashed through the air, severing the assailants arm at the shoulder. He did not have long to grieve for the loss of his arm, as Jace sent an Arcthunder bolt right under Lyn's arm, and through the assailants chest, which pierced his heart.
"You two make quite the team." A familiar monotoned voice said from somewhere behind them. Both Lyn and Jace turned to find their old ally from the Legion Rath astride his horse. He was smiling slightly, acting as if nothing had changed and he was still with the Legion.
"Rath of the Kutola." Lyn said, her lips curving up into a bright smile.
"It's good to see you again old friend." Jace said, before his attention was drawn to the sound of fighting. "Oh Naga tell me they haven't gotten further into the fortress."
"I do not believe so." Rath began. His eyes were closed as he was listening to the sounds of combat. "No, those are sounds of confusion. It seems one of the attacking mercenaries has turned on the company. Your work Jace?"
"In a way." Jace replied. "One of the mercenaries surrendered to us, and one of our archers is currently astride the man's wyvern raining arrows upon the heads of the members of his former company that are outside the fortress."
"Ah, a similar tactic to what you had Wil and Florina do as we fought our way to castle Caelin." Rath said.
"Sometimes a good tactic works." Jace replied. "Yet how in Naga's name were able to that those mercenaries were confused over all the noise?"
"It's a Sacean hunting technique." Lyn said. "We use it to track down prey, as well as our enemies. We hone our senses other than our sight, it allows us to discern what our quarry is doing, where there exact position is, and if anything ails them."
"How is it that you never told me or showed me this before?" Jace asked, clearly astounded at just the description of this hunting skill.
"Because you never asked me to show you." Lyn replied, smiling.
"A fair point Lyn, yet we cannot waste any more time." The tactician began. "We need to assist Eliwood and Hector. As I said before, Wil head to the west corridor. Rath, take the east."
"That leaves you and I to assist Hector and Eliwood." Lyn said as Wil and Rath left to support Jace's elder brothers.
The two ran down the main hall of the large fortress, all the while Jace was wondering how it was that one attacker was able to slip through the defenses he had set up. There must be a hidden entrance somewhere, which he'd have to sent someone Matthew likely, to find where the assailant had come from. The two lords were easy enough to spot, and they were doing an excellent job in back the attacking mercenaries. Of course they weren't alone. Marcus, Oswin, Raja, and Isadora (who was the the honor guard Lady Elenora had sent to keep her son safe) had all but pushed the attacking force back to the entrance to the fortress.
"That was fast." Eliwood began, when when Jace and Lyn joined them.
"I will explain later." Jace began, not bothering to look at the mercenary that attacked him with a rather obvious overhead strike. The tactician very nonchalantly raised his blade to block. "The short version is, that the wyvern rider is spotted surrendered to us. He's currently with Rebecca raining down arrows upon the assailants outside. Hold a moment, Thoron!"
The large spear-like bolt of lightning shot from the small orb of magical energy that formed at the thip of the first two fingers on Jace's left hand. It shot through the chest of the assailant, and about ten others behind him. They all crumpled to the floor, with a foot wide hole through each of them.
"And no negative effects this time." Jace said smiling in relief.
"You still should not use that spell just yet." Raja said, as large shimmering runes appeared in front of the assailants. Having seen Raja use this spell before, everyone but Isadora backed up.
"Isadora, pull back now." Marcus barked in command, to which the younger woman obeyed, though she was still unsure of what was about to happen.
"Eclipse." Raja said in an almost bored manner. The runes exploded outwards, seeking out the remaining assailants. They screamed in pain, as they dropped to the floor, though not dead, but teetering on the brink of life.
"She can be frightening sometimes." Eliwood remarked with a slight shudder.
"Try being raised by her Eliwood." Jace replied.
"I believe I will pass on that my friend." Eliwood said, as a wyvern landed in the doorway of the fortress. Hyperion growled as Heath deposited a man in front of the large wyvern.
"Who in Naga's name is this?" Jace asked, as the elder man backed away from Hyperion.
"Eubans." Heath replied. "He's the leader of these mercenaries."
"Heath you traitor." Eubans growled, yet said nothing more when Hyperion growled in a threatening manner.
"What do we do with them?" Jace asked, sheathing his blade.
"Lock them away until my brother arrives." Hector growled. "He can decide what to do with them when he gets here."