Chapter Twenty-six
Talrega, Daein; Year 1471 Tellian Calendar
Lenora
“We’re in Daein now.” Mark told them. “Just ahead should be the town of Talrega. We can ask around a bit and see if anyone has any information on the princess’s actions as of late, but I’m not sure we will find much here. We’re still a good distance from the capital of Nevassa, and the people here may not know any more than we do.”
Lenora nodded, and the four soon approached the collection of buildings that made up the town. The town was situated near a wide river, which often caused unpredictable weather and flooding in the spring. However, the town had learned to control the river well over the years, and were protected from most flood damage. A watermill was visible from the front of town, churning in the calm water flowing south.
“We can cover more ground if we split up.” Mark offered. “I’ll stick with Joey, and cover the side of town east of the river.” Lenora nodded, and she and Tug began walking through town on the other side.
“So…” she began, “what do you think of Mark?”
Tug frowned thoughtfully. “He seems like a guy that’s been through a lot. He’s dedicated to protecting that boy, but I get the feeling it’s because that’s all he feels he has left. Hopefully, by traveling with us for a while, he’ll begin to open up to people more.”
Lenora nodded. She had been thinking much the same thing. “And what about Spitfire, and that boy? Do you think we’ll be able to count on her to help us, or at least not side with the Order?”
Tug paused to consider this. “Hard to say…” he thought. “The fact that she didn’t want Two to know about this kid… hopefully that means that she’s against the Order’s actions, even if she still holds some loyalty to Two.”
Lenora nodded sadly. The Order was fractured, broken from the inside. There were the loyalists who still stuck to the dark ideals of Discord: Number Two, Minuet, Quicksilver, Gilda. Then there were those railing against them: Lenora and Tug, the Doctor. And then there were those caught in the middle: Spitfire, Alex, Max. I can only hope that this will end quickly, and do what I can to facilitate it, so that nobody else will be hurt…
“I doubt many townspeople will be very forthcoming with information…” Tug said, mostly to himself. “ ‘Hey, we just met, I’ve never even been to this town before, know anything incriminating about the princess?’ No, we’re going to have to be more tactful… You know, if we’re lucky, there may be a bard in town. Someone whose profession it is to spread stories, who would know enough about it to get us on the right track.”
Lenora nodded, glad that at least Tug could formulate a next step in their plan, vague though it was. The whole adventure so far had been wrapped in uncertainty; they had been told to go to a desert without knowing which one on the planet, to find a person without knowing their name or how to contact them. And even though they had had outstanding luck in locating this person, now they were utterly without a concrete goal, a means of truly striking back at the Order.
The pair wound around town, and eventually reached the town square, where they were shortly joined again by Mark and Joey. “Hard to say what I was hoping to find, but I didn’t find anything.” Mark commented.
“We had about the same luck.” Lenora confirmed. “Though we had thought that maybe if there is a bard in town today, we could gain some information from them.”
Mark thought for a moment. “I did see a bard reading to a group of children from a book. It’s certainly worth a shot, asking her if she’s heard anything from closer to Nevassa.”
Lenora and Tug both nodded, and allowed Mark to lead them through the other side of the city, Joey following at his side. Tug cocked his head. “Have the people in this town not been reacting to his horn?”
Mark shrugged. “Guess they were more confused than anything. One person asked me about it, and I just told them I knew nothing about why it was there. Seems like she bought it. I guess the people around here just figure that it’s not bothering them, so they don’t worry about it.”
Eventually the group reached a busy plaza. Shops buzzed with people, and half of the citizens in the area didn’t even seem to be looking for anything in particular, simply wandering and chatting with other passerby. The buildings and neatly cobbled street were arranged in a semicircle, and near the center sat a woman in a blue cloak. Snow-white hair flowed well past her shoulders, and a wide-brimmed floppy hat blocked the sun from her eyes, but also obscured Lenora’s view of her face. At her side was a simple metal pole whose purpose Lenora couldn’t guess, and around her were gathered several children, listening intently as she read from a book on her lap.
“… He was able to defeat the monster quite easily, but even with the monster gone, the town was still in danger. The power of the Weapon was too much for one person, and Mac was still full of rage even when the monster was defeated. Luckily, two other warriors of this town- Rainbow Dash and Applejack- knew exactly what to do. They rushed up to him, heedless of danger. His sister, Applejack, ripped the Weapon out of his hands, and Rainbow Dash held him back from retrieving it. Together the two helped hold him back until his rage subsided, and he, and the town, were calm once again.
