A/N: Hello everyone! I've written another Fire Emblem fiction, oh my! I just seem to have Radiant Dawn in my mind even though I haven't played it in a while. This short piece follows the game - I'm sure you'll notice that it takes place at two different points. I hope you enjoy it! (Oh, and keep an eye on grammatical errors if there are any.)
Reason
Edward quickly made his way down the cold hall with his two companions soundly behind him. When he recognized someone just leaving the room he was heading for, the swordmaster broke into a run. "Sothe!" he called out, catching the rogue's attention right before he closed the door.
Sothe raised a questionable eyebrow at the young swordsman with his hand still on the knob yet the door remained open ajar. "Edward? What are you guys doing here?" he asked in a low mutter.
Such a stupid question made the younger boy furrow his brow in anger. "We're here to see Micaiah, what else?" Edward replied rather harshly.
The rogue flinched from his tone, his expression downcast and weary. His reaction made Edward regret his attitude – Sothe was visibly exhausted from the countless battles just as much as they.
"I-I'm sorry," the swordsman quickly apologized, looking away. "We wanted to see Micaiah."
Leonardo stepped beside him. "Is she all right?" the sniper asked; worry etched in his words.
Edward glanced up and saw Sothe lightly nod as he quietly closed the door. "She… needs to rest. All this fighting has exhausted her greatly," he slowly answered.
Nolan let out a heavy sigh from behind. He walked around the youngest members of the Dawn Brigade and placed a hand upon the rogue's shoulder. "Sothe, why are we still fighting?" the warrior inquired, his voice low and tired. "I don't understand what this war is all about."
"Yeah, Daein had won and we have our king," Edward added with growing frustration. "Why must we continue to fight? And for Begnion for Goddess's sake! Why must we fight with our former enemies?!"
There was a sharp pain in his side from Leonardo's quick thrust of his elbow. "Edward…" Leonardo hissed, giving the swordsman a stern glare and a disapproving nod.
Again, the swordmaster regretted his outburst but continued to frown at the green-haired thief who avoided their stares.
Sothe did not answer right away. He gently brushed Nolan's hand away and turned his back towards them to face Micaiah's bedroom door. "I… I cannot tell you why," he whispered.
That made Edward snort in disgust. Despite how disrespectful it was, he could no longer hold back his frustration towards the rogue. "What's the matter?!" he demanded from his superior. "Why won't you tell us?!"
"Edward!" A strong hand gripped the swordsman's collar. Nolan glowered at him furiously and the boy immediately clamped his mouth shut. "Calm yourself, boy." He then turned to Sothe. "If we are not to know… then we will not ask."
He turned to leave but a click from a turning knob made him peer back.
"Wait." Micaiah stepped into the hall, her pale complexion startling the three members of the Dawn Brigade that had just arrived. She looked smaller and weaker than what Edward was used to seeing back home. Her bright golden eyes had dulled from weariness. The smile that used to adorn her face was now burdened with a saddened frown.
"Micaiah…" Edward softly whispered, his anger instantly diminished from the poor sight of the girl. It was the first in a long time that Edward had actually seen Micaiah out of the battlefield. Ever since Daein had gone to war against the Laguz Alliance, Micaiah had always been occupied with her duty as General of the Daein army – she had no time to spend with her companions. Everyday, Edward had seen her attend tactical briefings and other sorts of meetings with the king, General Tauroneo and many others. (Sometimes Sothe would attend for Micaiah's sake but he mostly avoided them.)
The silver-haired Maiden was burdened with so much… just why would King Pelleas do this? Edward could not but hold a grudge against the indecisive Lord.
Sothe furrowed his brow. "You must rest, Micaiah."
She shook her head. "They must know, Sothe," she replied. She faced the others, meeting each of their watchful eyes.
Leonardo spoke first, "Micaiah… Sothe is right; we should leave and allow you to rest."
"No. You all deserve to know the reason for this pointless war." The last two words were sharp with malice. She gestured for them all to come into her room.
When all were accounted for, Nolan closed the door to the General's large, astounding bedroom. Edward, envious of Micaiah's lavish room, hid his amazement in respect of the situation.
Micaiah carefully made her way to her bedside – her movements were slow and delicate much like a heron's. The three of them stood before her while Sothe accompanied her upon the bed, his eyes watching with concern.
