Yeah, I don't really feel like doing a fancy intro this time. I don't own Fire Emblem, I don't own Magic: the Gathering, blah blah blah, on with the show!

Chapter 11: Wisdom of the Saints

Saint Renault received Mark's confessional tale in contemplative silence. The planeswalker revealed everything that had befallen him since he left the academy: his ordeals in Sacae, the war against Nergal, his mortal death and ascension to the godlike state of planeswalker, the arcane phenomenon that had altered Elibe's temporal flow, the Phyrexian invaders that had emerged from the phenomenon's time rift, and now of course the tragic fate of his beloved home and his own guilt. If any part of Mark's bizarre story came as a shock to Renault, the holy man gave no indication of his surprise. His features remained frozen in deep meditation, seemingly unresponsive to the twin plights of the time-fractured world and the tormented planeswalker who had taken it upon himself to defend it at all costs. Costs that for the first time had hit too close to home and were now beginning to weaken the planeswalker's resolve.

"Is that all?" Renault asked casually, once Mark had finished venting. The planeswalker nodded bitterly.

"Then I would have you know that you are not alone in your torments. You have chosen a path that you know at heart is righteous, but now you second guess yourself. You believe you are inadequate for the task at hand and that your shortcomings will bring unnecessary suffering to those loyal to your cause. All the while you are haunted by your past mistakes and must reconcile your failures with a guilty conscience before you can return to your quest. Am I right Mark?"

Mark said nothing but visibly flinched. Clearly, the saint's words had resonated with the planeswalker.

"Once I was like you Mark," said Renault. "I knew not my place in this world. Blinded by guilt, I could not see the road before me. In my youth I was a mercenary of great renown. I lived by the sword, earning my wages in sin by shedding the blood of my fellow man. In those days I cared only for my own heartless ambitions. So long as I received a hefty sum in gold no mission was below me. I slaughtered kin. I set fire to hearth and home. When I finally saw the light of Elimine, the revelation of sin nearly drove me to madness. The guilt you bare for the destruction of the Tactician's Academy pales in comparison to the burdens that weighed upon my soul in my darkest days."

Renault cast a mournful gaze on the academy ruins. "The loss of those closest to us; it pains us all greatly. But for men such as us, the pain is even greater. The guilt of neglect weighs upon your soul and heightens your suffering. For me, the pain was greater still. I did not simply neglect my loved ones. I turned against them and cut them down. With my own two hands, I killed my best friend and razed our village. Imagine that pain planeswalker. Imagine fighting alongside the Phyrexians that destroyed your home with naught but greed in your heart and delivering the blow that killed Jess as she looks you in the eye and with her dying breath asks 'Why?'. Only to find your true self in the aftermath and look back upon your treachery with the greatest disgust and self-loathing. Know this, and you will know what it means to suffer as I have."

"And yet here you stand today, calling yourself a holy man and preaching before a planeswalker. How does a turncoat mercenary redeem himself in his own eyes, much less the eyes of the Saint, such that he can go forth and proclaim his dedication to the pursuit of justice?"

"With great difficulty child. For me the road to redemption was a long, tumultuous journey. For the longest time, I believed I could overcome the burden of sin by practicing self-denial. I would fast for days at a time and go months without speaking a word. At times I mutilated my own body so that I could feel the pain I had caused others in my own flesh. When all else failed, I withdrew from society altogether, retreating to the solitude of my hermitage for reflection and meditation. It mattered not what I did, nothing could erase the sins of my past. Eventually my journey brought me to self-imposed exile on the Dread Isle. There I resolved to spend the remainder of my days in purgatory, cleansing my soul in preparation for that inevitable Day of Judgment when I would face Saint Elimine and answer for my sins. Alas, it was not to be. I was led astray by the Dark Druid Nergal, a fiend who possessed the power to replicate life. He promised me what Saint Elimine could not: the resurrection of those I had slain. The unmaking of my sins. Redemption. Of course, he never delivered on any of his promises. His dark rituals did not bring new life or redemption. They mocked the memories of the deceased and further corrupted my soul. At that point I believed I had fallen beyond redemption. I was determined to take my own life; to put an end to all my failures with the stroke of a dagger and erase the stain on humanity that was Renault. I would have done it, but at that moment fate intervened. As I raised my dagger above my chest and prepared to thrust home, a weariness of the mind, body, and soul crept over me. Overcome by the sensation, I fell into a deep slumber and dreamt of Saint Elimine. In my dreams the blessed Saint spoke of a vicious battle in the holy lands of Etruria. There she said I would find redemption for myself and for countless others. There I would be known not as a traitor or a murderer, but as a savior. When I awoke, my spirit was at peace and I found this at my side."

Renault reached into his flowing robes and pulled out a shimmering golden tome. A halo of heavenly light adorned its sacred texts. Mark recognized the tome instantly.

"Aureola," whispered the awestruck planeswalker. "The Light of the Saint; truly this is a miraculous find. You say you found this next to you when you awoke from a dream in which you spoke to the Saint?"

Renault nodded.

"So then you are…it is true. The second coming is upon us, Elimine's heir has returned to the holy land as foretold in the scriptures to lead her people in their hour of need."

"I have never made such a claim," said Renault. "I am nothing more than a redeemed sinner who recognizes a noble cause when he sees one. The masses believe I am the prophesized Second Saint. If they find comfort in this belief, so be it. They have made me their savior and for better or for worse, it is a role I must fill. I will meet their expectations to the best of my ability, although honestly I don't think I'm up to the task."

"Not unlike myself," said Mark. "It is as you say Renault I have much to learn from you, about the world and the condition of the soul."

"And it appears I have much to learn from you planeswalker, about the nature of our common enemy," said Renault. "But first, I would be sure you understand all that I have told you. Learn from my mistakes planeswalker; be enlightened by the wisdom revealed to me through the words of the one true saint after years of ascetic living opened my soul to her divine presence. If nothing else know this one fundamental truth; the unwavering pursuit of justice is the only form of redemption you will find in this life. By devoting your life to a righteous cause, you honor the fallen and yourself. When the war is won and the enemies of Elimine are driven from this land, nothing else will matter. The dawn of victory will shine over all my sins and failures and will purify my soul. On that glorious day, the light of Elimine will be restored to Etruria and I will find my redemption. However, if ever my spirit grows weary, if ever I abandon the cause, all will be lost. The sacrifices I've made will all be in vain, my fallen comrades will be dishonored, and my soul will be further burdened. Heed my words and stay the course planeswalker, for your situation is very much like my own. The day Phyrexia is driven from Elibe nothing else will matter. The world will be saved and everything else will seem insignificant. But if you abandon the fight and Phyrexia conquers all, there will be no hour of victory and all your sacrifices will be meaningless. Dave and Ben and Mike and Jess and all the others would have died for nothing. Do you understand Mark? Do you know now what must be done Mark?"

"…Yes," said the planeswalker. "Phyrexia must be stopped at all costs. I know this. I've always known this. But what of the Second Sunrise? Your best friend, the one who died by your hand; what was his name?"

"His name was Kishuna," said Renault.

"Tell me this Renault," said the planeswalker. "If you had the opportunity to bring Kishuna back from the grave, even if it would bring great harm to your cause, would you do it? Could you truly bring yourself to abandon a loved one who died because of your poor judgment?"

"…No. I could not. I would do anything to bring him back. That was why I agreed to follow Nergal, and look what became of my moment of weakness. I made a pact with the devil and he gave me a demon."

"But I am not Nergal," Mark said simply. "He was a Dark Druid, his strength came from the essence of death. I am a planeswalker, my strength comes from the essence of the land. My spell will not mimic Nergal's abominations. He couldn't restore a shattered life. I can."

"But at what cost Mark? You strike me as a logical thinker. Consider the logical chain of events. Suppose you cast the Second Sunrise and the spell went off without a hitch, what then? The Phyrexians would find you and force you into a premature confrontation. Inevitably you would lose. You said so yourself, nothing short of the united armies of Elibe fighting under your command could combat the Phyrexian invasion. So, what becomes of the resurrected Tactician's Academy after your coalition is defeated and Phyrexia conquers all?"

"…Yeah, I see your point." Mark conceded. "Doesn't really make much sense does it?" The planeswalker sighed. Loss was inevitable in war, he knew this. But this was one loss he hoped he'd never have to incur. "Well then, what would you suggest Renault? You say you recognize a righteous cause when you see one. Can I assume that means you have no misgivings about joining forces with the coalition?"

"That depends very much on the outcome of the war in Etruria. If the rebels are victorious and the imperials are overthrown, I will be in a position to pledge my nation's loyalty. For the time being I must focus my efforts on defeating the Emperor who fashions himself a god." Renault paused. "You believe Dundor the Usurper draws his strength from Phyrexia?"

Mark hesitated for a moment, just long enough to mentally contact his field agents and quickly glean their minds for information. "Yes," replied Mark. "I'm sure of it. My operatives have detected several Phyrexian sleeper agents among the imperial ranks. Emperor Dundor is definitely working in league with Phyrexia.

"Well then," said Renault. "It seems as though an alliance of convenience is in order. Together we'll break Phyrexia's hold on Etruria, liberate the holy lands, and go on to fight Phyrexia abroad with the united strength of Elibe at our back. We'll start with Emperor Dundor and work our way down from the top to end this war as quickly and bloodlessly as possible."

Mark nodded his approval. "A sound plan. So, what exactly do you have in mind for the Emperor?"

"A simple assassination mission," replied the Saint. "I should only need a dozen or so competent agents to do this right. I'll be sending the survivors of House Cornwell and the loyalists of House Reglay. Pent, Louise, Erk, Raymond, Priscilla, and Lucius are by far my most capable fighters. That makes six…"

"In that case, I will send representatives of the coalition to fight beside your rebels," said Mark. "Florina, Farina, and Fiora will fight in the name of Ilia. Rath and Guy will fight in the name of the Kutolah, and Lyn will fight in the name of the Lorca. I believe that makes a dozen Renault, and a rather diverse dozen at that. Etrurian rebels fighting alongside Ilians and Sacaens; solid grounds for an Etrurian entry into my coalition…"

"…and solid grounds for the Emperors unmaking," finished Renault. "If all goes according to plan, a tyrant will fall and a third nation will rally behind Elibe's true savior." So saying, Renault bowed to Mark. "I have gazed into your soul planeswalker, and I now know you to be a man of just convictions. If you are indeed the one who is destined to vanquish Phyrexia from this world, I believe the future of Elibe is in good hands."

"And if you are indeed the heir of Saint Elimine, I believe likewise for the future of learning and enlightenment. I look forward to working with you Saint Renault," said Mark.

"The feeling is mutual," said the Saint.

Yeah, I know. The past few chapters have pretty much been character development for Mark, Renault, and the Etrurians. Don't worry; I'll be getting back to the action chapters pretty soon. As always, reviews are appreciated.