Chapter 15: The Heiress and Her Knight
At the rise of dawn, Eliwood, Hector, and Lucas, along the the rest of their huge army, immediately start their early travel with hasty feet towards the land of Caelin in hopes of rescuing not just the marquess and the land of Caelin, but also their friends that are in peril. However, knowing the cruel marquess of Laus, their rescue mission is not going to be a walk in the plains.
At the moment, Lucas's mind was a complete mess. On one side, he was really happy to see Lyn again. But for the others, not so much. Nevertheless, he was still excited to meet with them again. Whereas on the other hand, he was completely angry, for if anyone hurt her after what she had been through and had done so much, they're going to have hell to pay. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize that the other Lords had stopped to see the carnage of what happened to Caelin. However, Lucas just rushed ahead, ignoring the screams of villagers as they rushed away from the battle field. Then suddenly…
"Hey Lucas! Stop dreaming over there, we're here now, and things aren't looking too great," Ren snaps Lucas out of his episodic nightmare. "That lout and his henchmen army infiltrated Hausen's manor. Does not look bright at that side."
"I-I see, let me look further," Lucas, embarrassed from that moment a few minutes ago, walks to the cliff and uses his spyglass for a clearer view from his position, seeing two armored knights holding a short conversation at the manor gates.
"Dang it, can't see well," Ren jests as he tries to glance with his hands forming something similar to binoculars over his eyes. He then turns around only to see the tactician making his way back to the creepy old woman from before.
"Well, we can only assume the worst in this situation. Milady Hannah, can you tell me any fortunes? I don't feel like leaving this to chance." Lucas reasoned handing over 200 gold coins to her as a fee for her services.
"I see that the tactician is finally using me for my services." She jokes before looking into her crystal ball to see the future of what is to come. The tactician wastes no time in commanding the others as they were unsure what to do.
"Hmmmm, I sense the great presence of thin light blades in this battle, I advise you to not bring axe-wielders in this fight. However, with the strength in numbers that your foes have, you must always be ready for any opportunity and bring healers if possible. I also sense assistance in the middle of the battle, but time is of the essence and does fare in your favor, young tactician," Hannah recommended, ending her augury.
"Everyone gear up, I want every possible outcome to be covered. I want no errors, no chance probability. And no survivors." Lucas commands in his usual manner, making sure that everyone got their instructions. As some immediately went to prepare themselves for the inevitable battle to come. "Ren, you are with me until…"
"Yeah yeah sure br–hey, what's that over there?" Ren wonders as he sees an unidentified flying object far hidden in the clouds before being prompted to follow it with his nimble feet rapidly chasing down the valleys and running over the grass like a clueless yet excited child.
"Waitaminute, that's no ordinary object, that's a pegasus!" Lucas replies after using his spyglass to see the pegasus and its rider, Florina. "Ren!"
The nimble swordsman ran for his life upon noticing several archers aiming for the flier as it strides among the clouds. With a fit of silent anger, he deals with each archer and nearby soldier with great heavy slashes from his iron broadsword, but carelessly neglects the last archer's arrow as it grazes the winged mount's abdomen, startling its concentration and causes it to lose altitude and slowly dives for an injured landing.
"Aw crud!" Ren curses before decapitating the archer and then tries to follow the falling pegasus and its rider with the least softest cushion possible: his own body.
"Look out!" The rider yells.
"I got you! I got you! I–"
In a flash, the pegasus crashes its huge body atop the swordsman and the soft grass, leaving its rider unscathed from her fall. The rider, familiar to Lucas and the members of Lyn's legion, glances with a gasp upon the flattened swordsman.
"Well, you certainly got her alright. Nice catch, numbnuts," Lucas quips as he and the others slowly make their way to the fallen swordsman and rider. Upon closer inspection it seemed that Florina landed in a certain position that should usually end up in a marriage night. With Florina on top of Ren, her hands arched on Ren's chest and Ren's leg between Florina's legs, with his bosom cushioning Florina's chest. The two quickly get off each other as Lucas nudges Farina to come look at this.
"Look at them, aren't they excited to start their relationship?" He says smugly.
"What the hell are you talking abou–Florina!"
In that instant, the startled Florina calms down upon seeing her older sister once more before crying for some time after a glancing reunion with a warm embrace.
"Hey easy li'l sis, it's ok, it's ok," Farina comforts her little sister.
"Sister Farina! I missed you! So much!" Florina cries before asking with curiosity. "B-but what are you doing here sister? Where is your-"
"Save that for later, but for now, someone's in a worse shape than Huey."
Farina motions Florina as she points to the flattened Ren while hiding her grin and laughter.
"O-oh! Ren! A-are you alright?!" The orchid haired pegasus knight Florina gasps after she helps her mount Huey calm down and rest from her graze and embracing her sister.
From this, Ren smiles with his thumb raised in response to the frightened Florina before getting grabbed into a tight hug and exploding into tears.
"Ren! It was terrible! Many of us lost! His highness is still trapped inside! We cannot get in with what we have left! They have outnumbered us!" Florina cries painfully out of frustration.
"Fret no more Florina, 'cause we got ourselves an entourage," Ren comforts with a pat on her shoulder, motioning her to see a very pissed tactician and the rest of the group behind him.
"Alright, that's enough reunion time. Now unto business, where is Lyn? Is she safe?" Lucas calmly asks immediately, internally containing his anger at a near fever pitch.
"L-Lyn is safe! Everyone else except Sir Eagler, evacuated before the invasion took place in the castle! H-his majesty Lord Hausen implored us to stand down while the rest of us escort Lyn to safety! S-she is at the other side of the woods far west from this position with the last of us," Florina attempts to explain while keeping her nervousness under wraps.
Lucas thinks a little bit before grinning in his usual mischievous manner. "Hey, Florina, isn't it about time I make my debut once again? Time for the 'unspoken' knight to return." He picks up his silver lance and twirls it around for a passive stance.
"Unspoken knight?" Florina wonders from the title before asking Ren, who's holding his laughter. "R-Ren? What does he mean?"
Ren motions her to forget about it with a wave of his hand before helping her mount atop the fully recovered Huey–thanks to Priscilla and Serra.
"Well, this is the plan. Everyone focuses on making a pathway as me, Ren and Floina go towards Lyn and the remainders of the Legion. As soon as we regroup, we take the castle. Also, Merlinus, could you move your tent and wares along with us? I fear that the enemy will flank us and capture you if you stayed still here." Lucas strategizes as he prepares his spear, sharpening it again for the umpteenth time.
"Alright, I can stand again, for now I think," Ren replies as he props himself up with his iron broadsword and Huey pushing him from behind.
"Thanks pal," Ren smirks as he pets the healed Huey and strokes his lustrous gray mane. "Hey Florina, I think he's in good shape to fly again. Climb up."
Florina then blushes momentarily before climbing and mounting atop Huey with Ren's assistance. As Ren was about to follow Lucas, she tugs him by the cloth of his shoulder and whimpers nervously.
"U-u-ummm Ren, i-is it okay if you ride on Huey too? I-it can save some time, I think," Florina nervously suggests while fidgeting with her fingers like a child until Ren nonchalantly mounts atop Huey behind Florina.
"Mighty kind of you Florina. Thank you for the lift," Ren smirks gleefully, making Florina's head become as bright as a ripe tomato and yelps from being startled by him.
"Well, go on now, your team needs you, we'll catch up with you guys shortly!" Farina assures with a grin as she bids them a short farewell.
"Y-yes sister!" Florina answers before flying to the skies with Ren as her passenger, following Lucas from above the clouds.
"Now, we must hunt." Lucas says motioning everyone to start their position. "No survivors."
As the three of them travel towards Lyn's current location, they get intercepted by a squadron of soldiers and swordsmen blocking their route to Lyn and the rest of the legion, who are also in the middle of battle.
"Let me take care of these goons. Go ahead, I will make sure that these jokes are done." Lucas commands as he pulls out two spears, his emblem lance and the silver lance he got from Erik, as both the myrmidon and the pegasus knight quickly fly away.
"Goons? We'll kill you first." One of the axe-wielding soldiers quickly moves toward the tactician, intending to smash him with his hammer, only for Lucas to sidestep and follow up with a thrust of his spear, piercing his shoulder. As the soldier who attacked him falls down, clutching his shoulder in pain, another small group of swordsmen slowly surround the tactician as they are unaware of who they are facing. Lucas throws a javelin, quickly impaling one quickly to the ground and then deflects a sword swing of one of the soldiers before making momentum by letting his blade scratch along the silver spear, before Lucas knees his face and slashes the spear down his neck, decapitating it. Before using that momentum to stab another right in the chest, making him stop completely. He pulls out both the emblem lance and the silver spear out of their corpses, before kicking the body of the newly deceased soldier to the other swordsmen before twirling his spear pointing it at the others, who were slowly backing away from the horror of how terrifying he was in battle.
"Who's next?" He asks snapping the terrified soldiers out of their stupor as they all charge at him.
Meanwhile both the pegasus rider and the myrmidon were slowly on their way heading to the group.
"Watch me fly, Florina!" Ren cries out before hopping off Huey with his limbs spread wide and feels the great breeze pushing against his face and hair. "Incoming!"
Ren lands a strong heel drop kick on a frail swordsman attempting to thrust his iron sword on Wil before rolling on the grass for a cushioned stop landing.
"Tada!" Ren jests towards the astounded members of the Legion, including Lyn herself.
"Ren! You're actually here?! Where have you been?!" Wil asks hysterically.
"Sweet St. Elimine! You're a sight for sore eyes!" Sain adds as he smashes an enemy swordsman's skull with his heavy steel lance.
"Wait, if you are here, then does that mean–"
"Lucas is here! B-but he's in trouble–Lyn wait!" Florina warns, but is unable to stop Lyn's urge to find Lucas, struggling his way to meet with the rest of the team against several other enemy soldiers. Fluid fighting style of deflecting sword strikes to the ground and punishing the enemy for their carelessness showing his slowly depleting stamina.
"Lucas!" Lyn calls out with all her might as she spars and cuts down every opponent blocking her path to Lucas.
"Lyn! Is that you!?" Lucas roars as he fends off the surrounding soldiers before impaling one in front of him with his heavy silver lance and uses his dying corpse as a battering ram through the bloody battlefield with his wavering stamina, slowly allowing his exhaustion to finally take over, taking a knee around the dead bodies of all the knights surround him, with another swordsman about to cut off his head with a single swing of his sword.
"Lucas!" Lyn calls out again as she cuts another soldier's head clean off while making her way to Lucas, as the swing of the blade seems to slow down in front of her. Left incredibly vulnerable due to fatigue, he accepts that he was about to finally embrace death itself on the battlefield with one final breath. However, that was delayed as he was embraced instead in a warm hug by familiar hands, the very hands that gave him warmth and comfort. But rather than a happy feeling, he was mortified by the dreadful complexion Lyn bears until she lays her cold head on Lucas' shoulder and falls on her knees as she suffers and nearly succumbs to a deep slash across her frail feminine back.
Lyn limps and groans from the agony she brought upon herself for defending the one who bears a great significance throughout her life and rests on Lucas' warm fatigued body before falling unconscious from losing excess blood.
"Lyn!" Lucas screams as he saw Lyn nearly die from shielding him from the slash then holds her fast before tackling and stabbing the soldier right in his eyes with that same with his long silver lance. After making sure that he was thoroughly killed, he gently lays Lyn's body on the ground on her front and held her close.
"We need to assist her ladyship! Come!" Kent rallies with Ren, Sain, Wil and Florina following him as they distract the other soldiers and cut open a wide path to reach Lyn and Lucas.
As the legion manages to hold their line, Eliwood, Hector, and the rest of their huge army finally catches up with them and kill off the straggling soldiers in the area. As they see the tactician panicking at the slowly dying heiress.
"I need healers! Vulneraries! Elixirs! Anything! Please!" Lucas wails loudly with a pained voice while trying to keep Lyn's body from bleeding excessively.
