Fallout (closed)

[Valcrist]

Sure he wasn't in the capital anymore, but that did nothing to assuage the oppressive air that was everywhere he went. He wasn't exactly sure how it happened, but he found his self alone once more. It didn't surprise him actually, Jya wasn't the type to trust easily. He knew that eventually she'd end up leaving, the rest of the group having followed without him. Maybe she didn't want to get Valcrist involved? He couldn't say, but it did leave him in an awkward place. People weren't out to kill him though, so the fact he aided a known felon seems to have slipped under the radar. For the best, he wasn't in any shape to fend off the entire city guard.

A city guard that, for all intents and purposes, felt more like jail keepers. The entire town was on lockdown, even though it was quite a trek from the actual battle zone. He was hard pressed to get in, but even harder pressed to find a way out. Somehow he wound up trapping his self in this little burg. It seemed the events at the arena in the capital had put the entire country on edge, people were paranoid and fearing an attack every day. It wasn't just the guards, the people seemed to be just as high strung. If he actually had the time and peace of mind, this would probably be a perfect market to hawk his wares. He couldn't possibly imagine doing such a thing right now though, his mind simply wasn't there. It was lost amidst a sea of confusing thoughts and actions.

He couldn't even enjoy his meal, and he paid good money for it too. He looked at the Venison sitting in front of him, taunting him and growing ever colder with each passing moment. That gold the soldiers gave him when he left the town had helped him get back on his feet after the large setback that was Bern. He left his weapon stand and never even had a chance to get whatever profit he could of possibly earned, leaving a giant red mark on his finances. Why did this always happen? Did the world have something against him actually earning his money? Is this all a giant inside joke that the universe won't let him on?

With a grumble he pushed the plate away. There was no possible way he could eat right now. Instead he leaned back in his chair with a grumble. Lazily gazing around the overly crowded inn. He wasn't the only traveller trapped in the city, the inn was packed with so many people that they had people sleeping on the floors. He personally shared his room with two other people, though he barged in on them so it was really his fault in that case. He was a simple merchant though, for all these people know.

"If you aren't going to eat that, can I have it?" The complete stranger who he had been seated by for lack of space began hungrily eying the untouched meat.

Valcrist simply sighed. "Go crazy." While the man stole the only thing Valcrist had to eat all day, he saw no reason to just sit there anymore. Maybe he should take a walk and clear his head... He was lucky though, it seemed his disguise in the arena spared him of any particular attention. If he's lucky, it'll stay that way, but all it took was one or two people recognizing him and... Well he would have to deal with a lot of unwanted stares. He felt self conscious enough as is, he really didn't need everyone looking at him.

[Edrick]

It seemed that more than just the capital was being affected by the dragon's appearance as even this smaller town was on high alert to the point that Edrick could barely get in. After getting in it was obvious that the place was high on the list of refugees from the arena, nearly all of the joints to stay at were over capacity. So far nearly every place he had went to had people sleeping on the floors of the rooms because of the lack of space. Did the dragon really do so much damage to cause all of these people to flee their homes to seek refuge else ware?

Walking down the street Edrick comes to a joint that he hadn't yet checked,"I guess that it won't hurt to check" Edrick sighs as he walks into the establishment. Wading his way through the cluster of people gathered in the place he makes his way to the counter and it looks like someone in charge. " excuse me, is there room to stay here?" he asked the man at the counter. We're full up right now, we could probably get you in on the floor in one of the rooms." The man replied. "Ah, no thanks that is a bit crowded for me." Edrick sighs as he pulls his hood up and starts wading his way towards the exit bumping into multiple people muttering his apologies on the way.

[Valcrist]

"I wouldn't bother, the whole town's filled up." Usually Valcrist wouldn't say a thing, but he recognized this particular robed figure. He would find no respite here, the big problem wasn't getting in though. It was getting out. "It wasn't just the dragon, it was the war that followed." He hadn't been standing too far from the front desk when the shaman had inquired about lodging, fruitlessly as anyone could expect. Still it caught Valcrist's attention as opposed to the twenty that came before him, and the twenty surely to come after.

