The Elemental Chain Saga Book Three: Phoenix Blaze

Chapter Two: Archibald's Big Entrance!

Mathias let a breath of relief escape his body, slumping to the cold ground, leaning his back against the tent pole. Sybil stood standing, her hand finally opening to drop the knife on the ground with a thud. She gave a small smile of satisfaction and sat besides it, drawing a pure white cloth from her cloak, cleaning the blade, now marked red with the sign of its first kill.

Mathias looked to his left, the darkness making it hard to see. A form lay huddled on the ground near an embankment of trees. Mathias stood, wearily making his way to it, holding his last throwing knife steadily in the palm of his hand. As he neared the form, he dropped the knife back into the almost empty sheathe, dashing to the body's side and falling to his knees.

Philla lay still and Mathias cradled her head in his arms. Her shirt was torn where she had been struck with the shadows, a deep gash in her side. Mathias held his breath as he saw her chest slowly rise and fall, letting a sigh of relief escape from her body; she was only unconscious.

"Young sire, please! Bare me your ears!"

Mathias turned from his kneeling position, the frost leaving wet spots on the knees of his greaves.

A soldier in the Alerdreamian colors, blue and white, saluted him as he approached, short sword steady at his side. Mathias could see that the man was bleeding profusely from a cut in his head, a slice right under his dark brown hair. His stout body wobbled and hobbled, on a sprained leg, most likely. The man stopped in front of the young boy before he spoke "Prince Mathias, son of King Colart, I come to you with word from your mother."

Mathias eyes snapped into the soldier's "My mom. I was so worried..." Mathias choked up a little and he turned, not wanting the man to see his teary eyes. He gathered himself for a moment. The guard had politely turned away, and looked back at the young boy as he continued to speak "What do you bring from her? Is something wrong?" Worry crept into Mathias' voice, his parents had said that contact would be very limited in hopes of not attracting Andanobii attention. He wondered why they would chose to now break that air of secrecy.

The soldier nodded at the question "She has asked that your party take utmost importance to seek her out in Slateport. She says she has heavy news to share with you and your sister." Mathias opened his mouth to ask and the guard lifted his pudgy hand, his fat fingers wiggling, signaling for Mathias to stop talking. The guard crinkled his eyes and smiled slightly "Whatever you ask, I do not know. All I do know is her location. But instead of giving it to you, I have been personally instructed to bring you to Her Highness," The man puffed up his chest with obvious pride, succeeding in folding his potbelly over the waistband of his trousers, sending the girth to land over the fold, barely contained inside the stretched blue and white tunic.

Mathias could barely control his laughter, feigning coughing to try and smother it. The soldier frowned slightly. Mathias regained his composure, softly placing Philla's head on the ground and standing.

The man's eyes darted down, as if only now seeing Philla. The man looked at her fair features, her fine red hair laying around her head like a crimson pillow. His eyes widened in shook "Is she alright!?" Mathias was brushed aside, quite to his indignity, as he tripped on a patch a slippery earth, landing on his rump. He heard his sister suppress her own set of hysterics, his turn to blush uncomfortably, he hadn't even noticed her walk over to hear the soldier's words.

Mathias, with reddened cheeks, turned to watch as the man took his canvas sack off his soldiers, carefully opening it and extracting a small tin. The soldier quickly opened it and drew out a blue-orange leaf. He slightly opened Philla's mouth, just parting her lips, and placed the leaf on her tongue before closing her mouth once more.

After only a moment, she stirred, her eyelashes fluttering as she opened her eyes, a groan escaping her lips as they parted to speak. She looked up into the potbellied soldiers face, eying him wearily "Ugh, move out of my way, God damn it, your flabby body is all I can see." The bewildered soldier stuttered indignantly, standing to his feet as the woman before him did "I'll have you know, my flab is completely healthy! This is a man's stomach, a man who has seen more battles than I can count!" His stomach jiggled as he became more pronounced.

Philla stuck her hands on her hips, giving him a quizzical look, standing a good half-foot above him in height "Do I know you from somewhere, Marshmallow?"

"M-m-m-marshmallow!? Did you just call me a marshmallow! I happened to have just saved your life! You damn as fell into a coma!"

Philla gave him a wane smile "You're obviously not an enemy. Can I at least get your name? And where in blazes did you climb out from!? You look like you've just seen battle."

Sybil and Mathias exchanged humorous looks. They both knew good and well that Philla had been in no such state. And from Philla's reaction, she seemed to know too.

The man slapped his stomach, sending it into a violent wobble "The name's Archibald. I'll be your personal guide and shield." He gave Philla a wink. She groaned, taking a step away from the man as he offered her his thick hand.

Mathias and Sybil couldn't help it and they burst out laughing, holding their sides, tears sliding down their faces.
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DragonDog1: What's the fun of new books if you don't introduce new characters!? Meet Archibald, the Alerdreamian soldier, a new member of Sybil and Mathias' party. For now, say goodbye, for the next chapter will not be about the prince and princess. As for now, please comment and vote because your opinions matter to me greatly. Thank you!