Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or anything associated with it.
XXXXX
Ten and a half months later…
In the city of Araphen, deep in the territory of Lycia, the night reigned over everything. The outside world was quiet as nearly everyone was already in their houses, sleeping. The moon shone over the world as two figures rode through the dark. "Do you know how to get inside?" one, a woman, asked the one riding on her horse alongside her, a boy that seemed around 15.
"Yeah. Three levers hide a secret entrance to the castle. We use those, then the Marquess is an easy target."
"Noted. I'll keep watch. This is your task, Blue Raven. Deliver the Fang's punishment."
"Gladly." Jumping off the horse, the hooded boy, who stood at 5'9, snuck through the sleeping city and towards the first lever. Walking up quietly, he simply watched the single guard standing in front of the door before making his move. In a great burst of quiet speed, he snuck up to the soldier's face and slit his throat without a sound. Taking the door keys off the dead corpse, he opened the door and activated the lever. Without waiting for anything else to happen, he retreated to the northern part of the town and repeated the process two more times, unlocking the underground passageway.
Making his way into the castle undetected, the boy went to the left, in the direction of the chambers of the Marquess, if memory served right. Thankfully, his memory proved correct as he saw two guards in position in front of the door. Smirking slightly, he simply repeated the process, killing those two without even the slightest sound being made. With all of the guards taken care of, the hooded boy simply let himself in. "Good night, Marquess," he said, waking the man up.
"Wha-Who? Guards! Where are my gu-"
"Dead. Just like you'll be," the child interrupted, twirling a dagger. "I told you a while ago to beware the Fang's wrath. Seems you didn't remember."
"What are...No...It's you!" the Marquess gasped, remembering that day all those months ago. "S-Stay away! I'll pay you double of what they're offering!"
"...No thanks." That was the last thing the Marquess of Araphen would ever hear before he departed to the afterlife, his body dropping on the ground as he gurgled blood out of his slit throat. Satisfied with his job, the boy left the dead man in the room, closing the doors behind him as he returned to the rendezvous point.
XXXXX
One and a half months later…
"This is the last time I get caught up in this crap," Aracho said to himself as he walked casually through the territory of Pherae. Apparently, Ursula gave him a tip about a week ago of some bandits who had been preying on some helpless villagers around Laus since their Marquess had proved completely negligent to their needs. They looked to expand their territory and were expecting to come knocking on this place any day. Since he couldn't go back to Bern lest people find out he wasn't dead, he was stuck in this part of the continent for the time being. He had literally been parading around Sacae, Lycia and Etruria for the better part of a year doing any job that Ursula was "too busy for."
In code, she didn't feel like doing it and passed it off on him. That didn't mean there was no purpose in the job, however. Whenever she was given an assignment, she reported back to him on the current state of the Black Fang. As a member of the Four Fangs, that meant that she had a lot of information.
The latest bit meant that they'd be moving soon. The last thing she told him, which was about a week ago, was that there was a rumor of a spy among the ranks working for someone in Lycia. That, and Uhai and a couple of other Black Fang members, most of them newer people that Aracho wouldn't know, had been moved to a different location in anticipation for some...event. She couldn't get any more beyond that without possibly blowing her cover.
"Well, I guess I'll just go back to the inn and sleep a little longer. After all, it's been pretty quiet here," he muttered to himself, turning in the direction of the place where he'd been staying for the last two days. Interestingly enough, when he arrived, there seemed to be a knight with green hair talking to…"Hey, isn't that...Dorcas!" he remembered, walking up to the three. "Long time no see!"
"Is...Is that you, Aracho?" the red-haired man said. "What are you doing around here?"
"Just wandering, honestly," he shrugged, before looking at the two beside him. "So, who are these people?"
"I'm Bartre! The best merc you'll see for a long ways around!" the man besides Dorcas gloated.
"...Sure," Aracho dryly said, before turning to the knight. "And you?"
"Uh, I am Lowen! A knight of Pherae!" he introduced a little awkwardly. "Lord Eliwood, son of Marquess Pherae, is seeking talented fighters for a journey into lands afar."
