The Impervious Heron
A/N: Okay, so I'm playing a new file on normal mode in Path of Radiance. I think I've been getting careless, because I've had Reyson attacked six times so far. And who knows how many more times before I get to endgame. Funny thing is, he survived all six times. To be more accurate, he dodged all six times. He's even faster than Sothe, who – mind you – maxed out his speed and is at level twenty.
Honestly, I'm not sure whether having Reyson attacked so many times means I'm a horrible strategist, or whether I'm incredibly lucky. Maybe both. Heh …
Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Fire Emblem. This story is for entertainment purposes only.
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The Daein army was ruthless and powerful. More so than their neighboring countries of Crimea and Begnion, Daein was known for its military prowess. Their generals were fearsome and commanding; their king even more of a terror. Nothing could withstand the might of the Daein army.
Or so it seemed, until a small Crimean mercenary band, hired by the Crimean princess Elincia, started to upstage the elite army. The soldiers just couldn't understand. How could a ragtag bunch of sell-swords and the few stragglers it had picked up – a motley crew – be a match for the expertly trained army? Daein soldiers' morale started to drop.
As if that hadn't been bad enough, there was more. The heron prince Reyson, one of the few survivors of the Serenes Massacre, had joined the Crimean Liberation Army. Like all herons, he could not fight but was able to assist soldiers with his seid magic, the galdr. He was an easy target on the battlefield. Try as the Liberation Army did, they could not always protect Reyson. Sometimes an enemy would slip past their defenses and upon the defenseless Reyson.
Surely it must have been a fluke the first time it had happened. During the battle at Talrega, three wyvern riders had snuck past the army's defenses and attacked the poor heron. Much to the surprise of the first rider, the heron had dodged – dodged! The heron must have gotten lucky. But the second wyvern rider missed … and the third as well. There were no chances for a second attempt, for the Crimean army quickly dispatched of the wyvern riders and apologized profusely to Reyson for their carelessness.
Then it happened again. Had it been at the Great Bridge, or in Delbray? The point being that yet another wyvern rider had tried to get the drop on the heron prince. Reyson, once again, dodged the attack with no difficulty at all. The pains of being a noncombatant on the battlefield, the enemy goes straight for the unarmed. Once Mia and Soren caught wind of the situation, they quickly dispatched of the soldier, and then went on with their business.
Shortly afterwards, the Crimean army found themselves on a mission to join up with their Gallian allies, and an ambush waiting for them on the mountain path. Soren suggested a formation that would surround their vulnerable units with stronger ones, not leaving them open to attack. Not to Reyson's surprise, a feral cat laguz snuck past Jill and Marcia and headed straight for Reyson. The heron moved out of range of the cat's claws, leaving the two flustered females to dispatch of the mad laguz.
And now, at Nados Castle … Reyson let out a sigh. It was really starting to become routine. But he couldn't really blame anyone this time. Honestly, it wasn't as if any of them could see through walls. And Ike, Stefan, Nephenee, and Titania had been by his side the entire time. How could they have known that there was a sage in the room with a Bolting tome, and were they really expected to anticipate that the sage would aim for Reyson? Somehow, the heron was able to sense the attack in time to dodge it. He hadn't had to say anything at all. Stefan and Ike quickly located the sage and dispatched of him.
The battle for Crimea wasn't over yet, but Reyson was doubting the skills of the Daein army. After all, what sort of elite army couldn't even kill – much less hit – a heron?