A/N – Hello hello! A couple of you might know me. I wrote a Matthew/Leila one-shot a while back. And now I'm here with another Fire Emblem fic, this time, full-length! I'm guessing this'll be pretty long, I have a lot of stuff planned out for it. While this isn't exactly a romance fic, there are strong pairings in it. I'll note right now that the pairings are Karel x Guy and Matthew x Guy in major roles. There will probably be some Legault x Heath and Raven x Lucius in later chapters, though. Karel x Guy, as far as I know, hasn't been written yet and I think they'd make an interesting pair. If you don't like shonen-ai, leave now. You have been warned.

Disclaimer – Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo. All I own is a copy of the game, and this fic.

"Double-Edged"

Chapter One – Crawling

Guy fell.

Panting, the myrmidon thrust the point of his sword into the dry earth and used it to hoist himself up. He looked at his master, Karel, with a defiant flare in his eyes.

He wouldn't give up. The young Sacaen had needed to beg the sword-demon just for the opportunity to train with him, and now he could barely even spar against him in a training match without failing miserably. He felt like such a child.

Guy pulled the blade out of the ground and held it unsteadily in front of him, pointing it at Karel. "Come on." He said, "Come at me!"

Karel said nothing in reply. His face showed no emotion as he carefully sheathed his own blade, not taking his eyes off his apprentice. Those eyes made Guy feel even weaker. Cold, unblinking killer's eyes. The only other expression they could manage was a look of bloodlust. Guy was glad one of the eyes was usually hidden under Karel's thick brown fringe. He feared the eyes.

"You lack skill." Karel hissed, "Be grateful. If you had power enough to match my own, I would kill you. As it stands...my blade has no desire to taste your blood. Be gone." He turned his back, ready to walk away.

"Are you mocking me?!" Guy shouted. Karel's words had sounded like a taunt to his ears. He was angry now, and he felt insulted. He did not lack skill! If Karel would spar against him now, he would prove it. He'd teach Karel for looking down at him so much – he'd cut him down to size right now!

"If you're so certain I can't win, Master, then come and defeat me now!" Guy yelled, shaking as he took one step forward with the sword still gripped in his sweaty palms, gritting his teeth and glaring at the back of Karel's turned head. The sword-demon neither accepted nor declined the boy's challenge. He did not speak. He didn't even move.

"I...I'll fight you!" Guy shot out, fighting with his voice to hide his exhaustion, "I'll fight you here and now!"

Karel turned. His eyes met with Guy's and what might have been a small smile crept onto his features. "Your training for today is over." He said in the same low, hissing voice he always spoke in. It was a firm statement. Unarguable. He went on. "Seek me out in a few days at a time when you are sure Lord Eliwood will not need either of us, and your training will continue." He turned and started to silently, swiftly walk away, not waiting for any form of a response from Guy.

When the braided youth was sure that his master was not going to look back, he sheathed his sword and tiredly flopped down into the tall grass. He closed his eyes, tired, and as he began to fall asleep he reminded himself of his life's goal.

He would become the best swordsman in all of Sacae.

No, the best swordsman in all of Elibe. He'd be even better then the legendary sword-demon, Karel.

If it killed him.

Halfway across the group's camp, Matthew leaned against a tree, only half listening to Legault, who had casually approached him and started to talk cheerfully.

His eyes were focused on Karel. The sword-demon was walking with stealth through the camp. Much of the group had already retired into a tent to sleep for the night, but Matthew had never seen Karel sleep – of course he wasn't.

Matthew had been watching his and Guy's training sessions since they had first started. At first it was out of curiosity, but now there was that and worry making him be sure to oversee the training sessions.

Karel was an amazing swordsman, no doubt about it. He was very hard on Guy. Merciless and cruel – even to his student.

The only difference between Karel's fights with Guy and his fights with enemies on the battlefield seemed to be that Guy was never seriously wounded, and of course, hadn't died. Yet.

There was fear in Matthew, even if he didn't know it yet himself. Fear that if this went on, Guy would become just like Karel. Another sword-demon, emotionless and dominated by the thirst for blood and battle. The thief wouldn't just stand by and let that happen.

"Karel, hmm?" Legault's voice broke Matthew's mental barrier, startling him.

"Yeah, what about him?" Matthew snapped back.

"No need to be angry with me, now." The other thief said coolly, nonchalantly running a hand through his long, lilac-coloured hair, "I noticed you were watching him. That's all."

Matthew snorted. "What does it matter to you?" He said brusquely. He was in a bad mood. A very bad mood.

"I wouldn't get involved with him." Legault answered, though the question was rhetorical, "He's a creepy fellow." But by the time he finished, Matthew was already walking over to Karel.

Legault sighed. "Well, well, well...I'm certainly not a very popular fellow, now am I?"

-End Chapter One-

A/N – Well, what did you think? Loved it? Hated it? Tell me. I appreciate ALL feedback – except flames. Constructive criticism is welcome. I personally think that so far I've gotten everyone's characters down pretty good. Not sure about Matthew, but he's rarely in a bad mood at all. XD Please review and tell me what you think. I'll have chapter two up as soon as possible! Bye for now!