"Priscilla! Hurry!" Eliwood orders the noble lady to use her mending ability to seal and heal Lyn's deep wounds.
"Oh dear, I can't do it. This seems a bit too much for me alone, " Priscilla anxiously admits while trying to mend her deep laceration.
"Serra! Go!" Hector commands.
"Worry no more! I shall save you!" Serra gloats as she helps Priscilla successfully heal and seal Lyn's deep wounds before properly sanitizing them with clean water.
"Whew, thank goodness, she's out of the danger, for now, " Priscilla pants as she wipes the sweat off her brow.
"Thank you, thank you," Lucas whimpers as he unclips his favorite green cloak and lays it on the green grass like a flat mattress.
"Lucas, isn't that–"
"Shut up," Lucas barked to Ren out of anxiety and depression before letting Lyn rest herself on the ground cushioned by his favorite green cloak. He went silent while grasping her hand in pain of hoping she would regain consciousness soon.
"Lucas, you stay here with Lyn and the rest of your team. We can handle this on our own now that their numbers are few. So take care of her," Eliwood advises the depressed tactician before walking away with his Elite.
"Be careful on your own, but look out for reinforcements okay!" Hector bids as his Horde follows Eliwood and his Elite to eliminate the last surviving enemy soldiers.
Meanwhile, Lucas along with Ren, Dorcas, Erk, and the other members of Lyn's Legion stay behind to look after Lyn's condition, hoping that she would open her eyes for even a second to battlefield had long gotten quiet as anxiety fills the atmosphere for the fate of their injured comrade, friend, and leader unconscious in the arms of the one who's been with her the longest in their past journeys adventuring together.
"W-will she...come around again?" Florina asks while barely holding her anxious tears as she grips tightly unto Ren's gray jacket to ease herself.
"She will come around. She's a strong woman. I'll tell you that," he assures while breaking a sweat.
"Milady, please wake up," Kent mutters with his face downcast and grips his steel sword tight in disappointment for his inability to help them.
Lucas just silently held her hand, making sure that she felt him even though it was hopeless for him. "Lyn, I'm back...This wasn't how our reunion was supposed to go. I wanted you to run back in my arms, not shield me in my carelessness...Please...don't die...not before I can see you smile...one last time..." Tears slowly dropped on her body as the others heard about what he had said to Lyn. The group was silent as Lucas was silently weeping for the heiress, as the others could do nothing but watch until a single word breathed out of the awakened heiress.
"..Lucas…?"
Lucas, with his eyes wide open, is astonished in relief upon hearing his name from that lovely voice of hers before turning to look into her slightly-opened eyes as she slowly regains consciousness. "Lyn!"
Lucas cries in relief with his face downcast to hide his enlightened face, dripping with tears of joy. He feels a small feminine hand hold his cheek then looks straight into Lyn's droopy eyes till she breaks the silence between them.
"Are you alright, Lucas?" Lyn asks with that bright smile of hers to the joyed tactician.
Lucas quickly dried his eyes and dried it with his hands, before responding with his somewhat hoarse voice. "Yeah...Yeah, I'm fine. What's wrong? Do I look weird to you?"
"At the moment, it is quite unsightly and odd seeing you shed tears, but I do take delight in that. They are your true feelings after all, " Lyn answers back with her gentle and vibrant smile as she gently caresses Lucas' wet cheeks with her feminine, but fatigued hand.
Lucas suddenly burns bright red upon hearing her touchingly cute answer and turns away to embarrassingly hide his flustered face, making the members of the legion laugh out loud in response to his unsightly appearance.
"Good to have you back, milady, " Kent replies in relief as he salutes to his mistress.
"Yeah, welcome back!" Sain rejoices with his flirty smile.
"Well, least we don't have to mourn now. But his majesty is still in the castle! If we are going to move now, now is the time, " Wil reminds with worry.
"Then there's no time to waste, we must meet up with Eliwood and Hector at the castle gates, who's with me!" Lucas rallies, enlightening their spirits before helping Lyn stand on her feet.
"Eliwood? He's here too?" Lyn curiously asks. "Is that how you are able to return to Caelin safely?"
"Well, I just so happened to run into him, " Lucas straightforwardly muses while putting on his grass-covered cloak, making Lyn chuckle lightly.
"Is that so? I'd like to thank him when I have the chance then. For now, we must hurry to save my grandfather and Sir Eagler, " Lyn replies.
"And hurry we shall!" Ren rallies as he runs off with Florina, Wil, Erk, and Dorcas to meet with everyone else at the gates.
"Hop on! We can get there fast at this rate!" Sain advises as he takes Lucas' arm to make him ride on his mount.
"If I manage to not get sick from your ride, you can keep your life, " Lucas warns anxiously, making Lyn laugh while riding with Kent as she recalls Lucas' distaste for riding on horseback.
They trot out of the woods swiftly to finally meet with the group that stood by the castle entrance.
"Lucas, sorry to bother you again, but we got a situation here, " Eliwood begs after hearing the enemy's numbers as told by the sneaky Matthew.
"Ugh, really? What's the situation…?" Lucas groans as he discounts off of Sain's steed.
"Sir tactician, I tried to survey the interiors in your absence, but I was nearly caught like a red fox sneaking around by pesky wielders of dark arts. So it was difficult to try looking around and leave unscathed, " Matthew muses and explains.
"Damn shamans, " Lucas curses and sighs deeply while holding his face infuriated by his enemy's intelligence of recruiting shamans in their ranks. He then reluctantly turns to Hannah with an irritated look on his face.
"Hannah, your services, now, " Lucas inquires, making the greedy fortune teller gleefully appear to his beckoning before receiving another pouch filled with 200 gold coins.
"Wait, is Lucas really—"
"Yeah, as you might guess. Figured that he could use the chance to know more about his enemy's current condition before formulating a battle plan, " Ren answers to the curious and astounded Lyn upon seeing Lucas' asking for a fortune.
"Hmmm, I sense the clanging sounds of heavy steel in the battle field. I advise you to bring axes, fighters and armor-slayers that can penetrate the heavy defences of the enemy, " Hannah answers before exhaling.
