~ By Book, Blade, and Crest of Light ~

WARNING: There are minor gore and blood ahead, with some minor swearing, don't read if you no likey, eh?

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Fire Emblem if I did Sacred Stones would have had a follow-up game instead of whatever the hell Fates is supposed to be. Also, this is my first fic, tell me how I did.

Note: This takes place in that one chapter I can't remember with the water and that goddamn bishop with the berserk staff in the middle of OoT Water Temple hell.

~ Chapter 1~

Regret

Raven winced as a myrmidon's steel bit his arm, he quickly retaliated with a thrust to the neck, killing the assailant instantly. Lucius frowned, "My lord Raymond, why didn't you spare his life? He may be the enemy, yes, but he is human just like you milord."

Raven gave his signature angry-but-not-angry scowl to his ally, "He scratched my arm, he will pay, just like that pampered bastard of Ostia will in time." Lucius could see just a morsel of regret in his eyes, but only for a moment, he continued, "You're too soft, you need a killer instinct, Lucius." he gazed, "They may be human, but they are Black Fang assassins, they signed up to kill people, it's about time they got a taste of their own suffering." Lucius blasted an enemy knight with a divine spell as Raven duelled with a mercenary. Raven gut kicked the man and plunged his blade into their heart, killing yet another.

Hector flung his hand axe at a wyvern lord's skull, killing the rider and subsequently scaring off his mount from the bloody fight. Raven inwardly judged his axe form, reminding himself that Hector taught himself to fight, and if they ever crossed blades, Raven would have an advantage, as he had formal training from the marquesses personal guard, back when Cornwell was still standing when he was only 9. His sister Priscilla would cheer him on as Lucius absentmindedly wondered what's to come in the future if only he knew the impending destruction of their home at the hands of Ostia. Raven perished the thought, he was in a fight and he had to pay attention lest he gets an arrow to the head.

Lucius paid his respects to his fallen knight from before and the duo continued on the advance to "that witch" Sonia's position as Pent dodged bolting after bolting, the girl, Nino and that creepy man he wouldn't dare ask the name of were holding off a paladin trying to get at the preoccupied Pent, Raven charged the man from behind and the hero chopped the mounts back leg clean off, it cried a shriek of pure terror as the rider was bucked off and trampled by three legs limply running off. Raven removed the rider's head from his body and so went the last of Sonia's force. 'That poor horse,' Lucius sadly thought, 'it will probably bleed out in a minute…' Lucius thought of scolding Raven, but was interrupted by a bolting spell hitting Pent directly as his wife screamed out his name in terror, Pent was slightly singed by the bolt, but Priscilla mended his wound quickly, and Raven, Lucius, Louise, Pent, Priscilla, Kent, Wil, Canas, Oswin, Lyn, Eliwood, Hector, the creepy man, but most importantly, teary-eyed Nino, who was burning holes into Sonia with her furious gaze, Nino went to try and speak but was cut off by the man, "Don't waste your words on her, Nino. She's a black-hearted monster, she used Brendan as a mere tool to control the fang as Nergal wished so," The man paused "I have no words for her, she doesn't deserve any…" a high pitched laugh echoed in the old temple, Sonia eyed the two dangerously "That's rich coming from you my sweet "Angel of Death". How about you join that Reed bastard in his grave while I turn that damnable child to ash, you all are impure beings, I'm perfect, Nergal said so" Sonia all but growled, but a gruff voice intercepted her next threat "I don't give a damn who you are, but what I do give a damn about is removing that ugly head from your body" Raven stated matter of factly.

Raven drew his blade and went to feint a slash at her neck, she tried to jump back but he already knew and swept her off her feet and tried to plow his blade into her neck but missed and only scraped her arm, she gave a light sign of anger but said nothing.

She began casting a fimbulvetr spell at him but he was already upon her with a slash at her tome arm, she let out a shrill cry as her arm flew off into the water and dissolved into black dust. Lucius was watching the whole time and asked everyone not to interfere even with an angry Jaffar.

Raven started, "Not so perfect after all, huh?" he picked up the blue tome she dropped and threw it back towards Pent who caught it with a surprised expression. Sonia couldn't formulate a word and Raven mentally smiled she began chanting a teleportation spell but Lucius stopped her right in her tracks with a purge spell, "I think not." Lucius chided and Raven quickly gave her a stump for a neck before she could even respond. Black liquid-esque dust gushed out as she faded, only one thing remained, a dusty scroll of paper, Lucius did not give a silent prayer for the fallen, she was an artificial monster, an unholy demon conjured from life essence.

She did not deserve a respite.

Raven seemed to think the same thing, as "Eliwood's Elite" returned to camp.

Nino was silently crying into Jaffar's cloak, he didn't seem to care though, he was more invested in Nino's emotional distress, phony and evil mother Sonia may be, she was still the only mother figure she had in her time with the fang. She said that Lloyd and Linus would hate her to no end for her actions, Jaffar said otherwise "There was no other choice. We did what we had to do, Nino…" she silently nodded, her tears stopping for a time before they came back again. Raven watched the two silently without a scowl on his face for once, he just killed- no, mauled the girl's only family besides Lloyd, but they'll likely have to cross swords with him anyway. So he for once in many years, let but one tear drop from his eye, Lucius suddenly spoke out of nowhere, but Raven wasn't startled, he had gotten used to Lucius' quiet presence over the years, "Did you just feel anything but anger for Ostia milord?" Raven instantly replied with a simple yet tremendously effective,

"No."

Lucius paused and sensed he wanted to continue, "That girl has only one family member left, and they aren't even related by blood…" Raven silently stated, "now that I think, she's no different than me…" Lucius was inwardly shocked but kept a neutral expression, "Did you just feel… compassion…or was it... empathy?" Raven just slowly nodded in response, Lucius displayed utter wordlessness if it was an emotion describable in any form of language, Lucius kindly left Raven to his thoughts by the war tent. He looked around, no one was that much up for conversation after what happened, but there were some whispers here and there about what he couldn't quite catch, but he was damn sure it was about the girl… maybe he should try and console her… no, bad idea, he was never good with that anyway, that would be more Lucius' or Priscilla's thing than anything. He looked for her absentmindedly and he saw her making conversation with Wil as she mended and bandaged a gash in his leg, courtesy of an axeman, otherwise, he felt at peace, it was nice not constantly thinking of revenge for once…

Maybe he should try doing that more often than not now.

xXx End of Fic xXx -

Notes:

- I felt like writing a fic about Raven and Lucius, look at how it turned out, rate and review if you feel so inclined to do so. Cheerio!

- Edited and fixed spelling, and spacing errors as of 3/12 2019.

- Also fixed a issue where lore didn't add up, Raven would have to be 9 when Cornwell was pillaged.