(News: I joined the Temple of Kraden. It's a fun place!)

This chapter gets depressing. That is, if Sigrun's one of your favorite characters.

Chapter 34: The Battle of Fort Blanche

"Alright, everybody. The Begnion Imperial Guard has prepared themselves for our arrival. Sisters of the Crimean Pegasus Knights, I know that you feel apprehensive for attacking General Sigrun, but we have no choice. Tanith, Marcia, I entrust the task of taking her out to you both. Now, the rest of us have to deal with General Plutarch and his famous infantry units. His calvary divisions and his mages are also quite powerful, so everyone needs to do their very best. We can't afford to lose anyone! Since our scouts have not spotted any Feral Ones, (and their creator happens to be with us), there is nothing you'll have to worry about. Just do your very best. Do not hold back! Once we win this Fort, we can march onto Sienne before Zelgius arrives and win back Tellius! We're going to make it. All of you: the Crimean Royal Guard, Daein Liberation Front, Grand Phoenician Sentinels, and Elite Gallian Warriors, move out!" Ike raised Ragnell and yelled. All four armies cheered and marched toward the enemy fort.

At Teahry Plains, Ike's allies and Plutarch's warriors met in battle. General Tanith led her Crimean Pegasus Knights alongside Janaff, Ulki, and their fellow Sentinels to engage the enemy Holy Pegasus Knights. Ike and Zolath danced side by side, slashing enemies with each move. These fatal expressions of the art of swordsmanship stunned all the enemy soldiers who dared challenge the two. General Tanith got the better of her former allies in the air, taking many of then down. After the first day, the enemy was forced to retreat a few miles and regroup.

On the second day of the battle, the enemy paladins surged forward, and Oscar, Titania, Kieran, Geoffrey, and Cakil rushed to meet them. As the horsemen and women clashed, The Black Knight and General Plutarch fought in a duel. Plutarch, realizing that he could not win, fled quickly, depressing his soldiers. However, a few other enemy Generals rallied a few men and attacked Ike's supply train. Ike rushed to its rescue and dueled one of them, while overhead Tanith's fleet found Sigrun trying to aid her comrade's desperate and cowardly move. Tanith flew far ahead of her fleet and immediately abused her former superior:

"An honorable Falcoknight like you vouches for such a despicable attack! I expected more from you, General Sigrun of the Holy Pegasus Knights of Begnion! Today, you shall realize that your fleet and comrades could never withstand the combined might of the armies of Crimea, Daein, Gallia, and Phoenicis. I, General Tanith, shall make certain that Daein shall win this battle against Begnion! You shall be relieved of your command!" Tanith shouted.

Sigrun looked at Tanith with sad eyes: "Tanith, you are right. I am a coward. My friends are all cowards. You may be shocked when you hear this, but I am proud of you. You have grown so powerful in such a short time. The Begnion army lost quite a talented member of its force when you left. But please, Tanith, remember our old times as friends. Today we fight as enemies, but when either of us is slain, let us forgive the other, and let the victor not despise or belittle her foe. We fought together as honorable comrades, now let us give each other the respect that each of us deserves. Ah, it is such a pity to see you like this. But now, since war is never merciful, we must fight. Come and face me, General Tanith of the Crimean Pegasus Knights!"

The two warriors engaged each other. Ike had never seen Tanith cry after knowing her for so long, but he thought he saw the essence of a tear in her eyes. Sigrun, of course, was weeping, but she held her lance and sword firmly as she clashed with Tanith. Both had Sonic Swords that glowed an eerie green throughout the battle, and their lances struck against each other constantly.
After several bouts, Sigrun began to flee. "Comrades! Come and help me! The enemy is too powerful!" She cried.

"No... No, I cannot let you leave. So many of my comrades have perished in the fight against Begnion. Because of Begnion, so many Daein's have suffered and died. No, I cannot let you live to see another moonrise and slay more innocents. I am sorry, Commander Sigrun, but you shall leave Tellius forever. Rest in peace." Tanith raised her Flame Lance, the gift Ike gave her, and threw it at Sigrun. The lance pierced the latter's chest.

"... Thank you... General Tanith... My comrade... My friend... Now... I can finally... Die with happiness... I will see you... In Ashera's blessed lands..." Sigrun smiled as she passed away.

"Sigrun..." Tanith shed tears. The Flame Lance reappeared in her hand.

"General Sigrun is down! We shall slay the traitor! Attack!" Major Kristie growled. She and twenty other Pegasus and Falco Knights flew straight for Tanith.

"I am outnumbered, and exhausted. There is a DRA Sniper with several archers there... And he's stationed at a Killer Ballista. I'm sure that I can borrow their strength to protect me." Tanith flew toward the Daein Revolutionary Army troops, tired from her tearful duel.

However, as she approached them, the Sniper picked up a dispatch from one of The Black Knight's messengers. "What? Must we do this? It is so dishonorable, but, since he wills it, this must be done. Men, kill her!" The Sniper ordered.

The archers fired volleys of arrows at Tanith. Tanith was caught off guard, but before she could retaliate against the traitors, Kristie and her fleet arrived. As Tanith tried to fight against her enemy, her own fleet and the Phoenician warriors saw her in trouble, but they were too late. In the thick of the aerial battle, the Sniper aimed the Killer Ballista at Tanith, and fired! The bolt flew for the General, but her Pegasus, Charles, realized his master's plight and reared itself in mid air, facing vertically upward from the ground. Because of this, the bolt struck Charles in the neck, completely missing Tanith. Charles died instantly, without any pain, and Tanith was thrown from her saddle. As Tanith plummeted to the ground, Ike shouted and stopped his duel with the enemy General. He rushed toward Tanith, and even though the enemy General threw a short spear and struck him, Ike ignored his wound and leapt to save her. He caught Tanith just before she hit the ground, and the two landed on the earth nearby. The united armies were caught off guard, and began to panic, but Generals Titania and Tauroneo immediately restored order by ordering a massive charge. As Charles's corpse hit Gatrie and pinned him on the ground, Boyd and the others rushed into formation, striking the enemy Begnion and traitorous Daein soldiers. Titania, Oscar, Kieran, Geoffrey, and Cakil rushed up the enemy position, killing every single one of the enemy archers that attacked Tanith. The Sniper that killed Charles, however, put up a good fight, but Rolf fired an arrow and struck him in the back of the head. He died instantly, a death that was actually quite merciful. Rolf quickly ascended the battlement, and as Kristie attempted to flee with her fleet, Rolf emptied the Ballista, each shot taking down a Falcoknight, including Major Kristie.

General Plutarch, seeing that his colleague General Sigrun was killed, gathered many of his surviving troops and fled. However, he ordered his subordinate, General Astrid, to hold off the enemy during his retreat. General Astrid ordered her subordinates, Sergeant Makalov and Volke, to assist her in this task. The three of them charged upon Ike's panicking army.

Mist rode forward and engaged Makalov with her sword. Lethe ran forward and pounced on Astrid, knocking her off her horse. A Crimean General rushed at Volke, but with one slash of his knife, Volke killed him. Rolf stepped forward, fired an arrow, and Volke went down. But Rolf did not deal a fatal blow. Volke was simply out of commission, unable to fight.

Mist shouted at Makalov as she exchanged blows with him: "Idiot! We came here to rescue you, and now you attack us?!"

"Sorry, Mist, but I owe Astrid... She helped me become what I am today: a Sergeant. If I went to join you guys when you attacked Fort Dunche, I'd only be a Corporal. No one was willing to promote me except for Astrid here, which is why I'm with her." Makalov replied.

However, he saw that Astrid was talking to Ike, and he saw her throw away her Begnion seal of authority. "What?!" Makalov gagged. Mist whacked him with her sword, and Makalov fell off his horse.

Ike was too sick to move on. He was completely worried to death over Tanith, even when Rhys and Mist were caring for her. He ordered a mass retreat back to Fort Dunche. He planned to return to Nevassa to kill The Black Knight, who used his warp powder to return himself and Zolath to the city. Several Daein soldiers disappeared from the battlefield, and Ike reckoned that they made it to Nevassa as well. Izuka was nowhere to be found.

When they returned to camp, Gatrie and Tanith were taken into the infirmary. The others shifted uneasily, waiting for news of their two comrade's health.

Best wishes to Tanith...

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