Hector: GE doesn't own Fire Emblem, and any of the sign-up characters, save Nina.
Nino: This fanfic is rated PG for now, but the rating will go up. Sorry!
Etruria Countryside
In Etruria, the sky was a grey haze, covered by clouds which promised rain, or even a nice thunderstorm. Underneath all this, three carriages clicked along a gravel road, followed by a fleet of paladins and cavaliers. However, one carriage wasn't for a lord or lady. Instead, it was for three guards.
Nina and Luna, two friends in service to House Ostia, gazed out of the carriage window with the eyes of two teenagers saddened by days of travelling. It was a very long road from Ostia to Etruria, after all.
Nina and Luna could have been mistaken for sisters, for their light silver hair matched almost perfectly, and they had the same fair skin. However, Nina had bright green eyes while Luna had blue eyes that held the sky in their gaze.
At the moment, Nina was fiddling with the collar on her blue mercenary uniform, while Luna was adjusting her almost black cape, which matched her sky blue skirt and shirt.
"Hey Luna," Nina asked suddenly, "are we there yet?" Luna sighed deeply while stifling a laugh. Nina tried her best to make everyone happy.
"Not yet, you two," a man in the carriage answered for Luna. "We are about fifteen minutes away, by my estimate." The man in the carriage was a general, yet he had trained both Nina and Luna on how to be good knights of Ostia.
"Oswin, don't you think Lord Hector might like to know that information?" Nina enquired
suddenly, "Shouldn't you go tell him"
Oswin nodded in agreement as he opened the door of the still moving carriage. In a feet which would seem impossible, he jumped out and landed on his feet, almost cat-like.
Nina pondered his odd movements as Luna slammed the door shut. How could he, a burly general, jump out of a moving carriage and land on his feet when she, a young and agile mercenary, not burdened by his armour, usually landed on her rear?
"So," Luna stated, "we are going to a meeting of lords, ladies, and heroes, Nina. What will you be doing first?"
"I'm not sure," Nina replied. "I have to stay with Marquess Hector, so that ruins my time. You?" Nina was still angry at the newly instated marquess, who had made her guard him while he was in Etruria.
"Don't get angry at Hector," Luna countered. "Oswin assigned guard duty, so accuse him of wasting your time. Did you really think he would guard Marquess Hector? He's going to that meeting as well"
'That meeting' was a convention of warriors who had fought the dragons, and Nergal. They would formulate a plan for another attack of dragons, and work together to stop the world from dying out.
"Dmn him," Nina muttered. "As soon as I become strong enough, I'm going to beat him! He always hated me, ever since we first met!"
"Nina!" Luna stammered. "That isn't a nice thing to say! He's our mentor, and, like it or not, our superior. He will be the one to decide if you use that knight crest or not."
Luna was referring to Nina's treasure, a knight crest Luna had stolen from an enemy base. Oswin has almost taken it, if not for the Marquess. He had given it to Nina, for safe-keeping.
"HE will decide?" Nina questioned, her voice raised. "No, Luna. He can't do that! It isn't-" As she was about to say 'right', the carriage stopped, making the two jump.
"Welcome to Etruria!" Marquess Hector yelled at them from outside, "So come on out!" Luna and Nina obeyed, opening the creaking door on their side, and jumping out.
"I guess Oswin was wrong," Luna whispered to Nina as they bowed for Marquess Hector. "That was only five minutes!"
Marquess Hector, still a force to reckon with, stood above them, arms folded while a small wolf pup, the same silver colour of Luna's hair, sat beside him. It was Andrea, Luna's wolf friend, as she called it.
"Good day, Marquess Hector," they both chanted, using their good manners, courtesy of Oswin. "How are you?"
"Dead on my feet," he muttered, "Oswin talked my ears off! Now, I have a little quest for the both of you." This made Nina's ears perk up slightly, while Luna's rose considerably.
"I need you to spy on someone," Hector continued, "who Eliwood and I both believe is betraying him. He goes by the name of Marcus. Do you know him?"
"Who doesn't?" Nina replied, "He's infamous for his work ethics. But why would he go bad?" Hector guffawed at this.
"Work ethics?" he asked, "He practically beats his students! But yes, it is odd he has gone evil so late in his career. Is it for power? Money? Or if he playing someone else as easily as us? No matter. You must find out. Even if it is a.... negative result, so to speak, Marquess Eliwood and I need to know. Understand?"
"Yes, Marquess Hector," they chanted together.
Western Isles Clan Village
Meanwhile, a small port village was burning, black wisps of smoke rising above the ill-fated town. No screams were heard, and no one tried to flee from the flames.
They had all been slaughtered, murdered by a demon who went by only one name.
Dullahan.
End
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