Chapter 79: Stranger in the Desert

By SodiumChlouride12, derived from Fire Emblem, owned by Nintendo.

A/N: Huh, I noticed last week I finally realized 100 followers. That's...insane. Wow. I'm just...so happy. I thank you all for everything.

N: Our chapter begins in the middle of the night. A nightmare, catered for one of the dragon children.


…?

Nils opens his eyes. His back is lying flat against a hard, tiled floor. Blinking some dry sand from his eyes, he looks around. He's inside a large, ancient temple made from sandstone, which has runes scratched into its surface. The air is dry and stale, suggesting a long history lacking activity.

Where am I? He wonders. What am I doing here?

Nils gets up from the ground, and flinches when he feels a wet, sticky feeling on his fingers. He raises his hand to his face to get a better view amid the little light that fed through the ceiling. Blood. Instinctively, Nils looks down at his clothing, but to his relief, there's no crimson on his shirt. This liquid originated from another source, not him.

This isn't good...at least it's not mine.

Nils steps forward, and to his shock, his foot lands in a small puddle. He knows what it's composed of, but the dragonborn is far too frightful to dwell on it. He yanks his foot back, but this only serves to worsen his situation. He stumbles onto a thick, wooden item on the ground, and upon further investigation, he realizes it's a torch. He picks it up, and as if with magic, it immediately catches flame and illuminates the room with its life.

...Goodness gracious.

There is no other way to describe it. The sight is gruesome. Blood covers much of the floor, spread about every square inch of it besides the small perimeter surrounding him. Bones sprawl out across the brown, some of which are split open to expose bone marrow. Broken swords, axes, bows, and lances are littered around. Blood and magical residue from electrical and fire attacks scorch the wall. However, this isn't the worst of it all. Nils nearly drops his torch when he notices the bodies.

He recognizes every single one of them. He sees the remains of Lyn stuck against a wall, an arrow pinning her there as her green eyes stare ominously at him. The two Caelic knights have axes protruding from their stomachs, their heads smashed for good measure. What's left of Serra and Priscilla mixes into the bloodied floor as ash, and the two pegasus knights have their heads separated, on the ground...

I think I'm going to faint...

Oh no...

Ninian. She's standing near a pillar, her stomach cut open with what appears to be a large sword. She's somehow still alive, and despite Nils' reservations, he rushes to her side. He steps over an indescribable amount of death as he does so, but he keeps his will steady and focuses on saving his kin.

"Ninian!" He rests his finger over his sister's pulse. It's weak. "What happened to you?! What happened to everyone?!"

Ninian responds by shifting her gaze over to her left. Nils does so as well, and he notices a blue cape covering someone's body. The red hair atop its head makes its identity known.

"L...Lord...Eliwood." Ninian mutters. "You t...tried to...protect...us. You...all...did. But...you...failed. I'm...so...sorry. If...only...you...never met...us."

Nils exclaims, "What are you talking about?! Sister! Stay with me!"

Ninian's breaths slow, and eventually, the color begins to leave her eyes. "Nils...you...must...beware. Deaths...are...inevitable. You...must...we...need...Samuel..."

Tears stream down the sides of Nils' face. He can hardly control himself. "Samuel?! But he's dead!"

"...Then...we are all...doomed."

Ninian closes her eyes and finally gives up the ghost. Nils wails echo through the walls, his despair too much to bear. He sits there rocking Ninian's body for what feels like an eternity until eventually, the world around him distorts...

Morning has come to relieve him from this hellscape. This hellscape of a nightmare.


That night...

The moon sits in the sky, basking the yellow desert in its blue light. A wide expanse of sands sprawls across the earth, bulging much like the hills and valleys that dot the Lycian countryside. Among the miles and miles of desolate wasteland, there lies an island of humanity, its fire cutting through the darkness like a star in the night sky. It represents the camp for the allied army, having taken shelter for the night in their journey.

Despite their size and needs, there's only one campfire accommodating the entire population. This stems from the issue of procuring firewood since trees are far and few. But several persons huddle near the flame at this hour, these being Lyn, Nils, Fiora, Leila, and Rath. They stand there in silence until Nils flinches when the blaze crackled.

"Careful there." Lyn says while pressing the charred logs closer together with a stick. "You mustn't burn yourself."

Nils takes in a deep breath, then exhales. "Thank you. I'll try to be mindful."

Detecting a shift in the atmosphere, or rather, solely wishing to get something going, Leila decides to use the opportunity to strike up a conversation. "So, Nils. What was that collapse about several days ago? You just fell unconscious and didn't wake until later that day."

Nils smiles awkwardly, the result of some embarrassment from having been so incapacitated at such a crucial time. "Eh, I suppose you could say I was exhausted. I used a lot of my strength, my mana, when I transferred it over to Ninian so she could get rid of that dragon. I thought my body could handle it but...as days went by, I got weaker and weaker. What you saw was the result of when I finally reached my limit."

Leila asks, "Are you feeling okay?"

He nods, "Yeah! My body's since equalized, and the rest helped me to recover most of my mana. I feel great..."

Nils lets out a long yawn and takes a moment to wipe his red eyes. Lyn notices they're a bit redder around the irises' than usual and inquires about it.

"Your eyes...have you been sleeping lately? Is it possible that you lacked mana recovery because of that?"

Nils hesitates, but lowers his head. "...Perhaps. Truth is, I've been experiencing some rather frightful nightmares lately. It's nothing to be worried about, though. Despite my power, I have every reason to believe it's a matter of fiction."

Fiora folds her arms over her body, intrigued. Rath, however, can hardly have the same said for him, and he continues to stare at the fire with his cold, Sacaen eyes.

The cyan-haired knight says, "You have my condolences. If it's a matter of worry keeping you up at night, I implore you to put yourself at ease. Allow the adults to take care of things. Children such as yourself should be carefree and enjoying life."

Nils blushes, and his cheeks turn a light red. Fiora's blue eyes pierce through him and his heart skips a beat. They remind him of the pair that once belonged to his late mother, of whom he hardly has a memory of. "...I-I thank you."

Fiora smiles, amused by the fluster of the child before him. He reminds her of an old friend she had growing up, who had the same icy blue hair as him. Her nurturing nature takes hold. "It's only my duty. If you'd like, I can retrieve some warm milk. Would you like that?"

"I-I would. Thank you!"

Fiora bows her head, and disappears into the darkness of the rest of the camp, presumably on her way to the mess hall. Her vacancy allows Nils' heart to settle, if only for a moment.

Leila smiles mischievously. Always the perceptive thief, she says, "Are you flustered, little boy?"

Nils bites his lip, but fortunately, Lyn springs into action. "You mustn't tease him, Leila."

Leila chuckles, her chest rising with each joyful breath of air. "But why not? It's not like it'll hurt him." She shifts her gaze back towards Nils, and raises her hands up, motioning them like she wanted to tickle him. "It's what I do to Matthew all the time."

Rath says coldly, "Nils is not Matthew. They are two completely different people."

Upon hearing those words, Leila slumps back on her seat, to Nils' noticeable relief. She frowns, "Not fair. I can't have any fun. I spent a lot of time infiltrating the Black Fang, and none of them were the joking sort. It would appear that extends to this army." She stands up and begins to mutter as she walks away. "Bummer. I wonder what Matthew's doing right now? Bah, he's probably asleep. Perhaps I should retire as well..."

Lyn looks over her shoulder at Rath. The Kutolahn man is whittling away at a random piece of firewood with his knife, carving it into a form that resembles a Sacaen deer. Lyn doesn't hold a bad relationship towards him, but she has to admit it is a little strained. Although she was the one that convinced her father to let him go free after he tried to kill Samuel, a part of her hasn't forgiven him yet for his action. Even if she understands his reasoning.

Perhaps I should strike up a conversation. Lyn thinks. I'd do well to smooth things over through my words.

"Hey, Rath. I'm pleased to see you in the army again. Thank you for helping out Kent with that archer."

"...Yeah."

The nomad only responds with a single word, but doesn't even shift his eyes away from the carving. It's like he's in his own bubble, with any external stimuli a distraction to his labor. Lyn finds this baffling, if a little antisocial.

She says, "I...how was your time before you met up with us? I thank you again for agreeing to join our ranks, but what have you been doing?" Lyn pauses. "...Rath?"

Rath gives Lyn the cold shoulder, more a gesture of lack of will rather than rudeness. At this point, Lyn realizes Rath hasn't changed at all. In the past, any time they'd shared a conversation, Lyn did most of the talking. Often, it felt like Lyn was talking to herself, to the point of projecting her personality onto the silent nomad. Personally, it felt very frustrating for it to be this way, and she's beginning to realize why she often chose to speak to Kent or Samuel instead of him in their prior journey.

I guess I'm not going to get anything from him. She thinks.

"I'm back!"

Fiora returns with a mug of warm milk, which she hands over to Nils. Flabbergasted, he says, "Wait, it's actually warm. How did you do that if we have the only fire?"

"I found Erk training with a straw dummy. The dummy caught fire so...I warmed up the mug with it."

The image of Fiora holding a mug over a burning straw man compels a light smile to streak across Lyn's lips. She wonders why Erk would be training this late into the night, but it's not her place to pry. Perhaps he's anxious about his strength relative to the threat they were up against, but it's only speculation.

Nils takes a sip from the mug, and he expels a satisfied burp. The top part of his upper lip has a streak of white, a bonafide milk mustache. "Yum!" He says. "This is very good milk."

The young boy stretches his arms outward and yawns. Fiora asks, "Would you like me to tell you a story before you go to bed? I know a few."

Lyn quips, "I think we would all like to hear a story."

Nils nods in agreement, so Fiora takes a seat and begins her tale. The fire cracks and weaves as her hands motion through the light, her emotion felt clearly through them like a conductor commanding a song.

"Tonight, I'll talk about the story of two beings. A long time ago, the world was nothing. It was a black void of empty, but, one day, Ashunera said to the void, "let there be light." Light came upon the world in an instant, much like an explosion spreading matter onto the universe."

Nils says, "I've heard of this story before. We call Ashunera our Creator. She's the deity of the Eliminite religion, and this the story of Genesis."

Fiora nods. "Indeed. She made the world in the span of six days, taking rest on Saturday. Hence, why the church always holds service on that day, to pay homage to the Creator. She created something out of what used to only consist of water, forming the forests, mountains, and land we all enjoy."

Rath mutters, "This land was made for you and me. That's what was taught to us by the elders."

"Well said. Ashunera then created all sentient life. She placed dragons in the sky, humans on the ground, elves in the forest, and animals in their habitats. She lived among her creations in peace in a village on the Isle of Life."

"The Isle of Life." Lyn says. "That's the Isle of Valor's previous name."

Fiora clears her throat. "Yes. She lived there for a long time, until one day, the races began bickering among themselves. At the time, there were three major clans. They were composed of human, dragon, and elven species, with a plethora of other minor races mixed in. The elven clan lived prosperous lives in the forest, having built a grand civilization within the land of what is now Etruria."

"The elves." Nils whispers. "Magically inclined beings said to have gorgeous locks of golden hair. I wish I was around to see them for myself."

"The humans and dragons grew jealous of the elves. So, they formed an alliance, and raised an army to eliminate the elves. They embarked in a devastating slaughter that in many ways replicated the Scouring over a millennium later. They killed nearly every elf, save for one princess. Despite their cruelty, the humans did not wish for their bloodline to end, so they married her off to one of their chiefs, of whom would have a descendent ascend to the Etrurian crown many years later."

There's a noticeable shift in Nils' posture. His eyes shift towards the fire, as if the sight of it alone could shake away old, pained memories. He recovers within moments, however, and no one asks him what made him so uncomfortable.

"This brought Ashenera much pain. For her, these creations were like her children, and to see the humans and dragons slaughter the elves to near extinction represented the vilest of atrocities. In her despair, she decided to exact her wrath onto the world. She released a massive flood, the waters wading through the entire continent of Elibe. They nearly ended all sentient life, though this was never Ashenera's intention. Looking over the damage, the Creator realized that punishing her creations had caused much more pain than necessary, and it disgusted her."

The fire crackles again, this time expelling plenty of embers into the air. The smoke takes the shape of a single, large puff, until dissociating into two separate entities.

"Having killed thousands of her children, Ashenera vowed to never let her emotions affect her again. Thus, she split herself in two. Her rational, decision-making side became Ashera, while her emotions became the embodiment of chaos."

Nils yawns, "Yune. Her name was Yune."