"I recognize you though, Erdrick the Pale right? You fought in the arena, I was watching. You had a great match." He made an innocent comment. He fought against Wyatt in the arena, but Valcrist had been a touch distracted at the moment. Freaking out over his upcoming match and whatnot, he missed a great deal of it. Though chances were it was great all the same. "I'm a weaponsmith, I was selling weapons at the arena when the dragon came. I ran myself right out of town." He chuckled nervously. He was curious though, what exactly happened AFTER the dragon. So he sought out someone he knew for a fact was there in the arena at the time, hopefully the shaman wouldn't just blow him off. Even if he did, nothing particularly was lost. "What exactly happened down there? I was in the stands when the riot broke out, and I only saw the dragon while I was fleeing. I'm sure people are pestering you all over town about it, but please indulge this somewhat annoying blacksmith."

[Valcrist]

Well, he was just completely blown off. Harumph. Valcrist frowned, grumpily puffing out air to blow the hair out of his face. He knew he wasn't terribly interesting or anything, but seriously man that's kinda rude. So he sighed, he did that a lot, sigh sigh sigh sigh sigh. It wasn't like he could do anything in this town, he had nothing to sell and he was pent up in here like a criminal. Well he was a criminal, but that wasn't the point since these guys shouldn't know that. Not to mention they were treating random people like criminals too, so he wasn't being singled out even if it felt like it at times. There was nothing he could do really but wait it out, he didn't want to cause any trouble that might bring undue attention to him, he heard people talking about the masked swordsman enough as it is, he didn't want to give anyone any clue it was him.

He wasn't famous or anything, but in a town like this with so little information coming in and so few people going out, that was all people could talk about sometimes. The tournament, the people who fought in it and all that good junk. The masked swordsman, while not entirely noteworthy in his self, was a popular topic for three reasons. First because it was during his fight that all that stuff went down, secondly because he was crazy enough to fight a dragon and win, and finally... his weapon seemed to garner a bit of attention as well. The way he seemed to be able to dance on the wind, using the powerful gusts as a blade itself. Valcrist couldn't lie, as much as it embarrassed him it felt kind of nice to hear people thinking highly of him.

"Ooh..." He moaned, putting both hands on his back and pushing, a somewhat gross crack and pop being drowned out by the din. His back felt so sore from sleeping on the floor, he needed to stretch out and get some exercise. This being caged in thing was driving him crazy, a good walk should help though. At least it could hurt, he already bartered away his meal for the chance to talk to someone who basically just ignored him. Not that he could blame the guy, Valcrist was kind of annoying. He almost felt compelled to tell the innkeeper he was going out, but remembered that the guy didn't care since he wasn't his mother.

He pushed through the crowds out into the streets, not finding the break he was looking for. The streets looked as though there was some kind of bazaar in town, people clumped together all up and down the street in small groups, many wandering fellows just kind of walking around and shooting glances at everything. It was loud, there was music in the air, he could even see a dancer twirling around for a crowd while a bard sang some little ditty, it was too noisy to make out any of the notes though. He could feel people brushing up against him over and over, some tall some short, but luckily none tried to slip away with his wallet. Not that it stopped some people from trying, someone tried to rob him the other day but Valcrist caught him as he was slipping his hand into Val's pockets.

There wasn't a sweet smell in the air, but there was definitely some kind of smell. It was like a combination of a thousand different smells, it was the smell of... being overcrowded. Valcrist wasn't sure how much longer he could stand this, he hadn't had a moment to his self since he got into town. Even as he walked around, more and more people seemed to spawn endlessly. In the alleys, around each corner, just when he felt like the crowd was thinning it doubled in size just around the bend. He even saw people leaping around atop the buildings like a couple of crazies. He wasn't sure what the guards were aiming for, but they can't keep this going much longer.

[Valcrist]

The sun had fallen on this, well, atypical day. Though one could say it was quite typical in comparison to all the other days he had spent here. He spent the afternoon whittling a piece of wood with a knife, badly. It was all knobbly and strange looking like some kind of deep sea creature that sometimes washed up on the beaches, ones that seemed to defy explanation of reason. He wasn't entirely sure what he was doing so he just shaved off bits and bits of wood until it started to take an incredibly odd shape. It's been so long since he's actually worked on his art, drawing, painting, sculptures, that sort of thing. He was losing his touch, he spent most of his childhood being some kind of artistic person, but he's lost touch of that since he left home. Maybe he just didn't have the time for it anymore, between his swordplay and blacksmithing there wasn't a lot of free time anymore. Though all he had was free time now, and his art wasn't particularly good, he had absolutely no inspiration. Just doodling for the sake of doodling. Sure it was technically impressive, with a good sense of anatomy and shape, but it was all so boring and bleh. He felt everything was just awful.

