Chapter 6: Fire Emblem Part 4: A fallen House & Lorca Tribe
"Lord Hector." Clyde came over on horseback. A young man and woman in with red hair peeking their heads out of the riding wagon behind him. A blonde young man doing the same, but pulling the two back in as it was dangerous with how fast the wagon was moving. "I ran into them on the outskirts."
"Good job. I take it my letters had more influence than I thought." Watching the two redheads get out of the wagon first, he picked up the hostility from the redhead male. "Are you thinking of striking at me Raymond of House Cornwell?"
"Yes... for revenge on the destruction of my family!" The mercenary drew his sword eyes hardened with the chance before him. Never did he think it would be this easy to come against a member of Osta royalty. "My sister Priscilla may not remember as she was to young.. but I do!"
"Lord Brother, I most certainly do!" Priscilla stepped in front of him to try and calm him down. Despite the journey she took to meet him and find him with the help of letters from Hector, the adopted Eturian refused to believe her brother was that vengeful. "It is not Lord Hector's fault what happened!"
"Haha, told you this would happen." Hector looked at Clyde and gave a shrug. Clyde thought the situation would have gone amicably. Especially since he knew the young man of Cornwell. Before it fell of course. "I wanna practice my sword arm, so let him come to get a beating."
"Understood." Clyde dismounted and made sure none would interfere. Including Priscilla after prying her away from the angry mercenary. "Best of luck young Raymond, you won't win this match."
"Humph!" Assured of his victory, the mercenary scoffed. "I go by Raven now, Raymond died long ago!" He slashed with his sword using a wide strike. "Killed along with house Cornwell!"
*Ching!* The blades clashed, with a chip from the redheaded mercenaries iron sword flying off in the air. In a contest of strength, he was nowhere close to matching the other. With a push back of little effort, Raymond came back around swinging again.
Fury adorning his face as his strength was not enough already caused him to give into rage.
"Ho ho.. nice." Hector didn't parry the blow, instead, he double gripped his sword, delivered a twist as they clashed again. Prying the sword from his opponent's hand easily. "But if you are no longer Raymond of Cornwell.. why do you attack me so angrily?"
Disarmed, the redheaded mercenary moved back in preparation to be struck down. Hoping to be able to survive the blow and mount a strike back in the process. Hector gestured for him to pick up his sword.
"You are making a mistake!" Raymond kept an eye on him as he picked the sword up. "Who gives the enemy a chance to regain their weapon!" He lunges forward swiping at the midriff this time.
*Ching!* Hector blocked it with his sword by driving the tip into the dirt. As his opponent held his sword tighter this time, Raymond was unbalanced from the motion change. A solid kick was delivered to the closes leg while Hector sidestepped.
"Ooof!" Landing face first into the dirt, it was the biggest disgrace he ever rembered feeling since the fall of the House of Cornwell. "Damn.. you!"
"I will repeat the question since you seem to be hard of hearing... I really hate doing so mind you." Hector turned facing him. Sword planted in the dirt as he spoke with a little less humor in his voice. "If you are no longer Raymond of Cornwell.. why do you attack me so angrily?"
"You must let this hatred go Lord Raymond..." Lucious, the gentle Monk voiced pleadingly. "..please! All these years, only thing you thought of was this revenge, it is present even to Lord Hector that you retain that life still!"
"Shut up!" Incensed, Raymond snapped at his friend. Leveling his sword at Hector in defiance. "I don't believe what was written in the letters! He can not convince me so easily my family did wrong! Both mother and father.. our aunts and uncles...."
"Very well then, come.. boi." Hector's eyes went cold as he became serious. "Bring me your best before death!" His mercenaries tightened up as they knew that look from training over the years.
*Ching!* The blades clashed once more. With a pull back, Raymond went for a strike at a short angle. But Hector stepped in taking the blow with his armor, sword arm going pass with his arm bending up the backside. Hector's hand came up from below and struck the chin.
Raymond barely prevented the back of his head from hitting the sword. Blood in his mouth, he felt weak but an assault of pain woke him up quickly. Grabbed by the jaw, Hector applied pressure crushing it almost.
"Dmmpf!" Raymond pushed away by kicking and stomping. The fight looked more like a child and adult fighting than two young men. "Why!?" Consumed entirely, he swung again but was disarmed. The sword flying off to the side with Hector obviously not going to allow him to retrieve it like before.
"Who knows.." Hector pivoted on his foot and drove his sword-arm forward.
"Ugh!" Raymond coughed up blood as the sword pushed into his guts all the way to the hilt. Hector's hand was coated in blood as the wound was quite large. His knuckles pressed into the flesh itself. "...I'm done for. Is this really...the best I could aspire to?"
"No!" Priscilla restrained by Clyde wanted to go to him. It just was not going to happen. "Please Lord Hector!"
Lucious stood there unmoving. Tears welled in his eyes for a moment, he knew this was the only result that would follow if his friend kept on this path. A flash of magic caught his attention back to focus. Hector's magic to be specific.
"You will serve me well, Raven. Welcome to "my" side." Pulling the sword out, the Enthrallemnt took hold right before the final seconds from Death's Door. "I really need more practice with healing."
Doing so without a Stave was even worse. He moved away to let his people check them over. Priscilla was allowed to tend to him to speed up the recovery. Feeling him grip her hand back was enough to console the Troubador.
"Lucious and Priscilla, decide what you are going to do in the future. I want an answer by the morning." Hector stopped as he felt some power well up inside him. "Hmm?"
*Woosh!* The magic ripples sent out kicked a wave of dust-up. When it cleared, Hector's very bearing and demeanor gave off more power than before. His armor looked stronger and had a nice dark blue glow to it. His armguard straps were less restricting and decreased the blood flow he lost from certain movements.
