Chapter Text
(In Elyos, temple of Solm)
The clash of steel echoed across the Solm fields. Lincoln, his once familiar white shirt now stained a crimson red, parried a blow from an Elusian knight. The metallic tang filled his mouth, a strange exhilaration coursing through him. Gone was the strategic thinking, the calculated strikes he'd learned alongside Alear. All that remained was a primal urge to fight, to win.
It had happened when the first enemy knight fell. The spray of blood that misted Lincoln's face ignited something dark within him. Suddenly, battles weren't about protecting innocents; they were about the thrill of the fight, the satisfaction of victory, no matter the cost.
Zephia, perched atop a nearby wyvern, watched with amusem*nt. Lincoln, the supposed harbinger of bad luck, now fought with a ferocity that rivaled any warrior she'd seen. But a flicker of unease crossed her violet eyes. His attacks, while brutal, seemed…off. They lacked the focus, the precision of a seasoned fighter. More like a wild, cornered, and wounded animal lashing out.
Mauvier, his once gleaming armor dull with despair, watched his king with growing horror. He recognized the vacant look in Lincoln's eyes, the way he fought without restraint. It was the same look he'd seen in Elusian soldiers corrupted by Sombron.
"Lincoln, stop this!" Hortensia cried out, her voice cracking with fear. She'd broken free from Zephia's control for a fleeting moment, only to see the monster Lincoln had become, due to his homesickness for being a new world for a long time
Lincoln turned, his crimson-stained face a mask of bloodlust and a wicked grin. He lunged at Hortensia, but a streak of blue intercepted him. Alear, her divine aura blazing, shoved him back with a worried frown.
"Lincoln, what's wrong with you?" she cried.
But Lincoln didn't respond. He merely snarled, a guttural sound that sent shivers down the spines of even the most hardened soldiers...Lincoln, this wasn't him...
"This is getting interesting," Zephia chuckled, her voice laced with malice. "It seems the little harbinger has a hidden darkness within him. He craves the blood of those who wrong him.."
Mauvier's hand tightened on his lance. "Zephia, stop this! You're only making things worse!"
"Silence, dog!" Zephia snapped, her eyes flashing. "This is your fault for allowing him to escape your clutches back in Elusia with Princess Ivy!"
Mauvier gritted his teeth. He knew she was right. He should have captured Lincoln when he had the chance. But a sliver of hope remained. Perhaps, just perhaps, they could break whatever was holding Lincoln captive in his own mind.
The battle raged on, the clash of steel punctuated by Lincoln's feral roars and crazed laughter. Every enemy he struck down fueled the fire within him, pushing him further into a bloodthirsty frenzy.
Alear, Framme, and the rest of their forces watched in helpless horror. This wasn't the Lincoln they knew, the kind-hearted boy who always strived for the best. This…this was a monster, a broken shell of the friend they held dear, twisted by the loneliness of missing his family
Just as Hortensia, tears streaming down her face, braced for another attack from a crazed Lincoln, a voice rang out.
"Lincoln! You can fight this!"
The voice, filled with a desperate plea, cut through the bloodlust fog clouding Lincoln's mind. He froze, his bloodshot eyes searching for the source. There, amidst the chaos, stood Lucy, tears welling up in her normally stoic eyes, but this wasn't the actual Lucy, this was his mind projecting her there, to not let him become a full monster.
"Lucy?" Lincoln croaked, his voice hoarse.
The familiar face, the voice that held so many memories, sparked a flicker of recognition within him. A battle raged within – the darkness urging him to strike, the light of his memories calling him back.
With a strangled cry, Lincoln fell to his knees, his head pounding. The red haze receded, replaced by a wave of nausea and self-loathing. He'd nearly…nearly hurt his friends, his new friends.
Zephia, her amusem*nt replaced by a cold fury, screeched at him. "You pathetic fool! You almost had your revenge! All to waste it for a sister who isn't even there!"
But Lincoln didn't listen. He clung to the last vestiges of his sanity, focusing on Lucy's tear-stained face. He had to fight back, for her, for his family, for himself.
Slowly, with a strength born of desperation, Lincoln pushed himself to his feet. The bloodlust was gone, replaced by a steely determination. He may be alone, but he wouldn't succumb to this darkness. He would fight it, for himself and for those he loved. Once Zephia and Mauvier retreated, Lincoln was gasping for breath, Hortensia and Ivy came to his aid, Princess Ivy with her stern but caring demeanor gave Lincoln some water to calm him.
"What happened out there?" Anna asked.
"He was torn away from his family, Anna, I think seeing these enemies have their blood splash on his face made him think his sisters were next." Jean replied. The forces of Divine Dragon Alear invited Princess Hortensia to their army, to which she agreed, as they set up base, Jean placed a comforting hand on Lincoln's shoulder.
"It's going to be OK." Jean replied as he comforts Lincoln.
"Thanks, Jean... Apologies." Lincoln sighed "For losing myself."
"Don't worry about it!" Anna nods. "We'll win this war, and you'll be back with your sisters, guaranteed!"
"You can count on the Divine Dragon, and on us." Princess Ivy says. Lincoln nodded to his new friends.
(End of chapter 2!)
Will include my own stuff here, too.
Lincoln has been in Elyos for some time, but wasn't recruited to Divine Dragon Alear's army, until he helped Yunaka fend off the bandits in that abandoned village where he joined Divine Dragon Alear's army alongside Yunaka.
Another chapter coming soon.
(Yes, due to prolonged absence from his sisters, Lincoln does have the habit of going insane, he misses his sistersA LOT)
