Disclaimer: I do not Fire Emblem or anything associated with it.
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The next day…
"Are we close yet?" Guy asked Aracho. As it were, the two of them, Wil, Dorcas and Bartre were walking close to each other. After the event at Castle Caelin, Eliwood and the others decided it best to head to a place called Badon to seek someone for passage to the foreboding Dread Isle, a place of mystery where Eliwood's father and Marquess Laus would be.
"We should be…" Wil answered, pointing forward. The vague outline of a town could be seen from where they were. "That should be it. We're not far!"
"I wonder what this place is like…" Dorcas muttered.
"Badon is a place for tough people!" Bartre put in. "They have an arena, and those people are all heavyweights!"
"An arena, you say? That sounds interesting," Guy muttered, looking at his sword for a moment. "Maybe I should try my hand at it."
"If you want to," Aracho shrugged. "Just make sure that you have something to patch yourself up or you'll end up a bloody mess."
"My nemesis is at one of these arenas," Bartre continued, narrowing his eyes. "When I next find her, I'll make her regret ever challenging me!"
"...Her?" Aracho said, raising an eyebrow. "Never mind, don't say anything," he quickly amended at seeing the fighter ready to explode on a tangent.
"Alright, everyone! Listen up!" Hector called, catching everyone's attention. Coming together, the group looked at the three Lycian Lords to see what would next be said.
"When we enter Badon, Hector, Lyn and I will go directly to the port," Eliwood informed. "If you would, the rest of you stay close by the inn so that we won't lose you." With a collection of nods and "yes," the group continued their journey until reaching the seaside town. "Okay, we will return shortly," the Pheraean told Aracho before leaving off with Lyn and Hector.
"What are we going to do now?" Guy asked, seeing as Dorcas and Bartre went to go talk about something and Wil left to talk to Rebecca.
"I think I know," a new voice answered. Recognizing it, Aracho turned around to see a blue-haired woman in a dark-colored dress looking at him expectantly, with her hands on her hips in what seemed like annoyance.
"...Aracho?" Guy called slowly. "Who is...this?"
"This is my sister," the teen responded to his friend with a smile. "I will be right back. Anyone asks, I went to get some fresh air and look around. Got it?" At the Sacaean's nod, he and Ursula went around the inn, into a house that seemed to be closed off. Little did anyone else know, it was a Black Fang safe house. Unhooking the gate and "unlocking" the door, the Blue Crow walked inside before taking a seat, closely followed by her student.
"...So, traveling with nobles, aren't you? I got your message...and paid your bill," she started, giving the grinning boy a stink eye.
"Thank you for that. But yeah, Eliwood of Pherae is on a trip to find his father, the Marquess," Aracho informed, his expression turning serious. "I joined him when a knight of his in Pherae went around looking to hire extra help. We went to Santaruz, then Laus, where an Ephidel apparently tried to kill him at every turn. Also, you know anything about a hit put on Hector, Marquess Ostia's brother? I overheard him saying something about an assassination attempt a while ago."
"Ephidel is one of Nergal's right hands, alongside Sonia and Limstella," the woman answered. "As for Marquess Ostia's brother, it must've been a small-time group of people who thought they could do more than they're capable of. They never do last long," she off-handedly insulted. "Ephidel more than likely directly ordered that. Brendan has been quiet, more or less, since your job in Araphen."
"Hm...We're going to the Dragon's Gate. After I get back, we'll have to get Lloyd in on it. We've already wasted enough time as it is," Aracho sighed.
"...Remember, Uhai is at the Dread Isle. He's the leader of the outside reconnaissance on the island," Ursula said.
"I know. What about it?"
"When your little friends get there, they'll most likely have to confront him. What will you do? Either way, I doubt that your cover will last the entire time you're there."
"..." Aracho didn't say anything. The thought of the group he had been traveling with fighting against someone he knew did come to mind, but he simply resigned to keep it out of his head. Now that they were closer than ever to that eventuality, the assassin found himself overwhelmed by the question.
"Do you have any leads on the spy?" Ursula continued, sparing him the previous question.
"Yeah, I-" He stopped before thinking about what he saw the day before in Castle Caelin.
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"You need to visit my hometown."
"Is this where you were born? Why?"
"...To meet my parents."
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He could easily point Leila out and let her die without another word. All he had to do was give the description and it would be done.
But...He couldn't do that to Matthew. The spies had something special for each other, and he couldn't...No...That's not how he would be.