"Ashera decided she wanted to rid the world of Yune, as doing so would also eliminate any chance she could flood the world again. But, just as she was about to kill her, Yune vanished. Presumably, her soul escaped into the material plane, and it is said she's born as a child every few decades. Although Ashera felt uncertain about her other half roaming the earth, she understood she stood no chance in challenging her reign. As a human, Yune lost any memory of who she is, and was left to an existence as a regular human being."

Nils adds, "The only difference is that her soul cannot go to the divine realm. She...reincarnates every time...she...does...though..."

Nils' head leans over onto his shoulder, and his eyes shut close. His breathing slows, and he falls asleep where he sits. Fiora smiles at the sight, and proceeds to lift the boy into her grasp.

Fiora whispers, "It looks like Nils liked my story. He's such a sweet boy when he sleeps like that."

Lyn nods. "I assume you'll set him to bed? He shares a tent with Ninian. It's down the row over there."

"Thank you for your help, Lady Lyn. You're a fantastic lord to serve under. However, I implore you all to get some rest. Tomorrow is bound to be another tough day..."


The following morning...

"It's so hot..."

Nils sways and jostles as his pale skin bristles against the heat of the Nabatean sun. His feet drag against the seething sand, ultimately stammering as he catches himself before he falls. He feels a tug in his tunic afterward, and he turns to see the somewhat tanned face of Laniakea.

"Nils!" She says. "Are you okay?"

To the surprise of absolutely everybody, Lani has handled the sun better than most. Her guardian had provided for her a large sun hat that covers the thin hair on her head, along with a red dress that bodes well on the pale skin, which had tanned up considerably under the light, the result of some islander heritage from a mysterious land. Nils, unfortunately, has neither the hat nor the genetic traits that Lani enjoys.

Nils mutters, "I'm...so tired. I...need...someone to carry me."

!

"You need someone to carry you, boy?!"

Suddenly, Nils feels a force pick him off of his feet. His head swerves upward as his height from the ground increases by six feet. Looking down, he realizes that Hector, of whom possesses plenty of strength, has decided to heed his request. Nils squirms and whimpers as the much larger man tries to settle him on his shoulders.

"Waaaa! I'll fall! I'll fall!"

"You don't need to worry about falling! I'll have you know, with the exception of my brother, I've never let anyone down!"

The army bursts into a chorus of smiles and chuckles. The sight of it brings some relief to the drag of marching miles into the desert. Meanwhile, Ninian closes her eyes and recalls the words told to them by Marquess Ostia.

"Enter the desert and move west. Someone will meet you." She opens her eyes and squints across the dunes. "Yet, we've met no one. Nothing but the rolling dunes and occasional dust devil."

Dust devils. They're mini, tornado-like phenomena that take dust and deposit them a short distance away. Despite their fearsome appearance, they're mostly harmless since the current dissipates the moment something heavy comes across its path. If anything, it serves as an inconvenience, as it takes sand and puts it in places people would rather it not be.

Eliwood takes the cloth wrapped around his face and tightens it. "It appears we'll have to move in further. My apologies, Ninian."

Ninian shakes her head, the sweat dripping from her forehead. "It's...no issue, Lord Eliwood. I'm...oh?"

"Here, take my arm."

Eliwood extends his right arm forward, though Ninian is hesitant to take it. She says, "I...can't. I really shouldn't. You're...a noble. It's unbecoming of me."

"Don't let that wear your mind. This heat is taking its toll on you. Please. It would ease my soul if you let me help you."

Ninian blushes, her heart utterly touched. "T-Thank you." She eases her hand onto Eliwood's arm, and she flinches as she feels the noble's strong, yet graceful form. Despite her words, Ninian greatly appreciated the gesture, as the heat had made her head woozy. But the cocktail of emotions in her system at the moment are nearly unbearable to hold. She can hardly comprehend what they mean, much less put it into words. Regardless, a question comes to the forefront of her mind. A question that stems from some insecurity borne from the blood that courses through her veins.

Ninian says, "...It's strange."

"What is?"

"All of you treat me and my brother so...normally. Doesn't it bother you? Our powers...our looks. We're different from...people."

Eliwood locks his eyes with Ninian's, and she gasps. They're some of the sincerest she's ever seen. Eliwood says, "Has that been bothering you? What's wrong with being different with other people? When I look at you, I don't think about other people. I just see Ninian, a normal kindhearted girl."

"Do...you really mean that?"

Eliwood smiles, "Of course. My father didn't raise a liar."

