The fight was easy as those deployed were all weak no name enemies. Marth barely got in a fight or was any danger as the enemy tried to attack Hector due to him being the biggest threat. The Altean soldiers he healed obey his orders based of sheer desire to live. Of course, they were grateful for the assist provided via healing.
"Go and escort the boy further on, I will deal with any coming enemies." Hector ordered. The soldiers closed ranks and escorted Marth to the Throne Room to his sister. 'Now, for these guys left.'
While they fought before, he practiced the little bit he understood from the Dark Teachings of Brammimond and hints from the path of study Nergal took. The soldiers beside the one who had his neck crushed were struck down and not entirely killed.
His ability to Reap and Enthrall had gotten better now he just needed to put into practice.
*Ripple!* Waves of magic circled the room as it touched upon each of the down soldiers. With a small flick of Primodial Waters, the wounds on the soldiers recovered as they were marked completely. Taking their armor off, he tossed it into the primordial sea and retrieved some of his own stored inventory.
"Huh?" Despite giving them equipment, he noticed the items turned into spears. "Iron swords became Iron spears. And the quality looks less.. what the hell?!" Questions that would need answers later, as he has other stuff to deal with.
Taking the four soldiers with him Hector moved down the corridors trying to find the throne room. The new enthralled and partially reaped soldiers would need some time to become normalish again. But they were more loyal and followed orders better than those just beaten by him and Branded.
The death in the Castle was pretty major. More Altean soldiers killed then the invading forces. Didn't help a lot of the soldiers had kill strikes in covert positions. Strikes from the side or from a blindspot very brutally by the looks of it.
"It would seem the traitors killed with a lot of emotion. Or the forces of Gra are just that strong and brutal." He spoke out loud for the soldiers to hear him.If he needed to go over any of this he could just ask them to reference what he spoke about. "At least my inventory is increasing by the minute."
*Schup!* Not a single weapon, body, or even display material was left as they moved. He wrapped them in dark magic and pulled them into his Internal Space. A quick study over for how they were killed in detail, as well as taking in their faces before dropping them into the Primordial Sea for resources.
After only a few minutes, despite his time with the soldiers, he makes just in time to interrupt a conversation between Royals. Elice the firstborn child of the Altean Royal family was calming down her brother with the saved soldiers standing guard. They looked to be more panicked than when they left him.
"Marth, it will be all right." Elice stated seeing his increased agitated state. 'Is it because he ran into someone he shouldn't have? Father tried to harden him when younger, but Marth refused to even kill a deer; did that come back to bite us?'
"Sister, this cannot be happening."
"Steady yourself, Marth. I have grave news." Elice bit her lip almost drawing blood. Her news was going to rock her little brother. "Our father was defeated by the Doluna-Grust allied forces."
"What?" Marth took a few steps away in disbelief. "No…"
The gathered soldiers had various displays of disgust. Their prince and his current displays of cowardice and the fact that they were betrayed was hitting home more. Some of the soldiers that had died were younger than Marth and had lost their family members, so in their eyes, he did not get a pass.
"It was Gra." Ellice tone hardened just a little. "Our own ally.. our closes kinsmen in History, betrayed us and struck Father's army from the rear. I am… I am not sure if he is safe. The scouts who returned gave conflicting reports…"
It was a lie off her own tongue as she knew the truth. Her rather was most likely not safe if not dead already. At best, he would be held captive on the brink of death to be used as a bargaining chip.
"Father…It can't be…" Marth started to shake as he started to remember the last conversation he had with his farther.
"As we speak, soldiers sent by Gra are trying to take the castle. Mother and I were separated during the escape." Elice's eyes caught the other soldiers that came in with Hector. Seeing the grip on their spears, she was surprised to recognize a few of them despite different worn armor. "I do not know where she is."
"….."
"Marth, I need you to listen to me." Elice hoped her little brother would wake himself from this. "You must flee the castle. Go on without me asi I tried to gather what we can."
"What?" Marth stared incredulously.
"We've not many soldiers left…This is hard to bear, I know, but the castle is lost." She knew these few soldiers would die if they had to deal with the army by themselves. "We must face that. I will look for Mother and join you as soon as I can. You find Jagen and get away from here- far away. Understand?"
