Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem, nor any affiliated companies, though that would be nice. This story will contain both spoilers and character death, as well as graphic violence, please do not read the story if that's an issue for you.
As a final note *** indicates a change in perspective.
Four Battlefields
"Alright, unless there is anything else Soren?" The blue-haired leader of the Apostle's army and the Laguz Alliance glanced over at his tactical advisor questioningly. The sage made no immediate response, pondering the map pinned to the side of the tent in front of which Ike had been briefing the unit commanders of the plan. He frowned, and then glanced at Ike and shook his head before departing to prepare his things for the coming battle. "Good. You have your orders, Ashera watch over us all, good luck." The dismissal brought about a sudden burst of sound and movement as the unit commanders gathered their gear and departed for their commands, chattering with comrades or dispatching aides with preliminary orders.
The Deputy Commander of the Greil Mercenaries, Titania grinned at Ike as she swung up into her saddle. "You're the last person I expected to hear turning to religion Commander."
The big mercenary grinned, hefting his sword onto his shoulder. "Ah, well, it makes the Apostle's troops feel better, so I go through a few motions."
The crimson-haired paladin smiled back. "Your father would be proud, you've learned a lot about being in charge of an army."
Ike nodded absently, his eyes going distant for a moment, as they usually did when someone mentioned his father. He glanced up at Titania a moment later, his smile returning. "Be safe out there Titania, and good hunting."
Saluting briskly with her axe, the paladin reined her mount around. "Yes commander, good hunting to you as well."
***
Nephenee wrenched her lance from the corpse of a dead soldier, pausing for a moment as her eyes scanning the tide of the battle around her. Her unit surged forward around her, clashing with skirmishers from the Daein army. She had no idea why exactly it was that the reformed Daein had so suddenly turned against the Laguz alliance, even the indoctrinated hatred of the Laguz in Daein wasn't excuse enough for Daein actions. Why should they side with their former oppressors?
She darted forward as the line before her faltered, one of her command being hacked down by a pair of axe-wielding thugs. She leapt, descending towards the Daein skirmisher with her lance leading at a downward angle. The inexperienced skirmisher had no idea how to reply to the strike, and tried to retreat, only to stumble over a body behind him. Nephenee's lance struck like lightning, smashing through the man's breastbone, shattering a pair of ribs, punching a hole through a lung, and then ripping out his back with a wet, ripping noise.
With a sickening twist that put the dying man out of his misery, she extracted the lance, nodding in approval to the myrmidon next to her who had dispatched the other fighter. She banged her lance against her shield several times, shouting to her command. "Regroup, regroup!"
Her men filtered back to rally around her, a few supporting wounded comrades. Her gaze darted through the group quickly, licking her lips. Half her men were dead, of those who remained, a third were wounded, a few of them grievously. The cleric assigned to her unit had been killed when they were ambushed by Daein skirmishers who had somehow slipped past the Alliance's forward units. She gestured to three of her men quickly, then the worst of the wounded. "Alright, you three, get the wounded back to camp." She glanced towards the nearby plains, the roar of battle was muted by the distance, but she could well imagine the horror raging there as the Laguz forces ripped through the Daein army. Her eyes moved skyward, flicking over the twisting and darting forms of wyverns and hawks, hoping Ike, the Commander, she corrected quickly, was doing well on his mission. If Ike's force could sever the communication lines between the Daein army and their camp, the enemy would be forced to retreat, unable to coordinate their actions. With any luck the Alliance would be able to smash the Daein army's resistance and find out what was going on.
A roar from the main battle line pulled her attention back to the bloody mess on the plains, and she looked at her men. "1st platoon, hold position and continue to hold back any enemy units that manage to slip through the forward lines, send a messenger to Soren requesting reinforcement and inform him that I am taking 2nd platoon across enemy lines to harry enemy supply lines and reinforce the Commander." The 1st platoon leader nodded, selecting a messenger and quickly dispatching him to track down the sage.
She nodded to the man, then, with a gesture, led the 2nd platoon deeper into the forest, working outward in a wide, slow arc that should hopefully help them slip past their opposites in the enemy army.
***
Ike swept the back of his hand across his forehead, dashing sweat and lank blue hair from his eyes. Things hadn't gone as he and Soren had hoped they would in the planning session this morning. Much as expected, he and his men had been outnumbered by the enemy patrols, so they had been careful, ambushing small parties of wounded and messengers, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. They had hoped that the Daein forces would break from lack of order. The result was quite the opposite, the Daein forces fought on with a fanatical disregard for their lack of direction, and Ike's men had been decimated after an unfortunate run in with a pair of enemy patrols who they had just managed to disengage.
He glanced behind him, Rhys was busy tending to the wounded, his eyes closed as he murmured a continuous stream of prayers, his staff and hands glowing as he channeled healing magic into the worst of the wounded. Nearby the rest of the unit, only a quarter of those he had set out with, rested warily, eyes darting through the trees. The enemy patrols were still nearby, and they had only stopped to tend the wounded before retreating back to their lines.
There was a crashing from the brush line ahead of the group, and Ike's head snapped back to the front as he dropped low to the ground. Straining his senses as he tried to discern how large the approaching group was. At least one patrol, they had to leave now. Ike crept back, settling a hand gently on Rhys shoulder. "Rhys, I need you to make a flare to cover the retreat, get the men back behind our lines, I'll screen you."
The bishop frowned, glancing from Ike to the men and back again. "How do you plan to hold back an entire patrol by yourself?"
He grinned wolfishly. "I won't need to, not for long anyways, you blind them and I can slip around them while you withdraw, slip back through the trees. They'll have a hard time finding me."
"Alright, but be careful."
Ike nodded, smiling. "You know me, always careful, now, get moving."
***
Nephenee peered through the underbrush silently; distant battle cries reaching her, and odd, inconstant contrast to the steady breathing of her men behind her. They had slipped past several skirmishing units already, and were now deep behind the enemy line. The Commander should be around here somewhere, a few minutes earlier she had encountered Rhys, retreating with the remainder of Ike's men. She had traded intel and a few soldiers with Rhys, gaining men with a better idea of the layout of this part of the forest, and sending some of her own more wounded men back with Rhys to lead them safely back to Alliance lines.
She swore silently to herself, there was a crashing in the brush, and the Commander stumbled out, a pair of arrows whistling angrily over his head. The enemy patrol had found him, and managed to herd him out into the open. "Alright men, let's go rescue the Commander."
They burst from the woods just as what was left of the patrol did, a group of five soldiers, a trio of fighters, and a pair of archers under the command of a swordmaster. Nephenee almost missed a step, recognizing Zihark, one her companions from The Mad King's War.
***
Ike spun, sword sweeping a low arc that scythed the legs of one of the fighters out from under him. He hopped a low thrust from one of the soldiers, sword rolling up and over to spear through the man's chest. He backpedaled, distancing himself from the remainder of the patrol as the remaining fighters charged.
He darted a quick glance to his right, surprised as more troops burst from the forest, crashing into the Daein patrol's flank. Taking advantage of the surprise, he stepped forward aggressively, battering one of the fighter's axe up and away, shouldering into him and knocking him off balance. The man landed hard, and Ike blew past him, three quick strikes over balancing the other fighter, and leaving him on the ground frantically trying to hold his guts in. "Zihark! What is the meaning of this?"
The swordmaster skipped backwards quickly, distancing himself from the Alliance general. "I cannot. You have your loyalties, and I have mine."
Ike growled as the swordmaster charged, stepping back and to the side to dodge the blow, but the first fighter Ike and bowled over had regained his feet, and he stumbled into the Alliance general's back, making him unable to dodge the blow. The sword glittered in a descending arc, and the blue haired mercenary knew then that he was finished.
Zihark's blow never landed, a long slender lance interposed itself between the blade and his chest as though by magic. Ike's head snapped to the right, catching a flash of blue and green as Nephenee slamed into Zihark, pushing him back and away as Ike turned and smashed an elbow into the fighter's face, dropping the unarmed man back to the ground.
The swordmaster stumbled away, tripping over the dead body of one of his soldiers, and falling. Ike moved forward, slanting his sword down to hold it inches from Zihark's neck. "Talk, now."
"Zihark!" Hooves hammered the turf. Fiona and a pair of guards thundered towards Ike and his men, lances lowering. Nephenee glanced back at Ike, who nodded to her. Waving her men forward, they formed a short line; lances forward as the remainder of Zihark's soldiers broke and ran, joining the growing river of Daein troops retreating from battle with the Alliance.
"Fiona! No, get out of here!" The guards reined in, preventing their mounts from spearing themselves. Nephenee snapped her lance up at the last second, bracing it against the ground. Fiona's horse slammed against the lance with its full weight, the steel spearhead ripped through flesh and bone, and exploded through the horse's neck, and punching through plate mail and into the flesh of the young woman's chest, the sudden decrease in momentum sent her flying forward onto the lance and killing her instantly.
More hooves from the distance, Oscar and Titania cantered closer, two detachments of cavalry hot on their heels. They were too far away though, and tow Daein units retreating in good order were between them and Ike and Nepehenee's forces. Ike still held Zihark down with his blade, and Nepehenee's men surrounded Fiona. The halberdier glanced at the Alliance general uneasily, and Ike shook his head. "Let them go, we pull back before the retreating forces get here."
She nodded, waving to her men. "Leave them, let's go."
