Phoenix Emblem

A Ranma ½ Fire Emblem Crossover

Chapter Six: Assassin's Blades

"English"
'Thought'

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The next morning Giles, Dorcas, and Kent went out into town to gather some supplies for the group since they acquired three new people (Serra wouldn't budge on joining them even though Leah and Erk tried hard to get her to change her mind). Giles was busy looking at healing staves for Serra and magic books for Erk when Kent noticed that Giles had a far away look in his eyes. "May I inquire why you look so glum Giles?" Kent asked.

Giles came out of his stupor. "Don't worry about it Kent. It's nothing."

"I disagree Giles," Dorcas stated. "You don't look so well."

Giles debated briefly whether or not to talk. "I don't like the fact that I let Sain get injured yesterday. If we hadn't of met up with Serra and the others Sain wouldn't have survived. It shows how much I have to learn as a tactician."

Dorcas gave Giles a friendly slap on the back. "Giles, you're too hard on yourself. Let it go. Sain's alive and so are we. That's always cause for a celebration."

"Dorcas is correct Giles," Kent added. "We have traveled only a short while together, but what I have seen of you proves that you are a very talented tactician. Many men facing the odds we faced yesterday would have buckled and panicked. You kept your calm and rallied us into victory. I have full trust in your abilities Giles, and I am sure everyone else feels the same."

Giles nodded as he took what Kent said in. "Thank you. Let's get back. We don't want to spend a lot of money. We don't know what we're going to face here soon."

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Kasumi tended to Sain who was recovering quite well. Kasumi expected Sain to be up and about later today. Deciding that fresh air would be a benefit for Sain's recovery, she opened a window to allow air ventilation. She quickly wiped Sain's head and hands down with fresh water and was about to leave but someone came up behind her and pressed a knife against her throat. "Make a sound and you die," was whispered in her ear. Nodding once to convey she understood she allowed the assailant to move her towards the back of the room. Kasumi prayed that help would arrive soon.

"Auntie?" Lyn opened the door and saw her aunt was being held hostage by three darkly dressed individuals. "AUNT KASUMI!" Lyn quickly drew her sword.

The assailant holding Kasumi pressed the knife against Kasumi's throat. "Quiet wench. Here's the deal, your life for hers. No funny business or she'll have a new hole to breath out of. Understood?"

Lyn glared at the assailants. There was no hiding the hate she was feeling at the moment. Kasumi was the last of her family, and she wasn't about to let anything happen to her. "If I come quietly, you'll let her go, right?"

"That's right, she'll come away from this with barely a scratch."

Lyn nodded and put her sword back in the sheath. "I will comply."

Kasumi started to tear up when she heard that. She didn't want to lose Lyn. When she arrived to this world she didn't have anybody. She believed that her sisters didn't follow her and that she was alone. When Lyn's family took her in and helped her adapt, she felt welcomed. They helped her in more ways than they could imagine. When the Taliver Bandits attacked their village there wasn't anything she could do to save Madlyen and Hassen. She watched helplessly as the bandit killed the two people who helped her in her time of need. It was while protecting Lyn that she first killed another person.

She'd rather die than to lose Hassen's and Madlyen's daughter. Summoning up her courage and skills long forgotten she broke the hold that the assailant had on her. She quickly knocked him back and attacked the second. The third drew his blade to kill Kasumi, but was stopped when he was stabbed in the back.

When Kasumi started her resistance Lyn drew her blade and quickly cut the assailant who had her aunt at knifepoint. The only surviving assailant saw his two partners dead and jumped out of the window to escape. Wil and Erk came into the room, ran to the window, and started firing on the retreating assailant, but they missed. The lone survivor disappeared into the crowd.

Wil pounded his fist on the windowsill. "Rats, I missed him."

Kasumi started to come down from her adrenalin rush. She fell to her knees and started to mumble. Lyn hugged her aunt and tried to calm her down. She eventually led her out of the room and into hers.

"Interesting people they hired," Leah stated while examining the bodies of the two would be assassins.

Wil turned around and saw Leah. "Where did you come from?"

Leah didn't divert her gaze. "I have my methods. That's all you need to know."

Erk placed a hand on Wil's shoulder. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

Wil looked at Leah and Erk slightly confused but shrugged. She was, after all, a thief. He noticed Sain moving out of the corner of his eye. "Well, I see someone is finally awake."

Sain sat up in his bed and yawned. "What's all the ruckus? I was having such a good dream." A piece of wood hit Sain on the head, who promptly fell back on the bed unconscious.

Wil turned towards Leah. "What was that for?"

Leah slightly growled. "For principle. Sleeping through a battle like that. He's lucky he's alive."

Giles walked through the door to the room followed by Serra. "What happened?"

"It seems we weren't as safe here as ya thought," Leah replied. "Of course I did say that this was a lousy idea, but you didn't believe me, now did ya?"

"Why should we trust someone like you?" Serra asked. "I don't trust you at all."

Leah raised an eyebrow towards the priestess. "Oh really? So you wouldn't be surprised if I stabbed you in the back?"

"Calm down you two. Now's not the time." Giles examined the bodies. "This border town is neutral territory. Neither Bern or Lycia have control. This should have been the safest place to lay low until Sain recovers. It seems I was mistaken." Giles shook his head as he stood up. "But whoever assembled this group did it poorly. Untrained assassins and poor weaponry. This was more of a desperation attempt."

Leah nodded. "Figured as much. Question is who was desperate enough to do this."

Giles turned towards the door. "Kent, stand guard in front of Lyn's door. Make sure no one goes in except for me. Wil, Erk, get everyone and everything together. We move out immediately. There's no time to waste."

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Lyn consoled her aunt in her room. It took a little while for Kasumi to calm down. Once Kasumi had most of her wits together she looked Lyn in the eyes. "Don't you ever do anything like that again Lyndis. I couldn't stand it if I lost you."

"I feel the same Auntie. I don't want to lose you either."

Kasumi nodded and gave Lyn a long hug. "Auntie, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure Lyn."

"Who's Camisama?"

Kasumi looked confused. "Where did you hear that name?"

"You used to say that name when you were in trouble. You did just now. Is he part of your past? Will I ever meet him?"

Kasumi placed her hands on Lyn's shoulders. "Lyn, I pray that you won't meet him for a long time. A long time."

"Aunt Kasumi, when will you tell me where you come from? I've always been so curious."

"Lyn, I…" Kasumi looked down. "I'm sorry, but"

"But what auntie? Why won't you tell me?"

"Lyndis, I swear you will one day learn of my origins, but I ask you to let me determine when to do so. There are complications to consider."

Lyn nodded. "I understand auntie."

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Giles walked up to Kent. "How are they?"

"Lady Lyn is unharmed, but I am concerned with Miss Kasumi. She was mumbling some gibberish earlier. She stopped now, but it still bothers me."

"I don't she was mumbling gibberish." Giles scratched his chin. "If she was mumbling that instead of English, then that must be her first tongue. I never heard any language like it before. I wonder where she learned it."

Kent was slightly confused. "What do you mean Mr. Giles?"

"Kasumi and Ukyo were talking to each other with something that sounded like gibberish, but the way they were talking suggested that it was an actual language. That reminds me, where's Ukyo?"

Kent thought about that for a moment. "Now that you mention it, I have not seen her since yesterday."

Giles shook his head. "Great." Giles scratched his chin. "Kent, I want you to keep an eye on Ukyo when she gets back. I don't trust her too well and her not being here right now doesn't help her case any."

"Can I ask why you do not trust her Mr. Giles?"

Giles crossed his arms while thinking back to when they first met Ukyo. "The story she gave is weak at best. I swear she knew we were coming before we got there. Her reputation suggests that she can be trusted, but I didn't live this long without being careful and guarding my back."

"So why were you found in the plains without food or water?" Kent asked innocently.

Giles gave Kent a hooded look. "Who told you that you could talk?"

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Erk had already gathered his belongings so he was helping Serra get hers. He noticed Leah in the corner accounting for her belongings. "May I ask you a question?"

Leah didn't look up from her bag. "Shoot."

"Where did you learn that spell?"

Leah looked at him confused. "What spell?"

"The one that made yourself invisible." Erk paused for a moment. "I admit as a mage it interests me. All the knowledge and rumors I've acquired about invisibility spells state that they take a while to cast and while you are invisible you cannot do much,' Erk pointed at Leah, "but you cast your spell instantly and you actually killed a man while invisible. I admit that was quite a feat."

Leah went back to her back. "It was no spell. Don't ask anythin' else, got it."

Erk nodded. He really wanted to inquire further, but he learned that if you don't do as Leah asks, things break. Those things usually end up being body parts. Erk really didn't want to ask Serra to heal him.

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"There had better be a good reason you are calling me outside our normal time."

The spy looked at his boss through the orb. "There was an assassination attempt on Lyn sir. Kasumi was involved in the struggle."

"Is she harmed?"

"No sir. She was held at knifepoint, but she escaped."

"Anything else?"

"Yes, the red-headed female cast an invisibility spell but none of our magic detectors sensed it."

"Because it wasn't an invisibility spell. Keep an eye on her. She's one of the ones I'm after. Anything else?"

"No sir."

"Consider your pay doubled until the end of the mission, for hazard pay. This goes for all of you. Don't let me down." The orb deactivated.

The spy put his orb away and hopped over to his buddy to tell him the good news.

The boss leaned forwards towards the fire, revealing a man with thick glasses and long black hair. "So Saotome, you're stuck as a female and have no memories. Wonder how you managed that."

A/N: Whew! I actually completed this. This story will most likely be a long one.