Ninian matches the gesture and chuckles. His father was a terrible liar, and couldn't even do so to Nils or her face when they were at the Isle. "Lord Eliwood, thank you. I truly feel blessed to have met you..."


?...

Athos opens his eyes from within his meditation chamber. All around him, blue, aquamarine stone adorns the massive room, with pillars jutting out towards the ceiling for support. The air is cool and serene, perfect to maximize one's concentration.

He turns around and addresses the blonde, noble-looking woman in his company. He tells her, "I believe someone approaches."

The woman's purple eyes light up. She's the wife of the honorable Mage General of Etruria, the Dame of House Reglay, Lady Louise. "Is it Lord Pent?" she asks.

Athos closes his eyes again, this time stroking his beard. His facial hair is long and white, as is customary for old, wise men. "No, it's a group sent by Uther of Ostia. It would appear it is time for me to repay my debt to him. Hawkeye will find them soon and bring them here. As for Pent...he's still searching in the desert."

A worrisome frown appears on Louise's face. "He's not having any success with what he's looking for? The Heaven Seal?"

"No, but I believe he will find it before long. However, a group of bandits are also moving. They found Lord Pent and are preparing to attack."

Upon hearing those words, Louise turns noticeably somber. Athos asks, "Do you worry for his safety?"

"...No. I just...if his return is delayed..."

Athos chuckles, "I see. You want to eat lunch with your husband. An admirable spouse, you are-oh my!"

Athos immediately lurches forward, his head overcome with an ache. Louise comes to his attention.

"Lord Athos! Are you all right?! Your coloration...are you well?"

Athos struggles to reset his composure, but he manages to do so. His face contorts with a mixture of pain, and more surprisingly, fear. Sweat dripping from his face, he speaks with a quiver that matches that sentiment.

"Ah...my, once the wheel of fate turns, none can halt it. But, Lady Louise...you must call the guard. Tell them we are to venture out into the desert at once."

Louise feels her heart drop. "What? Why?"

"The headache I experienced...I just detected the presence of a being...no...an army hiding in ambush. Their strength rivals the military of most Lycian cantons." Athos takes his staff and grasps the large tome hiding in his cloak. "Come, Louise. Prepare your bow. This force represents the biggest threat to Arcadia in a millennium."


Ninian cups her hands over her eyes and peers out into the desert. She sees what appears to be a white-haired mage battling a band of bandits, and for a moment, she confuses him for Samuel. But the man's clothing quickly puts this theory to rest. Her mind races like the magical flame bursting into the air. "That man over there...I think he's under attack."

Eliwood's posture tenses, but doesn't fail. He asks, "What? Are you sure?"

Hector waves his hand over his head, his having caught the same scene as Ninian. "Ah! That must be him! It looks like a lone man is battling a crowd of bandits!"

Lyn's face morphs into one of grit. "Let's help him! A single man should not have to face so many alone!" Her boots trudge through the sand, hastily discharging particles into the air.

Hector exclaims, "Hey! Wait for me! I'll come with you!"

Eliwood draws his sword and points it forward. This signals the army to prepare for battle, and they prepare their weapons, staves, and tomes. "Hey, you two! We shouldn't just run in there!"

Nils looks at the three lords charging forward, baffled. "Unbelievable. Where do they get all that energy?"

Ninian says to Eliwood, "I presume this means we'll be going to the mage's rescue?"

He nods, "Of course. We have to stick together with our friends, right?"


Nearby...

Lord Pent frowns when the men surround him. He stares at the burly barbarians that lead them: two, bald fellows with a thin jacket that hardly fits them. Their intelligence, or lack thereof, is utterly baffling, serving as a stark juxtaposition to the noble's prestigious schooling. Their names are Jasmine and Paul, though this isn't known by Pent.

Paul says, "Oh, look at him, Jasmine! He's come to hand us his treasure!"

Jasmine smiles, his lips chapped beyond normalcy. His teeth are painfully yellowed and chipped, nearly compelling Pent to gag. He replies, "Oho! I do believe your right! Such generosity!"

Pent takes his cloak and protectively covers his treasured item with it, the Heaven Seal. The wind brings upon a wave of sand that irritates his eyes, but his posture remains upright and confident. "It's taken me many days to find this. I've worked too hard to hand it over to you thugs."

