Lemmings on the Run (part 2: not serious)

[eclipse]

It's that weird time where I'm done with a draft tourney and everyone else isn't, which means I'm bored. I think this board knows what happens when I'm bored.

When a certain someone interrupted my Team Skittles Epilogue, and reminded me to do this run, it was. . .foreshadowing, if you will. I'm in the middle of trying it out with the rules I decided on, and so far, I haven't hit too many snags (the three-digit turn count on Chapter 3 nonwithstanding). Unfortunately, I can't use this as my official run, because my mom insisted I keep Jagen and Hardin alive, and they are supposed to be dead (and using this particular Gordin would constitute as cheating, because 13 Strength at level 12 is seriously trivializing things).

The real issue is how this run will be written. I can write another silly run. . .or I can attempt something darker. The silly run means I can do whatever I want with the character's personalities, and the fourth wall will periodically disappear. The darker one means I'll try to have them stay in character, but I'm not sure if you'll like what happens to some of the other characters. Which style intrigues you, dear reader, more?

Serious logs and story, part 2

Serious logs and story, part 3

Funny logs and story

[spoiler=Story (serious, 1-13)]Prologue

It's been two weeks since we've fled Altea. Marth's disposition has slowly picked up over time, but it will be a long time before he's back to normal. He lost his family and a loyal knight in his homeland. Frey knew what he was getting himself into, but he swallowed his fear, donned the prince's clothes, and diverted the enemy. It was a desperate plan, but it worked well. May luck be with you, Frey.

Ever since we reached Talys, Jagen has been doing his best to keep everyone focused on training. Abel hasn't said much, and even Cain is more subdued than I remember him. Gordin sometimes wakes himself up in the middle of the night, crying for something I can't make out. I do the only thing I can; train, and hope that my strength may be enough to help Marth retake his home.

Chapter 1

"Pirates? Now? Let's go!"

Marth's words roused the residents of the fort. It was their temporary home, and it was plenty sufficient for a small band of knights and a displaced prince. Metal clanked as men readied themselves for battle. A short time after the announcement was made, the sound of hooves could be heard exiting the fort, followed by the unmistakable rattling of plate metal on plate metal.

Pirates had indeed infested the island Marth was on, and his heart sank as he saw the smoke from a nearby village. Despite their haste, they were too late.

"Pirates? I'll show them what it means to mess with Altea!" The redhead of the group let out a hearty cry before charging in. His green-haired partner could only sigh and try to keep up.

"Those two are in good spirits." The oldest of the group wore a wry grin. They reminded him of his younger days. He followed the other two who had left earlier. It wouldn't look good if either one of them fell now!

"Hey, wait up!" Two more soldiers lagged behind the mounted units. One was clad in heavy armor. The other was in lighter gear, but his bow hindered his movement. Everyone else was so far ahead!

===

"I haven't had this kind of exercise in a while!"

"Cain, keep your eyes on the battle!"

"Yes, yes, you worrywart."

Despite the ferocity of the battle, the two knights shared some light teasing between blows. Pirates fell, but not at the pace either of them wanted. It was obvious that neither knight would walk from this battle unscathed. A flash of movement caught the green-haired knight's eye. It couldn't be. . .

"Arrow to the left!"

"Hu--ow!"

The arrow grazed Cain's face, but the momentary distraction was enough for the pirates. One rushed in, and before the redhead could get his defenses up, he found himself looking down at the axe buried in his chest. Whatever last words he had meant to say were garbled by the blood that poured out of the doomed knight's mouth.

The tears could wait until later. Right now, there were pirates, and one had taken his best friend's life. It was time to focus. Focus on avenging his friend through battle. None would be left alive. Abel tightened the grip on his sword, and moved on.

---

Marth had seen pegasus knights before, but this was the first time he'd seen one in battle. She quickly reared her mount, which caused her opponent to miss wildly, then used that blunder to bury her spear into her target. One by one, the pirates fell.

"I'm going to scout ahead. Please make sure everyone's safe."

"Yes ma'am!"

Caeda giggled, before taking to the skies. Marth watched the princess take off. He saw her fly into the distance. . .saw an arrow arc upwards. . .and could only watch in horror as the arrow embedded itself in the pegasus.

Marth ran towards the place where he saw the pegasus fall. This couldn't be happening!

If she had any last words, they would forever be unknown. By the time Marth reached her, she had already died. Her head hung at an impossible angle, and her lower body was trapped beneath her proud mount's corpse. He'd have to deliver the news to her father once they reached the castle. Snapping branches distracted the prince. The one who had taken his friend down was still alive. Battle now, mourn later.

Chapter 2

"Pirates and more pirates. When will it end?"

"Sire, not now! They're coming!"

True to the old knight's words, the pirates seemed more interested in finishing Marth's little band rather than watch their leader despair. The four men Caeda's father had sent with him prepared their weapons. They knew their role.

===

The new recruits could handle the pirates. They were no match for the Grustian cavaliers, who skewered them before they could react. Marth bowed his head, so his comrades couldn't see his tears. He didn't even get their names before they died. . .

---

"Mother. . .I couldn't bring home any money. . .and now I won't be able to bring myself home. . ."

Did that pirate. . .no. He couldn't allow his mind to wander. The battle was in front of him. These pirates were no different than the ones that took Cain's life. Abel steeled himself for the next attack.

Chapter 3

"Hurry it up, Lena! Those bandits aren't going to sit around while you saunter out!"

"I'm doing my best, Julian!"

"Who are they? They don't look like enemies. That woman looks like she's having trouble keeping up. We'd best help them! Everyone, let's go!"

===

"Lena, stay here. You'll be safe."

"Please come back in one piece, Julian!"

Draug watched the two exchange farewells. He didn't have any sort of lady to dedicate his fighting to, and he certainly didn't have the same easy personality that their new recruit displayed. The armored knight briefly wondered what it would be like if he had a damsel whose honor he had to preserve. He shook his head. Such flights of fancy would have to wait. The bandits were almost upon him!

---

"Found ya, traitor!"

"You guys? Where did you come from?"

"O'er the south, ya idiot! Where else would we come from?"

"The south?!"

"Worried about that lady o' yours?"

"Wha--"

"Ah, she was a borin' one. She didn' make a sound when I cut her in two! I think I got a little bit o' her insides on my axe."

"YOU'LL PAY!"

Abel saw the thief charge, sword at ready. There was no way that redhead would make it out alive! An unwanted memory of another redhead with a habit of charging into battle flashed in his mind. . .no, not now! Before his better sense could talk him out of it, Abel rushed in after the thief.

A short distance away, Jagen saw his normally-calm subordinate run headlong into a group of bandits. Had he gone mad? With a heavy sigh, he followed the green-haired knight.

"Draug, it looks like everyone's headed towards that path not too far away."

"They're charging with no strategy in mind. Let's go."

"Yeah, right. I hope my arrows will be of help!"

Marth saw the last two members of his group head towards the mountain path they'd just come up. What was going on up there? The prince ran towards his army. It would be bad to lose them in these mountains!

Chapter 4

"I never want to go through those mountains again!"

Several tired looks agreed with Gordin. The mountains were full of memories of bandits, treacherous paths, and slow going. No one wanted to do that over. Marth called for a halt, and everyone was more than happy to oblige him.

One unit stood a short distance from the resting troops. His gaze was fixed on the peaks they had just traveled through.

"I'm sorry you couldn't see the view from this side. Rest in peace, Lena."

---

"Didn't we just--oh, great. Everyone, to arms!"

The Altean Army hurriedly got back into battle gear, as the troops from Aurelis advanced. Calvary thundered from the west, while another group threatened from the north. They'd have to act fast, or else the Altean Army would be nothing more than a bloodstain on the lands of Aurelis.

"Why were we ordered to change jobs now? I don't know if I can do this." The speaker nervously fiddled with the staff he'd just been given. He could use the staff, but not very well.

"Marth must have his reasons. We need to believe in him." This speaker's eyes never left the book he was supposed to study. The subtleties of magic weren't his strong point, but Marth insisted he needed someone who could wield the dark arts.

Any more conversation between the two was cut off by nearby shouting. It was time for them to prove themselves.

"May this staff. . .keep my friends from dying."

===

"Calvary's coming in fast from the west. Marth, we need to hurry, or the fighters to the east will surround us!"

"I can see that, Jagen! Let's strike at the calvary unit, since we'll meet them first."

"What's up with that soldier over there, Draug? He looks ready to pass out."

"I'm not sure, Gordin, but he's still an enemy. We need to be careful."

The two friends ran closer to the nervous soldier. Maybe he'd let his guard down and talk about something important.

"How did I get myself into this mess? I hate fighting, and I don't know where Lena went!" The soldier fidgeted with his lance, while somehow keeping ahorse. Gordin and Draug exchanged a puzzled look.

"Is this guy really a soldier? He reminds me of my younger brother."

"Lena. . .where did I hear that before?"

"You two? Did you just mention Lena?" The soldier rode up to them, lance down. Draug sighed. This guy couldn't be serious! He was asking to be killed!

"Why does that name sound so familiar? Ugh, I can't remember where I heard it!"

"Lena's dead."

Everyone turned to look at the speaker. His clothes were stained as red as his hair, but it was apparent that none of that blood was his own. The soldier on the horse turned towards the blood-stained speaker. This time, his lance was at ready.

"What did you say?"

"I said Lena's dead! What does it matter to you?"

"You. . .that was my sister!" The soldier wheeled his horse around, lance aimed at the bearer of the bad news. The target of the soldier's newfound rage sighed and lowered his head. His carelessness had cost the life of the woman he loved, and had cost this soldier his sister. It was only fair that--.

"EXCALIBUR!"

Julian's thoughts were interrupted by a blast of wind. The soldier that was on horseback a moment earlier was on the ground, out cold. His horse milled about, uncertain of what to do.

"My name is Merric. Marth allowed me to join this army. What in the gods' name is going on?"

"You're Merric? I'm Gordin, the guy in the dark robes is Draug, and the man whose life you just saved is Julian. I'll explain this mess later. Can you help us get through this battle?"

"Sure! But--hey, what are you doing?!"

The one called Julian stood over the unconscious soldier, knife in hand. He regarded the figure on the ground for a moment before turning to the trio of magic users.

"I. . .I'm sorry. I need you three to do me a big favor. . ."

---

"Merric. . .back there. . .do you think we did the right thing?"

"I don't know, Gordin. Only Julian knows that for certain."

"Marth will be really angry if he ever finds out."

"No, I think he'd approve. That soldier will never fight another battle, but he has his life. Marth doesn't like needless sacrifice."

"I hope you're right. . ."

Chapter 5

"Marth's army is here. We're gonna meet them, and take the castle back!"

A ragged cheer answered Hardin's battle speech. Despite his bravado, Hardin secretly worried about his group. There were far too few of them for too many enemies, and said enemies showed no signs of wearing out. Could they win? He'd have to keep his doubts to himself, lest his men pick up on them, and lose heart.

"We get to meet them? I wonder what they're like?"

"Don't get your hopes too high up, kid. They might not like the idea of child care."

"Why do you always tease me, Vyland?"

"You get riled up too easily."

The two friends shared a laugh as they walked out to their horses. The other half of their group was finishing up their battle preparations over verbal poking.

"So when are you going to tell that serving girl how much you adore her?"

"Stuff it! She's younger than the pipsqueak over there! I'm not interested in little girls!"

"Don't let her hear that, Wolf, or you'll break her heart."

"If you're so worried about her, YOU propose to her!"

"I'm not the one with the delicate looks."

"Don't ever forget it!"

Roshea giggled. It looks like he wasn't the only one on the wrong end of a friendly beating! Wolf scowled at the purple-haired teen, which made Sedgar chuckle.

"Save that expression for the enemy, missy. It's almost time."

"Why you--"

"That's enough, you two. We're here to fight, not to prattle like ladies. Marth's army is across the river. It's time to go."

"YES, SIR!"

Hardin and his small group charged out onto the plains of Aurelis, determined to help their new allies.

===

"The biggest threat to Marth's army looks like that Sage over there. I'll draw him out. You guys finish him."

Hardin's assessment of the Sage was correct. The Sage ran out as planned. Hardin ran back, but wasn't fast enough to outrun the Thunder that chased him. Sedgar saw his commander fall, then saw his friend push towards the Sage at full speed. This wasn't part of the plan! Wolf's arrow flew an instant before the Sage's Thunder hit him. Sedgar could only watch helplessly as his friend's body fought against the electricity momentarily, before going limp. Wolf's last shot had landed in the Sage's shoulder. This was as good a time as any to make sure that Sage didn't take a third life!

Not too far away, Vyland saw the Sage stiffen, then fall over. He breathed a sigh of relief. Hardin and Wolf could rest in peace. The living didn't have time to rest yet. Enemies still littered the plains. Someone needed to do something about them. An enemy archer's attention was directed towards Sedgar. It would be that archer's last mistake. Vyland charged.

The Pegasus Knights gracefully wheeled about in the sky, attacking anyone that was left open. Marth's thoughts briefly returned to that day, when he first saw Caeda. . .ah, not now. He swore he'd let himself mourn her after the fighting was over. Her spirit nimbly dodged a clumsy soldier's attack, then struck true while the soldier was off-balance. Caeda was gone, and Marth had not recruited any Pegasus Knights, which meant. . .

. . ."no. Not again." Abel saw the redheaded man on the horse slump against the lance that had skewered him. The airborne knight freed her lance from her latest victim, then turned her attention towards Abel. Unfortunately for her, Abel's mind had wandered back to that day in Talys, where his redheaded friend had fallen in a similar fashion. She didn't stand a chance against his fury.

---

"Everyone. . .everyone's. . .*sniff*" Despite the ferocity of the battle, the youngest Aurelian was completely unharmed. He'd seen his friends fall, one by one. The only one left was fighting hard, but how long could his rage sustain him? Why was all this fighting necessary?

"Hey kid, pull yourself together!" Sedgar gave the best smile he could to Roshea, who managed to return it, albeit weakly. All his friends weren't dead yet! There was still hope! First, those enemies in armor were approaching. He'd need to--wha?!

Roshea's horse had somehow found a small indentation on the plain, and had twisted its leg badly. The sudden movement sent the purple-haired kid flying off his horse, to land rather awkwardly on his arm. Pain radiated through his wrist. His unexpected fall had left him with a broken wrist. Heavy clanking interrupted his thoughts. A figure in armor stood above him, lance pointed downward.