“And that’s the story of how my friends and I defeated the Ursa Major!” She finished cheerfully and closed the book. The response from the children was immediate and unanimous: “One more, please, one more!”
The woman giggled. “Okay, okay, one more.” She flipped open the book again, until she found the beginning of a story she decided to read. “This story was given to me by an old friend, and is from a land far, far away from here.” She cleared her throat softly and began:
"This is but one of the legends of which the people speak… Long ago, there existed a kingdom where a golden power lay hidden. It was a prosperous land blessed with green forests, tall mountains, and peace.
But one day, a man of great evil found the golden power and took it for himself… With its strength at his command, he spread darkness across the kingdom. But then, when all hope had died, and the hour of doom seemed at hand…
… A young boy clothed in green appeared as if from nowhere. Wielding the blade of evil’s bane, he sealed the dark one away and gave the land light. This boy, who traveled through time to save the land, was known as the Hero of Time.
The boy’s tale was passed down through generations until it became a legend… But then…a day came when a fell wind began to blow across the kingdom. The great evil that all thought had been forever sealed away by the hero… once again crept forth from the depths of the earth, eager to resume its dark designs.
The people believed that the Hero of Time would again come to save them. But the hero did not appear. Faced by an onslaught of evil, the people could do nothing but appeal to the gods. In their last hour, as doom grew nigh, they left their future in the hands of fate.
What became of that kingdom...? None remain who know. The memory of the kingdom vanished, but its legend survived on the wind’s breath.
This is, however, but one of the legends of which the people speak. There is another, one whose very survival has been the result of naught but extraordinary luck. Those who know it say that it survived not on the wind’s breath, but floated to the surface from where it was buried under the waves.
It takes place in the same land of towering mountains, rolling hills, and dense green woodland. The very same man, shrouded in darkness, had already found his power, and had laid siege to the lands of this world. Already people were beginning to despair.
While the legends say that no hero came, no knight in shining armor rode to their rescue, and the people’s only hope way to appeal to their gods, a few speak differently.
They say a hero did rise to the challenge. They speak of a man who, while a stark contrast to the Hero of Time, still stood for justice and light; with a sword of the sea, beloved companions at his side, courage guiding his hand and music ever swirling at their backs. Those who met him truly believed him to be able to vanquish the darkness that threatened them.
The fate of this man is uncertain. They say that at the darkest moments of the hour of doom, the man dueled with the conqueror atop the ruins of the kingdom, sacrificing his own life to save the people of the land. While the water still came crashing down upon the people of the land, this man gave everything he had and more to stop the darkness, and those who believe this legend say that he battled the evil conqueror, and by doing so, was able to keep him from rising to the new world and reigning all the same. Those who do not believe the legend, say that the hero never existed, and that the gods were all that held the evil at bay.
But this is but another of the legends of which the people speak...”
With that, the bard closed her book, and the children soon began to disperse. Lenora turned to Tug, and he nodded in confirmation. She turned to her other side, where Mark stood, and was surprised to see tears in his eyes, yet he was smiling. “Are you alright?” she asked, concerned.
Mark nodded. “Fantastic.” he said, without a trace of sarcasm. “I just heard my story. I was… remembered. I may not have succeeded in my mission, but what I did do, mattered. I made a difference…”
Mark stepped forward before Lenora could. “Excuse me, but… where did you say you learned that story? The one at the end, from Hyrule.”
The bard looked up at him, somewhat surprised. “It was in the records of a friend of mine, Xekora. He was brought to this world a long time ago- during the first civil war of Equestria, in fact. He had achieved a sort of conditional immortality, and stayed alive for a long time, recording the history of this world, as he had in Hyrule.”
Mark’s eyes were bright and hopeful. “Is he still here? Would it be possible for me to meet him? The name doesn’t sound familiar, but still…”
The bard shook her head. “I’m sorry. He gave his life during the second civil war, leaving his records to me, and the other artifacts he had collected to princess Luna and the royal family for safekeeping. Why do you ask?”
Mark shook his head. “I was brought to this world from Hyrule, as well. For the last ten years, I thought I was the last survivor, and that I had failed to save anyone… But this is still good news. Hyrule lives yet, and I did my part to help. Even if I may never see the land again, I know it’s still out there… and that will just have to be enough.”
“Your part to help…” the woman muttered, lining up the pieces in her head. She glanced down at the book.
Mark nodded. “That was my story that you told. The story of me. Thanks to you, I know that I made a difference.”
Lenora’s attention was torn away from the two by the sound of armor clanking behind her. She turned to see several armed guards rushing down the street. She turned to give Tug a quizzical look, and he seemed equally curious.
“Mark, something is happening, are you coming?” Lenora asked quickly.
Mark turned and nodded. “Yeah, on my way.” He turned back to the bard. “How about you?”
“I’ll catch up.” she assured him. “I’ve got bad legs; you’ll be able to get there faster.”
“Right. Joey, are you coming with us or staying with her?”
The boy looked up at the bard, and then nodded. “I’ll stay with her; just don’t kill all the bad guys before we get there!”
Mark nodded, and he, Lenora and Tug rushed after the town guards. Although the guards themselves were out of sight, it wasn’t difficult to find the location of the disturbance, as there was a stream of people moving quickly away from it and to safety. Lenora’s hand was on the hilt of her sword as the three broke into the larger plaza.
Lenora swore under her breath. The area was full of dark beasts, tall and lanky, with hands ending in claws and sightless yellow eyes. The local soldiers were holding them back, but there were too many of the creatures for them to contain. “The Order has already launched a counterattack.”
“So these things are under the Order’s control?” Mark asked, drawing a sword. It was as blue as his eyes, and curved to a deadly point. The hilt was well-adorned, with a silver trim and a ruby embedded on either side of the pommel. “Then they are my enemy as well. These same creatures attacked my village in the past, once last year, and again five years before that, the last time I saw the Doctor.”
Mark readied his blade, and charged forward into their midst. Lenora nodded to Tug and followed, her own sword at the ready. Tug retrieved his bow and began firing. Lenora brought her sword down upon the first of the creatures that approached from out of the crowd, hitting it right in the neck and dissolving it swiftly. She had not fought against the creatures before, but had spent enough time with them under her command to know where to hit them.
Beside her, Mark was unrelenting in his attack, moving quickly but hitting heavily. When she was able to catch glimpses of his face, Lenora saw that he wore a smile and had a wild, determined light in his eyes. He felt like a hero again, and was ready to prove it to himself. With fluid attacks and swift dodging, Mark sliced apart each monster as it approached him. Lenora’s armor protected her from the lighter attacks, so she simply stood her ground and cut down any in her path.
Even with the combined defense and offense of Lenora and Mark, and Tug picking off any who attempted to leave the plaza to wreak havoc in other parts of Talrega, and the local guards doing just as much to keep the monsters contained and destroy them, it was clear that they were still outnumbered and outmatched. The counterattack was still disorganized, and unless they managed to pull together and use strategy to defeat them, or received backup, they would surely be overrun.
Lenora stepped forward and brought her blade down upon one of the forms, and rammed another backward with her elbow. Markus spun around and sliced two down with his blade, then spun it around in his hand and backhandedly cut across a third. Gritting her teeth, Lenora sliced down on another, and behind that form was a slight gap. In the pause that succeeded her attack, Lenora became aware of a slightly brighter spot somewhere above, and a moment later a ball of fire collided with the beast in front of her, destroying it instantly and inflicting damage to those around it.
She turned her head to see where the attack had come from, and saw a figure standing atop a low-roofed building near the edge of the plaza. Mage robes flowed around her, along with her long, neat violet hair. Another fire spell charged on her hand. She held no tome, her gaze unmoving from the crowd. She leaped from her perch and brought her flaming hand down upon one of the forms, banishing it, and although Lenora could no longer see the mage, she could see the results of her attacks: a constant stream of black smoke emanated from where she was slaying the beasts with a blend of magic and hand-to-hand combat.
Unfortunately, these forms did not have a sense of order, or lack thereof, so the disruption elsewhere in the plaza did not affect the forms facing Lenora and Mark. Still they sought to break free of the plaza and cause destruction and chaos. Lenora redoubled her efforts, and the monsters remained contained, but their numbers seemed endless. Still she and Mark pushed forward, neither at all willing to give up or give even an inch of ground.
“Heads up!” Tug called from behind, another arrow sailing from his bow. Lenora wondered how many he could have left by this point, but her thoughts were interrupted by another noise, the cry of a great bird. A hawk swooped in from elsewhere in the city, its wings a brilliant red and its chest glowing like fire, and it rent through several of the forms in one attack. The hawk swooped across twice more, black smoke rising behind him in wake of the dismissal of the monsters. The hawk’s attacks seemed to be coordinated with those of the combat mage still fighting on her own at the far side of the plaza.