"Ah, so you two are taking him up on it?" the teen asked. At their nod, he turned back to the Pheraean knight. "My name is Aracho. Is there any more room? I wouldn't mind it." Of course, this was nothing but an opportunity to see what in the world was going on regarding Lycia's state of affairs. Marquess Laus had been acting very strange lately, same as the Marquesses of Ostia and Santaruz. Eliwood's father disappeared a month ago from the face of the earth, which was probably why his son was going on an expedition in the first place.
"Well, uh...sure, I'll-"
"HELP!" a voice called. Looking over, the four saw a girl with a bow and green hair running towards them. "Sir Knight! Bandits! Bandits are attacking us!"
"What!? Where are they?"
"Further down the town! They came out of nowhere!"
"I must inform Lord Eliwood at once! Would you three be willing to fight for us?"
"Of course. We won't let bandits take their run of the place. Come on, I'll go with you," Aracho declared. It'd also be easier to get re-acquainted with Eliwood this way and avoid more questions. "Dorcas? Can you hold it down here until we get back?"
"We got this!" Bartre responded, flexing his muscles while Dorcas simply nodded. With everything settled, Lowen took the girl on his back while Aracho ran behind them, going to Eliwood's location. Although he could in no way keep up with a galloping horse, he quickly found Eliwood and the other two, along with some purple-haired paladin.
"Aracho!" the red-head called out, recognizing the boy at first sight.
"Do you know this person, milord?" Lowen asked, confused at the interaction.
"Yes. I met Aracho during the trouble in Caelin last year," he explained. "A particularly powerful mage, if I remember correctly from what I've heard. What brings you to Pherae, my friend?"
"Well, I've just been wandering a little. Came to find some decent work and your knight here came through offering some," he said. It wasn't a complete lie, so he didn't feel guilty about it.
"Ha! Still honing your skills, I see? A worthy pursuit." His expression then turned more serious as he grasped his rapier in his hand. "We have need of your aid. Please lend us your skill!"
"Consider it done!" Aracho smiled. Going back in the direction of the village, he took out his thunder tome as he caught sight of three bandits attacking Dorcas and Bartre. Snapping his fingers, he quickly gathered energy in his hand before pointing one of the bandits, shocking him to death with a large bolt. As Eliwood and the others advanced, he kept towards the back, keeping his purple daggers hidden from sight for the time being under his cloak.
The noble proved to be much more skilled than Aracho thought, being highly effective in their removal of the bandits. He was still rough around the edges, however. That was neither here nor there, for the time being. "Rebecca? Would you take us to the village magistrate?" Eliwood asked her.
"Yes, milord! Right this way," she guided, leading the small group into a building where the lead bandit took over and attacked the village. Inside, an old man simply sat in a chair. Upon seeing Eliwood, he hastened in rising from his chair and walking over to them.
"Ah, you would be Lord Eliwood, yes? My deepest gratitude for coming to the aid of our village."
"Think nothing of it," the red-head downplayed. "It is a lord's duty to protect the citizenry."
'Now that's the first I've ever heard THAT come out the mouth of a noble,' Aracho inwardly thought, now immensely more curious about the kid he chose to travel with. Not to say that all noble people were scumbags like Bern and most of Lycia, but to see one actually be proactive in protecting their people...Basically unheard of in Aracho's memory. 'Well, I guess that's why I never had to come to Pherae before now,' he mentally shrugged.
"Would that be true, milord," the elder sighed, shaking his head. "The good folk of Laus know no protection. Their Marquess, Lord Darin, is too busy preparing for war. He ignores all complaints of bandits and thieves."
'Now THOSE are the people I end up killing,' Aracho said to himself, suppressing a chuckle at the thought. He didn't quite enjoy murder like Jerme did, but found it a necessary evil that he had gotten used to quite a while ago, especially to help out the common folk of the land.
"Preparing for war? Are you sure?" Eliwood asked, in shock.
"I would not lie, milord," the elder replied grimly. "My brother lived in Laus until a few days ago. His home was torched, and he had no choice but to flee here. According to him, Laus could go to war any day now. It's all the people over there are talking about."
"Lord Eliwood," the paladin cut into the conversation. "If this is true, the situation is a grave one. If Marquess Laus is readying for war...his target is likely another Lycian territory...This may be perhaps connected to Lord Elbert's disappearance."
"My father and Marquess Laus?" Eliwood echoed, furrowing his forehead in thought. "It seems like a tenuous connection...but it's as good a place to start as any. Let's travel to Laus," he declared. "We must learn more." After muttering a quick goodbye to the town magistrate, Eliwood, with his knights, Dorcas, whoever his friend was and Aracho left for the town outskirts.
"Aracho?" Eliwood called when the town started to go out of view. "I know our group is small with but one purpose-finding my father. I do not know where my road will lead, but your abilities would be a great boon to all of us."
"Hey, I already said I had no problem traveling!" Aracho reassured, waving his hand lazily. "Your knight offered the job, and I took it."
"Splendid! I pray we give you no cause to regret your decision," he nodded, before a pair of loud footsteps became apparent. Looking back, Aracho saw the girl from earlier...Rebecca, if he recalled correctly, running up to their group. "Rebecca, was it? Did something else occur?"
"I hope it will not be a problem, but I wish to join you, Lord Eliwood," the green-haired girl explained, lifting her bow. "An archer can be plenty useful!"
"Of course! The more help we have, the better," the Lycian noble accepted. With that quickly squared away, the small group resumed their trip to Laus.
"So, how have you been, Aracho?" Dorcas asked during their trip. "Did you get back to your family?"
"Well...yeah. I've still been traveling, so I've only seen my sister regularly. How's Natalie doing?"
"Better, but I still have to get a little more money to complete her treatment," the axe wielder informed. "She can walk now with a cane and is in Pherae for the moment."
"Great to hear! And...Bern? Has it been calm over there?" Aracho continued. Since his self-exile from his homeland, he had only gotten word from Ursula, and while she was a very good source, even she didn't know everything that was going on.
"The same as usual. A few bandits. Nothing too heavy, though." With that, a small silence came upon the group until the turquoise-haired boy had a stray thought go through his head.
"Hey, Eliwood? Do you know how Lyn is doing?" He noticed the paladin's critical look when he didn't use any honorifics when addressing the Pheraean noble, but ignored it.
"Lady Lyndis? Upon last word, she had been having a peaceful time with Lord Hausen in Castle Caelin. Even so...I cannot but be concerned for her wellbeing."
"What? Why?" Aracho pressed.
"Already you have heard of the recent events of Laus," Eliwood started. "Even more, all of Lycia has been on edge since the assassination of Marquess Araphen."
"Really? How's the reaction been?"
"Confusion and terror has grown immensely in recent times. Although reports of assassinations had also been reported in Etruria, no one had imagined that such violence would come to Lycia. That was part of the reason my father left to investigate, as well."
"Whoever committed such atrocities should be brought to justice for their crime!" Marcus sternly commented, making Aracho mentally scratch his head.
'Guess it wouldn't be smart to tell them I killed Marquess Araphen and probably some of those Etrurian nobles they're talking about,' he internally reasoned. Granted, he didn't know why everyone would be worried, since he had mostly killed people like corrupt mercenaries and bounty hunters with the occasional nobleman. One Etrurian noble he didn't even mean to kill. The guy in question impaled himself with a sword as he tried to flee by way of going under a table.
That was just some really...really random accident, the Black Fang member concluded. But, he digressed. Details didn't really matter when the guy was dead.
XXXXX
Two days later…
After the run-in with the bandits, the route alongside Eliwood's make-shift band of searchers had been calm. Aracho hadn't done much, honestly, besides read and observe the people with whom he was traveling.
To say the least, he was...curious. Eliwood was really a different kind of noble. He offered to help the others pack when it was time to leave camp, he went out to help with menial chores, and he stood on no ceremony with him, much to the obvious dislike of Marcus, the paladin. Shockingly, Eliwood replied, "Although a noble, I find it best to meet people where they are. If Aracho does not desire to use such titles, I will not force it on him."
That was just weird. Aracho had always known that decent nobles existed, like Pent, the Marquess of Reglay in Etruria, for example. He just never saw anyone so...proactive about being so helpful to commoners. 'Then again, am I really common?' he thought, before slapping the thought away. 'Not necessary, Archy.'
"We are ever closer to Castle Santaruz…" Eliwood mentioned. "I wonder how Lord Helman fares nowadays."
"...Why don't you go check on him?" Aracho blurted. "He might be able to help you out with this whole Laus situation as well."
"...Hm...Instead of entering Laus with such a small entourage, we meet with Marquess Santaruz to request his assistance...That is a good plan, Aracho," Marcus approved.
"Truly so. Lord Helman...He is more than my father's friend. I've known him since I was a child," the red-head revealed. "I am sure that he will help us."
At that moment, Aracho felt something was off. Snapping his fingers, he quickly turned around and released a powerful thunder spell, causing someone with an axe behind him to convulse violently before stopping completely, dead on the ground.
"Aracho?" Eliwood asked, bewildered and confused as the teen took his tome out.
"Hey! What're you doin', going around and frying my men for!?" the apparent leader, a really chubby guy with a large axe, screamed.
"Save the innocent talk," Aracho denied with a stone look. "You want to attack Eliwood. Just admit it."
"Ho-ho! This little kid thinks he's a badass, don't he? Well, you're right," the bandit admitted. "Someone wants that kid in an early grave, and we're getting paid to make it happen. C'mon, boys! Come earn your keep!" he yelled, before retreating back behind many of his soldiers. Within a matter of moments, the small group of seven found themselves surrounded by bandits, both on the ground and on pegasi.
"We're surrounded. Time for a fight, eh?"
"I suppose so. Be on your guard, everyone!" Eliwood warned as he drew his sword.
"Just like old times, eh, Aracho?" Dorcas snorted as he hefted his weapon.
"Tell me about it. We're gonna see enough bandits for a lifetime by the time I hit twenty," the mage complained as the assailants came upon them. Performing a quick chant, Aracho quickly made work of two more bandits with a pair of thunder spells as strong as the first one.
"Aracho!" Eliwood called as the field cleared momentarily. "There's a neighboring village to the north. Can you warn them to close their gates?"
"No problem!" he agreed, becoming more impressed with this noble by the second. Rushing north as told, he quickly found the outline of a few houses...as well as a bandit making his way over there. "Not on my watch," Aracho whispered, taking out his daggers since no one was close enough to see him. Sneaking up on the swordsman, he stabbed a dagger in the upper neck, an area that when damaged can often prevent or delay someone from talking or yelling. Not that the bandit would have the chance, since Aracho slit his throat without hesitation, letting the body fall to the ground on a bloody heap.
Putting the daggers back in their holsters (he grimaced about having to clean them in secret later), Aracho went to the small community, knocking on the first door of the village gates. After a few seconds, an older man answered, along with a younger man probably a few years older than Eliwood.
"Sir, there are bandits nearby attacking. I come to warn you to close the gates for the time being," he quickly relayed.
"Will do!" the young one nodded before running out.
"Hold there," the elder called when Aracho prepared to leave. The man went back inside the house for a second before returning with a Secret Book. "You look like you have some experience in battle," he explained, before laughing at the teen's stoic face. "No need to conceal it. I've fought in many a battle in my time, you know. But anyways, I'm too old for this, so why don't you make some use of it?"
"...Thank you, sir," Aracho accepted, gently grabbing the book and putting it in his tome holster on the side. 'Wow, they're the same size, that's cool.' "Now, I'll have to get going."
"Ah, youngsters! Go ahead." With the elder's blessing, Aracho ran out of the small village as the gates closed. Running south around the hills, Aracho saw that Eliwood and the rest of the group had already moved further north, if the trail of bodies and their sloppy footsteps had anything to say about it. With the tracking skills he learned from Uhai, he easily found the Pheraean fighting the fat bandit leader with some blue-haired axe wielder.
"Is everyone alright?" Aracho asked Marcus as he ran up. "The villagers closed the gate safely."
"Good to hear. Lord Eliwood and the rest are in good health, thanks to the timely intervention of Lord Hector."
"Hector? Of...Ostia, right?" the teen asked. He wasn't really sure about all of these kids of nobles and stuff, but he did hear of Marquess Ostia having a rambunctious little brother.
"Yes, though I recommend that you learn to address people properly," the purple-haired man remarked. "Not all are as accommodating as Lord Eliwood."
"Noted," Aracho dryly said, not caring in the slightest. Seeing that all the bandits were taken care of, he and Marcus went up to the two nobles, who had begun chatting with a large knight in orange armor.
"...Think nothing of it," Hector, he guessed, said. "You know Oswin, don't you?"
"Well met, Lord Eliwood," the knight greeted in a strong voice.
"It is good to see you again, Oswin. So you came as well?" Eliwood asked with a much more relaxed body expression. He and this Hector must be really good friends, Aracho concluded quickly.
"Yes. Lord Uther was worried about Lord Hector traveling alone. I've been ordered to keep a close eye on him," the knight explained, giving the large axeman a hard stare that Aracho found pretty funny, to be honest. Before he could enjoy the reunion scene further, he caught the sight of…
"Oh no...Anyone but her," Aracho groaned.
"Lord Hector!" a girl with pink-haired pigtails screamed, running directly in the middle of the group and stealing all of the attention. "Why didn't you tell me the fighting was done!?" It was then he noticed Matthew of all people next to her, with a sheepish look on his face.
"I apologize for the interruption," the spy (HE KNEW IT) said. "I couldn't restrain her for any longer." For an instant that no one else caught, Matthew and Aracho made eye contact with each other, which promised a long talk in the near future.
"Are these your companions, Hector?" Eliwood asked with a small smile on his face, obviously amused at the display.
"Oh...yes," Hector sighed, taking a fleeting glance at Serra. "I suppose they are. One could have hoped for better, but…"
"That was uncalled for!" the cleric shouted, to everyone's displeasure. "I can't believe he said that! Matthew, did you hear what he said about you?"
"Wha-Me? He looked at you!" the thief countered.
"Hector, why don't you introduce us?" Eliwood interrupted, killing the banter between the two workers of House Ostia.
"The noisy one is Serra," Hector bluntly started, putting a smile on Aracho's face. "Believe it or not, she's a cleric."
"Yes, I am Serra, my Lord," the girl dramatically repeated, bowing before Eliwood. "Pleased to meet you!"
"And that's Matthew," Marquess Ostia's brother continued before Serra could say more words. "He does a lot of...sneaking around." At the response, Eliwood's face took a more serious expression, catching the double meaning of what his friend said.
"My lord," Matthew tried to cut in, before deciding it best not to say anything else.
"Sneaking...around," Eliwood slowly repeated, disapproval obvious in his voice.
"Well, I...er...gather information, open doors, chest and such. I've got...nimble fingers!" the thief sheepishly explained, offering a small smile and a scratch of the head.
"That sounds...like a thief's work," Eliwood plainly said.
'I mean, you're traveling with an assassin, Eliwood. Matthew's not even the worst you'd be around,' Aracho rationalized in his head. 'Then again, he doesn't know I'm in an organization of assassins...This is gonna be one strange trip.'
"This journey...I suspect it will be harder than you imagine," Hector warned. "You may have to accept things like this if you want to survive." Not that a spy was actually that dirty of a job, Aracho thought, but he was in full agreement with Eliwood's friend. Undercover work was often the most important work to be done, and...well, let's just say that just because a job gets dirty doesn't mean it doesn't have value.
"What is it, Hector? Do you know something?" Eliwood questioned, watching the worried look on his friends face.
"Nothing specific," the other teen answered. "Rumors abound, though. A league of assassins from Bern have been moving around in Lycia."
Aracho mentally perked at the noble's words. They had been keeping track of him? He and Ursula had been the only ones assigned to this region as far as he knew. Well, when it came to doing the heavy-duty dirty work, at least.
"Experienced bounty hunters and mercenaries are vanishing," Hector said.
'Could they be talking about me?' Aracho thought,
"One stray word says that they brought about Marquess Araphen's end."
'Yup, they are definitely talking about me.'
"That reminds me…" Eliwood started again, bringing the turquoise-haired boy out of his thoughts. "One of the men who attacked us said something odd."
"What was it?"
"Lord Hector, if I may?" Marus intervened, speaking up for the first time in the conversation. Seeing the man talk put a smile on Hector's face.
"Marcus! Good to see you!"
"Lord Hector, it has been far too long. Your assistance is greatly appreciated," the paladin thanked.
"Come on, Marcus. No need for such formalities," Hector said.
'Okay, these Lycian noble kids are really weird,' Aracho thought, noting that this was the second one in a row that completely disregarded titles and rules and all the drivel of nobles. 'Must be something in the water,' he mentally shrugged.
"...Someone wanted him dead," he caught Marcus telling Hector, who furrowed his eyebrows in worry and confusion at the statement.
"Hm...That is troubling," the Ostian agreed. "Actually, a captain of the guard was watching the fight when we arrived. He was a knight of Santaruz, yet he did nothing as a lord was attacked. I think he was planning on seeing you die."
"Hmm…." Eliwood seemed to be in deep denial, given what he told Aracho earlier about his relationship with the marquess of Santaruz. "Aracho...What do you think of this?" he asked, surprising the boy.
"Well, uh...We were already en route there," he started. "It wouldn't hurt to check on your friend."
"...You may be right," he muttered. "Something may have happened to Lord Helman...We must hurry to the castle!" he announced, before a tap from Hector took his attention.
"Eliwood. Who is this?" he asked, pointing directly at Aracho.
"This is Aracho. He is a mage who is giving us aid in search of my father."
"A mage? So that must've been the source of thunder on a clear day," Hector deduced.
"He is very skilled in his art," Eliwood defended. "Already, his magic ability and uncanny senses have proven useful."
"Uncanny?" Hector asked, taking another gaze at the kid. "...All right. I suppose that I'll soon witness your skills firsthand. Well met, Aracho."
"Ditto!" the teen smiled, nodding his head. Not expecting such a reply, Hector looked questioningly at Eliwood.
"Er...He's not a very formal person," the Pheraean sheepishly explained.
"All the better. It will be a breath of fresh air," Hector decided, making Aracho smirk in victory. "Come, we must make haste to Lord Helman." Continuing on the road, the mage once again found himself caught in his thoughts while they made their way through the region.
Someone from had been keeping tabs on the Black Fang. No one would know it was him specifically, but them knowing that they were from Bern and connecting them to the recent deaths would only mean...There really was a spy in the Fang. 'I have to let Ursula know as soon as possible,' Aracho resolved. Although the plan regarding Sonia was the most important for the Fang in the long-term, this sort of breach was still too dangerous to let go unchecked.
"Hello! How have you been, Archy?" Matthew asked with a large smile on his face.
"Just fine, Matthew," the kid returned. Despite the continued cat-and-mouse game of information gathering between the two that routinely occurred during their time with Lyn, they did have a genuine bond of friendship to some extent. "How's the spy game coming along?"
"Ah, my secret revealed," he sighed sarcastically, before taking a slightly smug smile. "Although I bet you suspected that for a long time. Now if only I could find out your secret…"
"Hmm...maybe one day," Aracho cryptically decided, looking towards the sky. "You've got a lot more scurrying around to do to find that out."
"Well, regardless, it looks like we're traveling together again," Matthew commented, before raising a hand. "Here's to our mutual survival!"
"Gotcha!" Aracho agreed, returning the high-five with the thief. Despite his outward disposition, the teen only hoped that Matthew's survival didn't depend on finding out about the Black Fang...or his part in it.
XXXXX
A/N: Wow, that one popped out really quick! Welp, I have a quiz tomorrow and it's almost 11 PM, so have fun, review por Dios, and good night!
Blizzard, out!