"Nice cape boss." Clyde spoke in awe. Like most of the company, they wonder why Hector had such worn-out armor before even with putting on new armor. Then again he always sparred immediately putting on new armor. "The beauty of Promotion."
"Yeah, I doubt any of you won't look any less impressive when you do. How goes the collection of Knight's Crests?" None of the Cavaliers were close to a promotion but they were getting there for he quick one. 'The magic behind it is still something to understand further. As if the very Dimension itself has to notice your accomplishment and effort to a certain degree before you can.'
"A few of them, enough for our dedicated Cavaliers. The Hero Crest are so expensive on the outskirts. But we gold is building steadily." Clyde passed over a bag of gold collected and divided up from some work. "Are we heading to the Lorca Tribe next?"
"Yup. Let's move out." Hector ordered.
The addition of Priscilla's carriage was nothing of an issue. With her and Lucious tending to Raven as they moved. Of course the spotted Eturian group before was where they broke away from most likely or in pursuit of her maybe.
Only time would tell.
Arriving at the tribe's encampment, Hector dismounted his horse. The forces moved to do the same and set up a small encampment of their own for recovery.
Leila and Matthew already aware of Hector's arrival move to greet their Lord with a member of the Lorca tribe accompanying them. The Chieftan Hassar, father of Lyndis and husband of Madelyn, daughter of Lord Hausen of Caelin.
"Lord Hector, I give you Hassar of the Lorca tribe." Leila introduced politely. She stepped to the side afterward with Matthew.
"Unimpressive, I expected a more.. intimidating person. In what way are you a better fighter than Kutolah's Chieftan?" Hector was unimpressed with the man. he was slim and lacked any visible muscle. 'Even checking him with magic.. the threat does not exist. Maybe he is really just all skill with the sword but no power?'
"The rumors of your nature do not give you full credit," If he was slighted it didn't show. "a young man that speaks his mind."
"Best way to do it." Hector gave a smile in response. "So I just came to give a warning that hopefully, you can pass on to the other tribes."
"Such as what?" A woman had come up with a few other members of the tribe.
Hector spoke of the bandit's groups that grew more than a small tribe like this could handle. Not to mention the number they took out while making there way her, tracks left behind suggested at least 100's more.
The mountains were to treacherous to go in half cocked. And the Pegasus Riders could not be the ones doing most of the work. Especially when the Bandits started to use nets and try tried to bring them down.
As he talked, the tribe was unbothered or to be precise, didn't take it seriously. This was understandable to a certain degree considering they just met Hector but Hassar heard of him so that should have counted for something.
"So you think my warning unneeded?" Hector crossed his arms slightly bewildered. Precaution or deploying scouts would have helped a little. "A bandit group larger than your tribe and more ruthless than you all are by the way.. is building up nearby and you don't think it important?"
"I don't think they will come from the mountains to attack us." A woman of importance spoke. It was Madelyn of Caelin. She and Lyndis could be sisters rather than parent and child upon closer look.
"Well.. not understandable at all." Hector looked at the tribesmen. "Do you all wish to follow a foolish leader like this?"
.
Archery Contest-
.
The contest was more of something the Lorca Tribe did to settle disputes. Hector wanted to have a duel but most thought he was to green to due so. That old Sacean pride showing its ugly head again.
*Thwak!* Hector's arrow sunk into the target the same as it did with all others. The inferior bows were something he had long since master back in his home Dimension. It was part of the Special Forces training the were all subjected to.
He was not even the best of the group, Leroy and Valencia were. But he is best at maintenance and keeping his gear at the ready. Or to be precise, was able to fix it faster than anyone else in their group.
"He looks bored." Matthew said next to Leila. "The bows are almost at the breaking point after he finishes everytime. How strong is he?"
"It is the method he uses to fire, that is why we do not use these inferior bows." Clyde stated. A few Lorca tribe members listened in. Most because they doubted there bows were inferior. "If you look, none of our troops carry those type, we use "Compound" bows when fighting. It pays to train different methods and not use the same as everyone else."
*Thwak!* Hassar was getting tired as they were on the 100th shot and changed to the fifth set of bows. His arm strength was acceptable but he was a hunter and not accustomed to shooting so much.
Hector on the other hand was a killer and forced beyond the limits of the nomad in every way. Now if they were using swords, in the matter of skills he would be outclassed. As Hector has a few years of the blade. Both back there and here.
*Thwak! Thwak! Thwak!* Annoyed, Hector fired at the next three targets from the same spot instead of moving to the others. Which increased the difficulty of the shot. Hassar could not do the same and only managed to nail the first two.
His third shot failed due to strain.
"You lose." Hector turned away from the Lorcan Tribe Leader. "If you are the best of your tribe.. then maybe they are really not worth saving anyway." The insult were to spurn them on into action. Or at least some of them anyway.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Magmatide
Magmatide Hector Ostia
Martial Rank: Journeyman→ Lord
Magical Rank: Page
Reap: 37→46
Enthralled: 29→29
Level 5→1
HP 39 →42
Str 14 →16
Skl 15→16
Spd 18→19
Lck 10→11
Def 24→25
Res 14→15
Con 18→19
Mov 6→7
Affinity- All
Axe - C→B Sword- C Bow- C→B Lance- D Stave- D
Anima- D→C Dark- B Light- C
Attained Martial- Journeyman, Cavalier, Fighter, Mercenary, Myrimdon, Rider, Archer, Pirate, Thief
Attained Magical- Page, Priest, Mage, Shaman, Troubador
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone