Draknal: Alright! It's the moment you've all been waiting for! The second chapter is ready! It took a while since I was finishing up my last few days of the school year. I was pressed for time and all that.

Guy: Stop making excuses…

Draknal: Ex-squeeze me? I don't believe you had to go to school now did you?

Guy: I had to train with my sword!

Draknal: Yeah, a lot of work that takes, swing and cut stuff up.

Guy: Glares at Draknal and reaches for sword Oh Draknal…

Draknal: Wha- OH MY GOD!

Guy: How's this for swinging and cutting!

Draknal: ROLE THE FIC!

Raven: Draknal does not own Fire Emblem or any of the characters, only the ones he made up. And the plot too, that's his.


Fate of the Fang

By: Draknal

Chapter 2: "The Journey Ahead"

The water temple. Of all places, why do we have to meet there? thought Erimus.

Usually when Brendan summoned them, it was to the Black Fang headquarters in Bern. The water temple was used only for special meetings or extremely important matters

"Erimus?" He glanced up to see Lloyd looking back at him. "You've been very quiet lately. Is anything wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I've just, been doing a lot of thinking lately…" His words trailed off.

'What could be so important that we must go there? Surely nothing is wrong, or we would have received urgent notice days ago.'

"Man, how much farther do we have to go?" Lloyd whined, pulling Erimus from his thought.

"Patience brother, we crossed Bern's border a day ago. If we keep at this pace, then we should reach the temple in about two days time." Lloyd was used to his brother's complaints, but for the sake of his traveling companions, he felt he should say something to quiet him.

The three men that were sent to retrieve the warriors were also on the journey with them. Lloyd, Linus, and Erimus were quite capable of taking care of themselves, but the extra support was welcomed at any rate.

One of the black robed men looked up at the sky, "It's getting dark master Lloyd, I think we should set up camp for the night."

"I agree. Let's scout for a suitable place to set up camp." With that the six travelers split up and began to search the area.

Erimus couldn't help but get the feeling that the group was being watched.

Suddenly a deafening "BOOM" sounded throughout the forest. Erimus drew his daggers, and looked around for signs of any attackers, but instead saw a plume of smoke rising from where one of the other Black Fang members had gone.

He dashed off to find out what was happening. On the way he met up with Lloyd.

"Erimus, it seems we have some company." Lloyd knew that the assassin was already well aware.

"They've been following us ever since we left Bern", replied the assassin.

"So, you noticed too?"

The two of them arrived in a newly cleared area. Singed trees and shrubs lay in their wake. One of the robed men from earlier stood in the middle of the area, with his Elfire tome in hand. On the ground in front of him lay a body that was burnt beyond recognition.

"Aw man, I missed all the fun…" Linus had now arrived on the spot as well.

"Oh, but you haven't my friend! The party's only begun!" Bellowed an unknown voice.

A warrior stepped out from behind a tree. He leaned against it, folded his arms, and grinned.

"And who might you be?" asked Lloyd.

"The names Grendain, and you all are trespassing on my property!" replied the warrior. "This area belongs to me and my men."

Linus laughed. "So you're just a bunch of bandits?"

A frown appeared on the man's face. "Bandits? Simple bandits! How dare you! We are the most feared group of bandits this side of Elibe!"

Linus was holding back another laugh. "Sure you are… now just step aside before we decide to kill you instead." The threat was evident in his voice.

"That sounds like a challenge. You better watch your mouth you dog, or we'll be the one's doing the killing." Grendain was now completely serious.

Linus reached for his Silver Blade. "Well, if it's a fight you want then you've got it."

"Linus. Hold brother, put away your weapon." Lloyd stepped forward.

"I'd rather avoid senseless killing. You are not worth our time." He then proceeded to turn and walk away. "Come on Linus, Erimus. We're leaving."

"Take one more step and I'll call in my boys. Now turn and face me you coward." Grendain had now taken out his Silver Axe and gone into a fighting stance.

"Lloyd, just let me kill him! It won't take more than ten seconds."

Lloyd could tell his brother Linus was itching for a fight.

"I told you, I want to avoid bloodshed. I'll take this fight, and I won't even use my sword." Lloyd was confident in his abilities.

"Well well, aren't we gutsy?" laughed Grendain. "Son, if I were you I'd take out your weapon, otherwise you'll be cleaved in two after my first attack!"

"If you're so confident, then why don't you just attack and see for yourself. I need no weapon to beat you." Lloyd stated.

This angered Grendain all the more. 'Just who does this guy think he is?'

"Fine, but don't say I didn't give you fair enough warning!"

He lunged at Lloyd with his axe. Grendain swung his axe, but Lloyd easily ducked underneath of it.

"You got lucky!" he taunted. He furiously continued his assault on the swordmaster. He swung every which way, but Lloyd evaded him every time.

Thoroughly angered by his inability to land a blow on the rather quick swordmaster, he pulled out yet another Silver Axe. Now he began to swing them both, but not simultaneously. He would attack once, knowing the swordmaster would easily evade it, then throw out his second attack when he started moving out of the way of the first attack.

This however, was also not a problem for Lloyd. To him this was just another training exercise of evasion. He mentally noted himself of the warrior's attack pattern. 'He'll swing left, and then use his second axe and attack to his right, where I will duck under his attack. This is getting boring.'

Grendain stopped for a minute. He was obviously exhausted from his rather crude assault. He let out a laugh to try and show his opponents that he had more fight left. "Not too…bad young swordmaster" he said between breaths. "I didn't think you'd… last this long. But, if you think…I'm finished with you, then you're dead wrong!"

He now put away one Silver Axe and pulled out a Hand-Axe. "Let's go buddy, round two."

Lloyd smirked. "Whenever you're ready."

"Yeah…"

Grendain threw his hand-axe and then leapt into the air to attack Lloyd from above.

'Heh. He can dodge and attack when it's coming straight at him, but how about one from in front, and another in the air?' Grendain was positive his new strategy would defeat the swordmaster.

Much to everyone's surprise, Lloyd did not duck under the attack or side-step it. He jumped over it, and made mid-air contact with the incoming warrior in the form of a kick to the stomach.

Lloyd landed with ease. Grendain was not so lucky.

The warrior came crashing down headfirst into the ground.

"Ugh…" Grendain felt like someone had just smashed him over the head with a boulder.

"Now, if you don't mind we'll be on our way." Lloyd turned on his heel and walked away from the toppled warrior.

Or at least, it appeared he had been beaten.

The weak warrior pulled a bottle from his pocket and drank the elixir inside.

He stood up, although his head was still aching.

"Boy, we're not done." He had regained his confidence.

Lloyd turned around. "You can't win. You have seen that my skills are completely superior to yours."

Grendain didn't bother to waste anymore words. He was set on his goal of killing the swordmaster. 'I will not be made a fool of.'

He drew from his back, his secret weapon that he had been saving, a Silver Bow.

"Lloyd, you might want to finish up this battle soon. It's getting darker, and it will be hard to see those arrows, let alone dodge them in the dark." Linus was getting concerned for his brother.

Grendain notched an arrow and let it fly. Lloyd dove out of the way and rolled behind a tree.

"You can't hide forever!" The warrior knew he was right. He came closer to the tree Lloyd had gone behind.

Running around to the side he unleashed a stream of arrows. Lloyd dodged the first few with ease, but it was becoming harder to see the arrows.

He ran behind another tree farther away.

'He can't be fairing any better than I am. He must be losing his vision in the dark too.' At least, this is what Lloyd hoped.

One of the Black Fang members that watching the fight called out to Lloyd. "Master Lloyd! I will use a torch staff to light the area!"

"No you won't!" shouted Grendain. "This is a one-on-one match. No outside help is allowed for either person."

With that the match continued.

Lloyd was getting ready to take cover behind another tree where he could wait to ambush the warrior, when he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder.

'What! How could I have been so careless as to let him hit his mark?'

Blood began to leak from the arrow wound.

'Wait a minute… That arrow came from behind me. But, he was in front of me when he yelled out just a minute ago. Either he's very fast or…"

Erimus closed his eyes. 'He's cheating. There's no way a man of such poor skill could hit the White Wolf, especially in these conditions. The trees are too thick to get a clear shot. He is in front of Lloyd, and the shot came from behind him, and it's almost impossible to see.'

Well, it was almost impossible to see, for people with an untrained eye. Being an assassin, Erimus was used to working in the dark. Even Lloyd and Linus, being members of the Black Fang, had some training in working in such dark conditions.

"Linus, this man is cheating. There's no way he could have hit Lloyd on his own." Erimus looked to Lloyd's brother for some response.

"What! That bastard. I knew we couldn't trust him. I'll kill him, and end this match right now!" Linus prepared to draw his Silver Blade.

He was about to unsheathe his blade when Erimus grabbed his wrist.

"This battle will end, but not by our hands." Erimus pulled out one of his daggers.

"Heh, what happened to 'Let's not interfere'?" Linus laughed.

Erimus grinned. "Oh, I'm not ending it, I'm just leveling the playing field."

He again closed his eyes, and listened with extreme concentration. He blocked out all noise that was around him. He was listening for something.