"…All right." Low and barely above a whisper, Marth spoke up. "But promise you won't be long." The soldiers who escorted him here took a step away from the prince and moved to Hector. "What's this?"
"Survival, princeling."
"If you run as fast as you can you should be able to escape with the old man. I am sure Elice can help me with something I need." Hector took a step towards Elice, giving a small half bow. "I am Hector Ostia, Warrior Emperor of a distant land you have not heard of. Or even been to. I need access to your Historical Records to confirm anything regarding the Shadow Dragon and Gra with its Allies desire to restore it."
To say he dropped a bombshell and then some. The non-enthralled soldiers and the old man Malledus couldn't decide what they wanted to focus on regarding the reveal in the last few minutes.
"Surely you jest.."
"I have no time or desire to play games princess." Hector's voice came out with an edge he rarely used on first meetings. "Either you assist me and I help save your foolish, weak, and pathetic kingdom or I do things the hard way and conquer your kingdom. The information I seek and saving the populace is much more important than your lives. I assure you."
Marth reached for his rapier but a spear pointed at his throat stopped him real quick. The branded soldier recovered enough to know that would be a dumb idea for the prince.
"You should go on your way, Prince Marth."
"Goodbye, Marth." Elice said as calmly as possible. It was best her brother contained on his way instead of staying here. "Tzake the back corridor, Malledus show him the way. I will deal with or visiting guest."
"Princess Elice! The enemy is nearly upon us! We can not leave you with this.. ruffian! We must all go, quickly!" Malledus hurried said while gesturing to the Altean soldiers. "Have you know loyalty to your Lord and Lady?!"
"No, Malledus. They have not done anything wrong." Elice gripped her clothes angrily. "I am staying with him, it is the duty of the Royal Family to protect the populace. We have failed to do so.."
"She is right, kind lose your credit once you fail so miserably like this. After all, it is Altea's fault for not stopping Gra when it separated before." Hector smirked as he recite a little of what he knew. "After the death of Anri, the kingdom split due to the issue of inheritance, as Anri left no heir. A faction opposed to Marcelus formed an independent kingdom, convincing much of Altea's population to join them."
"It was not that simple."
"It was." Hector shook his head at something so foolish getting left alone to stir." Despite this, Gra retained close bonds with Altea and were an ally in all conflicts. Yet anyone could see this allowed them to grow their army while the more peaceful Altea focused more on governing it;s small kingdom. The foolishness of all kingdoms really. Letting the enemy grow while foolishly believing they won;t ever come for more. They already showed they had the ambition by separating and starting their own kingdom."
"Too many people would have died to keep Altea as one. I cannot think my forebearers would abandon what so many lives have brought to tart a horrible Civil War back then." Elice turned from Hector towards Marth. "With Father and Mother unaccounted for, I am the natural choice to remain with Altea's people. And besides, by staying, I can buy time for the rest of you to escape before we regroup, now go!"
"Nonsense." Malledus just did not like this situation in the least. "Just gather your things, and-"
"Malledus. I am not suggesting." Elice tone became sharp with the edge of a ruler. It was enough to turn Hector's smirk into a smile. "I am commanding. If something befalls Father, Marth will become the last person in the entire world worthy of wielding the Falchion. I want you to guide him, Malledus- even when the rest of us no longer can."
"Princess…I will try my best." Malledus wanted to say more but thought better of it. He ushered the young princeling out the door. 'Please, ancestors watch over us!'
"So what makes you incapable of wielding the Falchion?" Hector crossed his arms while asking her. "It is not exclusive to male's yah know. Plese tell me that is not what you were ed to believe."
"Wha.. no.. that's not.." Elice did not want to admit that is what she was led to believe. But she couldn't;t do that to a possible enemy combatant. She needed to take control of the situation. "To get to the archives will take some effort. Especially with the enemy all throughout the castle."
"So wipe out the enemy and go to the archives, got it." Hector turned to leave with those in attendance. "You can stay here and we will come back for you or you can come with us and we will possibly find your mother along the way. I'm sure the populace would like that more once they find out anyway."
"Find out what?" Elice followed along in the back with a dagger tucked into her sleeves. 'I just hope Marth makes it out of here in time. If we can make a better distraction, all the more reason to accompany this man. But why.. why does he look as if he is related to us?'