Silence first filled the room for a moment as Micaiah gathered her thoughts. The three patiently waited. (Well, two of them did: Edward was highly anxious and it showed upon his face.)
She gave him a small smile and quietly began, "Everyone… I must apologize for everything I've put you through."
"There is no need for that, Micaiah," Edward told her with a shake of his head. "You are the General of Daein's army: you lead, we follow." The swordmaster then crossed his arms, a look of dissatisfaction falling upon his young features. "However… this war we've been fighting; I don't see the point of it. Why must we fight with Begnion against the laguz?"
From the corner of his eye, he saw both Nolan and Leonardo nod in agreement. Micaiah diverted her gaze to Sothe whom continued to watch her. The two held a powerful bond that any soldier of Daein could notice from miles away. It was unmistakable how much they cared for each other. (In fact, Edward was quick to catch on right on the first day he had joined the rebellion without even asking.)
The green-haired rogue slightly nodded at her in assurance.
"Daein is under a blood pact," Micaiah answered, her golden eyes returning to the others.
"A what?" Nolan exclaimed with a raised eyebrow.
"A blood pact," Sothe repeated with bitter discontent. He narrowed his gaze at the ground beneath his feet. "The Senator of Begnion, Lekain, had tricked King Pelleas into signing a contract on his day of coronation," he explained. "The contract holds Daein under Begnion's control."
"What?!" Edward cried out in horror. "How can such a piece of paper do such a thing?" He shook his head furiously. "I-I don't get it… Can't we just ignore the contract?"
"No, we cannot go against the blood pact," Micaiah answered grimly. "If we do not follow Begnion's wishes…"
"Then the people of Daein will die," Sothe finished for her.
Leonardo stepped forward, his brow creased with worry. "Die?" he whispered in disbelief. "By Begnion's hands?"
The rogue nodded. "Technically, yes," he began as he brushed a hand roughly through his hair. "But that is not how the blood pact actually works from what I've heard."
Edward looked questionably at him, slightly confused by that. Micaiah decided to resume the explanation. "The nation that the blood pact is signed for will suffer from sudden death. The citizens of Daein: you; me; everyone here will die one by one if we do not follow Lekain's orders. It may be the work of dark magic… but I'm not too certain of that. Nevertheless, people will start dropping like flies if we are to resist."
The swordsman was rendered speechless as he was stunned by that fact. Leonardo uttered a quiet sound before mustering the courage to ask, "Is there no way out?"
Sothe shrugged his shoulders while Micaiah stared blankly at her clenched hands upon her robed knees. "King Pelleas is searching for an answer as we speak." She spoke in a hopeful manner, giving the men an assuring smile. "Please, do not lose faith. We will find a way around this so no more blood will be shed…" Her smile soon faded. "However, we must continue to fight until the answer is found… I truly cannot see how long we must go on."
Edward furrowed his brow but soon broke into a confident grin, hoping to raise her spirit. "Micaiah… we'll get through this. I'll keep fighting for Daein's sake."
"Indeed, we will continue on," Leonardo chimed in.
"That's right," Nolan added, putting on a brave smile. "We know the reason for our battles. We cannot back down for sure."
The sage's smile brightened as did her eyes as she witnessed the strong hope each of them held. "I thank you all… for having endured so long with this."
"You know we'll never leave your side no matter what happens," Edward told her as he approached the bed to sit beside her. "We are the Dawn Brigade! We're family, right? Wherever you go, we go."
"The kid's right," Nolan said with a hearty laugh. "We gotta stick together if we're a family."
"Yes, how could I have forgotten," Micaiah whispered, her hand held against her heart. "I've been too occupied with the war and…"
"Micaiah," Leonardo interjected with a wave of his hand. "Do not worry about it. We have been busy as well as you so do not apologize. We are the ones that should… for demanding you for answers when you are ill." He gave Edward a pointed look and the swordsman broke into a sheepish laugh.
Micaiah lightly scoffed. "I will be fine," she retorted, her normal composure returning. "A night's rest will –"
"I'd prefer if you take a few days off," Sothe suggested with a raised brow.
The sage scowled at him childishly. "One night's rest is enough, Sothe."
"You know, I could carry you away from here if you don't comply with me," the rogue countered.
She rolled her eyes with a sigh and ignored him as she faced Nolan and Leonardo. "The night is late… you should all return to your rooms to rest."
At that, Edward got off the bed and nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. You should take on Sothe's suggestion and take it easy for the next few days," he told her.