"I don't have too much, but it seems like the spy comes from Etruria, not Lycia," Aracho lied. "We wouldn't be in a good position to weed them out until this Sonia problem is solved."
"...I see." Getting up from the chair, she started her way outside, closely followed by the turquoise-haired teen. "How is your magic coming along?"
"Upper A-rank with Fire and solid A-rank Thunder magic. I've finished the advanced fire book you gave me two months ago. Chain spells don't tire me out like they used to, and...Wind is...frustrating me," Aracho said honestly. "The book is nothing but philosophical mumbo-jumbo."
"All tomes are like that, Aracho," Ursula said with a roll of her eyes. "Get over it and think critically. Wind requires much more than skill; a certain level of mental and emotional freedom must be realized or you will never learn it."
"Gee, thanks…" As they walked outside the house, the Four Fang member pulled something out of a bag and gave it to the younger one. Looking it over, it was a blue tome with a slight green tint on it.
"It's a tome on ice and wind manipulation. A step above what you've been trying to get," Ursula explained. "I expect you to have made significant progress in both shortly. If we're going ahead against Sonia anytime soon, you need to learn wind magic. She will prove not be a pushover."
"...Thank you, Ursie," Aracho thanked with a smile, knowing that the name irritated her to no end.
"Do not call me that," the woman growled, making the teen even more amused.
"What? You never complained when Lloyd called you that." Although he knew he was entering very dangerous territory with his magic teacher, he had to have some fun before the two parted.
"Archy? There you are!" a voice sounded before the banter continued. Looking over, the two saw Lyn walking over to them. "What are you doing here? And...you are?"
"...Ursula. I'm his magic teacher," she curtly said, putting on a stern, yet calm face. One that wouldn't quite match to being an assassin.
"Ah! This is her? She's beautiful," Lyn remarked. "I'm Lyn, a friend of Archy's. Well met."
"Well met, indeed."
"What happened? Where are Eliwood and Hector?" Aracho asked. Curiously enough, Lyn's face gained a bitter edge to it. After a second, however, she sighed and her features softened.
"They're trying to get pirates to take us to Valor," she revealed. "I don't like it one bit."
"I understand," he responded, recognizing that she most likely put pirates and bandits in the same position. And to be in the same place as bandits by Lyn's standards was a bad thing. "Not to offend you, but we may have no other way."
"I...I know, it's just...You know what? I'll just have to deal with it," the Sacaean resolved. "I'll go find them. Nice to meet you, Ursula." Waving, Lyn left the two alone.
"...Marquess Caelin's granddaughter, was it? The one you decided to get all involved in?"
"Don't make it sound bad. She patched me up after you know who tried to kill me. She's a good person."
"She seems to carry a lot of morals," Ursula noted absentmindedly. "How would she react to being friends with an assassin?"
"...Good question," Aracho sighed.
"Aracho, don't be scared of who you are. Running away from it will not help you," the woman said matter-of-factly. "I have to go."
"...Alright, I'll see you after I get back."
"...One more thing," the Blue Crow added right when Aracho started to leave. "There's a small gang of Black Fang in town by the arena; all of them new recruits that suck up to Nergal. They plan to kill Eliwood today. I don't like them, so you know what to do, Blue Raven."
Despite the situation, Aracho couldn't help but snort in laughter. Ursula, despite being a woman that prided herself on her cool head and self-control, was legendary for her pettiness. "Got it. Thank you, Ursula." Giving her a quick hug, he parted ways with the Blue Crow and made his way down the street to the inn, where he found Eliwood and Hector talking to Lyn. Everyone else had their weapons out, as if they were in a battle.
"Ah, there you are, Aracho!" Eliwood called.
"What in the world is going on?"
"Long story short, if we can make it to the pirate captain and past his crew, we get a free ride to Valor," Hector quickly summarized.
"They're all barricading the main way to the port, though…" Lyn mentioned. It was true, as the bulk of the pirates stood at the walls separating the town proper from the port area. "What can we do?"
"...Hey, you said that you just have to reach him, right?" Aracho asked. When he received a nod, he smiled before looking at Florina. "I have a plan."
"...What is it?" Eliwood asked, while Lyn's eyes opened wide in recognition.
"Florina can fly either you or Hector over. Just go over the houses and make sure to stay away from the pirate's line of fire and boom! Free ship."
"...That...Would you be willing to do such a thing?" Eliwood asked Florina, who looked ready to go.
"Y-yes. However I can help."
"Well, I'll hop on, then," Hector volunteered, making his way over to the pegasus. Huey, Florina's pegasus, gave a hefty neigh as Hector forced his way on its back. "Woah! Calm down, you!"
"H-Huey! It's alright," Florina said, lightly patting the flying beast's head before getting on herself. "W-We'll be back soon." With a red face, her and the Ostian rose to the skies before flying a little ways to the right, purposely away from the bulk of the pirate crew.
"...What are we to do, Lord Eliwood?" Marcus asked, while Aracho took out his daggers. Ignoring what was going on, he threw on his hood and started to go the way to the arena. About halfway there, he caught sight of a purple-haired man and a small group of cavaliers making their way through the area.
"Hey! You guys after Eliwood, right?" Aracho called, drawing their attention to them.
"...Who are you?" the paladin asked, gripping his Killing Edge tightly.
"There's been a change of plans. The Fang doesn't need you anymore." Before the others could make a move, the teen threw a dagger in the air. Snapping his right fingers, he unleashed an Elthunder spell on the paladin, effectively paralyzing him. Grabbing the suspended dagger, he threw it with astonishing accuracy, landing it directly into the man's forehead.
"Captain Damian!" one yowled, while the others attacked him. Foregoing his magic, Aracho took a one-handed knife stance. Dodging a lance from one of the Black Fang members, he disabled the fighter by cutting his arm and forcing him to drop his weapon. Before he could move back, the teenager found him with a cut on his shoulder from a lucky shot. Snapping his fingers again, he fried the one who attacked him with a strong bolt of electricity. Rid of that nuisance, he saw that the last of them, a troubadour, had healed the man's arm in the short time that he took to kill the other one.
"Need a hand?" he heard from behind him. Recognizing it as Matthew, Aracho didn't feel it necessary to spare a look.
"You take the healer. I'll take the other one." Shooting forward, Aracho ripped the dagger out of Damian's dead body and directly engaged the last cavalier of the group. Dodging another lance attack, Aracho spun expertly, managing a slash to his stomach. When he instinctively curled up to grab his wound, the Blue Raven took the opportunity and slashed his throat. Letting the dead corpse fall off the horse, he looked up to see the spy walking back over to him with a serious expression on his face.
"Who were they?"
"Assassins out for Eliwood," he answered curtly.
"Black Fang?"
"Yup."
"...How did…"
"Where are the rest of them?" Aracho cut off, avoiding the question.
"They are engaged in combat with some pirates. They are fending them off while Lord Hector and Florina make their way to the pirate captain."
"I see...Time to get them over there, then." With that small conversation done, Matthew led Aracho back to where the bulk of the pirates had now engaged in combat with Eliwood and the others. The situation had seemed to descend into chaos, with everyone trying to hold off the surprisingly capable pirates in pairs, but being slowly overrun. Beginning to chant a spell, Aracho gathered magic in his hand before a yell pierced the air.
"That's enough, men! The whelps actually did it!" As if a spell had been broken, the pirates stopped fighting nearly instantly and retreated back, making a path for the rest of them to go directly to the peer. Clearly exhausted, Eliwood and Lyn, followed by everyone else, made their way to meet the pirate captain. Taking his way through and weaving to the front, Aracho got a better look at the captain; a towering fellow, even eclipsing Hector, hefting a giant axe and an even bigger presence.
When all of them gathered at the ports, the man released a heavy laugh. "You made it, whelps!"
"That...was hard," Hector said, looking glad he didn't stay back with everyone else, considering they looked like they fought their way out of hell.
"Hah…" Eliwood gasped, still trying to catch his breath. "You'll give us passage now...won't you?"
"I'm a man of the sea," the pirate captain proudly proclaimed. "I always keep my word." Just then, he laid eyes on Lyn, and his eyes seemed to shine when they landed on the Sacaean's form. Out of some sort of habit to protect, Aracho moved himself closer to the swordswoman. "Are my old eyes lyin' to me? Is this beauty really with you? Hah! My lucky day!" he said aloud, before going back with his crew to ready the ship.
Lyn, after the man left, simply huffed loudly with her eyes closed. "Listen, I know how you feel, but you have to accept it," Hector said, as if talking to a toddler. "We've no other choice!"
"I know that!" the Sacaean snapped. "I haven't said a word, have I?" Stepping away, the Ostian gave Lyn her space, though he looked as if he wanted to respond to her statement.
"You alright, Lyn?" Aracho asked his old friend.
"...As long as I remember that this is for Eliwood's father, and my grandfather...then I can deal with anything that's thrown at me," she resolved, making Aracho smirk. He tried to put a hand on her shoulder, though he winced as a pain came through his own shoulder. "Oh, Aracho! You're injured."
"I...must've forgot," the teen muttered as Lyn went to call over Priscilla, the closest healer at the moment. "Got to be more careful…" After a few moments, the green-haired woman came with Priscilla, who meekly greeted him. "It's right here," he guided, shifting so she could better see the wound. It wasn't deep by any means, but better to be safe than sorry, especially since they'd be going out to sea any minute now.
"Okay...one second, please." Taking out her Mend staff, the red-head put the blue ball over Aracho's shoulder, willing a soft glow to come over it. Within seconds, the boy's wound sealed completely, as if it never happened. Even though he had often been healed by Ursula after incidents before, he never did quite get over his amazement of the healing arts.
"Thank you, Priscilla."
"It's...no problem," she said, before walking away. Right as she walked, Hector called out loudly, gathering the attention of the entire squad.
"Everyone! The time has come to board the ship!" With that announced, the whole group took their way onto the pirate ship, making their way to the infamous Dread Isle, where they had no idea what they would face.
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That evening…
"Ugh…" Aracho groaned as he read through the book that Ursula gave him earlier that day. "Why can't this stuff just start making sense!?" he half-screamed to himself.
"Archy? Is something bothering you?" a voice said, throwing the assassin out of his zone. Looking up from the book for the first time since they got on the boat, he saw Lyn walking up to him. "You haven't taken your eyes off that book since we boarded."
"Ursula gave it to me in Badon," he told her, finding it okay to speak her name since Lyn and Guy were the only two that knew about her. "It's a new part of my training, and it's utterly kicking my butt."
"Well...what's the hard part? I've never seen you struggle with any magic like this before...Maybe some hands-on practice could help you?" she suggested.
Aracho promptly shook his head in the negative. "Wind magic is too dangerous for that. One thing goes wrong, either someone gets shredded into a million pieces or the ship gets a big hole on its side. I just wish I knew how to get over this block."
"Block?" Lyn echoed, her face tightening in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"See, anima magic is strongly related to the mind and emotions, and plays a larger role the deeper a mage gets in their practice," he explained. "Fire magic, for example, is at its peak when the mage in question has strong passions and convictions. Thunder magic relates to mental agility and adaptability. It's expression is blinding, fleeting, and beautifully terrifying altogether. A balance of the two allows the cold-blooded fire, as it's sometimes called, to be its deadliest. Wind magic...is an expression of mental and emotional freedom," he continued, sighing. "In theory, the wind anima element becomes fully accessible to one who can detach themselves from their deepest worries and fears, achieving emotional harmony between the natural world and their spiritual being."
"...One with the natural world," Lyn muttered, deep in thought. After a few seconds, her face brightened up as a realization came to her mind. "Sacae!"
"...Sacae?" Aracho repeated, not following what she meant.
"Do you remember when we were in Sacae?" the Lorca asked him. Nodding slowly, his expression told Lyn to continue talking. "I know it wasn't for long, but...Do you remember the plains?" she questioned, with a twinkle of nostalgia in her eye.
"...I do," Aracho said, closing his eyes. However, he wasn't just thinking about his time with Lyn. Another memory went through his head.
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Seven years ago…
Oh wow! This is amazing!" eight-year old Aracho screamed with excitement and amazement on his face. He smiled as nearly as wide as the sun as his light-blue hair blew all around his head. Just then, a strong bump caused him to stagger a bit, making him panic and hold on tighter to the man he was riding the horse with.
"Be cautious, Archy," the older one said. He wore a simple garb; a purplish colored bandana, and a similar colored shirt over a blue sort of hunting outfit. He had a small beard and a critical face, but it was easy to tell he was relaxed. Pulling the reins, he stopped the horse before getting off.
"Why did you stop, Uncle Uhai?" the young child asked as the man helped him off the horse.
"How does Sacae feel to you?" Uhai questioned, ignoring the young boy's question entirely. Shaking it off, Aracho looked up to the giant blue sky in thought.
"It's so...big. The wind feels so amazing, and the sky never ends!" he described, waving his hands dramatically. "I wish we could live here."
"You don't like Bern?" Uhai asked, surprised. He never expected that from the proud little child.
"It's not that," the adopted child of Brendan Reed denied, shaking his head. "But look at the sky! And the grass! And the animals, too! Whenever you take me here, I never want to leave! It's so beautiful and awesome and free. It makes me feel like I can do anything!" When he stopped explaining, he looked over to the man he called an uncle, and saw a forlorn expression on his face as he looked directly at the sea of grass before them. "Uncle Uhai? Are you okay?"
"...Never forget how Sacae makes you feel," the man suddenly said. "The freedom that the plains and skies of Sacae give you, take it wherever you go. Do not be afraid to let it show proudly. That is the mark of a true Sacaean." Aracho found himself breathless, unable to do anything but stare at Uhai before nodding slowly. Walking ahead, the child closed his eyes, focusing on nothing except the freeing feeling of the wind blowing and the vibrant sun striking his skin.
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Unbeknownst to Aracho, he started crying as he recounted the memory, much to Lyn's worry. "Archy? Archy, are you alright?" she asked, kneeling down next to him. "Did I bring up a bad memory?"
"No, you didn't," Aracho eased, drying his face with his hands. "...My uncle was a Sacaean. He taught me about the plains and would often take me on rides when I was little. He taught me about the meaning of the plains."
"...Have you been able to see him? I can only imagine that he means a lot to you…" she commented, starstruck by the fact that Aracho had such a close relation to Sacae that she never knew about.
"...You know something, Lyn?" the boy started, completely ignoring her question. "I never said thank you for saving my life back in Sacae."
"It's alright. You helped me out so much with my grandfather...you've always been such an amazing friend to me," she commented. "I'd love to meet your uncle after we get through this. I'm sure he's an amazing person."
"...I'm sorry," Aracho said. Before Lyn could ask what he meant, the boy hugged her, before standing up and leaving to go somewhere else.
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The next day…
'...Oh Uhai,' Aracho thought as he looked at the tome in his hands. It was not any of the two wind tomes he carried, but the old Elfire tome that was gifted to him 5 years ago by his family for his 10th birthday. Opening the cover of the ragged and used book, he looked at the poorly drawn picture that took up the bottom half of the picture. With his left hand, he lightly touched the drawing over the Sacaean member of the group. "What should I do?" he asked aloud, recounting the memories that he shared with the man they had seemed destined to fight when they reached the island.
'Well...maybe we won't see him. Yeah! That's how it'll go,' he said to himself optimistically. "...Don't be afraid to show it proudly," he recounted, closing his eyes. There was so much at stake here, it was impossible to choose whether or not he should-
A giant rock of the ship interrupted his thoughts. Instantly on alert, he stored the old tome in favor of a Bolting tome and ran up to the upper part of the ship, with a lot of the group coming up behind him. "It's bad, Captain!" he heard one of the pirates say as he arrived on deck. "We need all hands below deck, or we'll sink."
"Take care of it!" Fargus ordered, lifting his axe in challenge. "I'm going to carve these scallywags some new gizzards!"
"We need your help! The water's up to the galley!" Dart refused. "You must come below, Captain!"
The man growled in obvious dislike of the current trajectory of the situation before them. "Fargus! Leave the enemy to us!" Eliwood volunteered as more people came up to see what was going on.
"Fighting is something we're good at!" Hector added, flexing to the old pirate. "But a sinking ship? That's your affair! You have to do something, or we'll all drown!"
"We'll deal with things up here," Lyn told the man, seemingly putting her dislike of pirates aside for the moment. "Please, hurry!"
"Fine!" Fargus finally relented. "The deck is yours! I'll be back as soon as we've plugged the breach in the hull!" he howled as he led the rest of his crewmen to the inside of the ship. Turning back to the Lycian Lords, Aracho's eyes widened greatly when he saw Ninian of all people in Lyn's arms.
"Lyn! Take her to that room!" the Pheraean said, pointing to a single room by the top of the ship. Most likely the captain's quarters. Shouting in affirmation, the Sacaean quickly ushered the strange girl up there while everyone else took out their weapons, seeing two ships connected to theirs, stacked with soldiers out for blood.
"Here they come!" Hector warned as the Black Fang members, if their robes were anything to go by, started to cross the walking planks onto their ship.
"Can we ever get a break?" Aracho sighed as he started chanting his first spell. Who knows? Maybe a fight will give him the clear head he needed to think through the mess he found himself in.
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A/N: That's it, folks! Next chapter should be up soon, considering that semester is almost over (three weeks, y'all!) and I'm slated to be back in Georgia (the state, not the country) in May. Oof, I'm so excited! No offense to Florida people, but the culture back home is [almost] worth dying for...Well, besides the more negative things, but positivity! See ya later!
Blizzard, out!