Sedgar winced as the young soldier's final scream echoed across the battlefield.

---

The battle was finally over. Merric gingerly walked back towards the newly-taken castle gate. Something caught his eye. Something very familiar. . .

"Teacher? Is that you? Hey, wake up!" Merric turned his teacher over, then fell backwards in shock. Two arrows protruded from his body. He looked up in shock, and saw the same arrows in the quiver of the Aurelian soldier who had just joined their cause. The soldier looked back at Merric, then at the body on the ground. The color drained from his face.

"You. . .it was you. You killed Wendell. Bring him back!" Blind rage propelled the boy towards the man with THOSE arrows. The man sighed, and looked down. Merric couldn't help but follow his gaze. . .which ended at a corpse. Another man had those same arrows, and the unmistakable marks of someone struck by lightning. Before Merric could say anything, the soldier picked up the corpse, loaded it onto his horse, and rode off.

"Why. . .why. . ." The rendezvous could wait. He needed time to himself. Time to sort his feelings.

Chapter 6

"We've breached the outer wall. Now, we must rout the enemy in the castle. Here's how we'll do it. . ."

---

"Me, on the front lines?"

"Yes, Merric. We need a good mage to help deal with the knights that roam the halls. I'll be watching your back, and dealing with any other enemies that show up. I think I can learn a thing or two from watching you fight. I want to be a good mage, so Marth doesn't have to overload you."

"I'll be nearby, to patch you up!"

"Thanks, you two, but--"

"We need to go! The battle's about to start!"

Merric watched Gordin and Draug take off. He didn't have a problem with being front and center. One of the other nearby units was the same man that had killed his teacher. Could he concentrate, knowing that Wendell's murderer was right next to him?

---

"Marth said he needed my skill with a bow. Why did I have to be the one to survive? I couldn't protect my friends with my sword. . .so I hope I can start again with this axe."

Sedgar closed his eyes and took a deep breath before starting towards the battlefield. For the sake of his friends, he had to be strong!

===

"Ugh, these guys hit hard!" Blood dripped from a wound on Abel's arm. His ribs hurt from a lance strike from one of the enemy knights. His Javelin was getting progressively harder to handle. The Javelin's tip caught on an uneven brick. Abel desperately fought to keep his hands on his weapon and the rest of him on his horse. He somehow managed, thanks to a nice breeze on his back. Breeze? He was indoors! The cavalier spared a glance behind him, and saw an arrow on the ground. Ahead of him, an archer cursed. His fumbling had saved his life?! Rather than ponder the whims of fate, Abel thanked the archer for the breeze by running him through.

"Cain. . .that kind of stupid luck was your specialty, not mine. . ."

---

Battles slow down when one is on foot. Instead of flying by an unfortunate enemy, one has to face him and defeat him to move on. It was a long, tiring, and sore task. Sedgar silently cursed the enemy's strength. No matter how hard he struck, the knight in front of him shook it off and continued to press forward. Somewhere behind him, someone was babbling about something or other. That wasn't babbling. . .that was an incantation! He feinted a charge, then threw himself to the side, as a fireball passed the spot where he had been a moment before. The knight clanked around on the ground in a futile effort to put the flames out. Eventually, he stopped moving.

Sedgar turned to congratulate the mage, and stopped short. The caster was on his knees, mouth agape, eyes wide open and face white as a sheet. The book he held betrayed his shaking hands. This was a bad time for shock to set in! With a heavy sigh, Sedgar administered the best cure for shock - a slap to the face.

"OW! What was that for?!" The mage's expression went from shocked to irritated. Good.

"You were losing your focus."

"My. . .focus? But I--"

"It looks like you've got a bunch of things to tell me. Now's not the time to do so. I'll listen to you after this battle's over. You need to get out of this alive, or you'll never have the chance to tell me what's bothering you."

"Uh, right, you too," Merric mumbled to Sedgar's retreating back. How could he be so nonchalant about what just happened? Merric hadn't meant for that spell to hit Sedgar. Why had his aim been so awful? Could it have been--

"No. . .I won't sink to that level!"

---

"The battle's finally over. I'm missing someone. . ."

Marth scanned his remaining soldiers. Gordin leaned heavily against a wall, eyes glazed over. Draug stood a short distance away. Merric seemed fascinated by the carpet in the castle. Abel tended to a wound on his arm. Sedgar was preoccupied with applying a bandage to his hand. Julian regarded a staff he had pilfered with puzzlement.

"Um, has anyone seen Jagen?"

Everyone answered in some form of negative. The uneven beat of horse hooves rang through the castle. Marth ran out to greet the owner of the hoof beats. Jagen was. . .missing? Jagen's horse had come back without its rider. It had sustained several injuries.

"Oh, no. . ."

---

First, it was silent. Then, the sounds of horses and weapons had passed by. Shouting rang through the corridors. Then. . .silence. Two days of silence.

"Um, hello. . .is anyone there? I don't want to die like this!"

Chapter 6x

"Out with it."

"Huh?"

Three days had passed since Aurelis Castle had been taken back, and everyone was some semblance of their old selves. Sedgar had tracked down the mage kid (Merric, not mage kid), and had made his intentions known at the entrance to the latter's tent.

"I promised you a chance to talk to me after the battle. It is after the battle."

"Well, um, you can come in?"

"What's on your mind?"

"Er. . .were you. . .did you. . ."

"Are you worried about offending me? If I cared about such things, I wouldn't have bothered to let you talk. I promise I won't laugh at you, either."

"Fine. Why did you kill my teacher?"

"Your. . .what?"

"That Sage on the plains was my teacher. Why did he have to die?"

"What was your teacher doing out there?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Merric felt tears forming in his eyes. He couldn't cry now!

"Were you at Khadein?"

"Yeah. . .*sniff*"

"That place is supposed to be neutral. Something's not right."

"How can you be so calm about this?"

"Being angry won't bring back your teacher, nor will finding the truth. However, I believe that he'll rest easier if we uncover why he was in Aurelis to begin with."

"Why do you care?"

"Because. . .I want to find out why my best friend had to die."

Merric could only stare in shock as his unexpected visitor stood up and left. There was no way Wendell would attack anyone! But that corpse near Wendell. . .the one with the burn marks. . .was that his friend? If so, then the man that had just left would've been defending himself from Wendell. The one to blame for this wouldn't be the one who took action to save his own life. It would be whoever ordered his teacher out of Khadein. Either way. . .

"I'm. . .I'm sorry. . ." This time, Merric did not bother stopping his tears.

"That's right, kid. Save your anger for the ones who are behind this." Sedgar turned from the tent entrance and walked off in the general direction of his own tent. Someone would pay dearly for the deaths of both his friend and that kid's teacher!

===

"These pirates. . .will pay!" With a spirited yell, Abel charged forward. He was a far cry from the green knight at Talys. He'd seen countless fighting styles over his travels, and these pirates had a very predictable method of attacking. None of the pirates would survive this. He'd make sure of that.

"Cain. . .I hope you're watching. . .you'd enjoy fighting these guys."

Chapter 7

The winds whistled through the trees, as Marth's army made the journey from Aurelis to Archanea. Now was as good a time as any to see how his soldiers got along. Gordin, Draug, and Merric seemed to be discussing something about the nature of magic. Merric laughed, but Marth could hear the strain in the laugh. Something about his friend was different, but Marth couldn't figure out what it was. Draug was as steadfast as ever, and Gordin seemed more confident in himself despite the fact that he didn't have a bow in his hands. Perhaps that job change was good for the young archer.

A short distance away, Abel pointed at his sword, and explained something to Julian, while Sedgar cocked an eyebrow. It was a discussion on sword technique, no doubt. Those three knew how to wield swords, but each man had a different style. Marth wouldn't mind learning a few new things about his chosen weapon, but he wasn't sure if his parents would've approved of him taking sword lessons from a thief!

Parents. Marth had lost his family over three years ago, and the pain hadn't lessened during that time. He'd need all the strength he could get to take back his home, and avenge them! The tone of the wind changed from a merry whistle to an ominous dirge. Something big was in the air, and it was headed towards his army!

"Everyone, to arms!"

===

Find your enemy. Strike. Dodge. Duck. Every enemy has a weak spot. Aim for it, and the enemy will fall. This was how Julian fought, and it hadn't failed him yet. Julian found his next enemy - the one that looked like the commander of the aerial units. Perfect.

Strike. His sword left a nice trail of red along the commander's arm. The commander wheeled around, ready to counter. Dodge. Julian looked up, and froze.

It was Lena. No, it wasn't. This woman looked a lot like Lena, but Lena wouldn't know how to ride a dragon, or wield that axe. This one was a warrior, not a gentle healer. Julian's hesitation cost him dearly, as the axe left its impression on his midsection. He got up, and winced. That woman's last attack hurt! He was still alive, and so was she. She'd probably favor her right side more, as he'd just struck her left. That meant that her weak spot would be right. . .THERE! The thief's sword struck true, and the woman who looked like his lost love gasped, and clutched her side. She ordered her troops back, before withdrawing herself. He breathed a sigh of relief. He'd won this one without killing her. Who was she?

Wet warmth interrupted his musings. He wasn't going to live long if he didn't take care of himself. He cursed under his breath as he retreated towards the place where he'd seen the army's healer.

---

Strike first, and strike true. If he blocks, strike where he left himself open. Your enemy can't parry forever. Use your strength to whittle him down, then finish him when he's out of energy. Cain had done so well with that strategy. Abel didn't have Cain's natural strength, but he did have a knack for forcing his opponent to make mistakes. This battle was no different. Abel feinted left, then struck when his opponent fell for the feint. Another one readied a javelin. The green-haired cavalier trusted his armor, and charged straight into the throw. The javelin hit, but the strike wasn't true. The owner of the javelin, stunned by his opponent's bold maneuver, couldn't bring his defenses up before he was struck down. Another cavalier charged. This one had a Ridersbane at ready. Abel didn't trust his armor THAT MUCH! He retreated.

Fight when able, retreat when necessary.

---

You are more mobile than your opponent. Use your momentum to strike, then get out of the way before your opponent can retaliate. Your defense is your ability to move.

That was how the men of the plains fought, while they were ahorse. Sedgar didn't have a horse or a sword. He wasn't as mobile as he liked, but at least he could rely on his skill with a bow to get him out of tough situations. However, his archery was useless when his opponent got close to him. There had to be a better way of doing things!

"If only I could translate mobility on foot. . .but Marth said he needed someone who could use axes, and I'm the only one who can. Hey, isn't that the knight I talked to earlier? Why is he running awa--I see." Sedgar hefted his throwing axe, and allowed himself a small smile when his target was thrown off his horse. Another stroke of his axe made certain that the retreating knight (Abel, if my memory serves me right) would no longer have a reason to run.

He'd figure out a way to be more effective later. Right now, Marth needed axe support!

---

"Who are you?"

"My name is Bantu. I am a manakete."

"A. . .manakete?"

"When we invoke our Stones, we become powerful dragons. Unfortunately, I lost mine."

"I see."

"I am looking for another of my kind. She is powerful. I fear the worst may have happened to her."

"I'm not sure if you'd want to be part of an army, but if you wish to come along, you may."

"Thank you."

Was this old man really able to become a dragon? Marth wasn't certain, but the old guy seemed trustworthy enough.

"I hope this doesn't come back to haunt me later. . ."

Chapter 8

"Port Warren, at last!"

"I can't remember the last time I had a real bed to sleep in!"

"There's sure to be fine food at the inn."

"I think the street vendors would have better food!"

"This would be a good place to get new weapons."

"Finally! We don't have to take watches!"

"Perhaps someone here would have seen my Stone. . ."

Marth smiled as his troops eagerly chatted amongst themselves on the streets of Port Warren. It was about time they had a proper rest! He wanted to check out some of the weapon shops himself. A souvenir sword wouldn't hurt.

--

"The enemy approaches now?!" The army had only come into port yesterday! It pained him to do this, but he had no choice. Marth sighed, then went to find his army. So much for good fortunte!

===

"These guys are no joke!"

"Keep calm, Radd. We can't win if we're rattled."

"R, right."

The two mercenaries swallowed their fears, and moved forward. Marth's army did this all the time. It couldn't be that hard! A cavalier rushed towards the duo, sword unsheathed. The two held their ground until the last minute, then dived in separate directions. The horse rushed by, missing both of them. One rose easily. The other was on all fours, coughing hard. He'd taken a mouthful of dirt, and some of it had gone down his throat. The enemy on horseback must've seen this, because he smoothly turned his mount and ran purposefully towards the mercenary who hadn't quite stood up. Somehow, the target of the enemy's attack saw it coming, because he threw himself to the side. The sword strike missed, but the horse's hooves didn't. The unlucky mercenary lay on his back, screaming. The other one rushed to his side.

"Hey, HEY! Stay with me!"

Gordin looked towards the ruckus he heard. The blond mercenary crouched over his friend, who cried out like a child. The redhead needed help fast, or he'd bleed to death. The curate ran as fast as he could, but he couldn't outrun the cavalier, who had readied himself for another strike. Gordin called out a warning. The blond mercenary looked up--

--in time to see the cavalier's sword go through his body. The hoarse screams of the redhead were cut short by hoof beats. Gordin sank to his knees. In a moment of inattention, two lives were lost. Gordin could only stare at the bodies, as the victorious enemy swung around again. This time, his bloody sword was aimed at the curate. Gordin looked up, just in time to see Abel kill the enemy in a single hit.

"Gordin, what the hell are you doing? This isn't the time to be daydreaming!"

"I. . .I wasn't. . ."

"You weren't able to--my goodness. . .those two. . .they just joined up, didn't they?"

"That kid with the red hair. . .he looked to be about my age. Is that what's gonna happen to me?!"

"Get a hold of yourself! Whether you live or die is up to you. If you let your mind wander, you will die. Do you understand?"

"But--"

"Look, kid, when this is over, let's give them a proper burial. We have to survive this battle to do that. Understand?"

"Y--yes, Abel. Thank you."

"No problem. I don't want to lose another friend."

---

Draug ran up and fought yet another enemy. Like the battle before, and the battle before that, his enemy went down, smoke pouring from his body. An armored knight lumbered forward. Such enemies were especially susceptible to magic, because they were clad in armor--armor that became like an oven after a single casting of Fire. The dark mage sighed before setting another enemy on fire. This one was a little tougher; instead of falling like the others, he stood in place, coughing as smoke poured out from beneath the metal he wore. A loud CLANK came from the smoking knight; he'd somehow managed to remove his helmet, so he could breathe. Instead of finishing the knight, Draug froze.

The one in the armor looked to be a few years younger than him. Tears poured down his face, though Draug couldn't tell whether it was from the smoke or from the pain. The enemy looked up at him, then dropped his lance. The mage could barely hear the knight, but once he understood those words, he wished he hadn't.

"Please. . .this pain. . .I don't want to fight anymore. . ."

Draug bit his lip. It was one thing to kill a faceless enemy. It was quite another to put a soldier that reminded him of himself in his younger days out of his misery. The helmless knight repeated his request once more, then fell to his knees.

"I'm sorry. Farewell." He couldn't watch as the flames he called forth gave his enemy his last wish.

Chapter 9

"Didn't you say you lost your Stone in Pyrathi?"

"Yes, yes I did."

"What kind of place is Pyrathi?"

"If you're traveling through there, you must be desperate. Many pirates roam the area, and the king is not a kind man."

"Thank you for that information. I'll make sure everyone is prepared."

"Good luck, child. You'll need it."

---

"Hey, remember that talk we had about swords?" Abel asked Sedgar, en route to Pyrathi.

"Yeah. What about it?"

"I didn't have a chance to see you fight in Aurelis, so I'd like to ask you a favor."

"What?"

"Can you show me the momentum-based fighting that the soldiers of Aurelis are famous for?"

"Why?" Abel had to think fast. He didn't want to offend the other man!

"I think I can learn a lot from a different style of fighting. The one I was taught was based off of the enemy's mistakes. If I can incorporate mobility into that, I think I'll be a better fighter."

"Well. . .okay. Just this once." The cavalier breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks."

Sedgar watched Abel canter off. Those memories. . .could he bring himself to fight alone, using that style that was tied so deeply to his friends? He sighed. No point in worrying about it now; he said he would, so he'd do it. He hoped his friends didn't mind.

===

"Huh. He has amazing control of his horse. I'll need to trust my mount more if I want to do half those stunts!" Abel watched another pirate receive a sea burial, no thanks to Sedgar's sword. The horseman struck an unsuspecting pirate, then ran past the pirate before his counterattack could land. The pirate gave a yell and stupidly chased after the mounted swordman. The horseman trotted along the shore, giving the pirate the false impression that he'd catch him if he'd run just a little faster. With a swift kick to the flanks, the horse sharply wheeled, and the pirate's yell of triumph turned into a scream of pain. Another pirate was buried in the seas surrounding Pyrathi.

A yell interrupted Abel's observations. One of the multitude of crass pirates wanted to play with him. Abel smiled to himself. He always enjoyed playing with pirates!

---

"This is a dragon?!" Merric yelped.

"So it seems," Draug replied calmly.

The two mages had reached the king's castle, and the rumors of its king proved to be true. In his current form, he looked like an old, grumpy man. Once he invoked his Firestone, he transformed into a scaled horror, capable of conquering even the strongest of hearts. For all of his fury, he couldn't do anything about the two squishy pests who pelted him with magic.

"Draug. . .remind me never, ever to get on Bantu's bad side."

---

Jeorge watched the battle from his perch. It looked like Marth's army was slowly being overwhelmed by the pirates that called these islands home. Should he risk being caught again to provide covering fire to Marth's besieged troops? Footsteps passed close by. Jeorge slipped further under cover.

"If ya know what's good fo' ya, you'll give us yer bow." The rough voice, fetid breath, and crudely-made axe could only belong to a pirate. The sniper silently cursed. He'd almost made it! He slowly got up, then handed over his prized bow.

"It's yours. Will you let me go?"

"I think not, guttersnipe. You be that escaped prisoner, an' we'll get a good reward for yer head!"

"My wha--let go of me!" Two more filthy pirates restrained his arms. The first pirate gave him a wide, gap-toothed grin, raised his axe--

--then yelped, as Jeorge kicked him in the stomach. A few more well-placed kicks got him free. Shouts rang across the beach, as Jeorge ran for his life, an unknown number of pirates chasing after him. The beach gave way to land, which abruptly ended at a cliff. The sea water foamed around the sharp rocks protruding from the bottom of the sea.

"Ye can't run any longer!"

"You want my head? Come and get it."

Jeorge saw the pirates surge towards him, like the water near the rocks. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and jumped as far back as he could.

"Everyone. . .goodbye. . ."

Chapter 10

"Does that enemy really think we'll believe her?"

"It would be an opportunity to gain a powerful ally."

"The Pegasus Knight seemed honest enough."

"Didn't we see her and her commander not too long ago?"

"I think she retreated when she realized her forces were outmatched. She seems like someone who cares for her troops."

Marth listened to the words of his soldiers, but had already decided what to do. The possibility of eliminating an enemy outweighed the possibility of a trap. He ordered his troops to Castle Deil.

---

"Thanks for that display of swordsmanship back there."

Sedgar blinked, then turned around to face the person who addressed him. Abel stood at ease, with a sword in hand.

"No problem. I hope it was helpful."

"It was more than helpful. I'd like you to have this." Abel took the sword out of its sheathe. The blade shone, even in the dying rays of the sun.

"But--"

"You seemed more balanced with a sword than you do with an axe. Why not wield both?"

"I never thought of that. Thank you."

The cavalier chuckled before turning away. Sedgar regarded the blade in his hands. He'd be much more mobile with this on his back rather than that bow! He shook his head. Why hadn't he thought of that before?

"What a simple solution. . ."

===

Julian ducked and dodged towards the back of the castle. The princess should be locked away back there somewhere. A Sniper stood between him and his goal. He was probably going the right way. He made sure to disable the Sniper before moving on. A prison door greeted him. What was behind it?

"Ah. . .thank you." That red hair and white robes. . .could it be? Julian's mind brought up another memory, one of a bandit's hideout, with a similar prison cell, and the gentle woman trapped within. . .

"Thank you, Julian." The thief jumped. When did Marth arrive? Julian hastily got out of the way. The prisoner gave him a small smile. This wasn't Lena. She was too young!

Marth and the prisoner talked. From the bits of conversation he could pick up, it seemed that the prisoner was Princess Maria. The Pegasus Knight back at Pyrathi had been right. Julian sent a mental apology to her. He hadn't trusted her at all.

"That door over there should lead outside. I think my sister's waiting for me!" Marth nodded to Julian. Time to leave this dank prison!

Sunlight poured in from the open doorway. The steady wingbeats of a flying unit could be heard. Without hesitation, Marth ran outside. The redheaded woman Julian had fought earlier landed. He'd beaten Princess Minerva in battle?!

The sound of calvary interrupted Julian's thoughts. It sounded like the enemy wasn't happy about losing one of its strongest members! Suddenly, Marth was rudely shoved back into the castle.

"Take my sister and escape. I'll hold these guys off."

"But Minerva--"

"Don't 'but' me! I've finally got my sister back, and I won't forgive you if something happens to her!" Before anyone could object, she mounted her dragon and took off.

"Well, you heard her. Julian, I'm trusting you to get Maria out of here."

"Yes, sir."

Julian led the young girl through the halls he'd passed through not too long ago. The sound of horses made him stop. They'd come this far already? That means of escape wasn't safe. He led Maria back the way they came. Marth was desperately fighting off an enemy cavalier. The cavalier's sword swing missed Marth. Marth made sure his counterattack didn't miss, then turned to the thief and the cleric.

"Julian? I thought I told you to get her out of here!"

"It's no good, sir! The enemy's coming."

"WHAT?!"

The horses Julian had heard earlier came around the corner. Julian swallowed hard. Two cavaliers and a mounted archer approached quickly. Marth had his hands full with another cavalier.

"Maria, is it? Make sure Marth gets out of this alive. I'll keep those horse guys over there busy."

"Um, be careful."

"Thanks!" Julian shot her his brightest smile before running towards the enemy trio. He might not live, but if his life could buy enough time for Marth to escape with Maria, it would not be a waste.

---

Dodge. Dodge again, then strike. As one enemy withdrew, another took his place. Julian had somehow managed to dodge two swords and a hail of arrows, but he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it up. He twisted to the right, and sighed with relief as the sword blade aimed at his head missed its mark. Searing pain in his shoulder told him that the mounted archer hadn't missed.

"Dammit. . .coordinated tactics. . ." Julian mumbled under his breath, as his sword scored a hit on one of the cavaliers. The cavaliers withdrew a ways, before coming towards the thief. This time, they rode together. The archer lurked behind them, bow at ready. Julian waited for the moment to dodge. He'd have to do it in such a way that the archer couldn't shoot. One of the cavaliers raised his sword to strike. Julian's instincts told him to dodge right. Instead, he dodged left, and was rewarded with cursing from above. It seemed the archer had nearly hit one of his allies. Julian tried to raise his sword to defend himself, then saw that his sword was some distance away. A trail of blood led from the sword to him. He gingerly raised his sword arm, then yelped in pain. One of the cavaliers had left a deep gash on his sword arm! His other arm was useless, thanks to the arrow that had landed in his shoulder. The room began to spin, as the enemies before him readied another attack. This wasn't how it was supposed to end!

A comforting and familiar warmth radiated near him. His sword arm no longer hurt. The thief turned in surprise, and saw the girl he was supposed to be protecting standing behind him, eyes closed and staff raised.

"What are you doing here?! Get out of the way!"

"I couldn't stand by and watch you die! I want to help you!"

"You're gonna get yourself killed!"

"I don't want to be a burden anymore!" Julian thought he saw tears in her eyes. The cavaliers charged. He dove out of the way, and took the startled princess with him.

"Look, princess, you're the one that has to get out of this alive. I'm just a common thief. It doesn't matter if I die here."

"Your life is important, too! Don't throw it away!" He'd made a princess cry. Just great. An arrow whistled far too close to Julian's head. He had to find a way to defeat those enemies! His sword was not too far away. . .

Julian waited for the cavaliers to charge again. Right before they'd hit him, he ducked behind a pillar - the one his sword rested against. An arrow struck the pillar he had taken refuge behind. The cavaliers ran past him. What in the--

"Princess, look out!" A scream answered him, followed by a whimper. Julian turned in horror, and saw Maria's beautiful white robes were red. Her internal organs oozed out of the gash on her midsection. She looked at him and smiled.

"I. . .I saved you. . .sister. . ." She fell, along with the rest of her insides. The victorious cavalier had his back to Julian. He'd pay for that! Before the enemy could turn around, the thief had sliced his horse's legs. The horse fell, taking its startled rider with it. Julian sliced the enemy's throat open. Pain radiated from his shoulder. He'd been hit by another arrow! The remaining cavalier's sword came down towards the wounded thief. Then, the second horse fell. Marth picked his way around the fresh corpse. Julian couldn't meet the prince's eyes. His head hit the ground. What happened?

"Pay attention to the battle, or you'll end up dead!" Marth pointed in the direction of the mounted archer, who was in the process of taking another arrow out. The prince ran up and killed the rider before he could fire another arrow. Julian rose, then fell to his knees. Marth may have saved his life, but the prince had pushed one of the arrows in his shoulder further in. Footsteps approached him.

"Julian? Hey, Julian, stay with me!"

"Prince, I--"

"I know. I saw. While you were going for your sword, she stepped out and faced the cavaliers, so they wouldn't strike at your back."

"What are we going to tell Minerva?"

"Nothing. She used her dragon to shield me from an arrow."

"Why. . ."

"Minerva's last words to me were to survive, and save Macedon. I believe Maria was of the same mind. Julian? Hey, wake up!"

---

"How is he doing?"

"I managed to get him to sleep. He should make a full recovery."

"I see. Thank you, Gordin."

"His body will recover, but I think you'd better see him, anyway."

Marth stepped into the tent where Julian lay. Just as Gordin said, he was sleeping, but it was not a restful sleep. The thief turned and mumbled before settling down.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. . ."

Chapter 11

"My goodness, Dolhr doesn't mess around."

A few ballistae blocked the pass, ready to shoot at anyone within range. A small calvary unit stood by to make sure Marth's army couldn't get close enough to pose a threat to the ballisticians. And beyond them, a wizened form waited.

"Oh no, not another one of my people. . ."

===

"Gordin, have you gone mad?!"

"No, sire. These shots don't hurt at all!"

The ballista loaded and fired its ammo. Electricity arced around Gordin, but somehow it didn't hurt him. The curate giggled.

"This is how I'll protect everyone!"

---

"You. . .traitor! Why do you not serve Emperor Medeus?"

"I have more important things to do."

"If you will not bow to Emperor Medeus, then you will die!"

"You must reach me first!"

The manakete roared, and lumbered towards Bantu. Bantu held his ground. Marth had come up with a crazy plan, and he needed to play his part. The ground shook. Any moment, and--

"FIRE!"

"THUNDER!"

The enemy jerked up, as the two nearby mages cast their magic. The monster let out an angry roar, and regained its feet. Its gaze searched the field for the two pests that had stopped its progress. Its gaze came back to Bantu.

"You will not transform? Then die as a pathetic human!"

"I think not!" The dragon took one more step forward and fell, an axe planted firmly between its eyes.

"You okay, old man?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine."

"Good. Man, what is this thing's skull made out of? Let go of my axe!"

Bantu chuckled quietly to himself. Humans came and went like the wind, but that didn't stop them from trying to improve themselves. The human let out a yelp as his axe freed itself from the dead dragon's head. He stumbled a bit before regaining his balance.

If being a traitor meant watching these amusing creatures grow, then he'd gladly bear that burden!

---

"And, SOLD!"

Rough hands dragged the newly-sold slave off the stage. The bidder regarded his new possession.

"You're rather skinny, but that's all the better for me. I won't have to feed you as much!" The slave winced as the bidder laughed roughly. When was the last time this guy took a bath?

The slave was dragged unceremoniously through the streets, out of the marketplace. A wagon was parked nearby.

"Come now, little boy. You're gonna keep my horses happy!" The bidder yanked at his slave roughly, which caused the slave's hood to fall away.

"Ohoho, what's this, a little girl dressed as a boy? Putting you in the stables would be such a waste. From now on, you are gonna keep ME happy!" The slave felt her new master's hands on a very inappropriate part of her, but she was powerless to do anything about it.

"Marth. . .where are you?"