He sat his little sculpture down with a groan. Touching the sides of his head, rubbing lightly to try and stave away this headache he had. The sky took on a golden tint with the sunset and in front of Valcrist was a pile of strangely carved creations and a bunch of pictures of random folk who caught his eye. No one paid him much attention though, outside of the usual looks he got because you don't see Nabatan's often. He was sitting in a cafe, for the most part it was a little less crowded than the rest of the city, he actually had a booth to himself though the tea he got tasted like watered down water. The relative peace it gave was worth it though, even if the prices were outrageous.

"We're closing sir." A tired looking waitress slunk over, her outfit a mess and her hair ever messier. Tired circles under her eyes and a frazzled look on her face. Still, she managed to be polite all the same. Valcrist probably could never pull that off, he'd break down and start crying or something. All the complaints she must have gotten, and all the running around she must of had to do. It was depressing thinking about. He had seen her dashing back and forth all day. Valcrist even drew a picture of her. Though with how she looked at the moment, he doubted she'd take it as a compliment.

"Alright, thank you for the tea." He got up, picking up his sketchbook and all his odd little sculptures. Intent on dumping the little wooden creations when he got the chance. Taking some extra gold out of his pouch and putting it in the waitress' hand. "Good luck tomorrow."

She gave a weary smile, but he could tell she was at least a little bit genuinely happy. "Thank you sir."

[Valcrist]

Darkness was coming. It bled across the sky like an inkspill, slowly overtaking what little light remained. Stars popping into existence one by one, Valcrist wanted to look right up at them but he didn't want to run into people which he would sure do if he had. The moon would be full tonight, if he was right. Maybe it would be a good night to stay out, the cool breeze felt nice on his face. He never got much of that when he was younger, but he had grown to enjoy the nice breeze. It was always deathly hot or deathly cold. This middle point was... nice. The streets weren't as crowded as the daytime either, but he could see lamplight everywhere. Peeking out of the many homes, it gave the streets a sort of cozy lighting despite the night being so very close. People were retreating into buildings, and it wasn't long until Valcrist was one of the few people still walking the roads. Some people slept at the side of the road, but they had blankets or something of the sort to cover them.

It was still loud, but not like before. Where it was roaring and hard to hear through, now it was almost like an echo of the sounds he heard in the day. Muffled and toned down, coming from each of the buildings. He heard music coming from the bars, talking from the inns, laughter roaring laughter all over, it made him smile simply because it was so infectious. He wanted to dance, but that would look really stupid. Dancing in the streets by himself. It was fast, it was happy, upbeat and unlike what he was used to. Played on a strange stringy sounding instrument that went plink-plink with a high pitched sound, but it dulled and died when he walked away. He wasn't sure where he was going, the inn? This wasn't the right way, if anything he was sort of enjoying the sort of peace he never got during the day. People ran by him, laughing, while a man and woman shouted at each other from inside some home.

Valcrist ducked into an alleyway, curious of how it was different than during the day. It was blackened, only the light of the stars above shedding their silent shine upon him. A soft green glow was coming from his back, the blade even sheathed seemed to glow with a light magic. You couldn't see it during the day, it was so subtle, but in this pitch black lightless world it was one of the only things he could see. There wasn't much sound, the sounds of the streets seemed to have been sucked into the darkness and fallen deaf. He could still hear them, barely, but it was just an assortment of background sound with no real point of origin or any way to discern what it was. Maybe it was music? Maybe it was shouting? All he knew is that it was far away. The two walls that framed the alley were close together, maybe three and a half people wide. He could almost reach both ends by stretching out his arms, but not quite.

There was something else though, something not quite right. The darkness was too dark. The quiet was too quiet. He looked around, but say nothing but the walls a few feet in front of his face. Perhaps he was imagining things. He leaned up against the wall to his right, looking straight up at the sky above. The stars and full moon ready to see by anyone, and he didn't have to worry about someone running into him. Especially since he already knew they were there.

"It's pitch black and completely silent, and I still know you're there." Valcrist spoke out to the darkness, looking straight up and almost sounding completely unimpressed. Whatever strangeness that was surrounding him suddenly shifted in surprise. He was right. "I don't know if that speaks good for me, or bad for you, but I doubt it was what you wanted." He could definitely notice them now after they started to move again. He couldn't tell how many there were, but in a alley like this it couldn't be too many. They were at both sides though. "If you're looking to rob someone, you probably picked the wrong guy. If you leave now maybe you'll get lucky and find someone who won't catch you."