Paul's innocent, boyish expression morphs into a scowl. He kicks the sand underneath him out of frustration. "So rude! To think we were going to let you live! We're fragile creatures! You can't trifle with our emotions! You're a bad man! So bad, Jasmine!"

Paul's articulate vocabulary takes Pent off guard. What? He sounds...unintelligent. So...perculiar. He thinks. Pent looks over the two men again, and he starts to pick up pieces of their past. Their tanned skin suggests an origin on one of the coastal cities of Missur, and their golden teeth one of some wealth. But Pent's immediately taken aback by the presence of a large scar in the back of their heads. They're identical, though, Pent can't tell if they originate from some injury, or a failed operation a long time ago. Regardless, it explains some of their mental...shortcomings, and it derives some pity from him.

Jasmine frowns and crosses his arms over his chest. He rests his hand over his heart. "Oh, Paul. I know it. I really do. My heart, it is breaking."

They take a step forward, their bulging muscles effortlessly dragging their axes across the sand. Pent silently hopes that a sandstorm would reign over the area at that instant, if only so he wouldn't have to do what he needs to do.

Paul bellows, "What? You too, Jasmine?"

"And you as well?"

Paul raises his axe over his shoulder. His eyes burn with a fire that's both immature, yet damning. "Let's go! We must convince him to reconsider!"

Pent's arms grow heavy, and he reluctantly grabs ahold of his Elfire tome. He flips it over to the first page and prepares himself for the coming wave of hostile bandits. "I've wished you no harm." He says. "But...I have a wife to return to. I will not fall here."


Later...

"Hwuaaaaaagh!"

Heath charges forward, weaving his wyvern through a storm of magical fireballs and arrows. He keeps his lance pointing forward, his eyes peering through the wall of danger. Through the debris, he finds a window of opportunity, a lane he can safely traverse through to attack.

There it is! Now's my chance!

Acting quickly, he yanks Hyperion's reins, beckoning the wyvern to contort his body. He obeys, allowing the pair to exploit the kink in the wall of projectiles. Passing through, they find a lone archer caught out in the desert, helpless to defend himself or run away due to the sand weighing his boots down.

"It's over for you!"

Heath impales the man through with his lance, killing him instantly. The knight hardly has a moment to observe his fallen prey, however, and takes to the sky as soon as possible. His comrades will want revenge for his death, and he has no intention of bearing the brunt of it.

Having traveled some distance away, he strokes the hair on the back of his wyvern's neck. "That was a close one, Hyperion. One wrong move, and we could have been seriously hurt. I don't think Commander Vaida would have put us under risk like that."

Hyperion looks back at him with the same reptilian, oddly soothing eyes Heath had grown accustomed to. The knight chuckles, "Heh. Then again, our Commander isn't with us anymore. We have a new lot to serve with. I've only known them for a short time, but I think we can relax here. They're a good bunch, not like the immoral folk under Eubans. They're much more friendly."

Hyperion growls in approval, and Heath smiles. He looks around and observes the rag-tag front line put together in the sands. They're bristling under the uncomfortable, hot conditions, no better than they were on the road. Although there are gaps inside the line, thankfully, the enemy is in no position to exploit them, as the sands inhibit their movement, too. The only units that can truly move with liberty are the winged cavalry alongside the mages, whose magical resistance keeps the sands from impeding their feet.

A short distance away, Legault swears as a scorpion crawls up his leg. He swats it away. "This sand is a nuisance to all who behold it. Damn this desert, I cannot stand it."

His companion, the mage Erk, shrugs his complaint away. "Are you soft? This sand is nothing to me. Buckle up and help me deal with this brute."

Legault and Erk stare down a stronger-looking bandit with a large axe slung over his shoulder. He has a blue jacket stained with the dust of the dunes, and a wide smile across his face. His name is Paul.

He says, "Ooooo! Have friends come to play?! Come at me!"

Paul pounds on his chest like a gorilla, and Heath decides to join the two in their endeavor. Fiora and Serra join them as well, the quintet forming an impromptu party. No one else can assist in the battle since they are either too far away, or too occupied dealing with other threats.

Serra smiles and twirls her staff around her body. "We have a mighty foe on our hands! Oh, please protect me, you four. Especially you, Erky."

Erk blushes, but instinctively turns away. "Just...don't get in the way."

