A/N: I'll start from the very beginning.

Disclaimer: Fire Emblem is not mine~XD

A Deserter's Lance

Part 01: Burning

It was a rough afternoon. The sun looked like a fire ball shot by Vulcan himself, that burned everything without hesitation, including his body. The heat had not only obliterated his body, but also his soul.

I have no place to stay.

He knew he couldn't turn back. He felt the bitterness of the cold sky attacking him suddenly, something that he could stand it no more.

"Go on!! We'll cover you!"

"But…"

But he couldn't continue. He told his Hyperion to fly lower and dive. He strengthened his lance-grip, his eyes were as sharp as an eagle – or at least he tried to be so. His lance swung as if a ravenous eagle that hunted over its prey.

Actually, how many men are chasing us right now?

He was terribly exhausted, so was his wyvern, Hyperion. A paladin with silver lance on his hand suddenly came up, stroke him from front. "Eat this, you traitor!"

He barely managed to escape. He considered himself lucky though he couldn't do even a single counterattack. Almost fell down the wyvern he touched his bloody arm and felt his blood shed. Hyperion shrieked loudly, worrying its master for sure. But the master, the exhausted wyvern rider, worried it more. The paladin was about to strike him again.

I'm done. Forgive me, My Prince.

"Let's get outta here! Take my arm."

A sudden scream made him open his eyes. No… he didn't die. Not yet. Another wyvern rider grabbed his arms without waiting for his answer. He took the exhausted rider to his own wyvern.

"Are you okay? Hold on!"

I'm saved.

"Don't worry. You know I can stand some scratches," he answered firmly. He made a single long whistle and Hyperion came to him. He didn't know where it from, yet how could his wyvern answered his call that quick. Nobody had such golden chance to chitchat even asking one's condition. A fierce battle, more than that. The ones who would probably survived the battle were those who thought fast, acted fast. The sound of clanking lances also enough for them. It was a signal… an important signal that the enemy was still on their way, wanted them die.

When the chance arrived he hopped on Hyperion in a sec. The wyvern was shrieking again, welcoming its master. He smiled to his comrade – just thanking him. "Go," said he, "my lance already reached its limit!"

"Then take mine," his comrade passed a steel lance to him.

"Isaac, you shouldn't –"

"Heath, you are the one who shouldn't fight without weapon," Isaac, his comrade, debated him. "We are wyvern knights. We have our lances in our right arm and reins in another arm… well heck, whatever!"

"… thanks," he answered. But the next scene made him wanted to swallow his thanks. It happened only in few seconds – an arrow hit from somewhere far from there, damaging Isaac's right hand, followed by heavy arrow rain, trapping Isaac and his wyvern with no escape.

"Go!!" Isaac yelled at him. "Go now before it's too late!! Shit, ballistae…"

"Isaac, I can't leave you!!" he yelled back. "Hang on…" he pulled Hyperion's rein hardly, commanding the wyvern to turn back. But Hyperion shrouded in doubt – also scared. No wyvern dared to challenge a sniper – especially from front – without a Delphi Shield.

"What are you doing? You'll just get yourself killed!" another wyvern rider chased him, enclosing him from the right side. He was covering him from the arrow with his lance.

"Lachius!!"

"Damn sniper, you son of a…" the second wyvern rider that enclosed him from the left side threw his short spear which killed the sniper who attacked them with his ballista. But their pursuers, also wyvern rider squads, made the second wyvern rider busy. It ended so fast… faster than the touch of the breeze. Heath just glared at those two friends of his with an unbelieving gaze.

"I've told you to go…" Lachius said with his dying breath. He smiled… "I'm done."

He said he was done for.

"Get out, Heath. You are the only hope. Get out!!" Belminade, his other companion also the second wyvern rider that defend him from arrow rain, tried to make his way with his last strength. "We are knights. We will fight no matter it is!!"

Belminade also…

"Noooo!! I'm going with you!! I'll be there in no time, Belminade! Isaac, Lachius!!"

"Heath!! Get a hold on yourself, you stupid boy!" a woman's voice pierced his ears. A very firm, loud and charismatic voice that felt so familiar to him. His commander whose name was Vaida never showed her feminine side; harsh to her men, taught him and his companions so discipline that no one ever imagined.

"Commander, I can't leave you here…"

"Leave me? You won't. Because I'll leave by myself. And so will you, boy."

"Do you mean you will –"

"Clear the way for you? Who on earth are you so I'll do that to you?! ... no, I'll show you how to kill, Heath," Vaida, the wyvern lord, flew through the sky.

Heath knew what actually Vaida meant. The commander was feeling guilty, because she thought that it was her who made the entire squad be branded as traitors. "Commander, I'm your soldier. I'll go wherever you go, and I'm not afraid of death."

"Stop being a crybaby! I never taught you to act like that. Behave yourself, boy!! Keep going! We'll reach the border in no time. Don't hold back, keep going!!"

"Commander!! Commander… no!!!"