Chapter 12

Yesterday was quiet. The day before that was quiet. All the days before this day were quiet. Today, the halls were alive.

"Why is it so noisy today?"

"I heard Marth's army was coming this way, with the princess in tow."

"Does this mean she came back for us?"

Midia was glad the three soldiers underneath her were in good spirits. Part of her rejoiced, because it meant that they might be free. The other part worried that the enemy would kill them out of spite. Which would happen first?

"Nervous, my child?" Boah was the one that had kept everyone else from going insane over the past two years. He knew when one of them had something on their mind.

"All this noise. . .if this is Marth's army, then that means we're saved!"

"What makes you say that? If that really is Marth's army, then I'd imagine the enemy would kill us in a final act of defiance."

"It means Her Highness is back home. What happens to us is meaningless."

"Now, now, the enemy hasn't struck us down yet. Don't give up hope."

===

"Looks like the enemy doesn't like us," the knight in green armor commented wryly, as the first set of arrows flew into the cell.

"If all they can do is fire arrows at us, then we might make it out alive," the knight in red armor mused.

"I see a mage among the enemies. Stay away from the walls--urk!" The bishop staggered, an arrow buried in his robes. Blood blossomed from the spot where the arrow had hit.

"Boah are you--NO!" Several more arrows had found their way to the doomed bishop. He gurgled and fell in a pool of his own blood.

Electricity crackled in the air. One of the knights screamed before collapsing into a smoldering heap. The last prisoner, who had said nothing throughout the entire ordeal, stood up and ran towards the downed knight. A moment later, he was slammed against the back wall of the cell, winded. The other knight had thrown him there.

"You've gotta survive kid. Stay there." The winded prisoner opened his mouth, but couldn't bring himself to say anything. Thunder struck again, and the second knight fell without a sound. The youngest prisoner whimpered. His cell mate had taken the blow for him.

"Dolph, Macellan. . .I'm so sorry." Midia had managed to dodge most of the arrows, but one had left a red streak across her face. She turned to the boy, whose eyes were beginning to glaze over.

"Hey, hang in there. I don't want to--ah!" The female knight stumbled forward, an arrow in her back. Her progress led her towards her last remaining soldier.

"Tomas. . .you are to survive. . .join Marth's army, end this war. . .and live. That's an order." Two more arrows hit home, but the light in her eyes still burned.

"Astram. . ." She fell, and landed on top of Tomas. Arrows continued to rain down on her. Even in death, she was determined to protect him.

This was too much for the young soldier. He screamed, and screamed, until his voice gave out.

---

"Gordin, did you hear that?"

"Sounds like someone's alive in there. Let's go!"

"Where are you two going?"

"I thought I heard a scream from the prison cell."

"Aren't you two forgetting something?"

Gordin and Draug gave each other an odd look. What could they possibly be forgetting?

"I figured someone would try to get to the prisons, so I brought this along."

"A door key? Sedgar, you really are prepared for everything."

"I hope you're right."

The trio ran towards the cell. The screams that Gordin had heard suddenly stopped. Heavy footsteps came towards the would-be rescuers.

"It's probably the prison guards. Over here, quickly!" Sedgar grabbed the two with him, and shoved them in a shadowy corner.

The first guard, a mage, managed to let out a gurgled cry, as an axe split his chest open. The first archer got off one poorly-aimed shot before a fireball enveloped him. The second archer's shot bounced off of Sedgar's axe. Another fireball ended his life.

The cell door creaked open. Sedgar looked in. . .and could only back away in horror. One body, that belonging to an older man, had arrows protruding from him at odd angles. Two knights lay next to each other, the unmistakable burn marks of a Thunder spell all over their corpses. Another body was peppered with arrows, but somehow managed to move. Sedgar swallowed hard and looked a little closer. Someone was underneath that final body. The man at the cell door waded in.

Gordin and Draug took that time to peek inside. The former yelped in horror; the latter stood there, transfixed. Sedgar knelt next to the lone survivor of the massacre. His gaze was fixed at some distant point. Tear marks ran down his face, and his breathing was shallow.

"Are you okay? Hey, are you listening? I'm sorry, but this is for your own good." Sedgar slapped the prisoner across the face as hard as he dared. The prisoner's eyes slowly focused on him. Good.

"We're part of Marth's army. Can you walk?" The prisoner blinked at him. Not good.

"It doesn't look like he's injured," Gordin volunteered. He shifted uncomfortably when he realized the prisoner was looking at him. Sedgar turned to the curate and nodded.

"We want to help you. Will you come with us?" A nod answered him.

"I'm sorry to spoil the question and answer session, but it sounds like more enemies are coming this way," Draug said evenly. Sedgar turned to the prisoner, who had curled up into a ball.

"Gordin, can I borrow your staff?" Gordin shot Sedgar a puzzled look, but complied.

"You can hate me for this later," Sedgar muttered, as he brought the staff down over the prisoner's head. The prisoner went limp.

"Thanks. Everyone, let's get out of here." Gordin and Draug were only too happy to oblige. Sedgar loaded the unconscious boy on his shoulders (he's lighter than he looks. . .this is bad), and followed.

---

"Marth, was this the only prisoner that was alive?"

"That's what my men told me, Nyna. Nyna? Where are you going?"

"Sire, I think she's headed for the prison."

"Why would she go there?"

"I don't know, but I think it would be a good idea to stop her."

"Why, Draug?"

"The other prisoners. . .they didn't die peacefully in their sleep."

"I see. Let's go!"

Marth and Draug ran towards the prison. A piercing scream interrupted their journey. Nyna had reached the prison.

"No. . .no. . .why did this have to happen?" Marth looked in, and wished he hadn't. Draug was right when he said those prisoners did not die a peaceful death!

"Nyna. . .can you tell me who they were?"

"The one in the *sniff* robes is Boah, the woman is Midia, *sniff*, the knight in red is Macellan, and the other one is Dolph."

"Thank you. Draug, we need to bury them. They were knights of Archanea. It's the least we can do for them."

"Yes, sir."

"My knights, I'm sorry. . ."

---

Three days had passed since Marth took the palace. Most of his troops had recovered from the battle to take back Nyna's home. Marth stopped by one of the rooms. The prisoner they had rescued sat on his bed, looking at nothing in particular. No one could get a word out of him. Marth wasn't sure if he'd have any luck with their newest addition, but it couldn't hurt to try.

"My name is Marth. I am the leader of this army. I'm glad to see you're awake and dressed." The prisoner looked at him, unblinking. This wasn't going anywhere.

"We'll stay here a little longer, then move on towards Altea. I'd be really grateful if you could help us fight." Did he get a small nod out of him?

"When you feel ready to fight, please let me know. Until then, rest." That was a definite nod! Marth thought he saw a small smile, too.

Marth smiled at the boy, then turned to leave. A smile and a nod was a start.

Chapter 12x

"Hmm? Aren't you the new guy?" Abel asked the figure who silently watched him train. A nod answered him.

"I'm not sure what you hope to gain by watching me, but you're welcome to do so." Another nod, and a smile.

Abel continued his exercises, while keeping the silent kid in his sight. The kid wasn't watching him, so much as intently observing what he did. It was almost as if he was trying to memorize everything the cavalier did.

"Hey, you, ever rode a horse before?" The kid's eyes widened in shock. A hasty shake of his head confirmed Abel's suspicions.

"You look like you want to try. First, you'll need to learn how to mount and dismount." Abel's new pupil listened intently, as he explained the basics of riding a horse.

As the kid took his first steps on a horse, Abel couldn't help but smile. Had he been this unsure when he first entered Altea's service?

---

Marth was not looking forward to the next battle. His enemy was a former Archanean knight, and a decent one, if Nyna's recounting was correct. He wasn't sure why such a knight would betray his homeland like that, but he couldn't leave this knight alone.

---

"We're almost there. Is everyone ready?" Marth mentally counted his troops. No, that couldn't be right! He counted again, this time by class. An extra cavalier had joined his army. It was the prisoner they'd rescued back at the palace.

"Are you up to this?" Marth asked, somewhat concerned. Not that much time had passed since Nyna's palace was retaken, and Nyna had mentioned this soldier was an archer. The archer-turned-cavalier gave a small nod.

"All right. Be careful out there. Princess Nyna won't be happy with me if you go down."

===

"Grust to the north, pirates to the west, and a rogue knight in between. What a wonderful situation we've gotten ourselves into," Abel mumbled, as he cut short an enemy mage's spell. The pirates were clumsy enough, but the trained enemies were a much bigger threat. For one, they sensed the new recruit's unease on a horse, and aimed for him with glee.

"Thanks for the recap, but I think you're needed elsewhere," Julian yelled up to Abel, while pointing in the direction of the enemy's castle. The new guy had taken it upon himself to charge the enemy's main forces. Abel swore under his breath and ran after him.

"I'm glad I was able to find a good excuse to pry that guy away from those pirates. That smile on his face disturbs me."

"You noticed too?"

"Yeah. There's a fine line between enjoying a job and taking pleasure in another's pain."

"That guy was quite anxious while you were recovering from that fiasco at Castle Deil. Always pacing and whatnot."

"Why me?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask him?"

"I--ugh. . ." Sedgar shot Julian a smirk before running off to fight the next group of enemies. Julian glared at his back. Why did he have to be right?

---

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"

The last enemy had fallen. Abel had managed to stall the enemy long enough for Merric, Draug, and Gordin to catch up. He did his best to stay still while Gordin finished closing up a gash on his leg.

The kid looked crestfallen. He'd somehow escaped with only a few minor scratches. Despite his relative inexperience, he had taken out a good number of enemies by himself.

"Look, don't go running off into the heart of enemy territory by yourself. We can't afford to lose you." To the more experienced cavalier's horror, the kid's shoulders slumped even further.

"He's worried about you. Please don't take it the wrong way." The silent soldier slowly backed away, eyes wide with fear. Before Merric could say anything else, he had run off. Gordin and Draug shook their heads.

"You two were down there at the prison cell. What happened?" The dark mage and curate looked at each other and sighed. The truth would have to come out sooner or later.

"When we got there. . ."

---

He tried explaing to Marth that the kid needed time alone, but Marth would hear none of it. For his efforts, he was the one assigned to find the runaway soldier and bring him back. Sedgar silently cursed his luck and closed his eyes. If he wanted to be away from everyone, and he had a tired horse, where would he go? It would have to be somewhere relatively flat, with grass and water. There had to be someplace like that around here!

"Someplace around here" turned out to be an hour away. The ground was even, and the grass was well watered by a nearby spring. The horse grazed contentedly. Its rider was tucked against a tree, sound asleep. From the way his face looked, he'd cried himself to sleep.

"I am NOT carrying you back a second time. Hey, you're gonna make the walk back shorter." Rather than cooperate, the horse decided that Sedgar's hair was edible. Sedgar disagreed very loudly, which woke the sleeping soldier up.

"You're awake. Let's go." The unlucky plainsman danced to the side as the horse lunged at his head. The newly-awoken rider scowled.

"Princess Nyna's worried, and Marth's not about to tell her no. I've gotta bring you back, whether you like it or not." The horse tired of Sedgar's hair, and opted for grass instead. The only thing that answered him was a glare.

"I'm not going anywhere until you return," Sedgar said firmly.

"Leave. . .me alone. . ." Huh. The kid had a voice.

"If I were the one in charge, I would." Sedgar sat down. This could take a while. His actions earned him another glare.

"I don't know why you're running from everyone, but it's really inconvenient. We're out here, and dinner's being served. I'm hungry."

"Go away."

"You want me to go away, but I'm not allowed to do so until you go back. Now what?" Being flippant wasn't one of his strong points, but it seemed to be the only way to reach that kid.

"You. . .don't understand. . ." The kid coughed. Overextering his voice, no doubt.

"Don't understand what?"

"Don't understand. . .losing friends." That's why he had to miss dinner? He wasn't sure whether to feel sorry for the kid or feel sorry for his own stomach. He opted for the latter.

"If you're talking about the warm fuzzy sensation that you felt as your friends fell, while you're completely helpless to stop it, then I'm very familiar with it. Closing myself off to everyone isn't going to bring them back. The best I can do is fight, and hope that I gave their lives meaning." The kid shot him one final glare before mounting his horse and running off in the general direction of the castle.

The hungry soldier sighed. He wasn't sure if he'd convinced the kid to stop sulking. He was certain that he'd missed the best of dinner. He sighed at his own luck and began the long walk back to Marth's army.

Chapter 13

"What kind of magic did you pull back there?"

To the entire army's surpise, the silent cavalier had started speaking. They'd learned his name was Tomas, and that he'd learned how to ride as quickly as he did because he'd talked in depth with someone who rode horses. He still refused to acknowledge Sedgar.

"I told him I thought my dinner was more important than him. He didn't seem too happy about it." Julian shook his head. If there's one thing he couldn't do, it was deal with kids. Especially sulky teenage boys.

"Well, you got him to speak, and Marth is eternally grateful for that."

"Marth can take his eternal gratefulness and shove it. I got table scraps, all because he didn't want to take my advice to leave the kid alone."

"You're really salty about missing that dinner."

"Of course I am! How often do we get herb-crusted chicken on the road?" Julian shot the plainsman a pained look before walking off.

Roshea had never been as contentious as the kid they'd picked up, even at his worst. Trying to get Wolf to handle him was like asking a bandit to be gentle. Vyland could always talk sense into Roshea, no matter what. Sedgar had made sure to pay attention whenever that happened. It looked like his observations had paid off (though the thought of Vyland being that abrupt with anyone was absurd).

"Sedgar, there you are! I have a favor to ask you."

"What is it, sir?"

"You seem to know Tomas best, so I'd like you to keep an eye on him."

". . .what?"

"This next battle is against ballistae. I'm not sure how he'll handle it."

"I can tell you how he'll handle me, and it won't be pretty. Why not ask Abel?"

"I have another assignment for him. You're the only one that can do this."

"Yes, sir."

Marth had a long way before Sedgar would be comfortable calling him sir.

===

He'd been all over the battlefield, but he couldn't lose that guy with the axe. Arrows, rocks, and flaming who-knows-what rained down on the battlefield, but somehow, that guy with the axe was always in sight.

He didn't always wield an axe. A very familiar figure had run out to challenge him. A single parry and two cuts later, and Astram had fallen. At least he could be with Midia.