Heath rides over to Fiora's side and gives the woman a thumbs-up. "I suppose we'll have to bear most of the brunt. I can see you don't have an axereaver. Would you like my spare?"

Fiora raises her brow. "Where on this earth did you get two axereavers?"

Heath winks and taps his nose. "A red-haired lady gave them to me from a shop I found underground. A marvelous sight it was. A full-blown establishment, hidden outside the fortress in the midst of battle! I don't know how she manages to balance her books, especially since this was given to me at no cost. But she said it was a favor towards her friend."

Fiora sighs as she takes the weapon. "I don't want to believe you, but I know Bernese knights refrain from lying. I'm just...going to accept this as it is."

Legault, upon hearing Heath's banter, quickly checks his pockets. "How the heck did he get my silver card?" He mutters. "Blimey, it must have fallen out of my pockets..."


Nearby...

Lyn readies her sword and tries to ready her stance, but the sand causes her to misstep. She falls onto the ground, silently cursing to herself as her elbow lands hard.

Damnit! I can't fight like I want in this accursed sand!

Her opponent, a mage, smirks. He flips his tome to the next available page, possessing none of the handicaps Lyn has.

He says, "It's a shame I have to kill you. But I won't let myself get embarrassed again! Not after the last incident, when I let that crippled, snow-haired lout get away in the middle of the night!"

He speaks his incantation, and a ball of fire appears over his head. He sends it streaking over to Lyn's position.

I need to move quickly!

Lyn gets to her feet, moving out of the way just in time to avoid a direct hit. However, the splash from the flame hitting the sands, as well as the ejected hot debris, hurts her right side, burning through some of her clothes and causing her much pain.

"Ack! Urgh...it hurts!"

The mage approaches her, his expression not one of delight, but of anger as he recalls a strained memory. "It hurts? You must have known how I felt when my peers found out I let this man get away! He was defenseless, had no food or water, and had absolutely no way of escaping my clutches! He was the perfect victim to mug...but that blondie saved him."

Flames appear on his hands. "It's a good thing that man's not here to save you. Maybe you'll call out for your loved one's name just like he did. But you can stay silent, too. I've already been monologuing for far too lo—"

!

"You spent too much time speaking, accursed mage. Now, you will face your end."

"Oh, sweet Elimine!"

A tanned man with blonde hair lunges forward, appearing from Lyn's peripheries. He's an odd fellow, with a magnificent build, gorgeous locks, and tattoos. He raises his axe and sends it crashing down, smashing through the mage's chest but narrowly avoiding his vital organs. Blood pours from his wound and soaks the yellow sand an eerie orange.

"Ooooo...ack! P-Please...mercy!"

The man stands over the mage's quivering body, his eyes unsympathetic to his plight. "You attack our guests and dare to ask for mercy? You will receive none of that. I am Hawkeye, guardian of the desert."

The mage speaks frantically, "No! Please! I'm not like the rest of them, I swear! I'm a mage academy dropout who had no other choice!" Hawkeye raises his axe above his head. "I was going to starve if I didn't join up with these bandits! My hometown is broiled in a civil war! My parents are dead, and my younger brother is missing! Please ju—"

Lyn musters what strength she has and puts herself between the mage and Hawkeye. This comes in spite of the burns and bruises wrought by her assailant. Confused, Hawkeye lowers his weapon. "Milady, what are you doing? Allow me to finish him off."

Lyn shakes her head, wincing as moving her body brings about discomfort. "He's a defenseless man. We'll take him prisoner, I'm sure he possesses information we might need. He...spoke of something peculiar."

The mage's earlier words ring in her head. "Not after the last incident, when I let that snow-haired lout get away"! It was a long shot, but she hoped he spoke of Samuel, as unlikely as that may be. White hair is a trait that's inherently rare in Elibe, and since he mentioned the man was a cripple, she knows for sure he wasn't referring to the mage they spotted earlier. Then again, Samuel wasn't either, but...

Hawkeye breaks her train of thought. "Well, I'm sorry, miss...but it would appear your prisoner's already bled out."

Sure enough, he's right. Lyn turns around and her disappointment is evident when the mage's lifeless eyes meet with hers. Her sense of morality had been called for naught. There will be no rescues today, or answers for long sought prayers.

Somber, Lyn lowers her head. "I...see. That's disappointing. I must admit, this is a rather detrimental end to my day."

