\Fire emblem 9X

Shadow of the Fang.

A/N Hey all. I was debating this chapter but after my frustration of chapter ten, I figured you guys might like this chapter after all to make up for the disappointment of chapter 10. Honestly Nintendo could have had something else happen in that fight but whatever.

"AH Wait!" Who was that? Oh it was Ninian. At least she's conscious enough to yell out. "Nils, do you have my ring?"

"No… those bandits must have taken it. Oh Ninian…"

"Wait what?" I asked, confused at the children's antics. "What's going on?"

"Oh Sir Ken, I mean, uh Ken." Nils said "we, that is, um"

"Hey hey slow down Nils" I said. Dismounting and coming up the little guy. "What happened? Something about a ring?"

"Ah yes. Ninian had a ring, called Ninis' grace. It was a keepsake from our departed mother. And now we lost it." Poor kid looked like he was about to cry.

"Don't worry about it Nil's. We'll get it back!"

"Really?" he looked at me in shock. "But they might be even stronger than their guys here! They've probably retreated to their stronghold by now"

"Nonsense. We've got this." By this time Lyn and the rest of the legion had started to listen in.

"Are you sure Ken?" Kent said quizzically. "We haven't the time."

"This is important to them. I lost my last heirloom to my family after I came here." Lyn nodded at that, "I know how important these things are to people. I… I want to help them." Kent acquiesced with a nod and Sain looked at me in shock.

"Saint Elimine, he has a heart?" In two seconds I flipped back to my normal hard eyed persona and death glared Sain. "Ahem… the brigands were spotted going south east from here right? After them!"

Satisfied with his reaction, we headed out after the fleeing cloaked survivors. "Tough call" I said mostly just to Lyn. "If we kill em, we'll be lost, but as we follow them, they'll alert the rest of their compatriots."

"It'll be alright Ken." She said reassuringly. "Our team is more or less flawless. Even Serra… although" and here her voice dropped to a whisper, "maybe she can be a body shield."

"Haha I like that idea. But we can't, she IS our only healer." Sighing in very fake dejection, she continued leading our horse after the enemies we were following. After fields of plains we reached an abandoned fortress. But before we were even close to it, an alarm bell started ringing.

"The heck?"

"Looks like their under attack already. I wonder who?"

"Wil! Rath! Bring down the stragglers!" it looked like they had stopped at the sound of the alarm bell and we had easily entered bow range. Wil took one right off the bat firing a storm of arrows, and Rath took the other two with efficient shots to the head. "Alright hang tight at the entrance. Me and Matthew will take a quick look around."

With a quick nod from Matthew, we moved in, hanging out in the shadows. I loved doing this before didn't I?

"Hey Ken, looks like you've done this before."

"Ha I'm just that good."

"You don't mind me stealing from these guys do ya? I can tell there's treasure behind that cracked wall."

I looked at him in surprise, but relaxed. His 'treasure sense' was never wrong. "Be my guest. I'll send Dorcas and Wil with ya." Then we headed back to the rest of the team. "Ok so there's three main hallways to take for now. Lyn and Rath, you're with me, we'll take the center one. Kent, Sain and Erk take the far right hallway. Dorcas and Wil. You guys are with Matthew. Break down that wall that Matthew believes treasure is at. Then move up and hold a place for us." A resounding affirmative came from the rest of the legion. "Now, Lucius, Florina, Nils and Ninian chill out near the entrance in case we get any injuries or something." I dumped all my vulneraries into Nils and Ninian's arms. "Ok Lets Go!"

We started out taking out the guards on duty. They seemed distracted by something though so it was too easy.

"The heck's with these guys?" I pouted after unseating a caviler. They aren't even trying. All of a sudden the wall beside me collapsed and a half dead myrmidon fell through the hole. I saw a bit of green braid and I jumped out in front of him, blade out. The charging mercenaries took a look at me and visibly blanched

"Oh Shit there's another one!" The first one yelled before I cut him down. The rest of them tried to get into defensive positions but I weaved past the first two before they were ready. The remaining two were able to give me a hard time until Rath took one out with an arrow and Lyn cut the other one down.

Turning to the collapsed Sacaen I gasped "Guy?! What are you doing here?"

"Challenged… to a duel…" Guy groaned. Then he blacked out.

"Aww man. Ok we gotta get him back to the healers." I went back to Lucius while I sent Lyn and Rath ahead.

Lucius looked at me in shock. "Ken what? Who's injured? Are you hurt?"

"Not me. It's Guy."

"Hmm? Ah the Sacaen over your shoulder? Do you know him?"

"There'll be time for explanations later. Just keep him alive for me alright?" I finished then went to follow the rest of the team. Out of curiosity, I went down the stairway that Guy came from. I saw sprawled on the walls, numerous black robed bodies. "Wow… he's gotten really good."

As I found the rest of our team, Wil was the first to see me.

"Ah Ken, looks like we're done here." I saw Lyn holding what seemed to be the enemy commander at swordpoint.

"Give us back the kids ring! And if you do, we promise to spare your life."

"Failure means death." Quicker than any of us could see, he smashed a bottle neck open and dumped the contents down his throat.

"Hold it! Ah…" as he slumped down Kent grabbed the bottle and gave it a little sniff.

"Poison? This is a bad omen. This guy seems like he was well trained."