"Armor-slayers. I see…"
"I have one with me, " Ren replies as he takes out his battle-worn armor slayer, appearing to only last in one more battle.
"Well that's reassuring, " Lucas comments, before calling Merlinus over. "Can you check if we have anything against heavy units? Also could you get me some spears, both my javelin and my spear are quite worn out."
When Merlinus left to check the wares to see if there was anything that he could get from the group's supplies and only managed to have a couple of handaxes and broad iron axes in stock.
"I-I believe this is what we have at the moment against armored soldiers, mister Lucas. A thousand apologies!" Merlinus apologizes.
"Come to think of it, I manage to get this heavy spear after warning the nearby villages from our previous location, " Kent assures as he pulls out a Heavy Spear from his steed's holster.
"Good, take that with you because we need that, " Lucas replies.
"I sense the sounds of trotting hooves from the far south. Be wary for reinforcements that will come in the middle of battle, " Hannah adds.
"Hooves? So cavalry, alright. First, Matthew, pilfer and steal anything we can find: books, notes, gold, whatever. Second, I want Dorcas, Hector and Bartre to be the vanguard. Eliwood, your objective is the leader. Serra, Priscilla, I want you guys to focus up on healing. The rest of you, take down whatever you can. I want not a single soul to report back to that cur Darin, for taking Milord's castle."
"Oh yes, bring the flame-haired lass over there, you might even meet someone in the middle of this fight, but time is of the essence or else doom shall fall upon the innocent, young tactician, " Hannah ends her augury session.
"Who is the flame haired lass…? Anyway, thank you, I needed that, " Lucas thanked the augur before turning to the huge group with a formulated plan.
It was then at that point that he noticed Priscilla's hair color.
"Priscilla, change of plans,you're going to accompany me to battle for this one. For 2 reasons, One, I need your healing to improve and become as good as Serra's. Secondly, I don't like what she said about the doom coming to the tactician."
"A-alright, " Priscilla responded.
"Cool, now let's go in and destroy these fellas!" Ren rallies with Erk, Wil, and Florina as his team behind Hector's vanguard squad.
With that, the battle commences as Hector, Bartre, and Dorcas rush forward as the vanguard as they take down the archers and the lone knight standing guard at the entrance. As the guards are eliminated, Ren's team along with Lyn and Lucas head deeper into the castle while fighting off the straggling soldiers in various parts of the castle. In the meantime, a few members in Hector's Horde explore another part of the castle into what appears to be a small treasure room guarded by archers and a lone shaman.
Recalling Hannah's premonition, Lucas orders everyone nearby his position to put their guard up as they venture deeper in the long corridors.
"Wait! Alright, let me survey the area," Lucas halts the team as he inspects the corridor, spotting a pair of archers that are accompanied by a knight and an axeman as their shields. He then looks around and assumes that the coast is clear.
"Nothing too h–"
"Lucas! Watch out!"
Lyn calls out until she pulls Lucas away from a frontal slash by a stray steel sword, wielded by a red-haired mercenary.
"This is as far as you may go, now time for you to die," The red-haired mercenary replies as he readies his steel sword for another swift frontal slash.
"You first," Lucas hisses as he brandishes his silver lance, only to be stopped by the "flame-haired" troubadour, Priscilla.
"Wait! Stop! Please! No more fighting!" she pleads out of her sentimental heart of grace, making the atmosphere dead silent and awkward so suddenly.
The mercenary, however, lays down his sword upon seeing the red-haired lady with a content and satisfied smile on his straight face. He then slowly walks to her, slowly startling her with his misunderstood gestures.
"Um…sorry, but you are–"
"You've grown…grown…up…Priscilla," the redhead swordsman loudly mutters, catching Priscilla off-guard.
"I beg your pardon, sir?" Priscilla warily asks.
"It only makes sense that you do not remember, 'cause you were but a child back then when you left," the redhead swordsman replies as he makes Priscilla realize who he is.
"Wait...are you...Raymond!? My brother?!" Priscilla excitedly inquires with tears of joy, shocking the stoic tactician and the rest of the team behind him.
"You've matured well, Priscilla," Raymond replies.
Priscilla then rushes off to tightly embrace her long lost brother like a child, ignoring her noble ladylike manners.
"...Okay, so that happened," Ren deadpans as he nibbles on some hard tack that he kept for snacking and shares them with Wil and Florina while waiting.
"What are you doing here of all places? I thought your foster father Count Caerleon is supposed to keep you safe under his hospitality in Etruria?" Raymond asks.
"Count Caerleon may have been my foster father, but my true family is in House Cornwell of Caelin. I've never forgotten about everyone back home," Priscilla sternly answered back.
"Priscilla…I–"
"Hey! Who goes there!?" An enemy axeman calls out with his steel hammer on guard.
As expected, the enemy squad spots them from afar and readies their bows to open fire while an armored knight acts as their human shield.
"I need to vent a bit… Priscilla and Raven join up later..." Lucas says, dismissively as he furiously hurls a javelin at the axeman, impaling him instantly.
In a fit of rage, the armored knight rushes toward Lucas with his heavy iron lance before Lyn could even react. However, the armored knight meets his demise at the hand of the aloof swordsman Raymond, as he cuts his arms off before stomping hard on his skull.
"By the way Priscilla, I go by the name Raven from this day onward. Try to remember that," Raymond, now Raven, tells his gentle sister.
"O-okay…" she responded.
"Wait, from what I recall, there were other prisoners in this castle, I'll let them out while you go forward with that bloke behind you. Help Caelin reclaim their freedom," Raven remembers and advises the team to keep moving forward while he goes to the castle dungeons.
Lucas meanwhile was cleaving down enemies with his spear, swiping at all of them in a wide arc.
"Anyone else?" Lucas taunts, picking up his silver spear and twirling it.
"Lucas!" Lyn calls out, but was futile to warn him from avoiding an array of dark bullets striking parts of his body swiftly, pushing him back with excessive force.
A shaman then appears at the other end of the corridor while summoning another array of dark bullets. "Meet your maker!"
"With Elimine's light!"
From the corridor where the dungeons are located, Lucius then summons more divine light as he continues to call lightning to smite the shaman until he is unmoving. Following after him were three Caelin knights and Raven.
"I confess, you definitely are unlucky in the battlefield." Lucius says offering the tactician a hand.
"You tell me, Lucius." Lucas says standing up, thanks to Lucius's help
"I missed you all," Lucius kindly replies with his vibrant smile, making Lucas queasy with his feminine looks despite him being a man.
"Sir Lucas! You're here!" Two of the Caelin knights notice the tactician's return in Caelin.
"Yes, and I'm sure that all of you are exhausted or whatever so I want you to rest up for now. You have Lord Hausen to protect."
"We need your help this instant! It's General Eagler! He's in a crucial state!" the third knight pleads.
"Raven, Priscilla, go and help General Eagler, now!" Lucas commands them to tend to the old paladin he spared from a year prior.
"Y-yes! Right away!" Priscilla affirms as she heads down the dungeon with Raven as her bodyguard to tend to the wounded paladin.
"Well, as for us, let's knock down some more heads, shall we?" Ren comments while cracking his knuckles.
"As you say, old friend," Lucius agrees, along with Lucas picking up his Emblem Spear.
The team then eliminates the last of the enemy armored knights and archers while also taking down magic-wielders with the assistance of Erk and Lucius.
Finally, all that remains on the enemy's side was one huge, red plated-armored knight guarding the throne of the marquess of Caelin, Lord Hausen.
"I am Bernard! Knight commander of Laus! I would like to test the might of the ones that have bested my aide Bauker!" The general roars as he readies his giant steel lance.
"Bollocks, where's Wallace when you need him?!" Ren anxiously wonders after noticing Wallace is nowhere to be found.
"..." Lucas was rather quiet, slowly walking towards the bulky-armored general. "I will be your opponent."
"Lucas, if you wish to fight him, use this instead," Kent advised as he lent him his Heavy Spear.
Lucas takes the spear, thanking the cavalier quietly as he slowly moves to the armored knight, who now realized that this meager tactician, approaching him with a vengeance.
"Oh ho ho, who might you be?"
"Someone who wants you off that throne."
"Oh, so they had to send off a midget to be my foe, surely you jest!"
"..."
"Not going to address me? Or is this a way that you look down on me?"
"..."
"Well you will die for that transgression."
"I have nothing to say to a dead man." Lucas says twirling his heavy spear and pointing it to him.
At the spur of the moment, Lucas attempts to deal a strong thrust towards the general with a heavy spear. But due to his impeccable misfortune, the red-armored Bernard manages to parry his spear to change trajectory before catching the tactician off his guard and grasps him by his neck and lifts him.
"You fought well for a little wench of a soldier. No matter, once I'm done with you, I'll—"
"Taste this feeling!" Ren roars as he deals a flurry of strikes and slashes with his Armorslayer, cutting the red-plated armor like paper and gravely injures the general that he releases his hold on Lucas and holds onto his grave wound found on his right shoulder, weakening his grip on his huge steel lance.
"Argh! Who—"
"Consider this your execution," Ren sternly replies as he swiftly finishes the fight by decapitating the moustached general's head clean off, making his lifeless and headless armored corpse fall to the castle floor, staining the stone grounds with his blood.
"Problem solved," Ren smirks as he lets his blood-dripping battleworn Armorslayer rest over his left shoulder.
"Way to go, dumbass, you made the castle even messier. And you stole my kill..." Lucas deadpans in disgust with the huge bleeding corpse littered on the castle floor before kicking it out of frustration.
"You left yourself wide open with that reckless behaviour of yours. You think he won't squish you first?" Ren retorts back.
"That does not concern me. I can handle things myself," Lucas scoffed at his Ren's reckless prattle.
"Grandfather!" Lyn cries out as she desperately looks for her frail grandfather with the last obstacle out of the way in the throne room.
The two lords, the tactician and his mistress– or "betrothed" to be exact– orders all the members to search the castle interiors for any other straggling soldiers of Laus while they examine the throne room. As they search, they stumble upon what gave the heiress of Caelin a fright of her life.
"Hey, there's blood splattered on the throne!" Hector notices prints of blood on the seat of the throne.
"No...nonono! Please!" Lyn sobs with great sorrow and pain from imagining her grandfather's demise while Lucas tries to comfort her with a gentle sympathetic hug.
"Relax, there's no need to worry."
Suddenly, from the darkest corner of the throne room, there came a red-haired female stranger, donning a dark cloak with her stilettos well-hidden around her slim figure and half of her face covered by her side-bang. Making Lucas immediately move in front of Lyn to protect her from what she may do.
"Who are you? State your business," Lucas warns as he cautiously wields his silver lance, pointing it at the interloper.
"Hold on Lucas, I know this woman. She works for Ostia," Hector calms down the wary tactician as he commands him to lay down his lance. Which he does, reluctantly.
"Where's my grandfather? Please lead me to him," Lyn asks with worry.
"He is recovering well as we speak now that I lead your monk friend to aid his health. You will find them in his royal chambers," the redhead assures, relieving Lyn's heart and allowing her to leave the room.
In the middle of the serious small talk, the playful swordsman enters the throne room for a moment.
"Hey Lucas, the coast is cl–Talon!? That y–!?"
The redhead immediately shuts Ren's mouth with a swift roundhouse to his right temple, flinging him to the wall and knocks him out cold on the wall so hard that his eyes flip from the shock.
"Talon?" Lucas muttered to himself before deciding that he needed to grill the woman for information later but wisely decided to keep his mouth shut as he still was trying to protect Lyn. But first things first, he needed information. "Hector, do you mind introducing us? I believe that all, if any, information should be disclosed between leaders and advisor, right?"
"Right right. Everyone, meet Leila, one of our best spies in Ostia's military. She's been busy as of late until, well, I honestly do not know what is her business here in Caelin of all places. But, guess she's right on time," Hector introduces the redhead spy to the group.
"Much obliged, Milord, but I was supposedly assigned from my post to survey the area and that cur Darin," Leila casually answers, making the group uneasy with her occupation.
"Would that perhaps involve a certain assassin organization called the Black Fang by any chance?" Lucas asks curiously.
"You got that right, Mr. Straightforward," Leila answers teasingly.
"So, my theory was right…" Lucas muttered, before pulling out some sheets of paper from his satchel as Lyn gave him a look as he started scribbling it down.
"Wait, so that's your reason being here?" Hector inquires of her mission.
"...Lord Uther...dispatched me to investigate the Black Fang that is currently uneasy for some desperate reason behind the scenes. I'm still unsure, but I might get to it once I return shortly," Leila assures.
"Okay...but any idea where their base of operations is held? Please, I need to search for my father, and the leads of his whereabouts tell me that he's involved with them," Eliwood asks
"Concerning Marquess Pherae…he's alive," Leila answers.
"Whoo! Yes! Aren't you glad Eliwood!" Hector rejoices.
"Hector, there are more things to worry about than your friend's father." Lucas advises as he pulls out his spear in order to lean on it.
"So what else would you like to ask about, Mr. Straightforward? Would it be perhaps more about the Black Fang?" Leila wonders, getting his nod as an answer.
"Okay, it goes like this: The Black Fang is a guild of assassins founded ten years ago by Brendan Reed. They're based in Bern. Their arms reached quickly in several other countries. Originally, their targets were corrupt nobles that abused their positions. They were seen to be chivalrous and heroic defenders of the commoners and easily gained their support, " Leila explains.
"Why did Ren call you Talon?" Lucas says, not being subtle at any point, asking her the obvious question in the room.
"I do not know how much he has disclosed his previous identity to all of you, but he was once a member, well, more like an officer or elder member in the Black Fang from how I see it," Leila answers to what she knew, making Lucas's expression becoming unreadable at the reveal of his friend's history before she started her story.
"My alias in the Fang is the Crimson Talon, your friend, Ren, was my "superior" in his ranks among the top members in the Black Fang. His name was the Gray Wraith, a ruthless swordsman rivalling the Silver Wolf, Lloyd, one of Brendan's sons and is known to be close to Brendan and his sons like family, " Leila adds then pauses before disclosing sad news about him.
"However, he did not last too long back then. He once said that he's learned darker secrets after the time when he heard news of Brendan courting this certain strange woman. He felt an eerie presence and aura around that woman while spying on them. One day he decided to investigate her on a whim and then the next day he had left the Fang or, to put it bluntly, exiled and murdered. At least, that was how it's supposed to end," Leila explains as she says her side of the story, making Lucas think a little bit more about what could have happened in that small duration of time.
"But why though? Why all that for a woman?" Hector asks.
"Well apparently, it's her doing that the Black Fang took dirtier jobs and take on any target, regardless of the difficulty as long as they are paid, which has made Ren uneasy while working with the Black Fang, " Leila continues to explain, making the room silent for a few minutes as the information slowly settled in.
"...What was her name?" Lucas asks, breaking the silence.
"I was unable to find out her name, but her master, Nergal, I have managed to investigate a bit. He's responsible for throwing parts of Lycia into civil wars and rebellions along with getting control over the Black Fang. His trusted retainer Ephidel, is with Marquess Laus, and had manipulated him into hatching his plan to rebel against Ostia. The first to answer was Marquess Santaruz, then Marquess Pherae, and lastly Marquess Caelin," Leila partially answers, but does not completely satisfy Lucas's question.
"My master would do no such thing." Lucas answers back, defending the honor of his Lord, Marquess Hausen.
"My father…are you telling me he endorsed this plan?"
"I do not know the complete details, but I do know he was with Marquess Laus in a place called the Dragon's Gate," Leila answers.
"The Dragon what?" Hector wonders.
"Where is that place located?" Eliwood asks.
"On an isle called Valor, found off the southern coast of Lycia, I apologize, but that's all the information I could give you," Leila apologizes
"So the Dread Isle then?" Lucas muses, cursing inwardly to his rotten luck once more.
"They say that those who venture there never return. There were rumors in a few coastal towns I have been that there were some suspicious matters that were occurring there. That is all the information I was given on the matter." Lucas answers back, wrapping his cloak to make himself feel more comfortable.
"My father, in that place…" Eliwood questions as his mind wanders in his anxious thoughts.
"Anyways, I would like to keep the conversation long, but as you can see: this castle is still in shambles. Mind giving it a couple of repairs?" Leila deadpans.
After the short discussion, everyone dispersed to deal with management matters and recover whatever is left in the castle. But after what felt like hours, it was as if a few minutes only came to pass processing everything that was given. Leila soon asks her second master.
"So, may I take my leave?"
"Yes yes, you may go now," Hector permits as the redhead takes her leave and strolls along the castle corridors before bumping into Matthew.
"Oh–Leila! Um, hi!" Matthew replied in return, not knowing Lucas was eavesdropping from afar to listen about any important details about the Black Fang, or at least that was how it's supposed to go.
"Oh, Matthew! Haven't seen you in a while," Leila answers back with her striking smile.
As the two spies converse in a little small talk, they entrapped themselves in their own world while ignoring the onlooker viewing from behind the other end of the corridors. After a few minutes, when Lucas finished, he was startled and surprised by a strong tap on his shoulder.
"I'd leave them be if I were you," Hector quietly warns before walking away with Oswin in tow, assisting him as his shield.
The two spies were getting a bit giddy for quite some time like it were a reunion between lovers until Matthew appears to make his move on the redhead upon mentioning his plan to introduce her to his family and other sensitive matters that left Leila embarrassed and reluctant with that future plan before leaving the corridor out of a sense of "urgency," as she stated, standing Matthew up in his awkward gesture.
"So...Leila, huh?" Lucas teases as he enters the scene, making the thief groan in frustration.
"Oh shut up," Matthew hisses out of embarrassment, not surprised by his sudden appearance after sensing other nearby onlookers from the other end of the corridor.
That night after the battle and all that has happened, Lucas wanders around the once-damaged and repaired castle halls, instinctively moving towards the library while thinking about what had happened over the last year: the battles, the emotions and his feelings. 'Well, it could've been worse...' Lucas muses to himself. 'Lyn could have died earlier. But why is there a feeling of impending doom that is still present. I wonder what it could be...'
It was at that moment, Lucas bumped into the one person he hadn't expected to bump into for this entire trip.
"Oh hey, Lucas!" Serra says moving closer to Lucas. "How's my favorite tactician?"
"Not now, Serra."
"Well, aren't you rude!" She scolds him, or at least tries to but it looked more like a little sister berating her older brother. The tactician sighs, rolls his eyes and walks away deciding to ignore the annoying cleric for more pressing matters.
"Hey! Don't ignore me!" Serra says chasing after the tactician.
Lucas slowly stalks away trying to find a way to completely avoid her as she was really persistent in trying to pry information on him, which he did not have the time for since he really needed information about Ren, which he couldn't do right now because of the annoying cleric that his luck brought to him. He was about to take a left turn in the corridor up ahead, when he was about to turn he crashed into another person, who was definitely minding their own business, making him fall down on the poor sap that got stuck in his rotten luck.
"Ouch…" Lucas groans while lying atop a feminine body on the corridor, startling on orchid-haired pegasus knight, making her yelp a bit and the tactician look at her with worry.
"Florina? What's with that look? Why are you looking at me like that?" Lucas asks twice, making him forget about the person who he put in such a position. He tried to readjust his balance with his right hand before it landed on something soft…
Wait, soft?
Lucas slowly faced the direction that his right hand was and saw a very flushed Lyn looking back at him. Her face was extremely red as she was trying to suppress a few suggestible sounds that would say the worst possible idea. It was at this moment that the tactician's face slowly matched the flushed face as both their brains disconnected. The duo remained silent and unmoving for a few minutes before both their brains reconnected with reality.
"Gyagh—I'm sorry, very much sorry!" Lucas scrambled away from the unintentionally harassed heiress of Caelin, deeply embarrassed and flustered from that ephemeral experience.
"Careful Your Highness, your wound is still healing. Shouldn't you retire early for a man of your age? It's–"
"Oh nonsense, Kent. It is fine, I only wish to find–ah! Lucas! I have been searching for–"
With a sudden awkward pause in silence, Lucas hesitantly turns around to see the frail marquess looking at the predicament between his "trusted" knight and his precious granddaughter, covering her body with a flustered composure, both still red from their short encounter. Upon attempting to analyze the situation, the marquess, feeling ambivalent of the two, asks strictly of the incident.
"Lady Florina, may I ask what has happened in my absence?" Hausen inquires with what could possibly be a mischievous tone in his voice.
"Eek! W-well um, it...just happened?" Florina reluctantly answers out of fear and nervousness, making the situation even more tense.
"M-M-Milord, it's not exactly how you would perceive it to be, it's an accident…!" Lucas desperately justifies and defends himself, putting him in a tighter position like never before in his life as a stoic strategist of armies.
It was at that moment that the annoying pink ball of energy chose to walk in the room. "Luuuuucaaassss, Where are you?! I'm looking for–oh…!?"
The shrilled cleric went silent from the awkward predicament the tactician placed himself out of an accidental coincidence.
'Damn my accursed luck…' Lucas curses on himself, giving him one hell of a night to forever scar him in his future journeys. It was at that moment he noticed that Lyn had left the scene while they were distracted, grilling Florina and Serra for some information and he had an idea where they were going with the conversation as well as where Lyn would be, and needed to apologize for his unruly behavior and his ill gotten luck. He left when the knight and the cleric were arguing about what Lucas would be doing. However, he did not notice Lord Haussen, watching him leave with great interest as the tactician slowly stalked away from the noise.
But somewhere outside of the castle gates, the playful shady swordsman and the alluring spy meet for a short occasion under the dark sky in the shadows with farewells.
"Are you sure about returning to that dreadful place? You...don't wanna stay here for safekeeping? Either way, that's our next destination. Just that the risks are much more different if you stay with us for the meantime," Ren asks for careful confirmation.
"I have to, but it's fine so far. Back then, you knew that I was a spy and tailed me a couple of times whenever I was thought to be busy with personal matters, but you just kept quiet. It...was worrisome to me in my occupation," Leila answers with slight nervousness.
"Hey, don't be tense, things have changed, and I'm no longer that guy back then. My... priorities too have changed," Ren embarrassingly answers.
"If this is about—"
"No it's not that. I just...bear some feelings for, well, someone," Ren hesitantly replies while scratching his cheek, which was slowly getting red.
"Is it perhaps that pegasus rider with orchid hair?" Leila deadpans, making Ren spat in an embarrassing response.
"H-how…?!"
"I've seen you wiping and cleaning that woman's white winged horse the moment she left the stables. I perceived it as enough evidence to convince me that you harbor feelings for that girl," Leila teases Ren's carelessness.
"Hey, mind you: she's not a girl, but a woman...who's in the process of getting over some things. And I ask that you refrain from spilling out any of my past to her, I'd rather stay as a friend than lose the friendship...I...don't have what it takes to own up my mistakes back then…" Ren pleads to his former colleague before getting tapped on the head.
"You're still the same considerate man as I've ever known. Although, I believe her view on you would drastically change if she sees you with your "face" on. But nevertheless, your kindness and, um, your own person does have its own charm under that cold-hearted killer," Leila assures as she points to Ren's dark rugged scarf, wrapped around his neck under his gray worn-out jacket.
"...I hate myself when that happens…" Ren hisses at his own abilities after working in the Black Fang and learning from its variety of affiliated assassins.
"Well, I must hurry now, farewell Ren," Leila bids.
"Wait, won't you tell Matthew that you're leaving?" Ren asks
"He knows what happens when I leave, we are spies after all," Leila assures before leaving the castle gates.
"Take care," Ren bids before returning to the castle, unbeknownst to him was an onlooker hiding behind the gates, eavesdropping earlier on his last conversation with his former colleague.