"Impressive." A ghostly voice said, almost as if it was praising Valcrist. "I didn't think you'd catch us. Looks like we were right about you Lost Swordsman." Well now, things just got a little more interesting.

[Valcrist]

"Ugh..." The swordsman groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose looking down at the dirt below. "I knew that disguise sucked. Why am I such an idiot sometimes." He looked over to where the voice called out to him, he didn't see anything in the dark. His line of sight vanished a few feet away, no light in the distance, nothing. He could hear them though, barely. It was enough to tell that there was three, two behind him and one in front. The voice belonged to the one, but it was completely possible there was more that he missed. Unlike them though, he was easy to see in the dark, his "look at me" sword made sure of that. "If you know who I am, then why did you stop me? I don't know how good you guys are, but I doubt you're more fearsome than a dragon."

"You misunderstand Swordsman, we aren't trying to rob you. We want to talk with you." The voice was silky and smooth, probably belonging to a con man. It had a sort of cadence and tone that wasn't natural, calming in an unnaturally calming way. It put Valcrist at edge, he's met more than enough merchants with honeyed words to trust a man with that voice.

"Couldn't you have done it like a normal person?" Valcrist rolled his eyes for no one to see. "It doesn't matter, I doubt whatever you say would be interesting." He started to walk forward again, intent to ignore them.

"Do you want out of this town?"

He stopped moving. "Well then, looks like I was wrong. What do you mean?"

"We're a group of people who want to leave this town, it's doing nothing useful. The guards are just boxing us in until we all die, they don't plan to ever let us go." He sounded so trustworthy, so naturally Valcrist did anything but trust him.

"I kind of... doubt that." He was skeptical, naturally. The way he spoke made the guards sound like mustache twirling villains instead of people just doing their job.

"Do you think the war's only confined in the capital? That's only where it started. It will spread here too before long, and with all these civilians boxed in it's basically a giant trophy to be won. No supplies will be able to come in once the fighting starts, the people here will starve to death, we're already hopeless low on supplies as it is."

"And? What do you plan to do? If you kill the guards nothing will change, if anything it'll just get worse." Valcrist crossed his arms, interested against all his common sense saying otherwise. He wanted to know this guy's plan so that he could scoff at it.

"Who said we'd kill the guards? No that would be suicidal. We're tough, but we are by no means that tough." Well at least he admitted it. "No, our plan is different. Our only hope is to get people to be evacuated. That could be done by a handful of things. A plague, a fire, earthquake, an insurrection, terrorist attacks. However, we don't want people to get hurt so that cuts off a lot of possibilities."

"Please hurry up and get to your point. I'm not a fan of speaking to people I can't even see." And as if to respond to his complaint, someone came closer. A man, tall and thin. Built like a rapier, and with the footfall of a cat. He couldn't make out the features well in the darkness, but he didn't LOOK like some kind of crazy ax murderer.

The man in front of his began to speak. "I apologize. What we're talking about is treasonous, we need to be careful so no one can overhear." Valcrist understood, but he didn't like it. It felt... too shady. Valcrist wasn't a fan of shady things. "The most obvious thing would to get the soldiers to believe that the rebellion was coming, but that's hard considering we're inside here and not out there. If they think the Rebellions already in the city though, that would completely shut down any chance of escape. The Bernese government would rather let their people die then to let the Rebellion escape."

Once again this man didn't let his distaste of the Bernese soldiers lay hidden. "What's this have to do with me?" Valcrist was beginning to get impatient listening to his poorly thought out plans.

"Well, they wouldn't listen to some random folk who have nothing to do with anything. But they WOULD listen to a man who fought and slew a dragon."

"I didn't slay that dragon." That's the fifth time he's heard that he slayed the dragon, where were these people getting that idea? Wyatt and Mana did just as much as he did, if anything Mana did the most.

"Stories twist and change, ask anyone about the lost swordsman and they'll believe you did it all single handedly. You fought a dragon, and it died. It's only natural to draw such conclusions." Valcrist let out a groaning sight. "No need to be modest, and it can work for us. If you can convince them the Rebellion's army is coming then maybe we can get this town evacuated before it's too late."

