Chapter 15:

The Dull Flame of Desire

Greil's Mercenaries prevailed against the insubordinate Begnions alongside the Queen of Crimea. But naturally, the situation grew worse as Daein soldiers began crossing the Crimean Bridge in pursuit of Ike's to ignore the tail, the mercenaries turned to face Daein head-on, thus beginning the battle on the bridge.

"Priest Rhys…today's the day."

"Don't call me that."

Mia stared at her victim unflinchingly. "Today's the day that will mark the death of Jill Fizzart."

Rhys followed her gaze to find the wyvern lord still contributing to the battle despite the danger of enemy ballistae. He gulped when he looked back at Mia; her bloodthirsty eyes complemented her bloodstained sword too well. "Mia…"

"Behind you!" She screamed urgently.

Before he had the chance to turn around, Mia crashed into him, plummeting both of them to the ground. An arrow whizzed overhead not even a second later. As Rhys was getting up, Mia was already charging at their attacker like a starved cannibal. When Rhys stood up, she was on the sniper.

Stab.

Slice.

Cut.

Decapitate.

"Mia!"

Rhys pulled Mia away from the savage remnants of the Daein soldier. Her sword dragged along the hard, stone bridge, coloring it red as it went.

Mia looked up at Rhys with dead eyes. A dim, but burning fire lingered in the depths of them. She never looked more murderous.

"I need to kill her, Rhys."

Rhys couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze. He saw this coming, but now that the moment was here he felt powerless to stop it. Looking at the ground, he had to utter his final piece to her. "Mia…Ike loves her."

Mia changed her killing edge to a wyrmslayer. "I know."

"Killing her…won't make him love you."

"…I know." She started to walk towards Jill's faraway figure.

Rhys finally looked up, perhaps only because her back was to him. Without a second thought, he called her name.

"Mia!"

She stopped, turning just her head to the side.

Taking a long breath, he forced himself to speak. "If you do this…you'll lose me."

Mia turned halfway, meeting his gaze. For a brief moment two pairs of eyes shared their grief.

"I know."

Just finishing up a group of low-res Daein soldiers, Roxanne exhaled a sigh of exhaustion. Tucking her shabby overused tome under her arm, she propped herself atop a sandbag for a short break.

"Hey! Don't start slacking on us now!"

Roxanne glanced up then rolled her eyes playfully. "I stopped to rest and apply my concoction." She held out her potion and shook it as proof. "Not sure I could say the same about your slacking off, Luke."

"What?" Luke responded with mock incredulity. "I'm doing the same thing you are."

He rested one foot on the sandbag and pointed to a small blemish on his cheek. "See this? It's an injury. I'm taking a break to heal myself too."

Roxanne raised an eyebrow. "Really? You'd waste a vulnerary on that?"

Luke shook his vulnerary in front of her-just as she'd done to him-and applied it to his wound. "Aah. I feel so much better already."

She shook her head and smiled. "You're unbelievable."

He looked at her with humor I his eyes. "I'm unbelievable? Hah! I'm not the one killing guys with the power of my breath!" Seeing her wince, he back-pedaled on his insensitivity. "Well, I mean you shouldn't feel so upset about it. I think it's an amazing power, and it's only inhumane by the bearer, and I know you wouldn't abuse it."

She shrugged, her mood brought down immensely. "Yeah, I suppose. But it's not like I know how to use it; I still don't understand it."

"Well, maybe you have dragon blood."

Roxanne pulled at her scarf and looked at Luke warily. Perhaps it was too soon to act as if they had no prior animosity. "What?"

Luke took his gaze to the distant battles. "You don't know who your parents are, right?"

Roxanne looked away as well. "No. I've no idea who they are."

"Well, maybe one of your rents was a dragon. Maybe that's why you have that killer breath attack!"

She laughed out of discomfort. "Luke…I really don't think it works that way."

"Hey, it was only a suggestion." He made hand motions as he spoke. "It was simply…a theory on your weird but very effective skill."

Roxanne sat on her hands, not sure what to make of this. "Luke…"

"Well then," He equipped an arcthunder tome and pocketed the leftovers of his vulnerary. "That was enough rest for me." He began to make his way to the closest skirmish. "I suppose-"

"Luke wait!" Roxanne jumped up. She peered deep in his eyes, trying to discern any ingenuity or malice within them. Any hint of the Luke he was the past couple of months.

He smiled and broke the stare. "Roxanne, if you want to pair up for this fight, you just have to ask."

"No…" She was still distracted, trying to figure out what it was. Sure, he was still cocky and egotistical as always, but was there something more…malevolent?

Luke crossed his arms and looked at her quizzically. "Rox, what is it?"

She took a breath, then decided to tackle her doubts without another thought. "Luke! Are we, are we okay? I mean, with my heritage. My race?" Roxanne looked at him imploringly, anxious for his response.

He sighed. "Roxanne, if you don't trust me yet, maybe we shouldn't try to be what we once were."

"No Luke!" She echoed his sigh and ran her fingers through her hair, getting stressed. "I just-why did you ask me about my parents?"

"I already told you, I was curious about your power, so I surmised the possibility it could be dragon breath!"

"Is that really it? That's the only reason?"

Luke absorbed her disposition of disbelief and was flooded with disappointment. "Rox, you're reading too much into this. I swear to you I was just making casual conversation."

"Casual conversation?!" She repeated, her mind racing. "So bringing up my ancestry and asking me what kind of laguz blood I have is casual conversation?"

Luke was taken aback by her tone. "Rox, I thought you forgave me!"

She frowned, clutching the nape of her scarf. "I thought I did too."

They both stood still for a few heartbeats, shocked at each other's reactions. Comrades began calling for help, causing both sages to turn. However, when they noticed the other headed to help, they halted.

Luke gave her a bitter glare. "You go. Especially since I'm nothing but a fake and a phony." He trudged off in the other direction with a flair of his cape.

"Aaaaugh!" She screamed, kicking the sandbag. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. Another cry from help sounded; it was from a gang of wimpy faceless. She glowered in their direction with angry tears running down her face. Swallowing the bile in her throat and equipping a custom tome, she started to run.

Run here, run there, run everywhere! Why can't I just stay in one spot?! Gatrie thought sourly, dragging his armored self to the western forces. First I'm told to stay in the back and cover the rear, then I should be front and center cuz I'm such a powerhouse! But nooo, go to the west because THEY NEED HELP! He finished his irate reverie with a pant, pausing to catch his breath.

"Haaah. Haaah. Haaaaaaaaaah." Gatrie gulped the air urgently, his hands resting on his knees. "Haaaah. Haaaah. Haaaaaaaa-"

"Gatrie? Are you all right?"

When he heard that familiar sweet as honey voice speak to him, Gatrie stopped breathing all together. It couldn't be! He thought rapidly. That voice! That oh-so-familiar voice!

He lifted his head very slowly, so as to not get whiplash. Upon witnessing the pretty-perfect face that matched the pretty-perfect voice, Gatrie gasped in shock. However, because he failed to realize he stopped breathing, he started scrambling for oxygen like a fool.

"Gatrie! What happened? Are you hurt? Can you speak?" Soft hands held Gatrie as he struggled to get his breath back.

"I-it's you!" He blubbered. "It's been so long!"

"Oh, Gatrie!" The soft hands left his side, and were placed on its owner's hips. "Is that all?"

"Wh-what? Astrid! I missed you so much! Haven't you missed me too?" He begged hopefully.

"Oh Gatrie," She looked at him exasperatedly. "Please don't do this. Especially on the battlefield."

He restored his posture and calmed his composure. With more control, he spoke to her once more. "Astrid…this is the first time I've seen you in three years."

Astrid gave him a pleading, innocent look. "Gatrie please. Just go."

Gatrie's heart fell. This was not the reaction he was hoping for. He looked at Astrid with both his puppy dog eyes and sad Tamaki expression, but it did nothing. She simply turned to her horse; turning her back on him. Despondently and dejectedly, he did the same.

Soon after leaving her company, he heard a shout from behind him. He whipped around, thinking Astrid was in danger. But to his horror and disgust, it was the pink-haired fiend. He was flat on his ass next to her, so Gatrie could only assume he fell off his horse, or it booted him off.

Nonetheless, his eyes bulged and he began to grind his teeth, too angry to hear what the fiend was whimpering to his beloved. He sniffed in sharply, then clanked as far away as he could from the two.

During his enraged retreat, he came across Roxanne who seemed to be clanking angrily along the battlefield as well. Minus the heavy armor, her stomps and spellcasting were loud enough.

Gatrie sidled next to her just as she criticaled a halberdier. "Heya Rox-" Roxanne spun, fire in her eyes and wind whipping from her palm, ready to strike. "Whoa, whoa! It's just the Gatch!" He held up his hands, and she started to ease her magic. "Friend, not foe."

She sighed, put one hand on her hip and looked away. "What is it, Gatrie?"

"Nothing really. I haven't had the best of days today so-"

"Y'know when you go into something without any expectations, and then you find out you actually do?" Roxanne interrupted, lost in thought. "Like, their behavior, attitude, or actions just aren't what you subconsciously expected?"

Gatrie's mind crawled back to Astrid's rejection. "Yeah," he agreed sadly. "I understand all too well."

"I mean, why can't things work out the way you want them too?" She continued, an edge to her voice. "Things so perfect and peaceful can go awry so easily. It just sucks!" Roxanne exclaimed, frustrated. She then fully acknowledged Gatrie, and her face clouded with embarrassment at her outburst. "I'm sorry. After what you told me the other day, I really have no right to complain."

"No, don't feel bad. It's all in the past, I can't keep dwelling on it." Shit, why can't I follow my own advice?

"Then how do you move past it?" She pressed, desperate for a solution.

He looked at her with the same sad sad look that Roxanne knew so well. "When something better comes along," Gatrie replied solemnly.

"Boyd, you really need to watch your surroundings better." Mist reprimanded while mending him to full health.

"Hey! I'm faultless here!" Boyd protested, already grabbing his axe to prepare for revenge. "Daein soldiers just have no shame and stab you in the back rather than an honest fight."

Stashing her staff and equipping her one sword, Mist said rather harshly, "Boyd, even you have to see the symbolism in that statement."

"Ugh, goddess!" He whined vocally. "Why does almost every conversation revolve around…that?"

"That? You mean people like Rolf? And Nephenee?" She spat, looking the most pissed off she's ever been. "You know why we have to talk about it? Because when we were together in that crevice, I'm pretty sure it was your squinty-eyed brother's horse that neighed outside of it. He hates the idea of us being together, and he's already given us so many chances and warnings, it's only a matter of time until he says something. So excuse me if I want to bring my concerns to you, considering you're plenty involved!"

Boyd smiled despite himself.

That only made Mist angrier. "What are you smiling about?"

Still smiling, he brushed some stray hair from her face. "You're just so cute when you're mad."

Startled by his sudden-albeit inappropriate-sweetness, Mist blushed ferociously. "Boyd, I'm serious!" She squeaked, her temper already melting away.

Boyd dropped his axe and laid his hands on her waist. Pulling her close, he murmured softly in her ear, "Oscar won't say anything to anyone. You have nothing to worry about."

Then he kissed her.

Mist blushed harder, if that was even possible. Slapping his chest, she teased, "Boyd! I'm still mad at you!"

"How mad?" He held her tight and kissed her again.

"Really," Kiss. "Really," Kiss. "Mad." Fall in love!

At least for a few seconds, that is.

"Help! Someone, help meeeee!"

They broke apart immediately, trying to look natural as they searched for the source of the outcry.

Farther along the bridge, they spotted him: Rolf stuck in a pit, vulnerable to all enemies.

Mist gasped. "Boyd, Rolf's in-"

"I know." Boyd responded curtly. "We should go."

They both started towards their loved one, but Mist abruptly clutched Boyd's arm, panic in her eyes. "Boyd, we can't."

"Wha…?"

"Boyd, we can't go! At least not together! It might be suspicious."

Boyd balked. "Really, Mist? We don't have time for this!" He looked at his little brother's distant figure again, about to be mercilessly slaughtered by preying wyvern knights. "He needs help now or he's gonna get killed!"

The panic in her eyes twisted into terror. The hand holding his arm went limp, and she quivered. "But, but…!"

"Gyaaaaaah!"

"Haah!"

Boyd and Mist's hearts stopped at the sound of his scream. But then it regained its regular pulse when they realized he befell no harm.

It wasn't because he dodged an attack, but because Shinon ran in and shot down the wyvern knight with one arrow.

Boyd and Mist were a little bit away, wary to approach. It seemed Rolf was in no real danger now that Shinon was there to protect him. They could hear the two from where they stood.

"Auugh! Shinon! Thank goddess, I thought I was going to die for sure!" Rolf wailed from below.

Shinon fired a silver arrow at the last rider, smirking as it fell. "Keep this up, and you just might."

"Shinon!" He whined, reaching his skinny arm out. "Can you help me up?"

"You got yourself in that hole; you can get yourself out."

"Aww!" Rolf reluctantly scrabbled along the jagged edges and managed to push himself up with his scrawny arms. "Guh." He rolled over on his back when reaching the surface, already exhausted.

The two snipers continued their squabbling, and Boyd and Mist began to creep away, unnoticed the entire time. Mist breathed audibly with one hand over her heart once they were at a safe distance away. "I'm so glad he's okay."

"Yeah, no thanks to us."

Mist glanced at Boyd, who only stared down at his axe. "Boyd, we couldn't. It just- we just couldn't." She begged for him to understand.

He grunted but then gave in to her doe eyes. He hated how he was pretty much the winner of 'worst brother of the year' award, but he couldn't stay mad at Mist. Besides, this was just as much his fault as it was hers. He patted her head and forced a smile. "Yeah, I know. But he's okay. We're okay."

Racing by all the pitfalls and dead Daein soldiers, Oscar charged towards a helmet-clad sentinel fueled with bitterness and betrayal. He was finished simply standing by and observing the heinous acts his brother committed, sick of all his broken promises, but most of all: he felt like he was stabbed in the face as Boyd practically left Rolf to die.

With that in mind, he was readying to attack via a very unorthodox maneuver on the battlefield.

But he was determined to win.

"Nephenee!" He shouted with sharp urgency as he jerked his horse to a stop next to her. Oscar quickly helped her dispatch the two warriors she was brawling with. How ironic, he thought darkly. Out of all enemy units, she's fighting warriors.

"Whew! Thanks for backing me up, Os!" Nephenee thanked him graciously, then whipped out a vulnerary. While applying the medicine she carried on with the small talk, unaware of the patience dwindling in Oscar. "I took a couple of nasty blows from 'em danged axes, makin' it even more difficult to fight with my lance. But I reckon you'd understand given-"

"Boyd's cheating on you!" Oscar blurted out finally; the secret bubbling inside for so long.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Nephenee sputtered, "'scuse me?!"

He dismounted his horse and stared hard into her bewildered eyes. "Boyd's been having an affair with Mist."

The words hung in the air like a thick fog, engulfing Nephenee into the unknown. All around them war raged on, but at this moment it felt quiet and empty. It felt like time had stopped.

It felt like Nephenee had just been slapped in the fucking face.

"What?!" Nephenee gasped, full of shock and disbelief. She didn't need to hear it a third time though. Oscar spoke with a clear poignancy as if he were telling her he cooked fish for dinner. "What nonsense are you spitting at me on the battlegrounds?"

"Nephenee, I'm sorry. My brother is a selfish bastard who clearly only cares about himself. He's been doing this for months despite-"

"Months?!" She repeated incredulously. "You tellin' me him and Mist…? Behind my back…for months?" Nephenee dropped her lance and staggered, her head spinning. She suddenly felt very, very dizzy.

"Hey Neph, listen to me." Oscar gripped her shoulders to steady her but she violently shoved him away.

"Don't you fucking touch me!" She screamed. She clumsily picked her weapon back up and blindly ran as far from Oscar as she could. Although the more steps she took, the more muddled her mind became.

Every slice and stab she thrusted was a death blow, but her eyes weren't looking at the Daein units.

They were on the sky.

Since she abandoned Rhys at the beginning of the battle, the green lizard above the clouds was all she could focus on. Any meager foot soldier that tried to throw her off the trail was simply swatted away. Deftly dodging pitfalls and expertly avoiding any comrade communication left her alone and in the clear for an attack.

Finally.

Mia would make her move to cancel Jill Fizzart permanently.

She gripped her wind edge as tightly as she could, ready to use every ounce of magic power she could muster. Hopping onto the ledge of the bridge, Mia raised her weapon. Jill was distracted fending off a rival wyvern rider up in the air, so she'd never see Mia coming from down on the ground.

Fire danced in her eyes; an easy kill just seconds away.

3…

2…

1…

The wind magic escaped her sword and shot into the sky. Severe gusts divided the air and licked the flesh of the one who passed through it.

Ulki.

Mia gaped at the outcome. Jill had already flown off, oblivious to the peril she just circumvented. Ulki, however, glided to Mia in a crooked haste.

Despite the blame and guilt she bore the last time she had seen Ulki, all Mia felt now was wrath.

Not bothering to wait for his landing, she stubbornly stomped after a disappearing Jill. Inevitably though, Mia felt the gale of wind buffet from behind and knew Ulki had arrived.

She spun to face him, the anger evident on her face and the delirium obvious in her words. "Ulki! I swear to Goddess Ashera if you try to stop me again I will use this on you. Again." Fists clutched tightly around the hilt, Mia glared at him.

Ulki shook his wings out, fresh blood splattering from the tears. He returned her glare with his classic Devil Eyes. Mia didn't flinch.

"Don't you think you're taking this pathetic crush a bit too far?" He muttered venomously.

She immediately retaliated but Ulki swiftly talked over her. "We're at war, Mia. Did your childish jealously obscure your common sense? Put your petty grievances aside and distinguish the difference between foe and ally."

"You don't understand!" Mia spat. "Jill-"

"I'm sorry." Ulki fluffed out his wings and hovered off the ground. "I don't understand." He shifted into hawk form and took off as sudden as he had appeared. Mia watched his figure soar above the clouds out of view.

His comments did nothing to quell the catalyst brimming inside her though. She merely turned her back on him and unequipped her wind edge for something much more lethal. The bloodthirst returned to Mia's eyes as she went to hunt for more bodies to cut down.