"Such an elite group, after a couple of kids? Why?" I mused aloud.

At this the two kids faces fell and they turned away from me. But Lyn faced them and said to Ninian, "Here, I believe this is yours."

"Ah, this. This is Ninis' Grace!"

"That commander had it. It's a very pretty ring isn't it? I can see why you'd want it back." It was pretty. Both the metal of the ring and the ring face was turquoise, coincidentally the same color of turquoise as the two children's own hair. On the rings face was a dragon protectively surrounding another. "Now chin up you guys. You saw our victory right? You'll always be safe if you stick with us, we won't let you be taken away." The kids didn't say anything but gratitude was easily seen in their eyes.

At that moment, guy decided to join the world of the living once more. "Where am I?"

"Oh good you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Like I was run over by a berserk general." He said groaning as he stood up. "Thanks for saving me. But how did you know that I'd be here?"

"To tell you the truth we didn't" I laughed. "We were already on our way to take these guys. C'mon. Stay awhile with us. It's almost nightfall and you're still tired." Nodding he went down one of the stairs before looking back at us.

"What? You don't think these guys had sleeping quarters? C'mon it beats hard ground." We went underground. Some of us, like me and Rath looked around impressed at Guy's handy work. Others like Sain and Wil just kept looking for a place to sleep.

We passed a surprisingly well stocked kitchen and I froze on the spot. Feeling me stomach growl I took a quick detour into it. Inside was food, real food! Not this travel stuff I had gotten used to. Beef, chicken, grains, good spices and sauces. I immediately started cooking, my sense of food guiding my hand. About an hour and a half later I had about three of my favorite dishes made, when Lyn came into the room.

"What's up? Feel like eating something?"

"Ken? So this is where you went. Hmm? That smell… it smells delicious!"

"Haha I hope so. This is the first time I've had familiar ingredients I couldn't help myself."

"Couldn't help yourself? Why is that a problem?" she said after sitting down and taking a bite. "Wow! How come you never told me you could cook?"

"Hmm? Well no one really asked." I said, fully expecting the exasperated look Lyn gave me. "I was perfectly content with your cooking. I didn't feel it necessary to say." At that moment the rest of the team came into the kitchen and seeing the food dug into the meal. I'm happy I only knew how to make large portions.

After a good meal and a "MY GOD THIS FOOD IS BEAUTIFUL" from Sain, we all turned in for the night. But we were still wary that the black fang might send reinforcements to their fort so me and Guy were on watch.

"Are you going to just leave again?" no answer. "Would you lose anything by staying with us?"

"I don't know. I'm really bad with groups." He admitted.

"Ha. You think you're bad? Before I met Lyn and then this motley band of fighters I had been living on my own for the better part of two years."

"No way" he replied grinning.

"Ya it was pretty bad. I think I mentally scarred Sain for life." After a round of laughs I quieted and lapsed into silence.

"Maybe it would work for you. But I can't follow you. I'm already looking for someone."

"Who's that?"

"My father. We are the last of a forgotten tribe. My father was called Diving Hawk. He was a swordsmaster of unparalleled skill. Although now that I think about it he never did use two blades. Together with his best friend and partner, soaring hawk, they formed a pair of very successful mercenaries. However about a month before I started travelling, about four months ago, Uhai was taken in to a band of black robed warriors. When my father tried to follow, they used some type of magic to blind him as they ran. Probably teleported. My father has since been looking for his partner and now I must search for my father."

"Wow Guy. That's a heavy story." shaking the sleep from my head a couple of times I continued. "I can tell why you came here now but do you know where to go from here?"

"I can tell what you're doing. No I don't know where to go but I must do it alone. Like my father lived. He only cared for his family."

"Well, what makes a family?"

"Huh? Well you should know right?"

"I've lived alone for 2 years. I've forgotten" I said smirking.

"Uh ok" he collected himself then continued. "A family is a group of people. They're close to each other and do stuff for each other without expecting too much back. You can trust family with any secret knowing that they won't betray you. A family hurts when one of its members gets hurt but despite that they'll not spare a thought to sacrifice themselves for you. Did I get everything?"

"Yeah. Now look at our group. It should be obvious that none of us are blood right?"

"Yeah."

"Now who's family in this group?"

"Uh…"

"Listen Guy. You'll need a family now to look out for you. What would have happened if we weren't there to help you out today? It was fate that timed our attack perfectly with yours." I stood up but then turned to him and held out a hand. "Guy, my brother in the sword. Would you join our crusade for the lady Lyndis?"

Guy looked down for a moment then said. "Wow… that was the most awkward speech I've ever heard. Haha alright I'll join ya." He shook my hand then stood up as well. "Let's go grab the others. It's almost dawn."

Once the rest of us were awake, we headed out towards Caelin once more. Everyone was surprised that Guy stuck with us but no one complained at all. On the contrary he was greeted with smiles from the people he hadn't met (not Erk I can't really see the guy smiling) and warm greetings from the people that knew him. We stole most of the horses we would need from the fort we were staying in but I was comfortable with who I was riding with and I still can't ride a horse. As the sun rose and we started moving, I started to wonder just how big Lyndis Legion would become…

END CHAPTER

A/N woo finally writers block his been cured! Even if it's a little short. I dunno how many of you guys are still following me with this one but if you are R&R if you would. Thanks!