The hawk hovered in the air, and a flash of light enveloped it, and Lenora realized quickly that it was a Laguz, transforming back into human shape. Where the hawk floated only a moment before, a boy now hovered, wings and messy hair the same fiery red. He wore a light jacket over a plain white shirt, and a ball of fire glowed in his hand. A Laguz mage? Lenora wondered. I thought Laguz were unable to use Beorc magic…
The Laguz boy dove into the mass of dark forms, palms blazing with fire, and he seemed to fall into step with the combat mage, using the same techniques of magic and unarmed combat. At last, Lenora began to sense a change, a thinness of their enemy’s ranks, even if it was not yet visible. She turned to Mark, nodded tersely, and charged forward, sword crashing through the summons. She could see the blur of her fellow swordsman through parts in the crowd, moving fluidly as water. Before long, the plaza began to become depleted of the dark forms, and with a few more slashes and blasts of fire, the only ones still standing were human.
Lenora sheathed her blade on her back, and turned to face the two fiery combatants that had saved the battle. The girl looked back at her, and the two sized each other up; one a knight bearing no emblem or flag, the other a mage bearing no book, but delivering her spells through her own body. One accompanied by a rogue ranger and tactician with no army to lead, the other by a human phoenix.
“I know you.” Tug said, drawing the attention of the mage girl. He closed his eyes to focus. “We met… We met in the second civil war of Equestria, yes?”
“I fought in that war, yes.” the girl stated.
Tug snapped his finger. “Twilight! And… Phil, right?” Both nodded. “I’m Tug, the ranger that assisted Rarity and Applejack back at the Dawn ruins, and who joined the resistance at Fortress Apollo.”
Recognition dawned on the faces of the girl called Twilight, and the Laguz called Phil. “Oh! Yes, I remember you!” She withdrew slightly after a moment. “You were with the Order, weren’t you…?”
“We were with them, yes.” Tug said, motioning to Lenora to include her. “We’ve since taken our leave. They’ve since taken to hunting us.”
Twilight nodded slowly. “And these monsters are their attack dogs?” Tug nodded in turn. “This isn’t the first time my companions and I have run into them. Since arriving in Tellius- on nothing more than exploration, vacation even, mind you- we have been attacked twice before now. Never with this amount of force, but one thing is clear to me: The Order has marked one, if not all three, of us for death.”
“Three?” Mark asked, approaching from behind.
Phil raised an eyebrow, and Lenora waved her hand in assurance. “Mark. He’s an ally.”
“Three.” Twilight confirmed. “My sister is also traveling with us, and… Ah, there she is.”
Lenora turned her head slightly, and saw the blue-robed bard approaching, Joey walking beside her. She used the metal pole as a cane, and moved slowly, but did not seem perturbed by it.
“I see you’ve met these three, as well.” the bard stated, at last coming to stand next to Twilight.
“This is my sister, Trixie. I’m not sure when you left the resistance forces, Tug, but if you stuck around to the end, you should recall what happened to her in the final battle.”
Lenora cocked her head to him, and he thought for a moment before responding. “She used an old, dangerous technique written in Ivoire, and it damaged her body and soul alike. Right?”
Trixie nodded. “I’m lucky it didn’t kill me. For almost a month I was completely bedridden. Most of me recovered, but I had some muscle and spine damage that never healed properly… I can get around, at my own pace, but I don’t have any fight left in me.” At this, she seemed somewhat disappointed, but did her best to perk up. “But I’ve found a new passion in storytelling. Reading all of Xekora’s records, adding to them, recounting the stories of this world and of Hyrule.”
The two groups gradually convened, exchanging the information each had with one another. Mark, the hero given a second chance. Lenora, the knight with no kingdom, and Tug, the rogue tactician with no army. Twilight and Phil, liberated human weapons of the mad queen Celestia. Trixie, former soldier, now resigned to tell the stories of others. And Joyeuse, child of split loyalties and dying bloodlines.
“Our group intends to make our way to Nevassa, to investigate the state of affairs, especially regarding princess Mi Amore Cadenza. It’s the only lead we’ve got, but so far, all signs point to the capital.”
Twilight nodded. “Our group was headed north as well. We didn’t plan on going all the way to the capital- and perhaps we shouldn’t, lest we give the Order a bigger target- but as long as we walk the same path, what say you to traveling together for a time?”
Lenora turned to Tug. He trusted these three, and she decided that that was good enough for her. She turned back to Twilight and nodded. “They aren’t waiting for us, so let’s get moving.”