A few leaves rustled high up in a tree in the distance.

'Hmm… no wonder you had such a clear shot on Lloyd, you're hiding up in a tree. But where exactly are you…'

He heard light breathing, and then heard the person notch an arrow.

'Gotcha.'

With all his might, Erimus threw his dagger in the area where he thought his foe was hiding.

The dagger whirled through the air and into the branches of a tree not too far away from Lloyd's position.

The leaves in the tree rustled around for a moment, then something fell out of the tree, landing on the ground with a loud 'THUD'.

Erimus turned to the Black Fang member who offered his assistance before.

He nodded to him. "Go ahead and light up the area."

The Sage pulled from his cloak a staff that had a large red sphere on it that burned with a dim light. "Torch" he yelled.

In an instant, the staff's headpiece ignited with an incredible light that illuminated the entire area.

The Black Fang members looked over to where Lloyd was. On the ground about twenty five feet or so away from him lay the body of a dead sniper with a silver bow still in his hands.

Lloyd looked at Grendain with a mild anger in his eyes. "So, you were cheating. There is just no honor with bandits."

"Grr…" The bandit was a bit nervous now that his strategy had been found out and put to stop.

Lloyd turned to the Sage with the Torch staff. "If you don't mind, I'd like to finish this fight fairly."

The Sage noticed the grin on his face and he complied with the command. He waved his hand over the staff and blew lightly on it. With that, the light radiating from it became extinguished.

Before Grendain had time to react, Lloyd had begun his attack.

He punched him in the chest, which knocked him against a tree. He then let loose a series of attacks that nearly crippled the warrior.

Grendain was now on the ground and in severe pain.

Lloyd used this opportunity to hide in the thick trees.

Painfully, he pulled himself up off the ground. Then he drew his Silver Axe and went after the swordmaster.

He thought he had heard him behind a tree he was at and attacked only to hit, thin air?

'Where did he go? I know he was here!' Grendain pondered on this for a second, and then looked around in case of an attack.

He was getting ready to move on, when out of the corner of his eye he noticed that the swordmaster was perched on a branch right above him.

Right as he was preparing to attack, Lloyd jumped down from his branch and greeted the warrior with a devastating roundhouse kick to the neck.

A sickening "SNAP" was heard, and he did not move again after that.

Lloyd walked over to his companions. He then noticed that the arrow was still lodged in his shoulder. Gritting his teeth, he pulled the arrow out. The Sage in the group, also being adept in healing arts, tended to him, even though Lloyd perceived it as a minor scratch.

He let out a sigh. "Well, now that that's taken care of, let's set up camp here, since it's already been cleared out."

The Black Fang Sage grinned, knowing that Lloyd was referring to his job with the Elfire tome.

Linus looked to his brother. "What if the other bandits in his group come looking for him?"

Erimus was the one to respond to that. "I don't think they'd be dumb enough to risk something like that in the dark, especially if their leader couldn't handle it."

"Lloyd, why didn't you let me or Erimus fight that guy? It would have been a whole lot quicker."

Lloyd laughed. "Well, who says you two get to have all the fun? You would have snapped the guy in two and Erimus would have just snuck up on him and slashed his neck. It would've been too easy for you."

"And it wasn't easy for you? You were holding back and you know it." Erimus started to laugh as well. It was something that he hadn't done in a while.

"Well, maybe just a bit."

"Lloyd, if you had used a weapon, you could have killed him in one stroke."

"That's true Erimus, but I needed to make sure my physical skills were still as good as ever."

Erimus responded by punching the swordmaster in the shoulder.

"Ouch! That's the injured one!" Lloyd yelled.

"Oh come now Lloyd, you're telling me that this hurts?" Linus began to poke Lloyd in the shoulder where he had been shot.

"Linus, that's really getting irritating…" Lloyd said through gritted teeth.

"So?"

'WHACK'

"Oww!"

Erimus simply laughed, and then headed for his tent.

"Oh, Erimus?"

"Yeah Lloyd?"

"Be ready to leave early tomorrow."

The assassin nodded, and went into his tent for some well deserved rest after a long day of traveling.

End Chapter-


Draknal: Well, that's chapter 2! Sorry if some of you thought it was boring. The next chapter is where the plot really starts coming together. To all of you who reviewed, thank you and any suggestions will be taken into consideration. For my beta readers, don't worry I will make mention of you, but not until the end of the fic. I mean the VERY end. I will give one big butt thank you! I'll try to get chapter 3 up quickly.

Karla: R&R! We mean it! You don't need to be signed in to give a review for this fic now!