Disclaimer: I do not own Breath of Fire or its characters.


Chapter 4 - Paid not in Gold

Nina laid on her sleeping bag, alone in her private tent. She had spent the past two days in relative comfort; she was fed and treated well, introduced to the rest of the camp (which included most of the former Cloaks and a few villagers Ryu saved from villages that wanted to return the favor) and allowed to roam freely with an escort. Overall, it was not an unpleasant experience for her being kidnapped.

Usually, Nina would be escorted by Guile or Alavex and they would normally talk while they aimlessly roamed. Guile had a way of being painfully direct when he spoke, while Alavex was polite and accommodating to her at all times. In a way, it had been quite an enlightening experience.

Though it was nearly midnight, there was still plenty of activity in the camp. The exchange was tomorrow and the camp was restless, so it was no surprise when Ryu opened the flap of her tent slightly. "May I come in?" he inquired courteously. If there was one thing Nina had come to expect in Ryu, it was calm, gracious demeanor.

"You can come in," she replied. Ryu nodded his head and stepped into the tent as Nina got to her feet. "What did you need?"

"As you know, the exchange will take place tomorrow at the Eastern Checkpoint," Ryu said. Nina nodded. "We will have three men escort you down for the exchange."

"The three cattle to the slaughter?" Nina interrupted pointedly.

Ryu ignored her and continued, "We've done our best to uphold our side of our agreement. I can only hope that you will keep your royal word and find out the truth about the politics of your kingdom." He seemed almost to say something else but instead held the silence. His eyes flickered past Nina, as if trying to look through the tent, breaking his normally suave manner.

"What if I find the truth and it isn't what you've told me?" challenged Nina, taking advantage of Ryu's moment of weakness. "What if I find nothing that supports what you've told me?"

Ryu's eyes snapped back to Nina and he shrugged his shoulders somewhat complacently. "Then nothing, I suppose," he answered. "The terms of our agreement don't dictate what you'll do, regardless of what you find out. Even if we are vindicated, you could simply forget all of this if you want. However, I don't think that will be the case."

Another moment of silence. "So let's say I do end up believing you all and want to help you get the lost technology, how are you going to know?" Nina asked.

"You coming to meet us would be out of the question," Ryu answered readily. "The king will not let you outside the grounds so soon after being kidnapped. After the failed exchange, he will expect us to try and attack you or the kingdom in some way. However, he doesn't know exactly what I'm capable of doing and I'll use that to my advantage.

"I'll give you two days to decide if you wish to help or not. If you do, then you'll need to steal the key to the basement door from your father without his notice and stand outside your balcony at exactly midnight on the second night home. If you don't wish to help, then simply don't show. However, I'll be waiting outside there for exactly ten minutes, no more."

Several things confused Nina at this point: there are armed sentries posted all along the Wyndian wall, yet Ryu made it sound as if he could sneak past them like they were children; Nina had no idea where or even what the key would look like; and Nina's room was nearly ten stories high off the northwest wall, with no possible way to climb.

Before Nina could voice any of her thoughts, however, Alavex opened the tent. His face was grim and gaunt, as though he hadn't slept in days. "Pardon me," he said, "but we must go over the plan for tomorrow." Ryu nodded and started for the exit.

Suddenly something clicked in Nina's mind - a question so obvious she should have asked it from the beginning. "Wait, Ryu!" Nina called, causing the pair to stop and face her. She took a deep breath before continuing. "Who…who is escorting me to the…to the exchange tomorrow?"

Even before he answered, she knew what they were going to say. Alavex's face darkened slightly before he spoke. "I will be taking you," he said in a voice barely above a whisper. "Guile, Lutus and myself."


Lutus was a strange individual. Nina had not had much time to meet with him during her encampment with Ryu but the times she did speak with him were short-spoken. Tall, lean and quiet with long black hair and a scar over his left eye, Lutus and Guile were a couple of the few non-Woren Cloaks Wyndia had employed. Guile had been selected due to his physical speed, surpassing even the half-Woren Cloaks. Lutus was employed for his…unusual abilities.

To avoid thinking of the destination, Nina had asked Lutus what was his role in the Cloaks. "I am a magician," he stated matter-of-factly while he, Guile, Alavex and Nina made their way toward the checkpoint. "I specialize in close-range offense."

Most magicians tended to favor long-range or group-based attacks, being physically weaker, though while Nina thought it strange, it was not unheard of. Boost magic (magic that could temporarily increase one's speed, strength or endurance) was usually used by magicians to give the frontline soldiers an advantage while the magician worked up a more powerful attack spell. Sometimes, however, a magician trained in combat could use boost magic on himself, though it took more concentration to apply the spell on oneself.

"So, you're a boost magician," Nina thought aloud. "I never would have guessed by your build." She examined him once again. "You seem more the swordsman-like type."

When Lutus remained silent, Guile spoke up. "What he means to say is that he can perform non-verbal contact magic. Probably the only one on this continent who can, actually."

"Non-verbal magic!" Nina exclaimed. "But that's impossible! You can perform magic without a wand but it still needs to be channeled through the chants!" The very idea of magic being performed without spoken incantations went against everything Nina had learned in her studies.

"Tell that to magic boy over here," Guile said, jerking his head towards Lutus. "He's able to put people to sleep, confuse them, even make them blind simply by touching them with his hand. It may not be offensive magic, per say, but if he gets close enough, you're done." This rare compliment from Guile made Nina double take, falling back in thought. How was it possible?

The sound of Lutus' voice broke her reverie. "Maybe I'll get one last chance to demonstrate my trademark to you before we die."

Suddenly the trip grew very heavy and silent.


The troupe arrived at the checkpoint without incident. The silence had carried since Lutus' comment and it only grew heavier as they approached the bridge. Nina had always marveled at its design: a nearly quarter mile long bridge, connecting her homeland to a whole other world. She was not sure who had designed or even built it, yet both lands took great care in protecting their sides.

"Ten, maybe twelve," whispered Guile suddenly, causing Nina to jump slightly. She turned to face him and saw his expression darkened, looking out the corner of his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Nina asked, trying to follow his gaze but seeing nothing besides forest surrounding the checkpoint. Apparently even the usual Wyndian guards posted at the entrance had been cleared, at least until the exchange was complete. Nina shivered slightly at the mere thought of it and what it meant for her escorts.

Alavex stepped up beside Guile. "I would say you are about right on," he said, his voiced hushed as well. "I expected more honestly, but if there are only a handful, you can expect them to be the top of their league." He had donned his signature cloak, a silky, midnight blue color that seemed to absorb the very light of the day. It was eerily fitting for the circumstance.

"Are you saying there are people set up for an ambush?" Nina questioned, catching on to the conversation. "How can you be sure?"

"It's something we were trained to do," replied Lutus, not bothering to lower his voice. "We would make for pretty sad assassins if we let the enemy get the one up on us, wouldn't we?"

Their conversation was cut short as a familiar figure appeared, walking down the path they had just minutes ago been traveling. A week ago, Nina had seen him as detached, surely, but never as a monster capable of the things she had been told. Now, staring at him as he regally marched towards the three, she felt for the first time a moment of doubt about everything she knew.

The king was dressed royally, his crown radiant in the high noon sunshine. He bore his stately cloak, draped around his shoulders and falling to his knees. It was almost a poetic clash: the king in his bold, golden attire against the dark and unadorned apparel of the Cloaks. Day versus night, good versus evil.

Finally, the king stood before the group, fifty paces from them. He swung a bag from his shoulder and held it before him. "The money, as you requested," he said, his voice calm and direct. He dropped the bag and it sounded with a large clash of coins. He held out his arm to indicate Nina. "Now, the princess."

"Lutus, go check the bag," Alavex commanded, his narrowed eyes locked with the king's. Lutus stepped forward and took the bag, bringing it to Alavex and opening it. Gold coins greeted them and Nina had no doubt it was the fifty million zenny they had demanded.

Alavex seemed to come to the same conclusion. He shot an apologetic look at Nina. "I am sorry we have put you through this, Princess Nina," he said solemnly. "However, my men and I make the ultimate sacrifice in the hopes that one day you will absolve us from this tyranny. Until then…" He trailed off then shook his head.

Nina knew there were no more words to say and though not fully unexpected tears threatened to surface, she suppressed them for the sake of the charade. These men were indeed making the ultimate sacrifice based on the slimmest of chances that she would help them. "Thank you," was all Nina trusted herself to say before turning away and heading towards her father.

Halfway there the ambush struck.

Someone appeared behind Nina and secured her, rushing her towards the king and safety as the rest pounced on the Cloaks. Nina made to scream but found she could only watch the carnage unfold.

Guile was the quickest to respond, his knives jumping to his hands as he furiously met the enemy head-on. However, quick though Guile was, the number and power of his opponents overwhelmed him and as he struck two down, two others ran him through with their blades. He growled and valiantly tried to continue fighting but as the blood ran from his mouth and wounds he slowed, ultimately falling to his knees before a sword swiftly connected with his neck.

The remaining turned to face Lutus, who was ready for the futile challenge. He raced toward them, unarmed. The two swordsmen must have been warned of his abilities for they hurriedly fell back towards the archers and mages in the back, though they were too slow. Lutus reached for both of them and wrapped his large hands around each of their skulls, covering their eyes. Suddenly he was struck by several flaming arrows, a combination of magic and archery. He followed Guile, but the damage had been done; the two swordsmen now clawed at their eyes, unable to see anything.

Now stood Alavex alone, one half-Woren against an elite Wyndian group of five. Apparently he had used the time his comrades had bought him, preparing a spell Nina sensed was both powerful and ancient. Completing the incantation, he swung his arms at the archers and mages, who were suddenly engulfed by a shower of lightning bolts. If Nina had thought the Myollnir spell was powerful, this one was on a whole different level.

A stray bolt shot towards her but was met with the soldier that had carried her away, scorching his body in a hot flash of light before throwing it into the forest. Without the support of the soldier, the force of the spell met her like a shockwave and threw her back unceremoniously to the ground.

After the dust settled slightly, Nina hesitantly opened her eyes. It had been an epic, albeit short battle. The remaining group of warriors had been reduced to dust, including the blind two Lutus had subdued. Guile and Lutus remained on the ground, a thin layer of dust blanketing them. At the end of the battlefield Nina could make out two figures. One was Alavex, kneeling down from sheer exertion of the spell, the other was the king, his sword drawn and pointed at Alavex's heart.

"It is such a waste," she heard him say, his voice cold. "Seeing the potential the three of you alone had, you really were excellent Cloaks."

"We were excellent tools," Alavex retorted sharply between breaths, "and when you were done with us, you tossed us away like tools. You may replace us, but no matter what you do, you'll never be able to defeat Ryu." At this, Alavex's face broke into a wearied grin, one that looked weathered by too many hardships in life. "Just remember that."

The king sneered and drove his sword into Alavex. The half-Woren let out a gasp of pain as the blade effortlessly passed through him and out again, before falling flat on the ground, unmoving and silent. The king flicked the blood from his blade before sheathing it and turning to Nina.

"Come," he said, his voice authoritative. "It is time to return to the kingdom."


Author's Note: Well it's been quite some time since the last update, I do apologize for that. However, the length of the actual story is turning out longer than what I had drawn up in my outline, so there was some rewriting that had to be done. I originally projected 15-20 chapters, so I'll start lengthening the chapters to try and keep to that outline, though I will probably exceed it. As for the actual story, I am trying to adapt a new writing style for this piece to make it stand from my others. I don't want all my stories to sound the same with different characters. Please leave me some feedback on what I can improve on. Thanks for your support!