"This sounds like a really dumb idea, why on earth would they listen to me? And how do I get out of town? And why would they believe it's me? I was masked at the time, any yokel with a mask could say they were me. I've met two mes since entering the town." Was he seriously considering it?

"You'll find them a bit more trusting than you'd think. We have few friends in the soldiers who are more than ready to believe what we tell them to. We have a plan B if it fails though, don't worry. You also have something all those other people didn't as proof." He pointed at the glowing blade upon his back with a smirk. "That's a wind blade, right? Such an incredibly rare weapon, and one with such impeccable craftsmanship as well. I daresay there's not another blade like it in all of Elibe."


Valcrist bit his lip. He wasn't entirely sure what to say. "I-I trashed my outfit though."

"It looked like it was thrown together in an afternoon, I'm sure we'll manage to recreate it." Ow, right in the pride. "Come on Swordsman, you can SAVE people here. Including yourself. Once the fighting starts, do you think you'll be spared?"

"I don't know..."

"We can't do this without you. You're the lynchpin in our plan, without you... we have no hope."

[Valcrist]

"My name is Valcrist by the way. You don't have to call me Swordsman all the time, it's so generic sounding." Said the Lost Swordsman, completely kilted in his famous outfit. Or semi famous. It's really only famous in the general area, if he went to Sacae they'd probably laugh at him for looking stupid. Still, here in Bern near the Capital he was on as many tongues as Kenshin. Perhaps even more because no one knew who he was, the mystery element working against his original intentions. He wanted no one to care who he was, and now everyone seemed to want to know. "How did you find out it was me anyways?" He looked over at the wraith of a man who he could now clearly see in the daylight. He had a head of wild black hair and soft features, with a pair of strangely violet eyes. His name was, fittingly, Wraith. Which was ironically what Valcrist called him in the first place, though maybe he just took that name because it was what the swordsman referred to him as.

"I told you, your sword is one of a kind. You didn't exactly hide it either, it's strapped on your back for the world to see." His even voice was kind of growing on Valcrist, despite his better instincts. "Still we were entirely sure, but when we called you by Lost Swordsman you responded and confirmed our suspicions."

"Ah." Well he kind of blew it then. Fitting.

It was midday, the light flooded into the inn as the two prepared. He wasn't sure if he was coming back into town, so Valcrist had packed the little bit of things he still had. "Come on, to the basement." Wraith waved to him to come on, Valcrist lingered for a moment though. Taking one last look at the town he was about to leave, taking in a deep breath and coughing it out. Ugh, there was a foul stench in the air. He wanted to leave on a good note, but blech.

"I'm coming." Valcrist looked around but followed the man. His walk was very controlled, his footsteps unhearable. It was an even measured stride that Valcrist imagined the man must have perfected, he moved like an assassin or a thief. Valcrist was swift as well, but not like this. He was more reactive, while the Wraith was more controlled. It was an odd thing to notice, but he found his self staring as they descended down the stairs and into the back room. He was like a shadow, no one even seemed to notice him. He got a few glances his self though, with some whispers and pointing, but it wasn't particularly overmuch. As he mentioned there were at least two other people in this town masquerading as the lost swordsman.

Eventually they were in the basement, one of the few places NOT crowded to the point of ridiculosity. In fact they were the only two there. There didn't seem to be anything of note. Some crates, a few barrels of what was probably some type of alcohol, large enough to reach the ceiling. Most of the box had been opened and laid empty, probably from the huge demand. Food was starting to be hard to come by, and the suppliers weren't arriving fast enough. Good for business at the least, but it can't last too much longer. "This way." Wraith said, standing in front of one of the barrels.

Valcrist watched, interested, as the man did... something. It was hard to see as he messed with the spout and turned it and pressed it and something and he wasn't sure what he was doing. Finally he jerked it back, and instead of it popping off with a stream of alcohol, the entire front of the barrel came off. Opening up like a door, in fact it was hinged on. Inside was... darkness. The wooden walls lasted a few feet then it was stone and earth surrounding them. "This will lead out of town." Wraith said, beckoning Valcrist as he made his way inside. Valcrist quickly hurrying behind him as he took out an oil lamp and flick the light on.

It wasn't long until they were slinking around underground. The lamplight flickering gently, but it was still possible to see Wraith just fine. The two were mostly alone, but it was hard to tell in the dark. "How did you know about this secret tunnel?" Valcrist asked innocently as he looked at the earth around them.

"They have these all over Bern. There's one in the Capital, we who slink in the shadows have to know about it. It's the only way in and out of town unguarded at the moment." He looked around as he walked slowly forward. There was many sounds above them, muffled by the thick earth. It was kind of scary, Valcrist was afraid the tunnel would collapse at any time. Wraith assured him though, this tunnel's been around for centuries and never collapsed before. For it to happen now is impossible. That didn't really make him feel better though. Now he knew the tunnel was ancient, and ancient things tend to break.

"Why don't you just sneak everyone o... Oh that's dumb nevermind." He was about to ask a really stupid question, he could feel it and simply stopped before he embarrassed himself. "Um, are you sure it's unguarded?"

"It was unguarded last time I used it." He said offhandedly, moving ever forward. "Still that was a little while ago, so there might be a little bit of trouble at the end. It's unlikely though, so I wouldn't get your hopes up."

Valcrist didn't like the silence, it felt so... awkward. In fact he didn't like this situation at all, the further he waded in the more of a mistake it felt like. He was almost kind of confident at first, but now he was double checking his self with every step. "So... uh... Are you su-"

"Yes I'm sure swordsman. As long as you say what we told you to it should work out. You don't need to convince them, just make them consider the possibility." He sounded calm and even, but was probably getting really annoyed by now.

"I'm not really good with talking to people in situations like this..."

"I've noticed." He sighed and turned to the worried man. "Don't worry. You'll do just fine. I know it. To a dragon slayer, talking to soldiers should be easy no?"

At least someone believed in him. He needed to stop doubting his self. He made this decision and he would see it through to the end, no matter where it lead. "Alright."


The rest of the trip was made in silence.

[Valcrist]

The smell of fresh air is something you take for granted after a while. Still, smelling the fresh grass and the sweet smell of flowers on the wind is something Valcrist felt like he could do for hours. He never realized how bad that city smelled until now, it was the smell of people. People could smell could certainly, but get that many together and it's just awful. The grass looked so much greener now, the trees more tree-like. The masked man smiled as he left the dank tunnel. They had to have walked for at least fourty minutes, but looking now he could see they were certainly out of the city as the man had promised. He could see it not too far away, they were outside the city's wall certainly.

"The gates to the northeast, it will look weird if you show up from around the wall so walk straight this way until you hit the road, and follow it to the gate. It should take about fifty minutes if you don't take a break." Wraith walked out nonchalantly, point off into the distance as he talked. Valcrist had a hard time paying attention, but he understood well enough. "When you get there make sure to tell the guards what we told you. If you do it right, you'll get at least some of their attentions. If they believe the army's coming they'll start evacuation procedures and bring in more soldiers certainly. Still anywhere is better than here, right?"

"Right." Valcrist nodded, looking at the Wraith for a moment. He seemed to be expecting the man to have left already, his expression was hard to read but it was getting gradually easier as he grew more irritated.

"Do you need something? Need me to remind you what to say? A pep talk?" He sounded a bit frayed by now, perhaps they were running on a tight schedule, or maybe he was beginning to get fed up with Valcrist.

"No." Valcrist shook his head and pulled down the mask that covered his face for a moment. "I just wanted to say... Thank you. You're working hard to help all these people and I think that's noble. I had you pegged at first as someone selfish, but now I realize you're a good person Wraith." He almost seemed to flinch at the words. "Not good at taking compliments then, huh? Don't worry I'm the same way. We should get a drink or something after this is over." The swordsman smiled, the assassin looking fellow replied with his own awkward one. It didn't look natural, like he was forcing it, Valcrist noticed but he didn't say anything.

"Sure. We can get drinks." His unnatural sounded normal for a moment. "Thank you for the help Valcrist."

"Glad to help." He pulled the mask back up before turning away and waving. "I should hurry, I get the feeling I'm annoying you."

Wraith waved back. "Good luck." He said as he watched the swordsman leave his sight. Slowly but surely. Putting his hands on his hips he sighed.

"Way to make me feel like an ass. Sorry Valcrist."

[Valcrist]

It wasn't a hard walk, but it was incredibly boring which was much worse. His boredom made him think too much, double thinking, triple thinking. He was thinking about stupid stuff, serious stuff, and stuff in between. Worrying about what he'd say, he had the words committed to memory and he made sure of that, but it was still worrying. He was afraid he'd stutter, or forget on the spot, or they'll see through him, or they won't believe him. That wasn't all he was worrying about. He was worried about what would happen if it WORKED, would he be drafted or something? Would he just be shuffled to another town and forced to do the same thing. He had to say, he wasn't a fan of the whole being trapped in a town thing. Maybe he'd go to Ilia? Or Lycia? Perhaps even back to Nabata, it's been a while after all. He could at least see how his mother was doing. It wasn't like she could stop him anymore, he was a grown man, and it's been awhile since he's written because of all the things that have happened. His lack of a permanent address made it hard for him to get mail from her as well. The last thing he heard from her is when she sent him his sword. Then again it was a long trek to Nabata, some maybe he should check out Lycia. He wasn't in the mood to go back to Sacae, every time he went there something bad seemed to happen. He also worried about completely innocuous things, like going for drink with Wraith. He's never actually drank, but he was old enough now. It was weird to think about such a thing. He still sort of felt like a child. What would he talk about? His travels? It filled him with a weird sort of anxiety that he wasn't used to, and he was a very anxiety filled person.

The road was beaten but still easily travelable. Woods and grass and fresh air, it was wonderful to stretch his legs again. It was so cramped in the city, he just wanted to break out into a run. He felt all pent up and full of energy, despite being so lethargic and slow in the city. He hadn't smithed or exercised seriously in days, weeks even. Ever since he fled the capital with Jya. How was Jya he wondered? And everyone else for that matter. They were all gone by the time he returned, he worried that maybe he had gotten lost. Where they all still together now? It was a bit depressing but there was nothing he could do about it. He didn't help Jya out of some promise for reward or even gratitude, but because he thought it was the right thing to do. Maybe that made him crazy or weak or something. It was illegal definately, but Valcrist never much cared for the laws imposed upon him by others. He did what he believed to be the right thing or the wrong thing, and never regretted it.

Now he was getting all introspective. He didn't enjoy it, looking too deeply into his own actions was a good way to begin doubting yourself. He was tired of doubting his self. It led nowhere, and it never stopped him anyways. It was just so... annoying. So stressful. So old. He didn't want to doubt his self anymore. It felt like this weight on his shoulders that he had been carrying for so long and wanted nothing more to let it down. He was a person, a good person. Even if other people wouldn't agree with him, even if people would consider him a coward or a villain, Valcrist knew that he was a good person despite it all. That's all that should matter in the end, right?

Now wasn't the time for this though. The gate was in sight, he would do this, get some drinks and maybe make a new friend. He was a good guy, a hero even. He shouldn't be embarrassed by the stories people tell about the Lost Swordsman, and he shouldn't be hiding his self like a child who did something wrong. He'd come clean, soon. After this was over. He had no reason to hide anymore.

"Stop right there!"

[Valcrist]

He did as he was commanded. Stunned by the sudden severity in the man's voice. Coming closer with a spear in hand, his eyes narrowing and judging the masked man. It was a soldier, accompanied by at least four others. A while away from the gate, probably people checking the passengers on the road or something. Still they seemed... unfriendly. He wasn't a big man and Valcrist could probably take him but he didn't want to cause any problems. That wasn't the purpose he had here. "Who are you."He barked, but it wasn't really a question. Almost as if he knew the answer before it was said. This must have been Wraith's friend, it made sense for him to be away from the gate so others didn't get suspicious.

"I am The Lost Swordsman, a mercenary. I come from the Capital bearing news." He said, perfectly. No stuttering no wavering, Valcrist was proud of his self. He could always perform under pressure, it was the worrying before the pressure that killed him. "I mu-" He began but was suddenly cut off.

"As we thought. Surrender now and pledge your allegiance to Bern and you may yet live." He thrust that spear in Valcrist's face, two other surrounded him, also shoving their lances at his head. This... wasn't going how it was planned.

"Wh-what? I come bearing n-"

"I said SURRENDER!" He spat angrily. "We will not negotiate with Rebellious scum like you!"

"Rebellion? I'm not in the rebellion!" Oh man, this is going sooooo far south.

"Then what of the escape of the assassin of Clair Feldsky! We have identified that YOU were the one that allowed her to escape!"

Oh... crap. "I did no such thing!" He denied it, even if it was a lie. He didn't want to get killed over it or anything.

"We were forewarned to your arrival, you're planning to feed us seditious information and stir up insurrection. Now surrender!"

It was slowly starting make sense in his mind. He cursed his self for being so gullible. For being so easily manipulated. For being so goddamn dumb. "Do you plan to fight the man who slew a dragon?" Valcrist's eyes narrowed into hard slits. He was just the fall guy, they were planning to use him to cause a distraction. If it's a distraction they want... it was a distraction they would get.

"Men, cut down this rebellion scum!" They all thrust their lances at once, but it wasn't fast enough, Valcrist dropped down to the earth in an instant reacting fluidly to their each movement. The soldier opened his mouth to shout once more, but all that came out was a heaving groan as Valcrist slammed the pommel of his blade in the man's gut. Spit flying from his gaping mouth. The fourth man ran away, undoubtedly to alert the other soldiers. Valcrist made a move to chase him down, but a lance thrust cut him off. The leader of the three was still clenching his gut in pain, but the other two were more than capable of still fighting. Another lance thrust, but it was too slow, it zipped past the swordsman's head as the closed the distance between them instantly. His blade came out instantly, singing as it sliced through the air and biting into the lanceman's hand. Slicing right through the small gaps in his armor, before he had a chance to react the blade came and slice into the other arm as well. Causing him to drop his weapon, it was too fast for him to even register it was as if Valcrist was in three places at once. Blood went spraying into the air as Valcrist used the pommel once more to knock the disarmed man to the ground as he cried out in pain.

The final lanceman was... well he was spooked at the least. The first was beginning to recover his self, but Valcrist too care of that as he ran around to the side of the man and found the unarmored carriage in his armor, slamming his elbow in there and hearing the satisfying crunch breaking bones. Then making his way behind and knocking him down as well as he writhed in pain, next to the other man writhing in pain. "DON'T JUST STAND THERE JACKSON! KILL HIM!" His wide eyes seemed to say that no, he was content with just standing there in shock. Poor guy, but Valcrist couldn't just leave him so he dashed to the unaware man and slammed his boot into the soldier's chest, sending him toppling to the ground where he hit his head hard on the ground below and getting knocked out. It was only a short few minutes, but he managed to disable all three men without killing them. Though that one man will never hold a lance the same way again, and those broken ribs can cause trouble if left untreated.

A twanging of the bow filled the air as an arrow whizzed past his face. Without thinking the Lost Swordsman instantly pulled out his wind blade, the runes upon it glowing a bright green as he readied it to blow that archer away. It wasn't just an archer though, it was a whole division. So many men just pouring through, and Valcrist felt a hard pit in his stomach. Archers, countless lancemen, mercenaries and he even heard the screeching of a wyvern in the air. If he would run, now could be the best time. He let loose a powerful gust of air, but not at the archer but at the road in front of him. Kicking up a giant blast of earth and dirt, in the distance he could have swore he heard an explosion. Probably 'wraith' and his crew doing whatever they actually planned. A few arrow tore through the dust, but they were all desperately off mark and hit the countryside instead. That one soldier wouldn't stop screaming, telling them to stop being idiots and to get him, but it was no good. Valcrist had begun to run off and by the time the dust cleared he was off.

[Valcrist]

He was a fool. He was so... so stupid! He was so damn stupid! How could he let his self get played like that! Even now as he tried to catch his breath, he cursed himself with each heave of his chest. In the distance smoke billowed in the air, small flecks darted around in the sky and vicious fires tore through the horizon. The city that was peaceful just yesterday was now yet another warzone. It was the rebellion, it had to be. Wraith had used him as a distraction while they attacked the city from inside. It worked, Valcrist must have fought at least ten different soldiers as he ran. That was only a fraction of the folk after him, but by now... they must be heading back to the town to suppress the riots. Only a skeleton crew would still be chasing after him. It wasn't safe though, not safe at all. As soon as he caught his breath he'd need to start running again. Bern wasn't safe for him anymore.

He looked at the burning city with sad sigh. He remembered, only hours ago, how the city smelled. How it made him cough, how it was almost funny how his final moments in the two were tainted by that foul smell. It was... depressing. That waitress he met, those people he drew, the little sculpture he made, Edrick the Pale, the innkeeper, that guy he gave his food to... Why was he such an idiot?

He turned away from it, it kind of hurt to even look at. He had changed out of his Lost Swordsman attire and ripped apart once more, and once more he was fleeing Bern. This time it was for good. He wanted away from this place. From the stupidity of their stupid war. From the Bernese government, from the Rebellion. From everyone. He ran as fast as his feet could carry, not sure where he was going but sure that anywhere would be better than here.