No Longer Alone
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Reaching up, Franz gingerly bent aside the branch that obscured his vision, allowing him to see the three Grado soldiers picking their way through the clearing. A patrol, and a fairly regular one.
As the three of them vanished back into the leafy undergrowth, Franz settled himself back to think.
The area was guarded on both sides by ballistae, so it would be to their advantage to remove any archers or people who had the requisite knowledge and skill to fire the gigantic arrows accurately. Furthermore, the main bridge that led to the fortress itself was uncovered, which would be a haven for arrows. Vanessa would probably be best served by riding her Pegasi as a regular horse. Taking the out boundaries out as quickly as possible would probably be the wisest course of action, and he really should be doing something about that footsoldier attempting to sneak up on him.
He dived to the side, drawing his sword as he did so. Parrying his enemy's blow, he leaned his sword just far back that the momentum of his foe's weapon – a large battleaxe – was not entirely diminished. Startled, the Gradian soldier stumbled forward, leaving a wonderful opportunity for Franz to knee him in the gut.
A 'whuf!' of air escaped the soldier and he collapsed to the ground. Before he could struggle to his feet Franz had already pressed the edge of his sword to his neck. "Don't move." He said calmly.
To his credit, the soldier didn't struggle. A moment later, the bushes parted and Neimi appeared, with Joshua following closely behind.
"I thought I'd seen someone sneaking up here." Neimi said nervously. "I-I was right…"
Joshua assessed the situation calmly. "Keeping a prisoner would slow us down. And we can't afford to have him running off to warn his superiors." He flashed a smile to the defeated soldier. "Sorry mate, looks like your luck's gone dry."
Just then, a crimson flash drew everyone's attention, and a fireball zipped through the clearing. Though it missed everyone, it exploded upon contact with a tree trunk, throwing burning embers throughout of the clearing.
Before Franz could react, he saw another bolt of flame on a collision course with him. Frantically, he threw himself to the side, and he could feel the intense heat of the fireball radiating off his cheek.
Rolling as he hit the leafy ground, he swiftly managed to get himself into a crouching position, and he heard a battlecry. Glancing up, he saw the barrel-chested warrior charging at him, swinging his axe wildly. Behind him, a dark-cloaked mage appeared between the forests, more energy gathering for another set of spells.
Frantically, Franz rolled backwards, once again narrowly avoiding having his spine severed. Slashing upwards, his eyes widened as his blade dug deep into the wooden handle of the axe, preventing the weapon from moving. Lashing out with his foot, he once more thumped the warrior solidly in the gut, doubling him over a second time.
He heard the sharp 'twang!' of a bowstring, and he caught sight of the enemy mage collapsing, an arrow sticking from his chest. Where was Joshua?
He was distracted by the axefighter struggling to his feet once again and dashing for the woods. Mumbling several unkind words under his breath, Franz headed for the swiftly retreating enemy soldier.
A silver blade flashed, and the axefighter was sent sprawling, minus a leg.
As he howled in agony, Joshua leaned back from where he had been hiding, wiping the handle of his sword. "Like I said, pal. Your luck's run out." He raised his sword once more…
"W-wait." Franz called as he sheathed his sword. "Joshua, help me keep a lookout for more enemy units. I'll deal with the prisoner."
The flame-haired mercenary cast a dubious look at Franz, but nodded his compliance and turned away. Franz knelt down by the wounded soldier and stared at him seriously.
"You can't escape us, and you won't be winning a fight with us. Tell us what we want to know, and you'll live. Agreed?"
The soldier stared at him with wide, fearful eyes, and nodded frantically.
"Right. Do you know where Prince Ephra –" Franz shook his head. Wrong way of doing things. "Have you seen a turquoise-haired lord about the area? Have you faced him in battle?"
"Pr- Prince Ephraim?" The soldier stammered. "I don't know much, but – but they say he's locked up in the castle."
"Right." That agrees with what that black-robed man told us at Adlas Plains. "Now, anything special about the castle defenses?"
"N-n-no! Nothing! It's just a typical castle with moats and stuff. I- I swear on my momma's grave!"
"Alright." Franz said. Then he gave a start and whipped his head up. "Who's there?"
Instinctively, the soldier followed Franz's gaze as well. While his attention was diverted, Franz quickly rammed his fist into the back of the soldier's head. His eyes rolled upwards, and the man slumped.
"Got some rope?" He called to Joshua.
"If he escapes-"
"He's not going to be able to do that after you chopped off his leg. Neimi, you have rope? Ah, thanks." Quickly, Franz bound the hands of the soldier. "He's already wounded. I'd rather he get to go home to his wife when all this is said and done."
He heard a tiny snort from Joshua. "Hmph. A kind heart. So I was right about you." He fixed the cavalier with a crimson gaze. "You wouldn't have let me kill him earlier either, would you?"
Franz struggled to compose himself, to sort the thoughts out in his mind. "That's not – I don't – If… if I were fighting him on the battlefield and I scored a killing blow, I would not regret it. But to kill an unarmed – a helpless man… I can't do it."
"Well, if you feel strongly about that, then hold on to your convictions." His eyes narrowed. "But hold no illusions, Franz. The heart is a liability on the battlefield. If you cannot master it, it will lead to your downfall."
Doing his best to keep his face impassive, Franz nodded.
Amelia blinked once, stretched, and yawned. Daytime already…
Excitement had kept her awake nearly half the night, consequently, she had the feeling whatever little rest she had wasn't going to be enough. Rolling out of bed, she rubbed sleepily at her eyes.
Stumbling down the stairs, she headed towards the barkeep. "Do you have anything to keep me awake?" She mumbled sleepily.
The heavyset man raised an eyebrow as he looked down at her. "Well, lass, I've some stuff from Renais. I warn you though, it's not going to taste pleasant."
Amelia shuddered inside. What was it, some kind of herbal brew thing? "I'll – I'll take it. How much?"
"One silver coin."
After handing over the gleaming coin, she took the mug the barkeep proffered, raised it to her lips, and began to sip.
Ugh. The thing tasted like drainwater, and it burned going down. However, even as she tipped the cup back to drain the last drops, she could feel renewed vitality entering her body.
"T- thanks," She said, wiping at her mouth to get away the bitterness of the taste. "Do you know the way to the barracks?"
The barkeep raised an eyebrow, his expression clearly stating, "And what would a girl like you want with the Imperial Army barracks?" but his only spoken response was "Head to the end of this street and turn left."
Amelia nodded in gratitude, and went to gather her belongings.
The first of the two ballistae had been disabled.
Princess Eirika had decided to split up their tiny 'army' into two main battle groups, both aimed at wiping out the ballistae before rejoining to make the central push on the castle. In this the group Franz was part of had been successful.
"We should rest." Gilliam stated shortly before settling himself down by a tree.
"Shouldn't we… shouldn't we keep going?" Franz panted. "We should be meeting up with Lady Eirika's group…"
"I suppose, but considering I suggested the rest for the sake of you, Neimi, and Artur…" The dark-haired knight raised an eyebrow in Franz's direction.
Franz cast his eyes downward. Well, he was rather dizzy – even if it was no help to his self confidence to admit it.
This was stupid. He was a trained knight! Even if he wasn't as strong or experienced as General Seth or his brother or Sir Gilliam, he shouldn't have been grouped with a village girl that had never fought prior to joining their group, and a monk!
With a sigh, he walked over to the silent knight. "Sir Gilliam…"
"Hm? What is it?"
"Are you… are you unhappy, fighting alongside me?"
The knight frowned, with the result of him looking even fiercer than usual. "And why would you ask something like that?"
"Well, it's… uh… I always feel like… I'm slowing you and the more experienced fighters down."
Gilliam held his gaze for a long moment, then snorted and looked away. "I don't need to answer that."
"S-sir Gilliam! Please tell me!"
The green-clad warrior turned back to glare at Franz. "Listen to me, boy. I fight alongside you because my king has asked me to. How I feel about you as a person, or as a fighter, is not relevant."
"But I-"
"Look, there are far better things you could be doing with your time than worrying about your lack of battle prowess."
"Like what?"
"Why, training yourself to become stronger, of course!" Gilliam replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Show me the potential of a knight of Renais!"
"Yes- yes sir!" Franz replied, more out of reflex than anything else.
Gilliam nodded and looked away. "I believe we've halted for long enough. To your feet." He told the rest of the band. "And let's be on our way."
"Well, here we are." Amelia said to no one in particular as she stepped through the gates. The soldiers standing guard by the entrance gave her an odd look, but nothing more as she walked into the sunlight drenched courtyard. Several armoured soldiers appeared to be sparring, their swords flashing brightly in the light of the morning sun as they clashed off their opponent's shields. She stood watching them silently for several minutes before she remembered the reason she was here in the first place.
"Now, where do I apply to become a soldier?" She asked, just as she noticed a long, snaking line off to the side, mostly filled with tough, burly men.
Nervously, she approached the man at the back of the line. "Is this… is this the line to sign up – to y'know, apply to be a recruit?"
The man, easily twice her size, glowered down at her. "Yeah. And if it is?"
"Ah, n- nothing. Thanks for telling me." Hastily, Amelia got into line behind the sullen looking male, and tried to appear inconspicuous.
Renvall, the water fortress.
It had been assailed many times in the long and wartorn history of the continent of Magvel. Many attempts failed. Some attempts succeeded.
And now another band had come to try again.
The bridge afforded little cover for any attacking band – the perfect opportunity for defending archers to rain down their covering fire on any charging army.
Which was why Franz couldn't shake the niggling feeling that something was wrong as he spurred Neige on into a gallop. There were three archers manning the wall – still a definite threat to be looked out for – but that was far less than he'd expected.
An arrow whizzed by, glancing of his pauldron and leaving a faint scar. Franz grimaced and hunkered down further, trying to create as small a target as possible.
Up ahead, he saw an enemy knight, similarly mounted, waiting for the young cavalier to get into distance. Franz's eyes widened as he saw the enemy knight raise a javelin above his head, giving it an experimental twirl.
Franz quickly jerked the reins, and Neige skipped to the side, letting the javelin sail past, so close he could feel the wind on his cheek as he continued his charge.
"I am Murray!" The mounted knight bellowed. "I will cut you down, whelp!"
Not bothering to reply, Franz swung his sword out in a low arc, which Murray quickly deflected with bone-jarring force. And then they were past each other, hooves clattering on the bridge.
Swinging Neige into a tight arc, he caught sight of General Seth further behind, spurring his own mount into a gallop. Franz grit his teeth. In the time it would take the General to come to his aid, Murray would definitely be able to swing around for another pass. Well, he'd have to survive this one… although the strength from his opponent's sword arm made Franz rather… worried.
Regardless, they were soon charging at each other again. Above the heat and cries of the battle, he could see his opponent's eyes, narrowed with determination, sword raised high to bring it crashing down onto-
Then his steed stumbled, throwing Murray off balance, his lurching forward. Franz's eyes widened as he caught sight of a hatchet, digging itself into the rear left leg of the horse.
Almost by instinct, Franz swept his blade up, the gleaming blade biting deep into Murray's neck. A dark splash across his chest and neck signified victory.
Pulling back on the reins, Franz glanced towards Ross, who winced in pain as he tore an arrow out from his arm.
"Thanks for the save, Ross."
"Huh? Oh, anytime! I'm the son of the warrior Garcia, after all!" He grinned. "Tell you the truth, though, I was kinda surprised I actually hit him."
Well you hit his horse, but close enough…
"Retreat!" The cry sounded from the remaining soldiers of Grado, and as one, they turned back into the fortress.
"Get inside." He heard Eirika order.
Franz glanced up towards the top of the building, where he could see the two archers (one taken down by Lute), turning back into the building. Then he glanced back towards the entrance.
He didn't know why, but he was having a rather bad feeling about this…
It had been nearly two hours in the scorching sun, and Amelia was starting to feel faint. The fact that she couldn't help but notice people staring at her and speaking in muted whispers only made her more uncomfortable.
The burly man in front of her received some sort of stamped paper, and departed. Now it was her turn.
Mustering up every ounce of courage she possessed, and trying desperately to keep her legs from shaking, Amelia stepped forward.
The man up front stared at her with disbelief. "And what, may I ask, are you doing here?"
"I… I want to become a soldier. Of Grado." She hastily added. Then she kicked herself. That wasn't necessary at all…
The man gave her a long, hard look before returning to the forms on his desk. "Get out of here, girl. The life of a recruit is no place for someone like you."
Amelia stared at the man, dumbstruck. Somehow, it had never occurred to her in her wildest dreams that she would actually be turned down for the position. Her fists clenched, trembling. No! She was so close! She couldn't give up now!
"Please!" She cried. "Just give me a chance! I'll – I'll prove myself to you! Look, I'll fight any of the soldiers out in the courtyard! Just let me show you-" She cut off as she noticed the man's expression was quickly becoming hostile.
"Look, I said no. Girls don't get into soldier positions, and that's that. If you want, you can apply to be one of the staff maidens. Now, like I said, go away."
"But I-" She was cut off by an annoyed shout from behind her.
"Oy! Hurry up already! We're tired of waiting!"
"Yeah! If you're not doing anything that get lost!"
"Let me have my place!"
Amelia just stood there, fighting back tears as she watched the future she had always built up for herself, kept in her heart and mind for years on end, crumble away into ash, all in an instant, all because of one stupid decision –
"What's all this ruckus going on here? You, soldier, tell me what happened."
The stern, authoritative voice cut through the increasing hubbub, causing Amelia to glance up. As she did so, her mouth fell open.
She had only seen him once before in her life, and that had been nearly a decade ago. But nevertheless, he was still unmistakable.
"G- general Duessel!" She blurted out.
The entrance hall to Renvall was silent.
Side by side, Franz and General Seth brought up the forefront, creeping slowly through the darkened halls.
Suddenly, Franz heard a thump in the distance. Boot against stone.
Someone was approaching.
Franz already had his blade drawn, as any rudimentary stealth class would have informed you that doing so closer to the enemy would have informed them of your presence with the ringing of the blade being brought out from his sheathe.
Seth motioned for Franz to stay slightly behind, and he moved forward. He glanced back, noting that the Princess looked slightly nervous.
The sound of a man walking rapidly grew louder and louder. The General took one step back, sword posed in a position to strike swiftly.
From around the corner stepped the pale shadow of a man, eyes wide, body haggard. Stumbling slightly, he nearly fell, only to be righted by General Seth quickly.
Franz lowered his blade. He knew this man.
"Sir… Sir Orson?"
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