In return, he received an irritated groan, "I will try."
With one last glance, he turned to leave only to stop when she continued to speak.
"Everyone; I must ask you all to keep the blood pact a secret. If word breaks out amongst the soldiers it may spread to our enemies."
"Not to mention the fear it would bring," Sothe added.
"Ah, and the morale it would break," Nolan concluded.
"Of course. We will keep this amongst ourselves," the sniper assured.
After they left Sothe and Micaiah to themselves, the three of them headed back down the hall to the soldiers' quarters. Nolan departed to the mess hall to have one last drink before heading to bed. The boys then decided to go into the courtyard to walk away the anxiety that still lingered within them. Everything they had learned that night was rather overwhelming.
The night was calm and chilly. Dressed inappropriately for the cold autumn nights, Edward slightly shivered as they walked. They unexpectedly ran into Jill and her wyvern standing within the open centre of the large courtyard under the starry night sky.
"Eddy! Leo!" she called out, waving the boys over.
Edward cringed every time she called him by that name. However, for Leonardo, the archer didn't seem to mind being addressed in a shorthanded form. She had a knack for teasing the younger soldiers, (especially the young swordsman.) "It's Edward," the swordmaster told her stiffly.
The wyvern rider smirked at him before a look of concern washed over her. "How is Micaiah?" she softly asked.
The swordsman put on a feint smile. "Oh, you know her: she'll be up on her feet in no time!" he said with a short laugh.
The red-haired girl seemed relieved to hear that. "That's good. We've all been worried." She knitted her brow and faced her wyvern. Gently she stroked the lizard's snout as she glared off into the shadows. "King Pelleas is really putting a lot in that girl's hands. It's rather unfair… don't you think?"
Edward could only nod before she continued; "I know it's a war we're fighting but… why must we fight it?"
It was the same question Edward had asked. With reluctance, he looked away and shrugged his shoulders.
"How can Micaiah continue to do this?" Jill wondered, her voice tense.
"She is strong, that is how," Leonardo answered for her. The archer glanced up at the moonless night and at the glistening stars. "Micaiah has always been our leader. She has pulled us through many tight situations before and I'm certain that she can pull through this as well."
"We must be strong for her too," Edward added, giving the girl a confident grin. "So stay strong, Jill. Micaiah needs all of our strength."
The red-haired dragonmaster nodded, her previous smile returning. "You're right. If I want to keep going, I must be as strong as Micaiah. Thanks, Eddy –"
"Edward."
"Ed-ward," she corrected, rolling her scarlet eyes sullenly. "Leo. I'm going for one last ride in the night sky before retiring for the day. I'll see you tomorrow." With that she mounted her green-scaled beast and noisily took to the skies. Once she disappeared from view, Edward's smiled faded and he let out a heavy sigh.
The day had finally come; the day Daein would fall.
Laguz had surrounded the castle front and had broken through the main gate. They were all being led by one man; by him.
His golden eyes hardened at the sight of that man waiting below. Anxiety, dread… admiration – all those feelings were mixed together into a lump of a mess. He wasn't sure if he should face that man – if he should even attempt to engage in battle with him. It would be impossible if he did but he would if he must. He had to fight; he had a reason.
Clenching a silver knife in his hands, Sothe readied his small blade before throwing it at the first tiger he saw. His aim was dead-on – the knife struck the beast's right eye and practically immobilized it from pain. He leapt off the ledge to end the tiger's life. A dagger of silver slit through the laguz's throat with ease.
There was a hiss to his left. An orange-furred cat jumped at him and he quickly lowered as he side-stepped to evade. His hand moved swiftly to grasp a silver knife out of its hold as he turned around. Before the cat could recover from its miss, Sothe sent the small blade flying into its right flank. The beast cried out in pain only to be silenced by a spear piercing its hide.
Aran dropped down from the higher ledge to retrieve his thrown weapon. He gave the rogue a slight nod, his face hidden under his dark helm. The halberdier made his way to the left side of the castle grounds where the forces were being overwhelmed by the laguz.
Sothe remained in the centre ground, fighting the seemingly endless laguz. Whenever he took one down, another beast would take its place. He had lost count at how many he had killed. He was tiring quickly but he was rather grateful to have Edward and Leonardo backing him up from the higher ledge.
