You are strongly encouraged for story reasons to put Wyvera in the battle party, but you don’t have to.

They ate their breakfast of porridge and spent some more time talking to Wyvera. All she would say about herself was that she was a dancer, that she had developed some magic that she would show them on the road, and that she had been looking for an adventuring party to join for some time, but the right one hadn’t come along until now. All the time while she was answering their questions she seemed to be in as much of a hurry as Primus to get moving and get on the road, and she was oddly twitchy—she kept looking round or starting whenever someone opened the inn’s door.

To Primus’ and her apparent relief, though, eventually they finished breakfast, went and collected their bags from their room—Wyvera didn’t have any luggage, Horatio noted—and left the Rusty Sword, its titular object swinging in the morning breeze as they made their way out into the sunshine.

They had checked out the Balamb’s shops when they had arrived in town yesterday, before going to the Sealed Cave, so they knew there wasn’t anything in them that they wanted or needed. Primus wanted to get back on course to looking for Olivia as quickly as possible, so they found the dusty track that led out of the town and set out North on it together, making for Kardia.

This early, everyone seemed too groggy and tired to make much small talk, but that didn’t matter because after only a few minutes they came across a large herd of monsters.

‘Right,’ said Primus, ‘get forward Wyvera, this is your chance to show us you’re worth keeping around.’

Random Battle 1 2, 3, 4, all in a row.

Dialogue either after Wyvera’s first action in Battle 1, or on second turn in Battle 1, or at start of second battle.

EGEA: Hey, you can fight!

WYVERA: That’s right. I told you I could.

EGEA: Where’d you learn to do that Shade magic?

WYVERA: I just sort of…developed it… Like most magic users. I’ve been through some dark things in my life.

EGEA: And that thing you do with your breath is really cool. Like a dragon.

WYVERA: Thank you.

PRIMUS: Less chatter, girls, we’ve got more to deal with here!

[End battles.]

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The monsters faded into nothingness.

‘So what do you think, old man?’ Egea said to Primus. ‘Can we keep her? Can we?’

‘Hmmm,’ Primus mused, running his fingers through his beard. ‘You do appear to possess some useful talents, Mistress Wyvera… I suppose that you can come with us if you really must—but I’m only allowing this because you said that you would pay your own way.’

‘Yay!’ said Egea and Ceres together. Horatio wasn’t so sure, as Wyvera made him a little uncomfortable, and she was quite…distracting. But he was glad that the other too girls were happy. Especially Ceres.

‘Thank you, Professor Primus,’ said Wyvera. You do not know how much this means to me. I am very grateful.’

‘Wyvera!’ someone shouted.

They all turned to see where the shout had come from.

Standing a little way off on the road, in the direction from which they had come, was a man.

He was dressed similarly to Horatio, in the same simple garb of a travelling sellsword, an in this case blue and green tunic, though unlike Horatio with an red-painted metal shoulder-plate which he probably used for charging people and monsters. The hilt of a large sword stuck out over one shoulder from where it was strapped to his back. His hair was strikingly pink, and he had chiselled, arresting features.

He was also absolutely massive, with huge hulking arms sticking out off a barrel chest.

‘Wyvera!’ the man repeated, red-faced and sweating a little, as if he had been running to catch up to them. ‘When I came to get you at the House this morning you weren’t there! Someone told me they’d sighted you on the North Road. What the hell are you doing out here?’

‘Who’s this?’ Horatio asked Wyvera.

‘This, said Wyvera, is my pimp--Hector.’

‘What’s a pimp?’ said Ceres.

‘It means that he sells her body for sex,’ said Primus.

Ceres grimaced. ‘Ah.’

‘Who are these losers?’ Hector asked. ‘What are you doing out here?’ he repeated. ‘What’s gotten into you, Wyvera?’

Horatio chose to ignore his questions and instead ask Wyvera another one. A picture was beginning to form in his head. ‘Wyvera,’ he said slowly, ‘is this the person who gave you the bruises and scars on your face that you hide with that head-scarf and tiara?’

Wyvera looked down at the ground. ‘Yes,’ she said very quietly.

Horatio addressed the pimp. ‘I don’t think she will be coming with you, actually.’

‘Get out of my way, boy,’ said Hector, stepping forward and reaching behind him for his sword. It took a long time to slide out of its sheath. Double-bladed and ending in a sharp triangular point, it was almost as big as he was. ‘I’m not afraid to use force to take what is mine. Stand down, or you might just lose one of your limbs,’ he snarled.

Horatio regarded Wyvera, ashen-faced and downcast. He remembered what she looked like under that face-covering. He looked at Ceres. She nodded to him, tight-lipped and resolute. He looked at Egea. She winked. He looked at Primus. He sighed.

‘Go back to where you came from, whoremonger,’ Horatio said, surprised at his own boldness.

‘Arrrggggghhh!’ yelled Hector, and dashed forwards, brandishing his blade.

Boss Battle with Hector! Music: Battle for Honour.