Author's Notes: I'll eventually get a second story finished.
Ah well... This is the first 'fic I wrote but never got around to putting it up onto here... whether you like it or not I'm not likely to be updating this often.
Prologue: The Beginning of the End
For three months, a young girl, Elincia, has employed a small group of mercenaries, called The Greil Mercenaries, to help get her home country of Crimea after it was attacked by the neighbouring country of Daein. Daein's ruler 'Mad King' Ashnard gathered all of Daein's military might and cut a bloody swath through Crimea and killed it's king, Ramnon, and Renning, head of the Royal Knights of Crimea managed the hide Princess Elincia before any soldiers of Daein found and killed her.
Now Elincia, wielding the treasured blade of House Crimea Amiti and riding a Holy Seraph, had just one battle remaining... The Battle against 'Mad King' Ashnard...
After 3 whole days of battling in the Capital of Crimea, Melior, Ike and the Greil Mercenaries finally reached Ashnard. Unfortunately they were beaten to the kill by an ominous black cloaked 'shadow' who seemed to float instead of walk. Just at that moment the 'shadow' who was looming over the corpse of Ashnard and a Black Dragon, who, while looking very similar to the Dragon Prince Rajaion of Goldoa in shifted form, was writhing in agony, turned round, while Ike expected to see even a chin, there was a black silhouette instead of a face. At that point Ena, also a dragon laguz, rushed up and as the Heron Prince Reyson sang the Galdr of Rebirth to restore the Black Dragon's sanity and form.
This is what Ike recalls of the end of the Mad King's War. However this 'shadow' is really someone who came to rid the world of a person known by two names... She's known as Ashera... Or just 'The Goddess'...
Ashera is the goddess of order, restriction and restraint. However since the year Ashera's exact opposite, Yune, was sealed in Lehran's Medallion both of have slept and might continue to do so until 1000 years after the Sealing of Yune. It is Ashera that the 'shadow' has come to get rid of.
Since the Mad King's War, Ike, Titania, Soren and the other Greil Mercenaries spent nearly 13 months searching for this cloaked figure and his 8 Dragons of Power who are not actually like the Dragon Laguz of Goldoa. This is because for 500 years the Beorc of Tellius thought that Yune had drowned all other continents, until the Shadow's disturbing message from a place called The Edinide Empire.
"Ike!" came a cry from the Tactics Tent.
"Yes? What is it Soren?" came a reply from the training ring which is where Ike and new recruit Mia almost continually train each weekend.
"I've had very bad news, and it comes from our target itself." Which was swiftly answered with Ike, a large man with blue hair in an impossible hair style and a flowing red cloak which hides only his neck, charging towards the tent leaving a line of blood on the grass, and was swiftly followed by the company's healer, Rhys.
"Ike you really have to stop training yourself to bleeding. You'll become a bloodless corpse eventually, but I can't complain seeing as this time I know how it happened instead of seeing you or Mia suddenly appear at the opening of my tent and bleed all over the floor. It reduces the shock of seeing all that blood." came a cry from behind Ike as he arrived in the tactics tent.
"Rhys! You really need to stop worrying about me and Mia so much! Anyway, Soren, what's the news."
"This letter comes from that cloaked figure we've been hunting."
Dear Ike and the Greil Mercenaries,
I understand that you have been hunting me since I killed Ashnard and also appearing without showing my true self.
This is because I have actually been following you around not from the ground but from the air however if you try to shoot me down you will fail as my home will not fall from the sky.
I am not a Laguz nor am I Beorc. Whether you try to to attack me or not is your choice but if you kill me then you will have given my family the right to hold Mist and Rolf for ransom.
If that happens then you will have to fight my subordinates to get them back, but you will have to find me first in My Spire...
This is the last warning.
The Shadow
"Ike?" asked a very nervous Mist, "Is that the bad news I heard Soren shouting about?"
"Hm? Oh, Mist! How did you know what was in the letter without reading it?"
"Ike! You dumbbell! You ALWAYS read a letter out loud without noticing! The whole company heard you!"
"Oh... Bugger..." Was the only word said. At which point a moody Shinon, a sniper with blood red hair, with a grudge against Ike and Rolf's teacher, entered and only said one word "Bastard!"
"Whoa!" exclaimed Ike, "Shinon! Will you stop sneaking up on me?"
"Only if you can stop standing facing away from the door." Taunted Shinon coolly.
"Shinon! Rolf's waiting for you." Reminded Gatrie, a largely built man who almost always wore his 3 inch think blue armour.
"Right... Thanks Gatrie. Aren't you supposed to be learning to cook from Oscar?"
"Oh." Then all that was heard was the thunderous and continuous clang of his heavy armour.
"Soren? Can you suggest what to to?" Inquired a nervous Ike.
"Hmmmm... Nope... I... can't suggest a thing to to except keep the weapons in reach."
"Soren... What's wrong?" Asked Titania, a large and stubborn woman with red flowing hair and gold coloured armour which hides her cleavage and she always carries a silver poleaxe in an axe-sheath.
"It's... Nothing... Really..." Said Soren who looked almost asleep.
"Soren you need to rest."
"But-"
"But nothing Soren. Get back to your tent at once!" Shouted Rhys.
"Bu-bu-bu-but-"
"DOCTOR'S ORDERS!" cried Rhys frustratingly.
"Fine..." Soren confided while sulking out of the Tactics Tent.
"It's been three months since that shadow was first seen looming over the body of Ashnard and now we know he'll not come down to answer any questions." Titania sighed.
"I know... I'm just... I just want to know why he could kill Ashnard even though the only blades that could are Ragnell, Alondite and Ashnard's weapon... I think is was Gurgurant?"
"Yes, Ike. I think it's time we retired to our tents now before we turn out like Soren."
After they left the Tactics Tent the 'shadow' appeared.
"Ignoring my warning will be the death of you Ike. It's a shame really. You're a good sword fighter but you can be an idiot,"
And with that the 'shadow' disappeared completely.
The 'shadow' rematerialized inside his home to see his wife and two children playing some mind of board game.
"Gave them a visit, dear?" His wife said without looking up.
"Yes." was all the 'shadow' could manage before the kids had barreled him to the floor.
"are we going through with the plot?" the younger one, a male that looked remarkable like a younger version of the 'shadow', said.
"Yes... Can I get up now?"
The kids promptly stood up, trying to make themselves look innocent.
It was going to be a long day...
