CHAPTER VI: A TURN OF EVENTS
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It was exactly two suns later when Marcus, accompanied by Falorgeant and Clarielle, departed Ishgard and came to Western Coerthas. The snow had ceased falling when they arrived and the sun shone brightly despite the chilling temperature. The group had stopped momentarily at Falcon's Nest to question the local guards and knights on information for their inquiry. By the end of the hour, the trio had marched north to the Black Iron Bridge and Falorgeant felt a sense of restlessness as he stared at Marcus, who led the party from a good distance ahead.
"Besides questioning the guards at Falcon's Nest, he has yet to speak a single word to us since we left Ishgard", said Falorgeant as he shifted his eyes to Clarielle. "I find his silence unpleasant."
"Whatever happens, we must be careful."
Coming to sudden halt, Marcus slowly turned sideways and stared at Falorgeant and Clarielle. The dragoons returned the stare and after a short moment, Marcus turned and continued his treading.
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Xydane had finally reached the border of Coerthas and The Black Shroud. While he continued to scale up the cliffs, he thought back to when he awoke from the dreamless sleep. He hardly remembered anything and the only thing he knew was that the sun was shining directly onto his face and he had passed out in the middle of the forest. His helm and sword lay on the ground and he slowly rose and picked himself up.
The days were quiet except for the chirping of local birds and the cool breeze of the wind. The silence was a strange feeling to him but he tried to welcome it as a feeling of peace.
Peace.
The thought of peace was funny to him. For his entire life, the only time he had ever known peace was during his childhood before the chaos. Before the madness.
Shaking the thought away, Xydane grunted as he hauled himself over a small cliff and stared at the landscape before him.
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A few hours later, Marcus, Clarielle, and Falorgeant had arrived at their destination - a small canyon where the heretic's ambush on the caravan had taken place. Marcus had slowed his pace and the knight began eyeing the above ridgeline and cliffs which surrounded the area. While the dragoons watched him, Marcus dropped to a knee and dusted the soft snow beneath him, inspecting the ground. The area held no signs of debris or remains of the attacked caravan and Marcus rose cautiously. The snow would have covered the footprints of the ambushed party and the heretics so any physical traces of the struggle would not have remained.
Suddenly, the stepping of quick feet on the cliffs above drew Marcus' attention. The melody of many feet crunching into the snow became louder as the movements turned into running. As Marcus slowly reached for his halberd, the cliffs were soon littered with Ishgardian knights with bows already knocked with arrows and aimed directly at Marcus.
Marcus bared his teeth, seeing the tip of Falorgeant's spear in which the dragoon held the weapon to the knight's neck.
"So this was a setup all along. Hmph, I figured as much, you traitorous fool."
"How dare you speak to me of treachery when you and your brother slew an entire party of Ishgardian Knights?! The countless murders!"
"Justice demanded their heads and we were the instrument of deliverance."
"Justice? What justice?! Why did you do it?!"
"The seeds of corruption must be purged by fire and steel."
"You're not making any damn sense! Enough! You will now answer for your murders, Marcus Vale!"
Before long, more knights had arrived and Marcus was surrounded by dozens of spears.