Midia. Her last words still rang in his ears. Her dying wish was that he join Marth's army, so he did. All of them seemed so comfortable with each other. What if one of them fell? He'd barely managed to hang on to his sanity when he saw his friends die in that cell. Would he be able to handle it if he lost more friends?

"Heads up!" Tomas looked up, and saw a large rock headed for him. He swung his horse to the left. The spray of displaced earth stung his face. The man with the axe sighed.

"You're not going to live long if you daydream in the middle of a battle." Yes, yes, he knew that!

"Why are you following me around?"

"Orders." It was always orders. What was up with that guy? The man seemed to pick up on his displeasure.

"If you can talk Marth out of this crazy assignment, then by all means, do so. I'll be happy to be out of your hair." Well, I don't like you either! Tomas thought to himself.

The world went white, as electricity danced through his muscles. He struggled to stay upright. His body felt so heavy. . .but something wasn't letting him fall. A voice called to him, begged him to stay alive. . .

Right before everything faded to black, Tomas thought he saw tears in the man's eyes.

---

"Ah, what--OW!" Broken ribs. Just great.

"Good morning, sunshine." Not that voice. Not now.

"What. The. Hell."

"You took a ballista shot to the ribs, and lived to tell about it."

"That was a ballista shot?!" Memories of electricity slowly trickled back. Since when did ballista shots have Thunder?

"It seems there's a type of ballista shot that's charged with electricity, and that's what hit you. Any other ammo, and you'd be dead." Tomas turned to glare at him. Pain lanced through his ribs. He felt tears forming in his eys. Tears. . .

"Back there. . .you were crying. . ." He heard a sigh answer him.

"Was I? I guess it couldn't be helped." Hadn't that man mentioned something about losing friends? He wasn't going to get off that easily!

"Your friends. . .what happened to them?"

"Funny you should ask that. Each had his own unique way of living, and each died in a different way. One was hit by a Thunder, fell off his horse, and cracked his head open." The tent flap opened. A warm breeze invited itself in.

"That was the reason why you cried?"

"Every time that friend would act up, I'd talk down to him, just as I did with you. I apologize." The warmth faded.

"He. . .he saw his friend in me? I. . ." Crying hurt his ribs, but that pain was nothing compared to what he felt in his heart. Here was someone else who had lost everyone around him, who had extended his hand in friendship. . .and had been harshly rejected.

"I'll see you again. . .I know I will. You're not allowed to die until I apologize to you."

[spoiler=Log (serious, 1-13)]Prologue

Just kidding.

Chapter 1

The play log interrupts here. I'll continue this after the write-up.

Cain went down first, while a stupid error of mine nearly put Gordin in the same situation (he's too weak to hold a Steel Bow properly). Wound up retreating to the fort to heal Gordin, then Abel. Jagen grabbed some Javelins and a couple of Iron Lances. Managed to hold out during the initial pirate rush. Draug's massive defenses are really helpful!

Caeda's life was used to bait the Hunter. Marth and Abel stood next to the boss, while everyone else sniped with Javelins (or in Gordin's case, his bow). I got really lucky with the Javelin hits, so Abel was able to kill the boss off (relatively) quickly. Of my levels, Marth got a really good one, Abel got one good one and one bad one, Draug got a good one, and Gordin's been gaining mostly Speed. With the exception of Abel's second level, it's not too bad. Abel needs 3 more Speed and a lot more HP, or Chapter 3 will take a long time.

Back to the story. . .

Chapter 2

. . .and that role would be gaiden sacrifice.

Ogma was the only one that didn't go down to the initial charges by the enemy. Marth killed Darros, while everyone else slowly took out pirates. Draug managed to land hits via his Javelin (how he did it is a mystery), and Jagen made for a decent meatshield that fought back. Castor was backstabbed by Abel. The boss eventually died to Jagen's Silver Lance. Unfortunately, Jagen got a bad level off of that.

Abel continues to gain Speed (whee), along with Gordin (huh?) and Draug (WTF?).

Chapter 3

Sent everyone north, while Lena babysat the fort to the south. Navarre doesn't hold up well against a Silver Lance (free experience, hooray), and the rest of that initial group weren't too happy with Marth on a Mountain. I managed to skirt around the hunter, then used Abel + Javelin to get him to move. The trio of Fighters chewed through Lena, then suicided into my new hideout (complete with two forts). From there, I slowly moved east, mopped up the remaining troops, then. . .that boss. . .

Abel pulled the miracle I was looking for, and had 11 Speed at level 7. This was enough to NOT be doubled by the boss. Marth had just enough HP to survive one round of the boss. Abel pulled yet another miracle, and landed an early critical on the boss, which then allowed me to kill the boss and end the chapter relatively quickly (25 turns). Otherwise, it would have been the Julian Improvement Show.

Chapter 4

Reclassed Gordin to Curate and Draug to Dark Mage. The former didn't gain any Strength (he gained a ton of Speed instead), and I need a third staff user (and Draug wasn't cooperating Strength-wise).

Left some disposables behind to waylay the units from the east, while everyone else ran towards Merric's village. Somehow managed to kill off those horses without anyone important biting the dust (thank you sucky generics!), then waited for the fighter group to catch up so I could level up my magic guys. The rest was simple baiting, and that lone Hunter in the east chased Jagen all the way to Merric's village, where Abel and Julian finished him.

Draug is being really weird, but Merric looks like he's cooperating. I'm gonna need all the help I can get!

Chapter 5

I can't be serious all the time!

One of my generics was a Myrmidon with +2 Strength. Sadly, it's too soon for me to keep a generic. . .

Killed off the three cavaliers to the north, while Hardin and his group slowly eliminated the archers. My bait did an admirable job of being bait. Once the initial mess was over, I had all the new guys that aren't a favorite of mine see Wendell for assisted suicide. Wendell in turn was killed by the last remaining Aurelian. I took too long, and the reinforcements started spawning. Rather than risk my mages against those Pegasus Knights (enough AS to double Merric), I waited it out, then brought the boss to his knees thanks to my two mages.

Draug and Gordin gained Magic.

Chapter 6

Reclassed Sedgar to Warrior, so he'd gain Strength.

I managed to get everything except for the Killing Edge, but that's not a big deal. Two mages made this map much easier, since most of the enemies have no Resistance and little Speed to their name. Abel and Sedgar survived early blunders by dodging (Abel dodged a 72%, Sedgar dodged a 80%). Julian grabbed a couple of things, and then punched Rickard's lights out. Jagen removed himself from the story. The boss never did learn why it's a good idea to have a forged Javelin at ready. . .

Sedgar and Julian got perfect level ups (in Julian's case, he missed Res, but I don't count that). Marth and Abel did a good job, too. Merric's turning into the Magical Machine Gun, and Gordin is telling me how much he hates his new support role by gaining nothing. Draug didn't gain anything, but he's so fast that it's almost irrelevant.

Chapter 6x

This is a gaiden chapter, and it's the most boring one out of them. I don't do boring write-ups, and my generics were worse than usual. Onward!

Chapter 7

This chapter isn't as bad if the reinforcements don't get a chance to come out and play!

Killed off the rabble near Bantu's village, recruited him. . .then realized I forgot to pick up his Firestone! Oh, well, it's not like he's a combat unit! I now have someone to run errands for me!

Took out Catria, Palla, Est, and Minerva, in that order. Julian made Minerva leave for good. My generics provided a distraction, while my units stood on the forts, one by one. Once I blocked all the forts with my regular troops, I fed the generics to the boss. After that, Merric, Draug, and Sedgar took potshots at the boss until he fell.

Draug gained Magic, and Sedgar's turning into the unit I want him. I'm not sure how I'll write his final reclass in, but I'll try! He's not quite ready for it yet.

Chapter 8

Wow, lots of generics! Too bad they're terrible!

Ban-ban went shopping (as that's all he can do), while my generics, my new sacrifices, and the main army went north. The horse group worried me the most, but Abel and a Ridersbane kept things under control. Once those reinforcements petered out, I used the last of my generics and Caesar to bait the Knight/Archer group, then headed for the castle at a dead run. Merric and Draug took out the boss in record time, and Marth seized before the remainder of my troops because Knight food.

Draug and Gordin gained Magic. Party time!

Chapter 9

Reclassed Sedgar to Horseman, mostly because I don't like pirates. Didn't bother deploying Bantu, because I didn't need to shop.

Used generics to draw the enemy to dry land, then pounded them. Taking out Ugly took a lot longer than I thought it would, because no one could double him. I satisfied myself with poking him with my mages, while everyone that could fight did their best to hold out against the reinforcements. Draug wound up taking a few Pirate hits, but since he was darn fast, he doubled them. Hooray for a Defense-based magic user!

Sedgar leveled as a Horseman, and got a near-perfect level (missed out on Luck, but that's bound to happen, given Sedgar's unlucky streak).

Chapter 10

Reclassed Sedgar to Hero (unless something weird happens, that's probably the last time he'll reclass).

Regular troops front and center, generics in back. The first wave of horses went down to Draug the Magical Machine Gun (with a little help from Julian), Merric the Magical Shotgun (Excalibur critical), Abel + Horseslayer, several good levels of Strength with Sedgar, and a little bit of AI manipulation. The fliers also went down painfully. Caught the thief with Draug and Marth, baited the archers, had Marth rescue Maria (for story purposes), but couldn't kill Minvera before she recruited herself (will modify story). While that fiasco was going on, Abel, Merric, Sedgar, Ban-ban, and Gordin ran around the castle to kill the boss. Couldn't stop the first wave of reinforcements from spawning, but that turned out to be a good thing.

I don't think Sedgar likes his new job.

Chapter 11

That's a lot of generics that need to die!

Killed off the initial flying units, and used a couple of generics to bait the Stonehoist so they'd leave Merric alone. Ran around the mountain, and stopped to mop up some sweet experience along the way. Gordin ran the Thunderbolt out of ammo, then another generic baited the Horseman. Abel wound up being live bait for the unlucky Sniper. Once the Thunderbolt dude was gone, the rest of my generics swarmed the field, but I made sure they weren't in range of the boss. Abel cleared the throne for Marth, and the last surviving generic baited the dragon (who died to much magic and a Hand Axe). Killing generics takes a long time!

Chapter 12

Promoted generics, whee! My three ladies reclassed to Dracoknights, so I could kill them faster.

The other prisoners gladly gave their lives for the sake of my run, and in record time (thank you for not loldodging, Midia). The first set of armors went down to Abel + Armorslayer and Sedgar + Hammer. The other armor ate a ton of magic, followed by a close-range Hand Axe. One of my generics ferried a Door Key, Iron Bow, and Steel Bow for the last surviving prisoner. I could've leveled him, but I chose not to (yet).

Several things were Excaliblicked into oblivion (including a certain pesky General), and Marth on Silver Sword was enough to OHKO the Elfire mage. The other mage died to Merric's Fire. Heimler's group suicided into Sedgar. Random generic spawn died to Ridersbane. The boss died to a well-placed Silver Sword (it helps that Marth was able to double the boss).

I spent several turns extra killing the dragon, because my generic refused to die.

Chapter 12x

Reclassed Tomas to Cavalier. Hopefully, he'll cooperate.

This chapter should be called Have One Unit Gain Eight Levels and a Weapon Rank, because that's exactly what happened to my new recruit (one of those levels included a random Resistance gain). Slowly plowed through everything, and found out that my generic units made for good bait and stall. Eventually, I had to kill them, and there was a nice Sniper who was willing to do that for me. The pesky Javelin knights were *just* weak enough to eat a OHKO via Hammer. Killed the boss, then wandered over to Horace's Hangout, and ruined his party. Sedgar does not like competition.

Gordin went Bulky Bishop.

Chapter 13

Bantu became useful again!

Sedgar ORKO'd Astram with nary but an Iron Sword (told ya he doesn't like competition!), while Marth and Abel charged down the center, murdering everything in their way. Tomas took the south, and nearly ate it on the first turn. My magical guys went north, with Bantu luring the Arrowspate forward. The boss went down really fast, because the Levin Sword is awesome. For some reason, Julian wasn't targeted. Got an extra Ridersbane for my efforts.

Edited October 12, 2010 by eclipse

[Darros]

Something serial serious!

[Integrity]

I'm STILL done with one or two drafts and nobody else is. :P

I prefer the silly runs, to be honest.

[El Rey León]

Go silly. I like silly.

[eclipse]

Okay, that's two for silly and one for serious. My current run is on Chapter 12x, and I'm really glad I'm not using that one for the story (I don't know if Gordin at 13 STR at level 13 is worse than Merric at 17 SPD at level 16).

I'll wait for a few more opinions before I decide on how to write it.

[Silent_Assasin]

Go silly. Silly is... well it's silly.

[Jaybee]

Make us afraid, Eclipse.

[Parrhesia]

You've done silly. Expand your horizons~

[eclipse]

Three for silly, two for serious, and one that I can't figure out. . .at this rate, I'll end up doing both!

[Parrhesia]

Mine was for serious, if it needed clarification.

Unless a black comedy is an option...?

Edited September 12, 2010 by Furetchen

[eclipse]

Nope, I wasn't planning on black comedy.

Yours was pretty clear, O Great Furetchan. I can't say the same about Presea's one. . .

[Jaybee]

Basically what Furet said.

[Balcerzak]

Darkness beyond twilight

Crimson beyond blood that flows

:3

[eclipse]

As someone else in RL got a vote (for funny). . .that means it's four apiece for each option (thanks, Presea!).

THAT MEANS I'M DOING BOTH! Not at the same time, though.

Here's the rule set:

1. My army consists of Marth, Julian (because Rickard's terrible, and a thief is really helpful), everyone with green hair, and possibly one generic (if I get one with really amusing stats, I'll keep it, give it a name, and post about it).

2. Runs will be done on H2. I experimented with H3, and Endgame can bite me.

3. If it doesn't have green hair (or recruit someone with green hair), it doesn't get recruited. If it auto-recruits, it dies. Unless Abel, Draug, and Gordin pull some sort of miracle (by miracle, I mean Abel gets insane Speed, Draug gains HP and Defense, and Gordin does not suck), Jagen will be kept alive for a few chapters.

4. I must obtain Tiki and Nagi, and both must be alive by the end of 24x.

5. Due to the rule above, Elice dies on 24x.

6. Gharnef must die. Painfully.

7. Reclassing is a must. Sedgar as a General is not.

8. No resetting to make Gordin/Tomas/whoever better.

9. I'll be doing my best to emulate some sort of efficiency, but that won't kick in until Chapter 4 (unless I see the miracle mentioned in rule 3).

10. Everything. Dies. How I do this without being stupid with the turn count is part of the reason why I'm doing this. Chapter 8 might be an exception, as the reinforcements do not stop after the boss dies.

11. The Wi-Fi shop does not exist.

12. Neither does the Warp staff. Or the Geosphere. Or the Arena.

13. Forging will be kept to a minimum, and anything with a slayer property will NOT be forged (bows are the exception, because. . .well, you'll see).

I like 13 rules. Suggestions are welcome.

Due to the sequence of events, the serious run gets done first, followed by the funny run. I'll change the topic title to reflect which run I'm doing. Since I haven't started yet, I'll leave the title alone.

[Integrity]

Huh. Draug DOES have green hair.

Cavalier!Merric. Gogogo.

[Darros]

You dont know about the bald charscters! They might of used to be green-haired!

[eclipse]

Huh. Draug DOES have green hair.

Cavalier!Merric. Gogogo.

Only if Gordin or Draug does something godly. Otherwise, Merric's my character of choice for taking down a certain grumpy old dude. Can't think of anyone else that would be of any use, Magic-wise (Abel, Sedgar, and Palla have better things to do with their time, and Tomas is only if everyone else somehow flips me off).

I'll think about that for the funny run.

You dont know about the bald charscters! They might of used to be green-haired!

Dolph has blond hair and Macellan has black hair (look at their eyebrows). If Darros and Wrys' portraits are correct, they're probably some shade of dark blond (about Beck-colored).

Ban-ban probably didn't have green hair, as that seems to be reserved for dragons that don't suck.

. . .and with that, it's time to start. Here goes! No complaining about the Prologue; I had to make it up, because this is H2.

Prologue

It's been two weeks since we've fled Altea. Marth's disposition has slowly picked up over time, but it will be a long time before he's back to normal. He lost his family and a loyal knight in his homeland. Frey knew what he was getting himself into, but he swallowed his fear, donned the prince's clothes, and diverted the enemy. It was a desperate plan, but it worked well. May luck be with you, Frey.

Ever since we reached Talys, Jagen has been doing his best to keep everyone focused on training. Abel hasn't said much, and even Cain is more subdued than I remember him. Gordin sometimes wakes himself up in the middle of the night, crying for something I can't make out. I do the only thing I can; train, and hope that my strength may be enough to help Marth retake his home.

Yeah, well, I hate you too, H2! Frey's not here, and Norne's doing whatever she was doing in the original (probably hunting for dinner). At least I got her bow.

Chapter 1

"Pirates? Now? Let's go!"

Marth's words roused the residents of the fort. It was their temporary home, and it was plenty sufficient for a small band of knights and a displaced prince. Metal clanked as men readied themselves for battle. A short time after the announcement was made, the sound of hooves could be heard exiting the fort, followed by the unmistakable rattling of plate metal on plate metal.

Pirates had indeed infested the island Marth was on, and his heart sank as he saw the smoke from a nearby village. Despite their haste, they were too late.

"Pirates? I'll show them what it means to mess with Altea!" The redhead of the group let out a hearty cry before charging in. His green-haired partner could only sigh and try to keep up.

"Those two are in good spirits." The oldest of the group wore a wry grin. They reminded him of his younger days. He followed the other two who had left earlier. It wouldn't look good if either one of them fell now!

"Hey, wait up!" Two more soldiers lagged behind the mounted units. One was clad in heavy armor. The other was in lighter gear, but his bow hindered his movement. Everyone else was so far ahead!

The play log interrupts here. I'll continue this after the write-up.

Cain went down first, while a stupid error of mine nearly put Gordin in the same situation (he's too weak to hold a Steel Bow properly). Wound up retreating to the fort to heal Gordin, then Abel. Jagen grabbed some Javelins and a couple of Iron Lances. Managed to hold out during the initial pirate rush. Draug's massive defenses are really helpful!

Caeda's life was used to bait the Hunter. Marth and Abel stood next to the boss, while everyone else sniped with Javelins (or in Gordin's case, his bow). I got really lucky with the Javelin hits, so Abel was able to kill the boss off (relatively) quickly. Of my levels, Marth got a really good one, Abel got one good one and one bad one, Draug got a good one, and Gordin's been gaining mostly Speed. With the exception of Abel's second level, it's not too bad. Abel needs 3 more Speed and a lot more HP, or Chapter 3 will take a long time.

Back to the story. . .

"I haven't had this kind of exercise in a while!"

"Cain, keep your eyes on the battle!"

"Yes, yes, you worrywart."

Despite the ferocity of the battle, the two knights shared some light teasing between blows. Pirates fell, but not at the pace either of them wanted. It was obvious that neither knight would walk from this battle unscathed. A flash of movement caught the green-haired knight's eye. It couldn't be. . .

"Arrow to the left!"

"Hu--ow!"

The arrow grazed Cain's face, but the momentary distraction was enough for the pirates. One rushed in, and before the redhead could get his defenses up, he found himself looking down at the axe buried in his chest. Whatever last words he had meant to say were garbled by the blood that poured out of the doomed knight's mouth.

The tears could wait until later. Right now, there were pirates, and one had taken his best friend's life. It was time to focus. Focus on avenging his friend through battle. None would be left alive. Abel tightened the grip on his sword, and moved on.

---

Marth had seen pegasus knights before, but this was the first time he'd seen one in battle. She quickly reared her mount, which caused her opponent to miss wildly, then used that blunder to bury her spear into her target. One by one, the pirates fell.

"I'm going to scout ahead. Please make sure everyone's safe."

"Yes ma'am!"

Caeda giggled, before taking to the skies. Marth watched the princess take off. He saw her fly into the distance. . .saw an arrow arc upwards. . .and could only watch in horror as the arrow embedded itself in the pegasus.

Marth ran towards the place where he saw the pegasus fall. This couldn't be happening!

If she had any last words, they would forever be unknown. By the time Marth reached her, she had already died. Her head hung at an impossible angle, and her lower body was trapped beneath her proud mount's corpse. He'd have to deliver the news to her father once they reached the castle. Snapping branches distracted the prince. The one who had taken his friend down was still alive. Battle now, mourn later.

Chapter 2

"Pirates and more pirates. When will it end?"

"Sire, not now! They're coming!"

True to the old knight's words, the pirates seemed more interested in finishing Marth's little band rather than watch their leader despair. The four men Caeda's father had sent with him prepared their weapons. They knew their role.

. . .and that role would be gaiden sacrifice.

Ogma was the only one that didn't go down to the initial charges by the enemy. Marth killed Darros, while everyone else slowly took out pirates. Draug managed to land hits via his Javelin (how he did it is a mystery), and Jagen made for a decent meatshield that fought back. Castor was backstabbed by Abel. The boss eventually died to Jagen's Silver Lance. Unfortunately, Jagen got a bad level off of that.

Abel continues to gain Speed (whee), along with Gordin (huh?) and Draug (WTF?).

The new recruits could handle the pirates. They were no match for the Grustian cavaliers, who skewered them before they could react. Marth bowed his head, so his comrades couldn't see his tears. He didn't even get their names before they died. . .

---

"Mother. . .I couldn't bring home any money. . .and now I won't be able to bring myself home. . ."

Did that pirate. . .no. He couldn't allow his mind to wander. The battle was in front of him. These pirates were no different than the ones that took Cain's life. Abel steeled himself for the next attack.

Chapter 3

"Hurry it up, Lena! Those bandits aren't going to sit around while you saunter out!"

"I'm doing my best, Julian!"

"Who are they? They don't look like enemies. That woman looks like she's having trouble keeping up. We'd best help them! Everyone, let's go!"

Sent everyone north, while Lena babysat the fort to the south. Navarre doesn't hold up well against a Silver Lance (free experience, hooray), and the rest of that initial group weren't too happy with Marth on a Mountain. I managed to skirt around the hunter, then used Abel + Javelin to get him to move. The trio of Fighters chewed through Lena, then suicided into my new hideout (complete with two forts). From there, I slowly moved east, mopped up the remaining troops, then. . .that boss. . .

Abel pulled the miracle I was looking for, and had 11 Speed at level 7. This was enough to NOT be doubled by the boss. Marth had just enough HP to survive one round of the boss. Abel pulled yet another miracle, and landed an early critical on the boss, which then allowed me to kill the boss and end the chapter relatively quickly (25 turns). Otherwise, it would have been the Julian Improvement Show.

"Lena, stay here. You'll be safe."

"Please come back in one piece, Julian!"

Draug watched the two exchange farewells. He didn't have any sort of lady to dedicate his fighting to, and he certainly didn't have the same easy personality that their new recruit displayed. The armored knight briefly wondered what it would be like if he had a damsel whose honor he had to preserve. He shook his head. Such flights of fancy would have to wait. The bandits were almost upon him!

---

"Found ya, traitor!"

"You guys? Where did you come from?"

"O'er the south, ya idiot! Where else would we come from?"

"The south?!"

"Worried about that lady o' yours?"

"Wha--"

"Ah, she was a borin' one. She didn' make a sound when I cut her in two! I think I got a little bit o' her insides on my axe."

"YOU'LL PAY!"

Abel saw the thief charge, sword at ready. There was no way that redhead would make it out alive! An unwanted memory of another redhead with a habit of charging into battle flashed in his mind. . .no, not now! Before his better sense could talk him out of it, Abel rushed in after the thief.

A short distance away, Jagen saw his normally-calm subordinate run headlong into a group of bandits. Had he gone mad? With a heavy sigh, he followed the green-haired knight.

"Draug, it looks like everyone's headed towards that path not too far away."

"They're charging with no strategy in mind. Let's go."

"Yeah, right. I hope my arrows will be of help!"

Marth saw the last two members of his group head towards the mountain path they'd just come up. What was going on up there? The prince ran towards his army. It would be bad to lose them in these mountains!

Edited September 16, 2010 by eclipse

[eclipse]

Last post is getting way too long, so I'll continue here.

Chapter 4

"I never want to go through those mountains again!"

Several tired looks agreed with Gordin. The mountains were full of memories of bandits, treacherous paths, and slow going. No one wanted to do that over. Marth called for a halt, and everyone was more than happy to oblige him.

One unit stood a short distance from the resting troops. His gaze was fixed on the peaks they had just traveled through.

"I'm sorry you couldn't see the view from this side. Rest in peace, Lena."

---

"Didn't we just--oh, great. Everyone, to arms!"

The Altean Army hurriedly got back into battle gear, as the troops from Aurelis advanced. Calvary thundered from the west, while another group threatened from the north. They'd have to act fast, or else the Altean Army would be nothing more than a bloodstain on the lands of Aurelis.

"Why were we ordered to change jobs now? I don't know if I can do this." The speaker nervously fiddled with the staff he'd just been given. He could use the staff, but not very well.

"Marth must have his reasons. We need to believe in him." This speaker's eyes never left the book he was supposed to study. The subtleties of magic weren't his strong point, but Marth insisted he needed someone who could wield the dark arts.

Any more conversation between the two was cut off by nearby shouting. It was time for them to prove themselves.

"May this staff. . .keep my friends from dying."

Reclassed Gordin to Curate and Draug to Dark Mage. The former didn't gain any Strength (he gained a ton of Speed instead), and I need a third staff user (and Draug wasn't cooperating Strength-wise).

Left some disposables behind to waylay the units from the east, while everyone else ran towards Merric's village. Somehow managed to kill off those horses without anyone important biting the dust (thank you sucky generics!), then waited for the fighter group to catch up so I could level up my magic guys. The rest was simple baiting, and that lone Hunter in the east chased Jagen all the way to Merric's village, where Abel and Julian finished him. Did this one in 15 turns (far from maximum efficiency, but it's pretty good for me on H2).

Draug is being really weird, but Merric looks like he's cooperating. I'm gonna need all the help I can get!

"Calvary's coming in fast from the west. Marth, we need to hurry, or the fighters to the east will surround us!"

"I can see that, Jagen! Let's strike at the calvary unit, since we'll meet them first."

"What's up with that soldier over there, Draug? He looks ready to pass out."

"I'm not sure, Gordin, but he's still an enemy. We need to be careful."

The two friends ran closer to the nervous soldier. Maybe he'd let his guard down and talk about something important.

"How did I get myself into this mess? I hate fighting, and I don't know where Lena went!" The soldier fidgeted with his lance, while somehow keeping ahorse. Gordin and Draug exchanged a puzzled look.

"Is this guy really a soldier? He reminds me of my younger brother."

"Lena. . .where did I hear that before?"

"You two? Did you just mention Lena?" The soldier rode up to them, lance down. Draug sighed. This guy couldn't be serious! He was asking to be killed!

"Why does that name sound so familiar? Ugh, I can't remember where I heard it!"

"Lena's dead."

Everyone turned to look at the speaker. His clothes were stained as red as his hair, but it was apparent that none of that blood was his own. The soldier on the horse turned towards the blood-stained speaker. This time, his lance was at ready.

"What did you say?"

"I said Lena's dead! What does it matter to you?"

"You. . .that was my sister!" The soldier wheeled his horse around, lance aimed at the bearer of the bad news. The target of the soldier's newfound rage sighed and lowered his head. His carelessness had cost the life of the woman he loved, and had cost this soldier his sister. It was only fair that--.

"EXCALIBUR!"

Julian's thoughts were interrupted by a blast of wind. The soldier that was on horseback a moment earlier was on the ground, out cold. His horse milled about, uncertain of what to do.

"My name is Merric. Marth allowed me to join this army. What in the gods' name is going on?"

"You're Merric? I'm Gordin, the guy in the dark robes is Draug, and the man whose life you just saved is Julian. I'll explain this mess later. Can you help us get through this battle?"

"Sure! But--hey, what are you doing?!"

The one called Julian stood over the unconscious soldier, knife in hand. He regarded the figure on the ground for a moment before turning to the trio of magic users.

"I. . .I'm sorry. I need you three to do me a big favor. . ."

---

"Merric. . .back there. . .do you think we did the right thing?"

"I don't know, Gordin. Only Julian knows that for certain."

"Marth will be really angry if he ever finds out."

"No, I think he'd approve. That soldier will never fight another battle, but he has his life. Marth doesn't like needless sacrifice."

"I hope you're right. . ."

Chapter 5

"Marth's army is here. We're gonna meet them, and take the castle back!"

A ragged cheer answered Hardin's battle speech. Despite his bravado, Hardin secretly worried about his group. There were far too few of them for too many enemies, and said enemies showed no signs of wearing out. Could they win? He'd have to keep his doubts to himself, lest his men pick up on them, and lose heart.

"We get to meet them? I wonder what they're like?"

"Don't get your hopes too high up, kid. They might not like the idea of child care."

"Why do you always tease me, Vyland?"

"You get riled up too easily."

The two friends shared a laugh as they walked out to their horses. The other half of their group was finishing up their battle preparations over verbal poking.

"So when are you going to tell that serving girl how much you adore her?"

"Stuff it! She's younger than the pipsqueak over there! I'm not interested in little girls!"

"Don't let her hear that, Wolf, or you'll break her heart."

"If you're so worried about her, YOU propose to her!"

"I'm not the one with the delicate looks."

"Don't ever forget it!"

Roshea giggled. It looks like he wasn't the only one on the wrong end of a friendly beating! Wolf scowled at the purple-haired teen, which made Sedgar chuckle.

"Save that expression for the enemy, missy. It's almost time."

"Why you--"

"That's enough, you two. We're here to fight, not to prattle like ladies. Marth's army is across the river. It's time to go."

"YES, SIR!"

Hardin and his small group charged out onto the plains of Aurelis, determined to help their new allies.

I can't be serious all the time!

One of my generics was a Myrmidon with +2 Strength. Sadly, it's too soon for me to keep a generic. . .

Killed off the three cavaliers to the north, while Hardin and his group slowly eliminated the archers. My bait did an admirable job of being bait. Once the initial mess was over, I had all the new guys that aren't a favorite of mine see Wendell for assisted suicide. Wendell in turn was killed by the last remaining Aurelian. I took too long, and the reinforcements started spawning. Rather than risk my mages against those Pegasus Knights (enough AS to double Merric), I waited it out, then brought the boss to his knees thanks to my two mages.

Draug and Gordin gained Magic.

"The biggest threat to Marth's army looks like that Sage over there. I'll draw him out. You guys finish him."

Hardin's assessment of the Sage was correct. The Sage ran out as planned. Hardin ran back, but wasn't fast enough to outrun the Thunder that chased him. Sedgar saw his commander fall, then saw his friend push towards the Sage at full speed. This wasn't part of the plan! Wolf's arrow flew an instant before the Sage's Thunder hit him. Sedgar could only watch helplessly as his friend's body fought against the electricity momentarily, before going limp. Wolf's last shot had landed in the Sage's shoulder. This was as good a time as any to make sure that Sage didn't take a third life!

Not too far away, Vyland saw the Sage stiffen, then fall over. He breathed a sigh of relief. Hardin and Wolf could rest in peace. The living didn't have time to rest yet. Enemies still littered the plains. Someone needed to do something about them. An enemy archer's attention was directed towards Sedgar. It would be that archer's last mistake. Vyland charged.

The Pegasus Knights gracefully wheeled about in the sky, attacking anyone that was left open. Marth's thoughts briefly returned to that day, when he first saw Caeda. . .ah, not now. He swore he'd let himself mourn her after the fighting was over. Her spirit nimbly dodged a clumsy soldier's attack, then struck true while the soldier was off-balance. Caeda was gone, and Marth had not recruited any Pegasus Knights, which meant. . .

. . ."no. Not again." Abel saw the redheaded man on the horse slump against the lance that had skewered him. The airborne knight freed her lance from her latest victim, then turned her attention towards Abel. Unfortunately for her, Abel's mind had wandered back to that day in Talys, where his redheaded friend had fallen in a similar fashion. She didn't stand a chance against his fury.

---

"Everyone. . .everyone's. . .*sniff*" Despite the ferocity of the battle, the youngest Aurelian was completely unharmed. He'd seen his friends fall, one by one. The only one left was fighting hard, but how long could his rage sustain him? Why was all this fighting necessary?

"Hey kid, pull yourself together!" Sedgar gave the best smile he could to Roshea, who managed to return it, albeit weakly. All his friends weren't dead yet! There was still hope! First, those enemies in armor were approaching. He'd need to--wha?!

Roshea's horse had somehow found a small indentation on the plain, and had twisted its leg badly. The sudden movement sent the purple-haired kid flying off his horse, to land rather awkwardly on his arm. Pain radiated through his wrist. His unexpected fall had left him with a broken wrist. Heavy clanking interrupted his thoughts. A figure in armor stood above him, lance pointed downward.

Sedgar winced as the young soldier's final scream echoed across the battlefield.

---

The battle was finally over. Merric gingerly walked back towards the newly-taken castle gate. Something caught his eye. Something very familiar. . .

"Teacher? Is that you? Hey, wake up!" Merric turned his teacher over, then fell backwards in shock. Two arrows protruded from his body. He looked up in shock, and saw the same arrows in the quiver of the Aurelian soldier who had just joined their cause. The soldier looked back at Merric, then at the body on the ground. The color drained from his face.

"You. . .it was you. You killed Wendell. Bring him back!" Blind rage propelled the boy towards the man with THOSE arrows. The man sighed, and looked down. Merric couldn't help but follow his gaze. . .which ended at a corpse. Another man had those same arrows, and the unmistakable marks of someone struck by lightning. Before Merric could say anything, the soldier picked up the corpse, loaded it onto his horse, and rode off.

"Why. . .why. . ." The rendezvous could wait. He needed time to himself. Time to sort his feelings.

[Darros]

Final scream? You totally could of made Roshea the tactician (although hes dead. Like Mark or Malledus or Oifey or Jagen or wassisface!) We know how much you love the guy ;)

You, my friend, are an amazing writer.

[Parrhesia]

I think this is the exact midpoint between Those Meddling Kids and Catch-22.

[Balcerzak]

Caeda giggled, before taking to the skies. Marth watched the princess take off. He saw her fly into the distance. . .saw an arrow arc upwards. . .and could only watch in horror as the arrow embedded itself in the pegasus.

Marth ran towards the place where he saw the pegasus fall. This couldn't be happening!

If she had any last words, they would forever be unknown. By the time Marth reached her, she had already died. Her head hung at an impossible angle, and her lower body was trapped beneath her proud mount's corpse. He'd have to deliver the news to her father once they reached the castle. Snapping branches distracted the prince. The one who had taken his friend down was still alive. Battle now, mourn later.

The Pegasus Knights gracefully wheeled about in the sky, attacking anyone that was left open. Marth's thoughts briefly returned to that day, when he first saw Caeda. . .ah, not now. He swore he'd let himself mourn her after the fighting was over. Her spirit nimbly dodged a clumsy soldier's attack, then struck true while the soldier was off-balance. Caeda was gone, and Marth had not recruited any Pegasus Knights, which meant. . .

. . ."no. Not again." Abel saw the redheaded man on the horse slump against the lance that had skewered him. The airborne knight freed her lance from her latest victim, then turned her attention towards Abel. Unfortunately for her, Abel's mind had wandered back to that day in Talys, where his redheaded friend had fallen in a similar fashion. She didn't stand a chance against his fury.

Ooh, so delicious. Yay for dark-toned serious.

[Jaybee]

Caeda and Lena's death scenes... >_<

But if this is serious, I like it. :D

BTW, Matthis's scene was hilarious.

[eclipse]

Final scream? You totally could of made Roshea the tactician (although hes dead. Like Mark or Malledus or Oifey or Jagen or wassisface!) We know how much you love the guy ;)

You, my friend, are an amazing writer.

Thanks!

Roshea is too damn nice to be a tactician.

I think this is the exact midpoint between Those Meddling Kids and Catch-22.

Er, thanks?

*is confused, as usual*

Ooh, so delicious. Yay for dark-toned serious.

Thank you! :)

Caeda and Lena's death scenes... >_<

But if this is serious, I like it. :D

BTW, Matthis's scene was hilarious.

Thanks! Matthis sucks, so he doesn't get a soldier's death. Some of the others might wish they were dead once I'm done with them. . .

Oh, right, story! Not too much, as I'm tired, and my dinner's happy in my belly. I'm trying to explore the function of Luck in this run, and I think I'm getting the hang of it.

===

Chapter 6

"We've breached the outer wall. Now, we must rout the enemy in the castle. Here's how we'll do it. . ."

---

"Me, on the front lines?"

"Yes, Merric. We need a good mage to help deal with the knights that roam the halls. I'll be watching your back, and dealing with any other enemies that show up. I think I can learn a thing or two from watching you fight. I want to be a good mage, so Marth doesn't have to overload you."

"I'll be nearby, to patch you up!"

"Thanks, you two, but--"

"We need to go! The battle's about to start!"

Merric watched Gordin and Draug take off. He didn't have a problem with being front and center. One of the other nearby units was the same man that had killed his teacher. Could he concentrate, knowing that Wendell's murderer was right next to him?

---

"Marth said he needed my skill with a bow. Why did I have to be the one to survive? I couldn't protect my friends with my sword. . .so I hope I can start again with this axe."

Sedgar closed his eyes and took a deep breath before starting towards the battlefield. For the sake of his friends, he had to be strong!

Reclassed Sedgar to Warrior, so he'd gain Strength.

I managed to get everything except for the Killing Edge, but that's not a big deal. Two mages made this map much easier, since most of the enemies have no Resistance and little Speed to their name. Abel and Sedgar survived early blunders by dodging (Abel dodged a 72%, Sedgar dodged a 80%). Julian grabbed a couple of things, and then punched Rickard's lights out. Jagen removed himself from the story. The boss never did learn why it's a good idea to have a forged Javelin at ready. . .

Sedgar and Julian got perfect level ups (in Julian's case, he missed Res, but I don't count that). Marth and Abel did a good job, too. Merric's turning into the Magical Machine Gun, and Gordin is telling me how much he hates his new support role by gaining nothing. Draug didn't gain anything, but he's so fast that it's almost irrelevant.

"Ugh, these guys hit hard!" Blood dripped from a wound on Abel's arm. His ribs hurt from a lance strike from one of the enemy knights. His Javelin was getting progressively harder to handle. The Javelin's tip caught on an uneven brick. Abel desperately fought to keep his hands on his weapon and the rest of him on his horse. He somehow managed, thanks to a nice breeze on his back. Breeze? He was indoors! The cavalier spared a glance behind him, and saw an arrow on the ground. Ahead of him, an archer cursed. His fumbling had saved his life?! Rather than ponder the whims of fate, Abel thanked the archer for the breeze by running him through.

"Cain. . .that kind of stupid luck was your specialty, not mine. . ."

---

Battles slow down when one is on foot. Instead of flying by an unfortunate enemy, one has to face him and defeat him to move on. It was a long, tiring, and sore task. Sedgar silently cursed the enemy's strength. No matter how hard he struck, the knight in front of him shook it off and continued to press forward. Somewhere behind him, someone was babbling about something or other. That wasn't babbling. . .that was an incantation! He feinted a charge, then threw himself to the side, as a fireball passed the spot where he had been a moment before. The knight clanked around on the ground in a futile effort to put the flames out. Eventually, he stopped moving.

Sedgar turned to congratulate the mage, and stopped short. The caster was on his knees, mouth agape, eyes wide open and face white as a sheet. The book he held betrayed his shaking hands. This was a bad time for shock to set in! With a heavy sigh, Sedgar administered the best cure for shock - a slap to the face.

"OW! What was that for?!" The mage's expression went from shocked to irritated. Good.

"You were losing your focus."

"My. . .focus? But I--"

"It looks like you've got a bunch of things to tell me. Now's not the time to do so. I'll listen to you after this battle's over. You need to get out of this alive, or you'll never have the chance to tell me what's bothering you."

"Uh, right, you too," Merric mumbled to Sedgar's retreating back. How could he be so nonchalant about what just happened? Merric hadn't meant for that spell to hit Sedgar. Why had his aim been so awful? Could it have been--

"No. . .I won't sink to that level!"

---

"The battle's finally over. I'm missing someone. . ."

Marth scanned his remaining soldiers. Gordin leaned heavily against a wall, eyes glazed over. Draug stood a short distance away. Merric seemed fascinated by the carpet in the castle. Abel tended to a wound on his arm. Sedgar was preoccupied with applying a bandage to his hand. Julian regarded a staff he had pilfered with puzzlement.

"Um, has anyone seen Jagen?"

Everyone answered in some form of negative. The uneven beat of horse hooves rang through the castle. Marth ran out to greet the owner of the hoof beats. Jagen was. . .missing? Jagen's horse had come back without its rider. It had sustained several injuries.

"Oh, no. . ."

---

First, it was silent. Then, the sounds of horses and weapons had passed by. Shouting rang through the corridors. Then. . .silence. Two days of silence.

"Um, hello. . .is anyone there? I don't want to die like this!"

Chapter 6x

"Out with it."

"Huh?"

Three days had passed since Aurelis Castle had been taken back, and everyone was some semblance of their old selves. Sedgar had tracked down the mage kid (Merric, not mage kid), and had made his intentions known at the entrance to the latter's tent.

"I promised you a chance to talk to me after the battle. It is after the battle."

"Well, um, you can come in?"

"What's on your mind?"

"Er. . .were you. . .did you. . ."

"Are you worried about offending me? If I cared about such things, I wouldn't have bothered to let you talk. I promise I won't laugh at you, either."

"Fine. Why did you kill my teacher?"

"Your. . .what?"

"That Sage on the plains was my teacher. Why did he have to die?"

"What was your teacher doing out there?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Merric felt tears forming in his eyes. He couldn't cry now!

"Were you at Khadein?"

"Yeah. . .*sniff*"

"That place is supposed to be neutral. Something's not right."

"How can you be so calm about this?"

"Being angry won't bring back your teacher, nor will finding the truth. However, I believe that he'll rest easier if we uncover why he was in Aurelis to begin with."

"Why do you care?"

"Because. . .I want to find out why my best friend had to die."

Merric could only stare in shock as his unexpected visitor stood up and left. There was no way Wendell would attack anyone! But that corpse near Wendell. . .the one with the burn marks. . .was that his friend? If so, then the man that had just left would've been defending himself from Wendell. The one to blame for this wouldn't be the one who took action to save his own life. It would be whoever ordered his teacher out of Khadein. Either way. . .

"I'm. . .I'm sorry. . ." This time, Merric did not bother stopping his tears.

"That's right, kid. Save your anger for the ones who are behind this." Sedgar turned from the tent entrance and walked off in the general direction of his own tent. Someone would pay dearly for the deaths of both his friend and that kid's teacher!

This is a gaiden chapter, and it's the most boring one out of them. I don't do boring write-ups, and my generics were worse than usual. Onward!

"These pirates. . .will pay!" With a spirited yell, Abel charged forward. He was a far cry from the green knight at Talys. He'd seen countless fighting styles over his travels, and these pirates had a very predictable method of attacking. None of the pirates would survive this. He'd make sure of that.

"Cain. . .I hope you're watching. . .you'd enjoy fighting these guys."

[eclipse]

This is gonna be long, so it gets another post.

Chapter 8 was really hard to write. I don't know how I'll handle the next few chapters!

Chapter 7

The winds whistled through the trees, as Marth's army made the journey from Aurelis to Archanea. Now was as good a time as any to see how his soldiers got along. Gordin, Draug, and Merric seemed to be discussing something about the nature of magic. Merric laughed, but Marth could hear the strain in the laugh. Something about his friend was different, but Marth couldn't figure out what it was. Draug was as steadfast as ever, and Gordin seemed more confident in himself despite the fact that he didn't have a bow in his hands. Perhaps that job change was good for the young archer.

A short distance away, Abel pointed at his sword, and explained something to Julian, while Sedgar cocked an eyebrow. It was a discussion on sword technique, no doubt. Those three knew how to wield swords, but each man had a different style. Marth wouldn't mind learning a few new things about his chosen weapon, but he wasn't sure if his parents would've approved of him taking sword lessons from a thief!

Parents. Marth had lost his family over three years ago, and the pain hadn't lessened during that time. He'd need all the strength he could get to take back his home, and avenge them! The tone of the wind changed from a merry whistle to an ominous dirge. Something big was in the air, and it was headed towards his army!

"Everyone, to arms!"

This chapter isn't as bad if the reinforcements don't get a chance to come out and play!

Killed off the rabble near Bantu's village, recruited him. . .then realized I forgot to pick up his Firestone! Oh, well, it's not like he's a combat unit! I now have someone to run errands for me!

Took out Catria, Palla, Est, and Minerva, in that order. Julian made Minerva leave for good. My generics provided a distraction, while my units stood on the forts, one by one. Once I blocked all the forts with my regular troops, I fed the generics to the boss. After that, Merric, Draug, and Sedgar took potshots at the boss until he fell.

Draug gained Magic, and Sedgar's turning into the unit I want him. I'm not sure how I'll write his final reclass in, but I'll try! He's not quite ready for it yet.

Find your enemy. Strike. Dodge. Duck. Every enemy has a weak spot. Aim for it, and the enemy will fall. This was how Julian fought, and it hadn't failed him yet. Julian found his next enemy - the one that looked like the commander of the aerial units. Perfect.

Strike. His sword left a nice trail of red along the commander's arm. The commander wheeled around, ready to counter. Dodge. Julian looked up, and froze.

It was Lena. No, it wasn't. This woman looked a lot like Lena, but Lena wouldn't know how to ride a dragon, or wield that axe. This one was a warrior, not a gentle healer. Julian's hesitation cost him dearly, as the axe left its impression on his midsection. He got up, and winced. That woman's last attack hurt! He was still alive, and so was she. She'd probably favor her right side more, as he'd just struck her left. That meant that her weak spot would be right. . .THERE! The thief's sword struck true, and the woman who looked like his lost love gasped, and clutched her side. She ordered her troops back, before withdrawing herself. He breathed a sigh of relief. He'd won this one without killing her. Who was she?

Wet warmth interrupted his musings. He wasn't going to live long if he didn't take care of himself. He cursed under his breath as he retreated towards the place where he'd seen the army's healer.

---

Strike first, and strike true. If he blocks, strike where he left himself open. Your enemy can't parry forever. Use your strength to whittle him down, then finish him when he's out of energy. Cain had done so well with that strategy. Abel didn't have Cain's natural strength, but he did have a knack for forcing his opponent to make mistakes. This battle was no different. Abel feinted left, then struck when his opponent fell for the feint. Another one readied a javelin. The green-haired cavalier trusted his armor, and charged straight into the throw. The javelin hit, but the strike wasn't true. The owner of the javelin, stunned by his opponent's bold maneuver, couldn't bring his defenses up before he was struck down. Another cavalier charged. This one had a Ridersbane at ready. Abel didn't trust his armor THAT MUCH! He retreated.

Fight when able, retreat when necessary.

---

You are more mobile than your opponent. Use your momentum to strike, then get out of the way before your opponent can retaliate. Your defense is your ability to move.

That was how the men of the plains fought, while they were ahorse. Sedgar didn't have a horse or a sword. He wasn't as mobile as he liked, but at least he could rely on his skill with a bow to get him out of tough situations. However, his archery was useless when his opponent got close to him. There had to be a better way of doing things!

"If only I could translate mobility on foot. . .but Marth said he needed someone who could use axes, and I'm the only one who can. Hey, isn't that the knight I talked to earlier? Why is he running awa--I see." Sedgar hefted his throwing axe, and allowed himself a small smile when his target was thrown off his horse. Another stroke of his axe made certain that the retreating knight (Abel, if my memory serves me right) would no longer have a reason to run.

He'd figure out a way to be more effective later. Right now, Marth needed axe support!

---

"Who are you?"

"My name is Bantu. I am a manakete."

"A. . .manakete?"

"When we invoke our Stones, we become powerful dragons. Unfortunately, I lost mine."

"I see."

"I am looking for another of my kind. She is powerful. I fear the worst may have happened to her."

"I'm not sure if you'd want to be part of an army, but if you wish to come along, you may."

"Thank you."

Was this old man really able to become a dragon? Marth wasn't certain, but the old guy seemed trustworthy enough.

"I hope this doesn't come back to haunt me later. . ."

Chapter 8

"Port Warren, at last!"

"I can't remember the last time I had a real bed to sleep in!"

"There's sure to be fine food at the inn."

"I think the street vendors would have better food!"

"This would be a good place to get new weapons."

"Finally! We don't have to take watches!"

"Perhaps someone here would have seen my Stone. . ."

Marth smiled as his troops eagerly chatted amongst themselves on the streets of Port Warren. It was about time they had a proper rest! He wanted to check out some of the weapon shops himself. A souvenir sword wouldn't hurt.

--

"The enemy approaches now?!" The army had only come into port yesterday! It pained him to do this, but he had no choice. Marth sighed, then went to find his army. So much for good fortunte!

Wow, lots of generics! Too bad they're terrible!

Ban-ban went shopping (as that's all he can do), while my generics, my new sacrifices, and the main army went north. The horse group worried me the most, but Abel and a Ridersbane kept things under control. Once those reinforcements petered out, I used the last of my generics and Caesar to bait the Knight/Archer group, then headed for the castle at a dead run. Merric and Draug took out the boss in record time, and Marth seized before the remainder of my troops because Knight food.

Draug and Gordin gained Magic. Party time!

"These guys are no joke!"

"Keep calm, Radd. We can't win if we're rattled."

"R, right."

The two mercenaries swallowed their fears, and moved forward. Marth's army did this all the time. It couldn't be that hard! A cavalier rushed towards the duo, sword unsheathed. The two held their ground until the last minute, then dived in separate directions. The horse rushed by, missing both of them. One rose easily. The other was on all fours, coughing hard. He'd taken a mouthful of dirt, and some of it had gone down his throat. The enemy on horseback must've seen this, because he smoothly turned his mount and ran purposefully towards the mercenary who hadn't quite stood up. Somehow, the target of the enemy's attack saw it coming, because he threw himself to the side. The sword strike missed, but the horse's hooves didn't. The unlucky mercenary lay on his back, screaming. The other one rushed to his side.

"Hey, HEY! Stay with me!"

Gordin looked towards the ruckus he heard. The blond mercenary crouched over his friend, who cried out like a child. The redhead needed help fast, or he'd bleed to death. The curate ran as fast as he could, but he couldn't outrun the cavalier, who had readied himself for another strike. Gordin called out a warning. The blond mercenary looked up--

--in time to see the cavalier's sword go through his body. The hoarse screams of the redhead were cut short by hoof beats. Gordin sank to his knees. In a moment of inattention, two lives were lost. Gordin could only stare at the bodies, as the victorious enemy swung around again. This time, his bloody sword was aimed at the curate. Gordin looked up, just in time to see Abel kill the enemy in a single hit.

"Gordin, what the hell are you doing? This isn't the time to be daydreaming!"

"I. . .I wasn't. . ."

"You weren't able to--my goodness. . .those two. . .they just joined up, didn't they?"

"That kid with the red hair. . .he looked to be about my age. Is that what's gonna happen to me?!"

"Get a hold of yourself! Whether you live or die is up to you. If you let your mind wander, you will die. Do you understand?"

"But--"

"Look, kid, when this is over, let's give them a proper burial. We have to survive this battle to do that. Understand?"

"Y--yes, Abel. Thank you."

"No problem. I don't want to lose another friend."

---

Draug ran up and fought yet another enemy. Like the battle before, and the battle before that, his enemy went down, smoke pouring from his body. An armored knight lumbered forward. Such enemies were especially susceptible to magic, because they were clad in armor--armor that became like an oven after a single casting of Fire. The dark mage sighed before setting another enemy on fire. This one was a little tougher; instead of falling like the others, he stood in place, coughing as smoke poured out from beneath the metal he wore. A loud CLANK came from the smoking knight; he'd somehow managed to remove his helmet, so he could breathe. Instead of finishing the knight, Draug froze.

The one in the armor looked to be a few years younger than him. Tears poured down his face, though Draug couldn't tell whether it was from the smoke or from the pain. The enemy looked up at him, then dropped his lance. The mage could barely hear the knight, but once he understood those words, he wished he hadn't.

"Please. . .this pain. . .I don't want to fight anymore. . ."

Draug bit his lip. It was one thing to kill a faceless enemy. It was quite another to put a soldier that reminded him of himself in his younger days out of his misery. The helmless knight repeated his request once more, then fell to his knees.

"I'm sorry. Farewell." He couldn't watch as the flames he called forth gave his enemy his last wish.

Chapter 9

"Didn't you say you lost your Stone in Pyrathi?"

"Yes, yes I did."

"What kind of place is Pyrathi?"

"If you're traveling through there, you must be desperate. Many pirates roam the area, and the king is not a kind man."

"Thank you for that information. I'll make sure everyone is prepared."

"Good luck, child. You'll need it."

---

"Hey, remember that talk we had about swords?" Abel asked Sedgar, en route to Pyrathi.

"Yeah. What about it?"

"I didn't have a chance to see you fight in Aurelis, so I'd like to ask you a favor."

"What?"

"Can you show me the momentum-based fighting that the soldiers of Aurelis are famous for?"

"Why?" Abel had to think fast. He didn't want to offend the other man!

"I think I can learn a lot from a different style of fighting. The one I was taught was based off of the enemy's mistakes. If I can incorporate mobility into that, I think I'll be a better fighter."

"Well. . .okay. Just this once." The cavalier breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks."

Sedgar watched Abel canter off. Those memories. . .could he bring himself to fight alone, using that style that was tied so deeply to his friends? He sighed. No point in worrying about it now; he said he would, so he'd do it. He hoped his friends didn't mind.

Reclassed Sedgar to Horseman, mostly because I don't like pirates. Didn't bother deploying Bantu, because I didn't need to shop.

Used generics to draw the enemy to dry land, then pounded them. Taking out Ugly took a lot longer than I thought it would, because no one could double him. I satisfied myself with poking him with my mages, while everyone that could fight did their best to hold out against the reinforcements. Draug wound up taking a few Pirate hits, but since he was darn fast, he doubled them. Hooray for a Defense-based magic user!

Sedgar leveled as a Horseman, and got a near-perfect level (missed out on Luck, but that's bound to happen, given Sedgar's unlucky streak).

"Huh. He has amazing control of his horse. I'll need to trust my mount more if I want to do half those stunts!" Abel watched another pirate receive a sea burial, no thanks to Sedgar's sword. The horseman struck an unsuspecting pirate, then ran past the pirate before his counterattack could land. The pirate gave a yell and stupidly chased after the mounted swordman. The horseman trotted along the shore, giving the pirate the false impression that he'd catch him if he'd run just a little faster. With a swift kick to the flanks, the horse sharply wheeled, and the pirate's yell of triumph turned into a scream of pain. Another pirate was buried in the seas surrounding Pyrathi.

A yell interrupted Abel's observations. One of the multitude of crass pirates wanted to play with him. Abel smiled to himself. He always enjoyed playing with pirates!

---

"This is a dragon?!" Merric yelped.

"So it seems," Draug replied calmly.

The two mages had reached the king's castle, and the rumors of its king proved to be true. In his current form, he looked like an old, grumpy man. Once he invoked his Firestone, he transformed into a scaled horror, capable of conquering even the strongest of hearts. For all of his fury, he couldn't do anything about the two squishy pests who pelted him with magic.

"Draug. . .remind me never, ever to get on Bantu's bad side."

---

Jeorge watched the battle from his perch. It looked like Marth's army was slowly being overwhelmed by the pirates that called these islands home. Should he risk being caught again to provide covering fire to Marth's besieged troops? Footsteps passed close by. Jeorge slipped further under cover.

"If ya know what's good fo' ya, you'll give us yer bow." The rough voice, fetid breath, and crudely-made axe could only belong to a pirate. The sniper silently cursed. He'd almost made it! He slowly got up, then handed over his prized bow.

"It's yours. Will you let me go?"

"I think not, guttersnipe. You be that escaped prisoner, an' we'll get a good reward for yer head!"

"My wha--let go of me!" Two more filthy pirates restrained his arms. The first pirate gave him a wide, gap-toothed grin, raised his axe--

--then yelped, as Jeorge kicked him in the stomach. A few more well-placed kicks got him free. Shouts rang across the beach, as Jeorge ran for his life, an unknown number of pirates chasing after him. The beach gave way to land, which abruptly ended at a cliff. The sea water foamed around the sharp rocks protruding from the bottom of the sea.

"Ye can't run any longer!"

"You want my head? Come and get it."

Jeorge saw the pirates surge towards him, like the water near the rocks. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and jumped as far back as he could.

"Everyone. . .goodbye. . ."

[Darros]

I don't like pirates.

D:<

Why did you kill Palla? You could of incorperated her green-haired-ness into flavour.

Youre an awesome writer too!