Chap 10: The Raging flames
A/N: This continues the memories of Ash that led up to the meeting in the desert.
"Queen Micaiah I don't know how we can undo what has been done", Empress Saniki said to her sister. "Already mobs are forming in the streets demanding my death."
"I'm sorry I thought that they would accept us as we were. There are a few who still hate what they do not understand but I never thought the mobs would be this large."
"The fear and the hatred of the masses are a powerful thing. Already they have stolen my Sothe and my son", Micaiah could feel the tears welling up inside her again.
"A fever grips the nations again. One that when gone will leave this world much different then before and this fever won't leave without pain", Saniki said.
A messenger rushed into the grand palace with great surprise on his face.
"My lady, King Skrmir of Gallia has declared that Queen's Micaiah and Saniki must be killed at once and he is willing to use the armies of Gallia to see it out! Gallia has declared war on us.
"What!? How could this be, after all we had been through! We united to defeat Ashera, and now he wants to kill us?" Saniki yelled
"Sadly the laguz have a long lasting hatred of the branded even more then the beroc. Their hatred must have overcome their memories," Micaiah said.
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When the people of Crimia and Daien heard of this many of them joined in this hunt. Queen Elincia of Crimia attempted to quell the hatred for her friends but the voice of the masses could not be oppressed. Elincia feared deploying her army knowing that the mobs would kill many. Elincia saw no other option but to declare neutrality to avoid the bloodshed in a civil war. Sadly, Micaiah and Saniki did not have that option. Mobs frequently clashed with the Bengion army causing great losses for each. The queens stood in horror at the bloodshed. For a year, after the war started the bird tribes and Goldoa remained neutral along with Crimia. The Daien army that remained loyal to Micaiah moved to the Bengion capital to protect their queen. The mobs took over Daien without any central authority. Elincia did everything she could to prevent the Crimia citizens from joining the Daien and Bengion mobs but even with her efforts a number of Criminas joined the war. For another year battles raged on in Bengion. The well-trained central army was able to defeat the rebels at first but the war began to take a toll on the army.
At the end of the second year of the war, the rebels unified and began to defeat the Bengion army. The army retreated into the capital. One of the largest battles in history would take place. The well trained Bengion central army and the remnants of Daien on one side. Moreover, a massive army of untrained warriors on the other. Days before the siege began Goldoa and Phoenicis decided to become involved in the war. The dragons of Goldoa sided with the mobs in the belief that the branded must be destroyed. Tibarn and the bird tribes came to the aid of Bengion remembering the kindness that had been shown in the past decade.
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"What hope do we have?" Micaiah asked looking out at the army preparing to take on the rebel army, "If we lose its over and even if we win so many will die."
"We must fight", Ash said facing her, "We are fighting for those who need protection most. While war is the most horrendous thing to occur it can lead to great change and I believe that this is one of those wars."
"And we will win too", Tibarn said flying into the palace room.
"Tibarn you made it!" Micaiah said.
"Of course, I won't let you down. Sorry for taking so long but the birds and I will fight these mobs."
Just then, a massive army began to attack the capital's walls. Tibarn led his army out to join the imperial army. When he got there, he saw the combined army of the mobs and Gallia. Joining them were the dragons of Goldoa. Bengion archers stood at the top of the city walls and fired arrows at the advancing army Goldoa dragons launched their fire at the walls destroying them. The imperial army held their ground within the city for a time but the massive amounts of laguz and beroc pushing through the army quickly tore through the Bengions.
"Micaiah the enemy is approaching the castle", Ash said.
"It's truly over isn't it?"
"No my queen, we can get out of here."
"I can't just abandon this army trying to save me".
"What good does it do for you to die? The enemy is approaching the palace and there is little hope for them to be stopped."
"What about Saniki?"
"There isn't any time. If we delay any longer then they will kill all of us."
"I see, let us go then", she said with sorrow in her voice.
Micaiah and Ash left the castle through a secret doorway in the back. As they attempted to secretly leave the city, they saw Saniki approaching the oncoming army.
"Stop, leave my people alone. I'm tired of all this senseless bloodshed", Saniki said to the enemy army. The army halted their advance for a moment. Just then, an ebon blast struck Saniki.
"She is right," the black dragon king said to the army, "There is no point for true beroc to fight one another. Our real goal is the extermination of the branded."
"Kurth!" Micaiah said starting to run toward the dragon king.
"No Micaiah, we have to get out of here", Ash said holding Micaiah back. Micaiah and Ash left the town attempting to avoid detection. They disguised themselves the peasant clothing to avoid suspicion and fled the capital.
Both Bengion and Daien had fallen to the hatred of the branded. Micaiah and Ash went around the country trying to avoid the army that continued to search for the queen. They became quite skilled at avoiding the assassins and when necessary they defended themselves with Micaiah's light magic and Ash's lightning magic disposed of any that could find them. The combination of Bengion and Daien's former land combined into a new nation but was loosely unified under the hunting of the branded. Over the next few years, Micaiah and Ash did everything they could, just to avoid the enemy's pursuits. Eventually their journeys took them into the desert.
"It's so hot here", Micaiah said turning to Ash.
"Yea, let's find shelter soon. If we get out of this heat we will be fine", he said trying to comfort her.
"Who goes there?" a voice spoke.
"I recognize that voice but I can't remember who it is", Micaiah said quietly to Ash.
"But I remember you and the first time you traveled into my desert" the voice responded, "and I see that your companion is also one of us."
"Stefan", Micaiah said with doubt in her voice.
"Yes", he said as he approached them though the blowing sands. "Come with me", he said to them as he guided them though the shifting sands.
"You live here?" Ash asked.
"Yes, my people and I have a safe place of refuge here. Even with all the armies after us they have not been able to penetrate the sands."
As they traveled though the desert, they approached what appeared to be a fortress.
"You will be safe here", Stefan said to them.
"Thank you, we would not have lasted much longer out there", Ash responded, "If the assassins had not killed us then the heat would have."
"He has saved many of us," another figure emerged from the fort
"Soren? Wow it has been a while", Micaiah said.
"Yes, many things have changed since we were together last."
"And we must continue to change things. This merciless hunting of my people will stop" Stefan said.
"We will help", she turned to Ash, "right?"
"No doubt in my mind. These people must pay for what they have done. Anything I can do I will", Ash said.
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"Then what happened", I asked looking up at Micaiah.
"There seems to be something blocking your other memories. Stronger then the other ones."
"Well at least I know something now and what I am truly fighting for. Even so I know that there is a reason they don't want me to remember the rest."
"How much do you remember?" Soren asked.
"Until I met you in the desert. I also remember everything about lightning magic. Even though I still do not know everything, that has not stopped me before. I'll continue on that promise to do everything I can."
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A/n: Thank you for reading and sorry if this seems like I crammed too much into one chapter. I wanted to show 10 years of history as quickly as possible. I look forward to writing the next chapters so I hope you will look forward to reading them.