A shrill cry from above! Sothe spotted the hawk diving at him and gritted his teeth in dread. He hated the hawks; they were hard to take down with a simple knife because of their advantage in flight.
An arrow cut through the air before the hawk drew close. It pierced the bird's wing and crippled it. With a shriek, the hawk fell, much to Sothe's relief.
"Leave the skies to me!" Leonardo cried out to his fellow soldiers. With his bow taut with another arrow, the sniper released it to strike down another oncoming bird. The rogue mentally smirked at the archer; the boy's confidence in his skills had grown considerably. Sothe no longer needed to keep his eyes on the sky.
Two tigers came at him: a grey and a brown one. The large, grey-furred beast was closest and pounced at him first. Large fangs bared, the laguz snarled with hunger as it lunged at the rogue. Sothe was quick to dodge the beast and instinctively counterattacked as it passed by, plunging his dagger into its neck with deadly accuracy. However, that action left him open for the brown-furred tiger to strike.
It was too late for him to react – he felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the laguz in the corner of his eye. But, before the beast could sink its wicked claws into him, a powerful gust of wind had knocked it far.
"Careful, Sothe!" Edward called out from where he stood atop the ledge. He gave the green-haired thief a cocky grin. A faint green light emanated from his large sword. The emerald wind stone embedded into the hilt of his Tempest Sword was glowing as it imbued the blade with its magic power.
Sothe gave the boy a wave of thanks before returning his attention back to his battles. Having expecting more laguz to be charging at him, he immediately froze when he saw his next opponent.
Slowly, the man that commanded the laguz was making his way to the centre where numerous bodies lay and where Sothe was standing his ground. The rogue clenched his blood-soaked dagger tightly in his right hand and held his breath.
"Sothe!" the man addressed, his blue eyes narrowing at the boy in discontent.
"C-Commander…" the rogue choked out, his previous confidence in battle diminishing.
"What are you doing, Sothe? Why are you still fighting? Why is Daein so content on this war?" Ike demanded.
Sothe slightly flinched from his angry, frustrated tone. "I… I can't tell you, Commander," the rogue quietly answered with a shake of his head. His golden eyes fell on the powerful, fearsome sword, Ragnell, in Ike's hand and he mentally shivered.
"Answer me, Sothe!"
"I cannot…"
"What is the reason for this war?!"
"Our reason…? It is for Daein." The rogue met his former-general's intimidating gaze and mustered the courage to announce: "We fight for Daein!"
It was a half-lie – to Sothe anyway. He could really care less as to what would happen to Daein. He only remained in the war – he only remained in Daein… because of her. He was fighting for Micaiah, there was no other reason.
Ike slowly shook his head in disbelief. "If you are to oppose us… then I have no choice but to raise my blade against you." He held his feared blade before him, its golden edge gleaming.
Sothe fell into a defensive stance, his heart sinking with dread. "I… I will fight to the death if I must."
The man, a hero to many, even to Sothe, took his first step forward. He soon stopped when the ground beneath him began to shimmer with blinding light.
A spell! Micaiah saw what was to come and acted quickly.
Ike realized the spell immediately and leapt away from the circle before it became a bright pillar that threatened to engulf all darkness within it.
"Sothe! Micaiah has issued a retreat!" Leonardo called out from above him.
"What?" the thief exclaimed. Have they lost already? He quickly looked around him and saw the right side, which was once guarded by Nolan and Tauroneo's group, being overrun by the laguz. Many of the soldiers had been taken down and the warrior and lance general were quickly retreating with the few that survived. On the left, that side too was suffering from heavy losses. The swordsman, Zihark, was injured and was being led back with Aran's aid while Volug protected them. The wolf's fur was matted with blood and torn from wounds as well.
Sothe returned his eyes forward and could not stop the curse from escaping his lips when he saw them gather behind Commander Ike – the Greil Mercenaries, Ike's reinforcements.
A retreat sounded real good at that moment.
He climbed onto the ledge and followed his companions up the stone stairs. It was not the end… he knew it wasn't. The spirit of each Daein soldier was still strong – they would continue to fight under the Maiden's guidance. Especially Sothe.
He wanted to live another day to fight for her.
She was there, waiting at the top. He clasped his blood-stained hand over hers when he reached her and followed everyone into the castle.
Despite all odds, it was not over; Daein would still fight.
A/N: How was that? Did you enjoy it? Please leave a review with your thoughts and opinions - it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading!