It seemed Paige and co. weren't the only ones delving into the reasoning behind Lycia's incursions. Shad's cousins shared the experiences in Etruria and their belief that the Emperor was after the legendary weapons. Paige didn't see the reasoning behind gathering such weapons however.
"Gathering legendary weapons for what purpose? There hasn't been a dragon seen in Elibe for 100 years. My guess is he's gathering these weapons as trophies for his conquests."
Ellie also spoke up, declaring allegiance to Bern. The Etrurians expressed concern that the Emperor would seize Bern's legendary weapons as well. Despite the opinions, Paige was standing firm in opposition of joining either side.
"Bern started this skirmish," Paige began, somewhat hesitant in speaking against Eli, "They can take care of themselves. We'd only be hurting our own cause by siding with Bern. Lycia has a long memory: I feel the people will side with the Emperor before Bern, no matter how much their king has reformed from the past. I have no idea what Bern's intent is with this move, and until I know more, I cannot take sides. My concern is making sure innocent people are not caught in the middle. Should the battle reach into town, I think we should help others reach safe shelter, away from the battle."
Satsume yanked his hand back quickly as Roland swatted at it. “Don’t you touch me!” he snapped.
“Hey hey! Easy!” said Satsume. “I’m just trying to-“
“Don’t you know who I am?!”
“What the hell’s your problem?” Satsume’s face fell into a scowl as his voice rose. Did this guy really want to pick a fight over something so stupid?
“You two! Take it outside! I’ll have none of that in here!” the innkeeper’s voice carried over the tables. Satsume could once again feel all eyes converge on him. He looked back at Paige and rolled his eyes in Roland’s direction, as a sort of “what is with this guy?” look. She acknowledged him, then turned to the rest to gather them up. Satsume led everyone out of the inn, into the barren streets.
As Paige regaled the group with tales of her latest exploits, Satsume hung out near the mouth of the alley, staring out into the mostly empty street and puffing on his pipe. He absorbed the conversation sort of half-heartedly, but he did at least confirm that she was indeed the one who had been involved during the incident at Castle Pherae. She mentioned an engagement with a Keeper who was supposed to be in Tania somewhere. Satsume’s mind briefly flashed back to the conversation he had with the man in the inn.
I suppose he was at least gentler than other Keepers, he thought. But still, there are a lot of them in Tania. I doubt he was the one she was looking for.
Satsume sighed and took one last hit of his pipe before tapping it against his boot to empty it. By now, Shad was lending his side of things to the conversation.
“A war with Bern could allow him to seize Eckesachs from the King of Bern. Perhaps even the Shrine of Seals. We need to find this heir quickly, less the worse happens."
Satsume approached him. “Aren’t you getting a little bit ahead of yourself? I mean, you’re only guessing at his motives.”
The young girl, Ellie, chimed in. “We can't let Bern fall. I want to fight for Bern. I... can't help but trust the King."
“Now wait a minute!” Satsume held up his hands. “Aren’t you all getting just a little bit ahead of yourselves? I think you should leave nothing to speculation. Paige’s plan to find this Keeper friend and find leads in Ostia is the best…course…“
A faint, familiar clanking sound in the distance caused him to trail off. Paige echoed his sentiments, but Satsume didn’t pay her any attention; he was fixated on the sound from the street. It was rhythmic, like a lockstep of armored plates. Satsume held out his hand as a means of quieting the group and peeked around the corner. A rank and file of armor knights were marching towards them. Satsume hastily withdrew himself from the edge of the building. “We have company!” he said. “Hope they didn’t see me…”
Satsume stood with his back against the wall, trying to pick up on the voices that were slowly working their way towards them.
“Over there! In the alley!”
“Shit…” Satsume turned to the rest of the group. “They’re probably trying to keep people off the streets. Anyone feel like trying to talk us out of detention?”
Paige was fully alert once the sounds of marching became apparent. She had to think fast as soldiers were approaching. The librarian was well aware that they could be recognized from the events in Santaruz. Yet, they weren't followed here (at least, Paige and Eli weren't). It was possible that those in Santaruz were still looking elsewhere for them. Paige was willing to take a gamble and assume that they wouldn't be recognized.
"Trust me," she whispered to the others. While Satsume was against the wall, Paige boldly walked out of the alley to meet the soldiers. She waved to them to get their attention.
"Good day, sirs," Paige said with a bright smile. "So many soldiers in the streets today. Is this another parade?"
While Shad and Eli got riled up by Lennox and Carla's words, they just shook their heads in unison. Paige and Satsume also seemed to agree that they took that frame of thought and went out there with it. "We aren't suggesting that the Emperor's sole goal is the legendary weapons. He'd probably have an easier time paying someone off to steal Echesachs if that was his main reason to attack Bern." She turned to the others, "Sorry, he tends to blow some things out of proportion and sometimes that train of thought can be infectious."
"All we are saying is that he might be amassing a lot of firepower with such powerful weapons. Who knows if he plans to keep them as trophies or equip his generals with them?" Lennox sighed, slapping Shad on the back to snap him out of it. "If you want my suggestion, if you see an opportunity to secure one of those weapons, you might want to take it."
"Eli, Shad. Just stop and think politics for a second. My father seized power because he had backing from other Etrurians. If my mother's tribe helped him do it instead, Etruria probably would have fought them instead of letting him take it unopposed. Bern's a foreign entity and they aren't fighting for the sake of Lycia's future. I'd suggest finding the heir, have the heir announce publicly their claim to the throne, and secure an alliance with some Lycian lord first. If Bern's fighting for the heir's claim on the throne, perhaps help would be easier to find." Carla said, clearly thinking about the situation with more clarity than Shad was.
He listened to Carla and absorbed her words. It made a lot of sense to him. He actually experienced himself first hand, due to the Fen's backing his claim to the Hyperion lands. Would Eli be able to understand that though? Before he said anything, though. Satsume, who apparently left and returned announced the imminent arrival of some soldiers. Shad shot a look at Lennox who quietly returned Dyrnwyn to where he kept it. Carla leaned up against the wall next to Satsume while Lennox laid prone one the ground. Shad knelt down next to him, unsure what Lennox was thinking exactly. Hopefully Paige's plan could work.
Satsume could feel his heartbeat intensify as the sounds of marching got ever closer. Paige was certainly taking a bold risk – but hey, it wouldn’t have been the first time Satsume had gotten in trouble with the law.
“Halt!” the frontmost soldier held up his arm, and the stomping ceased. “Ma’am, we are here on orders from the Emperor. There is a curfew in place, effective immediately. Please vacate the streets.”
“Yes!” said a second soldier. “We are here for your protection! The wyvern scourge approaches as we speak.”
“These streets are no place for a lone girl,” deadpanned a third. “Please return to your home.”
Satsume clung to the wall in the alley. Not nearly as bad as it could be, Satsume thought. But how are we supposed to get out of here without them noticing us as they walk by? He didn’t want to count on Paige being able to small-talk the soldiers for much longer. He had to think of a plan, and quickly.
He looked back at the rest of the group, and made a motion with his hand to stay out of sight. He took a deep breath and stepped out into the street.
“He’s right, my dear,” Satsume said to Paige. “We should be heading home. I’m sure our…son… is wondering what’s keeping us…”
“You! What were you doing back there?” said the first soldier.
Damn, didn’t plan for that one. “Uh…”
“I think I know what they were doing back there…” muttered one of the other soldiers. A couple others chuckled in unison.
Satsume could feel his face getting flushed. Just roll with it! he tried to tell himself.
“Well, um… you see, our house can get so crowded sometimes, and uh…” he shot a glance over to Paige, who seemed to be giving him a “what in blazes are you doing?” look.
“And, uh… yeah.”
The first soldier scrunched his face a little bit. “Well, I suggest you two get home quickly.”
“Yeah,” said the second soldier. “Wouldn’t want us to think you’re in league with Bern.” This was met with a hard smack to the back of his head, and another soldier whispering, “Fool!”
Satsume began to walk into a cross street, grabbing Paige’s hand as he walked past. “Let’s be off then, dear,” he said, his voice wavering slightly with embarrassment. In actuality, this gave Satsume a chance to look back into the alley, where the others were still hiding. He met the eyes of Shad and flicked his head to one side, as a signal. Hopefully he’d pick up on it.
As he and Paige continued along the street, one of the soldiers behind him barked an order, and the sounds of the group forming up again to continue their march followed. He let go of Paige’s hand.
“I hope that was less awkward for you than it was for me,” he whispered. “We’ll find another place and meet up there.”
Paige didn't feel awkward. She was mortified. She had everything handled when Satsume jumped out of the alley and wanted to talk about his latest "conquest". She remained silent until the soldiers left, but not long after that...
"Seriously?" Paige replied to Satsume, her tone conveying her anger with him. "We could have just have been people trying to clear the street, but you just had to put your ego into it. I swear, even Roland's not that bad."
Paige was making her way back to the inn to gather her things, but not before one final jab.
"By the way, I want a divorce."
The group discussed further what steps should be taken, and all of them sounded equally well thought out; Ellie couldn't shake the feeling of loyalty, but to whom? With every interjection, her mind wandered here and there. She decided that, ultimately, the coming events would likely decide for her. Newfound loyalty or old? She had told Paige, after all, that her home wasn't much of one... so why the sudden patriot?
In the next breath, the red headed knight that had made his way to the streets was scurrying back with news of pursuing threats. Ellie wasn't entirely sure what to do, but she followed everyone's lead as they scrambled into the shadows of the alleyway. She found a quaint little corner to tuck herself into, which she did with utmost urgency.
Paige spoke first, with Satsume showing himself moments later. What in blazes is with this guy? The men rambled and joked for a few moments, before the crowd began to clear - the soldiers offering a quick glance around the alley before turning to follow in the direction of Satsume and Paige. Ellie said nothing, Ellie did nothing. She waited patiently for a few moments, and then she made her way towards the edge of the alley.
"I'm going to find Paige... see you soon?" she called back to the shadows as she turned. She didn't wait for a response, but she paused just long enough to be sure she was heard. She turned once more and walked into the streets, searching up and down for the band of soldiers. As she did, she noticed what looked like Paige's hair disappearing into the doorway of the inn. She followed quickly, but made sure not to draw attention as she entered, placing her hand gingerly on her friend's shoulder.
"Where to?"
Roland wasn't pleased to be having any part of this, but he obliged Paige by following her. By the time he had managed to get himself kicked out of the inn, his own sense of curiosity and intrigue had dulled to the point of no return. What was the fun in picking a fight if all it got you was kicked out, and then led to some secret meeting? What did Paige have to do with all of this anyways? She could've just been bluffing anyways, especially with the information she threw out. What kind of librarian found a secret heir, anyways? That was usually the job of a magic sword stuck in a stone, or a tournament in front of every noble of the kingdom.
Roland clammed up, fuming. If he was there, he would've taken the information by force. Trusting any sort of book to provide information would be trusting the sniveling mage who wrote it, and Roland wasn't about to take sides in the greater conflict by here-say alone. Still, what was being said amounted to high treason, and having been on the run for exactly that, he wasn't about to indict himself a second time. Especially not if Paige had been sent to snatch him up and send him away to the gallows. They were just waiting for an admission of his treason, that was it. They had brought him to this "secret" meeting and attempted to feed him false secrets in hopes of getting him to admit his treason. Not today. He wouldn't be falling for that.
Just as the steps of the armored guards began and everyone began to think of a plan, Roland drew his sword near his body, and pressed himself against the darker corners of the alleyway. There was no way he'd be going out without a fight. As the red-haired night and Paige galavanted away as lovers, he stood completely still and quiet, waiting for the regiment to pass. It was a close call. But he still wasn't sure about those that remained with him. Purple wasn't a color that any mere commoner would be wearing out and about. He'd be looking out for Paige, especially now that he was left to contend with these folks.
The others, still in the alley, had not yet moved. Roland stood, and held his sword loosely at his side as he addressed the others, consciously not sheathing it, just in case they turned on him.
"So what do two men in purple and a savage want with the emperor himself?"
Carla moved closer to the corner when Satsume made his move towards Paige. Shad shifted around get a good look through the alley and saw the two talking to the guards. They started laughing and walked away, with Satsume and Paige walking a different direction. Satsume's eyes mets Shad, and with a jerk of his head, Shad knew the coast was clear. He tapped Lennox on the shoulder to prompt him to stand. Before he could relay the message to the others, Eli promptly left, chasing after Paige. Shad began calling out for him, but stopped himself.
Lennox got back to his feet quickly, but Carla was still keeping an eye on the exit. Until, that is, Roland spoke up. Shad's head shot towards Roland in time to see Lennox pop up in front of him. Carla, despite being the most level-headed of the three, was very proud of her Sacaen heritage. Roland's comments disparaging Sacaens, plus the lingering resentment from his sexist comments towards Paige earlier, had forced her to snap. Lennox blocked her path, before slipping behind her and slipping his arms under her armpits and locking hands behind her neck. She struggled to get out, but she didn't stop him fast enough to lock the hold in. He then stood straight up, lifting Carla a bit in the process. She began kicking back at his legs, but Lennox endured it. "She's only half Sacaen, like the Lady Lyndis of Caelin back in the time of Lord Eliwood. Except the other half is Etrurian." Lennox said as he kept restraining the admittingly savage acting Carla. "She's so proud of her heritage that she seems to forget acting like this isn't helping her case."
Carla gasped through the pain of the hold and came to her senses. "I...I've cooled down now. You can let me go." She expected Lennox to let her down and release the hold, but that relief never came.
"No." Before Carla could say anything else, Lennox spoke up again. "Personally, Carla and I have no specific beef with the emperor. Yeah, it sucks he conquered Etruria, but that can be undone. I'm not too fond of the fact he wants to take my sword as a treasure. But if he's as tough as people say he is, I'd love to face him in combat."
Shad turned towards his cousins, shaking his head a bit. As much as he'd like them to be more committed against the emperor, he isn't all in either. He directed his response to Roland. "In all honesty, if he didn't form that church, I don't think I'd even be fighting against him. Our family is amongst the bottom rung of Etrurian nobility. Sure, we fought Carla's father and older brother to reclaim those lands and title, but there really wasn't any power to gain outside of a superfluous title. We only have some say in the city we live in." He admitted, looking down in the alley. "But. I have a ten year old sister, trained as a mage, living alone in Bern to escape the Church of the Preservation of Sanctity. I never knew Maria until she was eight, and now that our family is united, it pains me to send her so far away. I'd fight dragons themselves if we can be reunited at home without fear of the church."
Carla just bored holes into Roland with her stare. As much as she realized what Lennox said was true, she wasn't over it as she claimed she was. She struggled some more, but Lennox's height advantage and physical strength surpassed hers. "What should we do now?" She asked, hoping that if they go somewhere that Lennox would let her go.
"Let's go to the church." Shad just shot him a look that could have killed. "The Keepers should be preoccupied with the Bern situation and your arms need to be mended properly. There has to be a healer that can take care of you. Then we can meet up with the others."
Shad just shrugged his head. It was a bad idea. But it was a terrible situation. "Any objections?" Shad asked Roland, hoping for him to be the voice of reason.
As Paige made her way into the inn, she was approached by Eli, attempting to get her back on track.
"Right. If there is truly a battle with Bern, we won't be able to go too far without running into either force or reinforcements from the west. We still need to find Yuri, so I say we stay in town until everything settles down."
Paige was trying to sound cordial, but Satsume put her on edge. She was also getting sloppy: she had completely forgotten that there was a keeper upstairs. She continued to her room (supposedly with Eli in tow), where she began gathering her swords, notes, and other belongings.
“We could have just have been people trying to clear the street…”
“I wasn’t-“
“…you just had to put your ego into it!”
“Now hold on-“
“Not even Roland’s that bad.”
Paige’s last remark struck Satsume like a bolt through the chest. He took a step back.
“Wha… you-…gur.” No use. He was a gibbering wreck. Paige tossed her hair in his direction dismissively as she walked back toward the inn, leaving Satsume, mouth agape, frozen in the street.
Were you really surprised, Satsume? he thought. Doesn’t this sort of thing happen every time you talk to a girl? Like, LITERALLY every time? He sighed loudly. “Probably best to avoid her for a while…” he said aloud. He reached for his pipe and set about packing and lighting it. He wandered off around the corner, still mentally kicking himself for his terrible ideas.
As he pushed clouds of smoke into the air, Satsume leaned his head back, thinking things through. He tried to recall his discussion with Paige from a little while ago, before the intrusion of everyone else. Some kind of business with the Keepers… an heir to the throne of Lycia… this is some pretty deep crap they’re wading into. Not sure if I want any part of it-
Just then, off in the distance, Satsume heard a very unpleasant sound. It sounded like some kind of shrill screech, echoing down the street. He started to run. Down the street, around the corner, armor clattering all the way. I hope that’s not what I think it is…
As he made another turn, the town’s central fountain came into view. Or at least, what was left of it. Splayed across the rubble, in the middle of several armored Lycian enforcers, was a wyvern. Its wing had been punctured by a javelin, and there were several cuts and scabs across its belly. Satsume looked nearby and found the crumpled body of what he presumed was the wyvern’s rider. The beast protected its fallen master tenaciously, screeching and snarling at its attackers.
“Look, over there! Another one!” called one of the knights. Satsume saw the enforcer closest to him whirl around. Satsume didn’t really process that they were referring to him until he raised his sword at him.
“You there! You’re under arrest!” The knight gestured at Satsume with his blade and began to advance towards him. Another pained screech from the wyvern seemed to remind him that that particular problem hadn’t been solved yet. The knight turned back. “And someone bring in one of the archery division to put down that blasted wurm!”
He whirled back around to face Satsume, who was already beginning to run. Stupid, stupid, stupid! he cursed at himself inwardly as he ran. Now what, genius?! He was able to escape around a corner and duck into an alleyway. He heard the enforcer’s clattering footsteps as they clomped past him, then slumped against the wall to catch his breath.
I’ve got to get out of here, Satsume thought. Coming back to this city was a damn mistake.
Satsume peered out into the street. There were no sounds of footsteps, so perhaps-
“Surrender at once!” Satsume could feel an edge run across the side of his neck. He froze. His hands rose up behind his head.
“You clever bastard…” Satsume muttered under his breath.
“Shut it, dog. You’re under arrest. Remove your weapons and place them on the ground, slowly.”
Satsume winced at the blade’s pressure on his neck as he carefully removed his javelins from their quiver and tossed them to the ground.
“And that little one, too,” snapped the knight.
Satsume, very deliberately, reached for his spear. He unsnapped it from his belt and held it parallel to the ground, like he was about to drop it to the ground like the others.
*click!* *SNAP!*
Satsume grunted in pain as the knight’s sword pulled along his neck, leaving a shallow cut. The spear extended out to its full length, the butt end catching his captor in the midsection. Satsume spun away and faced the man, giving his weapon a twirl and snapping the point out towards his foe.
“Leave me be,” he growled. “I don’t want any trouble.”
The knight glared at Satsume and retreated into a stance of his own.
And a short distance away, the death throes of a wyvern echoed throughout the city.
As Paige finished gathering her things, she heard the mournful howling that echoed like an alarm. She hadn't heard anything like it, so the librarian instinctively looked to Eli. Wyverns weren't common in Lycia, so she had never heard one. Still, given the impending battle, Paige could only assume said battle had already started.
"Eli, there are a lot of innocent people in here," Paige said to her friend. "We have to help keep this place secure."
Paige left her room and went downstairs to inform the patrons of what was occurring.
"Everyone, we need to stay inside," she began. "There's a battle going on. It's best to just stay out of their way."
The librarian looked through the window, hoping she didn't see the war outside. At the same time, Paige wondered what happened to the others.
Before he could get a response, Carla spoke up. "Let's get going already. This place is ready to erupt into battle at a moments notice." Shad shrugged and Lennox let her down. She readjusted her collar and rubbed her shoulder while stretching it. As she rolled her neck around, she spoke up once more. "Geez, Len. I think I have a kink in my neck after that." She sighed as she walked out of the alley. No one was looking their way. "I saw the church when we arrived, I'll lead the way."
Shad looked at Lennox and Roland and shrugged again. Carla might be a bit volatile at times, but she's great at mentally mapping out locales. Perhaps that was a tracking skill she learned living amongst the Sacaens. The group was rather quiet as it traversed the town. Shad didn't dare say anything to Roland in fear of reminding Carla he was there. Lennox obviously felt the same way. Soon it came into sight. It was a rather humble structure, at least compared to the ones in Etruria. "I'll go in by myself."
"Why?" Carla inquired.
"You know of any particularly devout Sacaens? If there are Keepers inside, they might get suspicious."" He opened the door and slipped inside, closing the door behind him.
The church had a different feel to it than the atmosphere in town. It actually felt peaceful and calm. There wasn't a service on going, nor were there any Keepers to be seen. The vacant pews led Shad to the altar, which he walked up to. He looked around, gathering his courage to speak. He was willing to risk running on the backs of the pews to get out, but by the time he got there, Keepers probably would have blocked the door. He didn't want to tell the others that. He didn't want to lead them straight into a trap. At least if a trap is sprung, Shad would be the only casualty. Perhaps not even that. Would they even kill inside the church? He'd probably-"Sir Hyperion?"-be able to surrender without fearing death. At least, an immediate death. "Can you hear me?" The others would even be able to rescue him after the fact. Wouldn't be the first time-"Shadrach!"
The suddenly shout caused him to jump. He turned around and saw a young girl, donned in a white habit and veil with silver hair peaking out. He couldn't believe he didn't see her before. Wait. "Did...did you say my name? Uh...how do you know me?" He looked at her while she pouted a bit. She stared at him with her green eyes. Green eyes? Silver hair? How come that's so familiar?
"How cruel. After I lived in your house for eight years, you can't even remember me?"
Oh. That is very insensitive. He can almost feel her scorn towards him for that. "Sorry? I-"
"Got smashed in the head again, right?" Shad shook his head. Again? There wasn't even a first time...right? "My mother worked for you when you lived in Ostia. You weren't able to offer much in terms of payment, so you offered us board. She was a healer, just like I am."
That definitely sounded like one of his ideas. "I think I'm starting to remember now. Can't place your name though."
"Considering your situation, it's for the best. You're a wanted man after all." Shad gulped when she said that. He began regretting not knowing her name. "Don't worry. The Keepers of Tania are too preoccupied with the Bern situation. They haven't seen the missive we received from Santaruz. In fact, I'm the only one here now. Considering the situation, what brings you here?" She looked Shad over and saw what appeared to be casts on his forearms. "Broken bones? Must have been some fight. I'll mend them for you, of course. Any other wounds?" Shad nodded. "Take off your shirt then." Shad shot her a look. "Do you want to keep those bandages on after your healed? Shirt off."
He felt a bit uncomfortable stripping in front of the young girl. She can't be any older than Eli or Alice. But then again, if she is a healer, like she claims, then she's probably seen worse than an topless man. Then he realized, she worked for the Hyperions. "I was a bit nervous about this. But then I realized you probably saw Lennox without a shirt on on a daily basis right?" He then removed his top and placed it on a nearby pew. Suddenly, he felt a cold hand touch his side. His scar. He then felt a prickling feeling spread through his body at the sensation. "Uh. What.."
"You were the first person I tried healing, you know. My mother was out when Lenny brought you in. If I was better, you probably wouldn't even have this scar." She moved her hand up towards his shoulder, where she finds where one of the bolts ended up. She moved her hand over it pressing, causing Shad to wince in pain. "Your shoulder blade is probably broken as well." She then turned him to his side and saw the wound in his left. "That could have been fatal." Then she turned him so he was facing her and she pushed him down onto the pew. "Put your arms out." Shad did as she asked and she pulled a small knife, almost resembling a scalpel. Before he could ask why she had one, she was removing the braces that Cass made to examine his arms. Shad's mouth opened, but before it closed, she shoved a ball of cloth in his mouth. "Bite down if it hurts." Shad did as she asked as she examined his arms more thoroughly. Did the church teach her this stuff, or was it stuff she learned living with them? "Since I know you well enough that you won't stay bed ridden, I suppose I'll heal you."
She left him there, momentarily, to retrieve a staff from a storeroom. She then raised the staff and shortly thereafter his forearms were fixed, and presumably his shoulder blade. As good as new. She left once more, letting Shad removed the cloth. She returned with another staff, this time for the crossbow bolt wounds. "I can't thank you enough. Uh..."
"No names. If the Keepers catch you and find you completely healed, I'm not going to risk you naming me." Before he could ask why, she cut him off, like so many times before. Starting by removing the used bandages."I have a duty as a healer to help the injured and sick, regardless of who they are."
"Regardless of who owns the city?" She nodded. Of course. That would be the only reason she did this for him. Doing so could be a crime, helping a 'heretic' after all. But she doesn't care. She swore an oath to the people, not to the state, to heal them. Which means he couldn't convince her to come, even if he begged. She finished removing his bandages, allowing Shad to put his shirt back on. "I hope I'll see you again, in happier times."
"Of course."
As Shad opened the door, he recalled what she had said about hitting his head. Did that have to do with the scar? As he was about to turn his head to ask, Lennox called out to him. "Shad. Somethings about to go down. We just heard a wyvern's death knell."
"Go. I'll stay here."
He nodded and closed the door behind him.
Satsume lashed out with his lance. The knight slapped it away with his sword with minimal effort. Satsume tried again, trying to keep space between him and his opponent. The knight parried once more, and took a quick shuffle step forward. He was trying to get inside, away from the dangerous thrusts. He’s good, thought Satsume. The Emperor’s men are well-trained.
But bringing him close was exactly what Satsume wanted. He gave a few more token shoves of his spear, just daring his foe to retaliate. Eventually he did. As Satsume pulled back his weapon, the knight lunged.
“Hyahhh!” His sword cut across and scored Satsume’s breastplate. Satsume went to grab the man’s wrist, as was his preferred way of dealing with opponents who got too close. Got him! Before the soldier could react, Satsume tugged hard, pulling his foe past him and stumbling him. As soon as he let go of the man’s wrist, he chased after him, gripping his spear with both hands.
The knight regained his footing just in time to receive Satsume’s spearpoint in the ribs. He howled in pain and sank to the ground, dropping his sword and reaching for the end of Satsume’s weapon, vainly hoping to pry it out.
Satsume quickly obliged him and yanked the spear back, leaving his captor clutching at a sizeable hole in his side.
“I warned you,” Satsume said triumphantly. “Now get out of here.” He hastily gathered up his weapons and began to run back towards the inn.
Yep, definitely time to skip town.
The streets were now completely barren, save for the occasional patrol of Lycian guardsmen. Satsume was careful not to attract their attention as he slipped by, taking cover behind a corner as the inn lay in front of him. He watched a small contingent of soldiers stop at an intersection, talk amongst themselves for a brief moment, then look in his general direction. He held his breath and gripped his spear. One of them was trouble enough…
Finally, they continued down another path. Satsume breathed a sigh of relief and went to take a step toward the inn.
“Oh… it’s you again.”
Satsume didn’t recognize the voice right away, so he whirled around and aimed his spearpoint at the source. “Who…?!”
It was the Keeper he had met earlier. Satsume almost didn’t recognize him underneath those ridiculous ecclesiastical hat-helm things they wore. He noticed that he wasn’t holding a weapon of any kind; instead, he clutched a small book in his right hand. Satsume couldn’t be sure, but it looked like this man meant no quarrel. He kept his weapon ready.
“I thought I heard a wyvern’s call,” the man said. He placed the book in a satchel hanging from his belt. “I suppose this means that Bern has reached us.”
“Isn’t that why you’re here?” asked Satsume.
“Well, no… but I am told that my brothers will arrive soon to ease the peoples’ fears.”
“I’m sure,” Satsume said under his breath. Then, louder, he said, “So why are you here?”
“Saint Elimine has guided me on this path, to find my faith.”
Satsume rolled his eyes. He hated it when people got super-religious around him. “Look,” he said, “The Emperor’s men have been chasing after me. Can you-“
Screeeeeeeeech!
At the sound of the wyvern’s call, Satsume could hear the sounds of weapons jostling. Footsteps picked up all around him. He watched as a small group of Lycian soldiers ran right past where Satsume and the Keeper were standing. His own heartbeat picked up in anticipation. There was a battle coming.