"My apologies. However, allow me to tend to your wounds with this elixir, here."

Lyn declines, "That won't be necessary. I'll just retreat to the rear and receive treatment with one of our clerics. I think I'm done fighting for the day. The battle is almost won, and I long to see a friend of mine. I'm sure she's worried for me."

Hawkeye tenses his stance. "Well, I'm sorry to mention this, but we're not done yet. You'll need strength for what comes next. One of their strongest approaches."

A large man clears through the sands. Lyn frowns when she realizes he's one of the leaders who heckled that lone mage earlier. Sighing, she takes the Hawkeye's elixir and dumps a portion into her throat.

"Bummer, I hope we don't have to deal with him alone."

!

"Lady Lyn!"

As if on cue, Florina comes streaking through the sky. She comes with Wil in tow; the archer terrified to be ridden to high up. They land a short distance away from the pair, eager to be with their liege. Wil disembarks and delivers a brief salute. Florina exclaims, "We saw you in trouble, and we've come to help! I-I'll t-try my best!"

Wil adds, "He stands no chance to us!"

Lyn smiles, pleased at the support from her friends. But they're not all who came to her aid. A familiar face rushes over as well, a welcome, magical addition to their endeavor.

Hawkeye observes the mage's fine robes. "Ah, Lord Pent. You've come."

Pent kneels over, tired from his sprint. "Just in the knick of time, too. I wasn't going to let you all finish this battle alone. I'll help you."

Wil replies, "You! You're the man we found in the desert being accosted by these bandits!"

He nods, "Indeed. But I'm afraid that's the last mistake they'll ever make." He wipes off some dust from his cloak. "Now let's get to business, shall we?"


Later...

Far beneath the earth, underneath the thick layers of dry soil, sandstone, and lime, there lies a chamber. In this chamber stands a magnificent temple, and deeper still, a lone room bristling with an impromptu library. It is here a single man looks over the battle happening above, his eyes practically glued to his observation crystal. He watches as they dispose of the last of the bandits.

A smile appears through the concealment of his red hood. Now is the time. I must act. He waves his hand in the air, and one of his morph subjects comes to his call. The well-dressed, butler-styled homunculi takes a knee in his presence, its wavy, gray hair falling onto its face.

It says, "I see it is the beginning. I will weaken the sandstone underneath the battlefield as you have planned. They will fall down here, where we will deal with them."

The robed man nods and the butler bows. "I will return to you as soon as I am done, Kishuna. I am your mouthpiece and most faithful servant, Piret. I will not be gone for long."

Piret leaves, and Kishuna sits down on a nearby chair. A hot cup of tea simmers nearby, and he sips it, taking in its delicate taste.

Faithful green tea...perfect for calming the nerves. I've never done this, but I know I cannot fail. Not when I've failed so many times before.


Nearby...

The earth shakes underneath the desert, startling everyone on it. For those on harder ground, like the more vulnerable members in the backline, the shaking proves to be only that, a harmless display that only drives some discomfort. For those between that and the furthest reaches of the line, they fall onto the ground, a little hurt, but otherwise okay. However, for those who are far away, like those who just finished their battles with the bandit leaders, something interesting is in store.

Huey lands onto his side, flinging Florina onto the ground. Everyone else follows suit, and an aura of confusion takes hold.

Lyn exclaims, "What is the meaning of this?! Woah!"

Wil grabs ahold of Florina, his concern taking over. "I don't know, but the earth is shaking? Is this an earthquake?!"

Florina cries, "Waaaaaaaaaaa!"

Pent calmly allows his body to match the movements of the ground, but frowns when he feels his feet begin to sink. He asks, "Say, Hawkeye, if I'm not mistaken, earthquakes usually don't proliferate around here. Am I wrong?"

Hawkeye shakes his head. "No. Not in all my years as guardian, and one has not occurred since my great-great grandmother. Neither have sinkholes."

Lyn's eyes widen. "Sinkholes?!"

Suddenly, the earth opens up beneath them. Thousands of tons of sand barrels through the hole, taking the entire group with it. Their screams echo through the opening, until eventually, it closes up.

They're gone, and all the remaining members of the army can do is wonder what in Elimine's name happened to their friends.


A/N: Managed to upload on time. Thanks for those who participated in the poll. It's gonna be up for a while, so it's not too late to provide your input.