Meanwhile, Lucas had just found the room where Lyn would be usually at. He had to ask a few servants here and there but he had finally made it. He wasn't sure if she would be at the room right now but he decided to take his chances. He slowly approached the door and knocked on it a few times hoping that Lyn would answer.
"W-who is it?" Lyn asks whoever knocks on her door.
"Hey...it's me...Lucas…" He says nervously as he tries to think of a way to talk to her, to make it not as awkward as possible. "I...uh...wanted to apologize...for uh...earlier… I was also hoping we can talk? In...private?"
In a minute, she immediately opens the door with a flustered face.
"Y-you may come in," Lyn permits.
After Lucas slowly entered the room, and awkwardly closed the door behind him and hesitantly made himself home in her humble quarters and sat beside her on her bedside. The room was reminiscent of their time before Lyn was known as the Marquess's granddaughter, with all the rugs and some choice decorations on the wall before all of this madness began. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Lucas starts trying to talk. "Lyn, let me say that I know...I know… that I am gonna get slapped at for this...But I was running from Serra and was making sure that she didn't harass me…" He says awkwardly and tries to adjust himself to a comfortable standing position, while trying to explain.
"I didn't see where I was going and… what I am trying to say is that I am sorry, Lyndis. Please forgive me." He says looking down in shame and was blushing slightly from it.
"I-I understand Lucas, but to be honest, you did catch me off-guard and startled me into being someone that I pray to Father Sky to forget what happened to me," Lyn embarrassingly replies with her face as red as a tomato.
"O-Oh…." Lucas says rubbing his arm inside his cloak. "Lyn...I uh...wanted to talk about...earlier.."
"Please don't think less of me!" Lyn pleads, startling and catching Lucas off his guard as she slightly inclines herself to Lucas on her bedside. "I...hope you don't think I'm a strange woman, but…"
"No!...I wanted to talk about what happened during the battle." Lucas says slowly moving to her and removing his forest green cloak, so that Lyn could see his still bandaged arm. "Lyn, when you almost died...I almost lost it. I thought that you were gone and that I couldn't do anything about it. I...I couldn't believe it. That if I was there, I could have fought them off or protected you. You wouldn't have to jump in front of me and… Maybe if I wasn't a coward and actually stayed...I could have confessed..." His talks slowly evolve into mumbles as he looks down looking more and more depressed than usual. Lyn startles him as she slowly grasps his shaking fists and soothes them with her warm touch.
"Do not fret, Lucas. I have trusted that you have your reasons for leaving Caelin and understand. I have prayed fervently that you'll be back safe and sound. And he did at the moment Florina told me that you returned on the battlefield, and that is more than enough to assure me," Lyn comforts Lucas with her vibrant smile while looking straight into his green eyes with her gentle gaze.
Lucas curses himself as he tries to avoid blushing before his "betrothed" and attempts to divert the topic. He then subconsciously removes the bandages that wrapped around his arm.
"So… Lyn, you nearly died right? Oh, what am I saying… of course you did." He says slightly flustered and panicking, confusing Lyn in his stuttering speech.
"Y-yes, I did feel like my life was on edge back then when I protected you," Lyn answers.
"Remember last year? When I got struck by lightning, I almost died then." Lucas then fully removed the bandage, showing Lyn the strange tattoo. "I am sure that you saw it…"
"What is this?" Lyn asks curiously as she gently strokes the tattoo on his forearm.
"I believe that something or someone has been marking people with these tattoos when we are about to die." Lucas confessed, unsure how Lyn wasn't able to see it before.
"W-what?" Lyn anxiously wonders about the thought.
"I have a question. Did you see a small green haired girl with an attitude problem after you protected me and blacked out?"
"Why yes! I have an ephemeral dream of a young girl on an old throne!" Lyn answers eagerly.
"Then you must have it too." Lucas concludes before he blushes harder realizing something. "Then, I uh… have to look for the mark then."
Lyn blushes brighter than a tomato in response to his gesture before nodding and granting him permission to "examine" her unmarried and untainted maiden body.
"I promise I won't look anymore than I have to...I just...want to see it for myself…"
Lucas then proceeds to move behind Lyn in order to help her remove her dress but notices something on her nape.
"Hey, Lyn? Did you ever get a tattoo on your neck?" He asks trying to push away the hair stands from there
"No, never, why?" Lyn answers clearly while holding up her hair to assist Lucas examining her body.
"I think I found the tattoo…"
"Really!? Where is i–"
Their moment of peace was interrupted by a large slam of the wooden door. Before either of the couple could realize what was going on, a loud voice asked them.
"Lucas! Are you in her—"
With a loud entrance, the free-spirited archer Rebecca, along with Wil, Ren, and Florina stood outside of Lyn's room, unknowingly interrupting Lucas and Lyn in their small "private meeting." The mood dies down in silence as Lucas and Lyn are caught in another very awkward position, making it look like he was embracing her from behind.
"U-u-um, you guys continue what you're doing, we will just um, do our own thing, hehehehe," Rebecca awkwardly assures as she pushes Wil, Ren, and Florina away and runs along with them.
"GET OUT!" Lucas screams before throwing the only thing within his reach, which was his satchel on the closing door before calming down with an immense blush on his face and looks at Lyn. On the contrary, she was not embarrassed, but was astounded by how giddy and eager the female green-haired archer seems to be close to Lucas.
"L-Lucas? Who was that at the door?" Lyn curiously asks the flustered Lucas for confirmation.
"An annoying archer and swordsman that I am going to kill tomorrow, as well as a couple more who will be impaled on the spot," Lucas huffed before sitting down beside her, unsure if he should continue researching the tattoo for the night. But he did catch a glimpse of it, it was a small glance but it had the shape of a bulls horn. With that out of the way, now he just had to figure out. What was going on? Why do these occurrences happen for the same reasons? What happens later?
Alas, a small migraine developed from all the overthinking of endless possibilities before deciding that it is best to leave that for the future to learn and figure it out another time.
With all the minor matters properly settled, Lyn and Lucas bid each other good nights to properly rest and retire to prepare for the next day and whatever that may come before them.
Chapter END