“My friend,” said the Keeper. “We must get inside. The Bernese will surely think we mean to fight.”
Satsume stared at the holy man briefly, then nodded in acknowledgement. He was right. Besides, if the soldiers were distracted with the wyverns, it could give him a chance to get away. Satsume collapsed his weapon, and he and the Keeper re-entered the inn.
“Okay, I have to know,” said Satsume as the door closed behind them. “Why are you so different from the rest of the Keepers I’ve seen? I had taken them all to be self-serving fanatics. But not you.”
The Keeper sighed. “I wish I knew. But then again…” He looked down at the Keeper’s insignia that adorned his sleeve. “Maybe I wish not to find out.”
“You’re an odd one.”
“Elimine accepts us all, my friend.”
Satsume couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. He peered around the room. Clusters of people were huddled about, talking amongst themselves. Several had flocked to the windows to watch the impending battle unfold, including a woman with a familiar shock of red hair. Satsume bit his lip. Welp, no wriggling out of this one. Guess I should apologize. The Keeper followed behind him as he approached her.
“Uh, Paige? About earlier...” He shuffled his feet and swallowed. “I’m sorry.”
"Right. If there is truly a battle with Bern, we won't be able to go too far without running into either force or reinforcements from the west. We still need to find Yuri, so I say we stay in town until everything settles down."
Ellie agreed, following Paige to her room. She reattached her quiver and pauldron before grabbing her bow and checked the window - it didn't offer much in terms of a view of the street from here.
"Eli, there are a lot of innocent people in here, we have to help keep this place secure."
"I understand. I'll find a window that overlooks the road, see what I can see; I'll come down in a moment!"
Ellie rushed out into the hall as she checked the doors for one that wasn't locked. She found a knob that turned, and burst into the room to find an elderly man half bare in his bed, fumbling to pull a shirt over his head. He jumped as the door swung wide and Ellie came flying through the doorway; in an instant, he threw his hands up over his face and cried out for help. Ellie rushed to his side and pulled his hands down to his lap.
"I'm sorry sir, it's not what you think! I need you to stay calm, and stay inside," she said with a smile. She helped pull the shirt over the man's arms and gently pulled the collar over his head. "I need to use your window, if that's alright?"
The man nodded shakily as he too peered out the window into the street. "Aye, that's alright. What's happening, child?"
"It sounds like Bern is here. We don't know anything else, not yet."
Paige was trying to see what was going on outside while Satsume wanted to bring up his earlier misstep. She had far more important things to worry about, however.
"Satsume, we're in the middle of a battle. Can this wait- Yuri?!"
Paige was caught completely offguard: the man she came to find was standing right behind Satsume. She left her post at the window to greet the keeper.
"Yuri, I've been looking for you. When this is all over, I need to speak with you," Paige lowered her voice so other patrons beside Satsume couldn't hear, "I need to speak with you about Ostia, so...don't disappear."
Gasps were heard through the room as the windows darkened from the presence of soldiers. Shortly after, soldiers streamed into the inn and began moving furniture into defensive positions. The innkeeper was nearly distraught at the intrusion, but dared not speak against the Lycian army. Five more soldiers entered, carrying a wounded fighter onto a dining table. Upon closer inspection, the wounded was wearing Bern colors; he was a prisoner. Finally, a soldier wearing a cape closed the door, clearly the commander of his unit of 20 soldiers. His face bore a well-trimmed goatee, his long brown locks of hair fell above his shoulders. He walked in like he owned the place. Given the power of the army, he may as well have.
"Prep the prisoner for interrogation. You two, get your crossbows to the windows upstairs. Shoot anything that flies."
The bowmen immediately made their way upstairs while other soldiers started tying the prisoner to the table. The commander then turned to Paige, Satsume, Yuri, and the rest of the patrons.
"I am Commander Raul. This inn is now our base of operations. You all have the honor of being drafted into the Imperial Lycian Army."
Ellie noticed a group of soldiers approaching the inn; she noticed at the rear was their commander, a man touting a flowing cape. With them was a battered man toting Bern's colours. She slowly slid the window open and stuck her head out for a better view, but the men disappeared under the cover of a nearby building, save for two crossbowmen who were watching the skies.
Gently, she shut the window and made a move for the stairs, motioning for the old man to hide if he could. She scampered down the hallway and jogged part way down the stairs when she saw another familiar face - the Keeper, Yuri! She smiled and waved in his and Paige's direction when gasps filled the room. Her eyes immediately turned to the door as it swung open, the clatter of soldiers entering the inn with their prisoner; too slow...
She darted back to the top of the stairs and shouldered her bow - there'd be no using it in such tight quarters. She pressed her back firmly against the wall and listened carefully as the men flooded into the inn.
"Prep the prisoner for interrogation. You two, get your crossbows to the windows upstairs. Shoot anything that flies. I am Commander Raul. This inn is now our base of operations. You all have the honor of being drafted into the Imperial Lycian Army."
Not today, Commander.
Ellie stepped quietly back towards the old man's room and drew one of her daggers; she slipped back into the man's room and left the door ajar - just enough to hear the men approach. She could hear them mumbling as they scanned the rooms, kicking in the locked doors as they made their way down the hall.
"This one will do, I'll stay here."
One set of footsteps seemed to leave another behind, coming ever closer to Ellie's room. She could hear him stop for a moment, just on the other side of the door. In the next breath, the head of a crossbow found its way into the room before the door was nudged wide.
"Hey, got an ar-" the man shouted as he spotted Ellie. She lunged towards him, knocking the crossbow upwards and thrusting her dagger furiously into the abdomen of the crossbowmen as she tackled him back across the hallway. With every stab, the man sputtered, hacking up blood, until he went limp - the seconds seemed like minutes.
"What's that?" said the other man as he stepped into the hall, checking left and then to the right, directly towards Ellie. In a panic, she darted towards him and drew her other dagger. The man drew back his crossbow and loaded a bolt, prepared to fire as Ellie ducked low and tackled him at waist height - then they fell, for what seemed like an eternity, down the stairs into the open air of the inn. Everyone stood, dumbfounded by the scene, as Ellie found herself on her back under a much, much bigger soldier than she first thought.
"Fool!" he shouted, punching Ellie hard in the ribs, and once more in the nose. She felt the warmth of blood gushing down her face, dazed and confused. She could feel herself being pulled to her feet from behind as she dropped her dagger - totally helpless.
As Shad rejoined the others, an unwelcome sight arrived. A group of men, with a rather loose uniform policy, surrounded them. The ones with spear set them to rest pointing at the group. Shad was rather confused, but Lennox and Carla knew exactly who these men were. They looked like an adhoc group of travels, but that was their cover. The only man in a recognizable outfit approached Lennox. "I am Sergeant Mat-"
"I know who you are, Mathis." Lennox replied indignantly. He glared at the Ostian soldier staring him down. "We've crossed paths before." He started bouncing side to side on the balls of his feet. He looked ready for a fight, despite his sword on his back.
"Lennox Hyperion. Under orders from our Emperor, relinquish Dyrnwyn to us or your life will be forfeit." Shad went a bit wide-eyed. These were the relic hunters they spoke of. They've been tracking them down, just like Lennox mentioned. But to show up here, of all places? Are they even aware Tania is on the brink of open conflict between Lycia and Bern.
"My life has been forfeit since I claimed this blade as my own. I've relayed that sentiment to your compatriots before." He then grabbed his purple cloak and tossed it at one of the spearmen encroaching on them. They almost collapsed under the weight of the chainmail hidden within. He grabbed Dyrnwyn and planted it into the ground in front of him. It almost went in a good foot into the ground. "I'm a generous man. You can have it. If you can pull it from the ground." The others assembled began muttering to themselves. A rumor spread through their ranks about the owner of Dyrnwyn. The self-styled 'Lennox the Generous' had always offered the blade whenever the hunters found him, yet the ones who returned didn't have the blade with them. Concerns began to build, and if not for Mathis, they would likely crumble and rout right there.
He tilted his head to the berserker amongst them, the guy most likely to have no trouble carrying the blade, to grab it. Lennox stared at the guy with lifeless eyes, waiting to see a sight that has been etched into his memory. The man stepped forward and reached out towards the hilt of the blade. He glanced back and forth between the blade and Lennox, anticipating a counterattack. He smirked, confidant that Lennox was just putting on a brave front, before grabbing the blade. He tried to lift the blade, but couldn't. A concerned look washed over his face as he began feeling heat emanate from the hilt of the sword. Panic and pain was left after concern washed away. Then came fire. The blade ignited, starting from the tip, filling the gaps built into the blade, and began consuming his arm. He couldn't pull away. The moment he laid his hand on the blade is life was forfeit. Shad and the relic hunters all recoiled in fear as the man was cremated alive. He grabbed his hand and tried to pull it away but the blaze took him faster. As he became a human torch, he fell to his knees in front of the blaze. His mind had already gave up after the blaze had left him an unrecognizable husk. Eventually his hand was degraded enough that it released the hilt. As gravity took it, his forearm broke off his body, further evidence to the destructive force that was Dyrnwyn. Almost all of his visible skin was burnt away, leaving only charred muscle and bone remaining. His face lacked any distinguishing figures and his body hair was incinerated. Lennox stepped up to the sword and grabbed it. The same blaze that killed the man had consumed the blade, as before, but dared not burn Lennox. "What was his name?"
Mathis had not budged, when all of the others had. Why should he? He was informed of its destructive power. The men around him were disposable. "His na-" A crossbow bolt found its way into his mouth. The tip of the bolt was sticking out of his mouth, covered in a dark red. He didn't even get the chance to tell him he didn't matter. For someone had taken him out first. He fell forwards into Lennox' arm as the formation around them buckled.
"It's her!"
"I thought we lost her!"
"Kill her!"
Lennox looked where the bolt came from, but only saw a black cloak running down a street. The men, eager to not touch the blade, ran after the crossbowman instead. Leaving them with four men to watch them, or rather to be scapegoats. Lennox let Mathis fall to the ground. A man swung a sword at Lennox, which he dodged. He grabbed the mans sword arm and bent it backwards, breaking it. He snuck behind him as he recoiled in pain and grabbed his waist, securing it between in arms. He lifted the flailing man up, reaffirmed his grip, and suddenly bridged backwards, driving the flailing mans head straight into the ground. As he did not know a safe way to land from that attack, his neck was broken from the the landing, perhaps worse. Lennox released his grip and got back to a standing position besides his sword, leaving his assailant in a crumpled up state on the ground. "You're free to leave at anytime. I'm not Lennox the Generous for nothing." The remaining three men fled, scared for their lives. "I'm going to help that archer. See ya around Shad." He said before running off, Dyrnwyn in tow.
Carla turned to Shad. "Always hard seeing that. You should head back to the inn. I'll try to do something with the bodies. If we don't meet up, assume we left." Shad nodded, leading him and Roland back towards the inn.
Raul's grand proclamation was interrupted when Ellie and a soldier tumbled down the stairs. Patrons were backing away; were they under attack? She was quickly apprehended, but the commander found her sudden appearance advantageous.
"Already we are under assault!" Raul addressed the patrons/new conscripts. "This boy is either a Bern spy or a traitor. Either way, the enemy is already among you. The Lycian army is getting hit from both sides. Make no mistake: an enemy we have not faced in 100 years has awakened. The Mad King has been reincarnated and has sent his army to take our homes and our lives! All I ask is for you to defend your hometown until reinforcements arrive. Take up arms, make them regret ever setting foot in Tania. Stop Bern's conquest before it starts. Who's with me?!"
"I am!"
"Me too!"
"Those flying brigands won't step foot in my inn!"
The patrons, already afraid of the fighting, jumped at the chance to defend themselves. Soldiers began passing spears to the civilians. Paige could only watch as the Lycians united behind their army, and consequently, their emperor. She had no idea what Bern could be thinking with such a move. She feared the Bern offensive would silence dissent in Lycia once and for all.
Suddenly, two loud thumps echoed over their heads, these were followed by the low grunts of wyverns. Bern soldiers were preparing an assault on the inn. Did they know there were civilians among Lycian ranks? If they were killed in the fighting, their deaths would only help the Emperor's cause. The librarian had to find a way to alert the enemy not to engage in a wanton assault on the inn.
First, she had to get to Eli. While Raul was issuing orders, Paige went up to the soldier holding Ellie.
"Please, let me," Paige said to the soldier. "They need you out here."
"Eh, you're right. Take him to the back room with the other prisoner."
Paige took Ellie to the back, while several soldiers passed them as they headed upstairs to prevent infiltration. She directed Ellie into the same room where an unconscious Bern soldier was tied to a table. Her concerns however were towards her friend.
"Here," Paige pulled a chair for Ellie to sit in. "Do you mind if I check your wounds? I can't use a staff, but I might be able to do something with a vulnerary."
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Outside, there were indeed two wyverns upon the inn's roof, yet no riders. On the two adjacent buildings, Bern soldiers were preparing a ranged assault with arrows and magic. A dozen on each building, they had their own plan.
"Remember the plan. We'll draw out the enemy and pick them off from here. Once their numbers are down, we'll rush in, get our boy back, and fly back to the main force. Just wait for the signal."
The Bern commander pointed to an alleyway, where two heavy armored knights stood in the shadows. If there was going to be any successful assault on the entrance, they would have to lead it.
Satsume shot a glance back at the keeper as Paige addressed him. He’s the one she was looking for? I should have guessed…
Yuri nodded his head. “Hello again, my friend.”
"Yuri, I've been looking for you,” said Paige. “When this is all over, I need to speak with you," Her voice lowered. "I need to speak with you about Ostia, so...don't disappear."
Yuri glanced back at Satsume, then to Paige. “Please don’t tell me you are still on about challenging-“
Just then, the door to the inn swung wide. Several armored figures filed in, and a powerful-looking figure began issuing orders. Satsume thought he recognized him from the incident with the wyvern in the square.
“I am Commander Raul,” he said, his voice carrying above the murmurs of the crowd. “This inn is now our base of operations. You all have the honor of being drafted into the Imperial Lycian Army."
“What?!” Satsume burst out. He wasn’t alone – several others had similar reactions.
Yuri’s expression sank into a frown as he watched the soldiers’ prisoner be carried up the stairs. He left Satsume and Paige’s company and followed them up.
Satsume looked at Paige. “We have to get out of here,” he said quietly. “Go find the others, and tell them we’re leaving.”
Suddenly, a commotion from the stairwell! Satsume and the rest of the inn turned to witness one of Paige’s acquaintances – Ellie, he believed she was called – come tumbling down with one of the Lycian soldiers.
“The enemy is already among you! The Lycian army is getting hit from both sides!” cried the commander. Several inn patrons voiced their support for their new recruiters, and gladly accepted weapons from the guardsmen present. Paige immediately went over to Ellie and helped her back up the stairs. Good quick thinking on her part – Satsume just needed to make sure that he’d be able to get them out of the inn and to a safer place without ending up in chains. Or a wyvern’s maw.
As the inn patrons were being fitted, a few of the soldiers had started moving about the room, questioning people. One of them stopped in front of Satsume.
“You there!” he said. “You carry weapons. Will you not raise them in defense of Lycia?”
Satsume said nothing. He hoped Paige would return soon, and maybe save him from saying something that would land them all on the end of a pike.
The soldier squinted at him in suspicion. “Failure to cooperate could place you in alliance with the enemy,” he said. “Now I ask again! Will you fight?!”
“Peace, officer! He is with me.”
Satsume looked to the source of the voice. Yuri had returned to his side. In his hand, he held the Keepers’ signature spade blade. He stepped in front of Satsume and addressed the soldier.
“I assure you this man is loyal to the throne. You would question the jurisdiction of the Church of the Preservation of Sanctity?”
The soldier gave Yuri a hard look. “My mistake, Inquisitor.”
Satsume watched the man turn his back, then clasped Yuri on the shoulder. “We need to gather Paige and her friends.”
“Yes,” Yuri replied. “But the Bernese attackers are already here. Our options are limited.”
“Any ideas?”
“You have a spear, and so do I.” Yuri tapped the butt of his weapon on the floor.
A sudden slam against the inn door sent the crowd into a panic. Soldiers began hastily ushering themselves into defensive positions. Tables were overturned, and a few patrons ran for the stairs, attempting to hide from the impending skirmish. Another wicked slam prompted raised weapons in the direction of the door. Satsume’s was not among them.
“Yuri, I have no stake in this fight. I’m not going to kill anyone.”
“I understand,” the Keeper replied, “but you may not have a choice if you want to leave Tania. Bern must be turned away here.”
Satsume sighed and took his spear in his hand, still collapsed. “This sucks.”
Another impact finally took the door off its hinges with a deafening thud. Two imposing knights in Bernese colors stepped through, carrying shields and lances. One of them shouted something incomprehensible amidst the clamor of the inn.
Commander Raul drew his sword.
“The enemy comes! Attaaaaaack!”