I watched calmly, and ducked away from the arrow sent at me. It was a simple matter to dodge it, and it hit harmlessly beside me. Serra squealed, and poked it with her foot. A battle raged on around our heads, and you would think we would be frightened in the least bit. None of us were. We were all too battle worn to be frightened any more. With or without truly knowing it we had excepted the fact we were only a hair's breath between death every moment we fought.

No one, except the very strong, were sent out without a partner. Serra, and Matthew were loitering about by me, Serra squealing every time she saw blood. Matthew, being a thief, went for the vulnerable places- neck, stomach, messy things like that. I watched as we advanced, men falling under our feet.

It was strange. Something made my stomach twist into knots.

"Lord Eliwood, Serra, and Matthew! Move forward and attack that group right there!" The tactician yelled over the battle's din. We moved forward, and I found myself facing a pirate. He swung his axe. I ducked his blow, and sunk my sword into his stomach. He pulled back, and swung again. This time if hit me squarely in the arm. Blood seeped down by arm, and the bone shattered. The drew myself together, and dispatched the pirate quickly. For a moment the pain bore me to my knees, and then it was gone after Serra healed me. I still wanted it to be there.

Distracting, bleeding, hurting.

"Lord Eliwood, you should be more careful." Matthew warned casually. I nodded, and hated him. Hector had asked him to watch me, make sure I stayed out of trouble. I hated him. I looked about, and saw Hector fighting. He glanced over at me, and I cast him a smile. I hated him more then anyone, anything, even the murderers of my Father. Nergal, the Black Fang.

I moved slightly, and let a lance slid across my shoulder and ducked so it would pass back over my shoulder easily. The cavalier's horse stamped impatiently, and I watched as another member of our army moved in and killed it. It was almost like a dance. Everyone moving in turn, each move had to be precise, or it was your death. The heat of the battle was upon us, and we grouped closer together. The enemy came from every direction now, and the air was full of arrows, and crackling magic. Thinking of the people who would be left with our mess made me hesitate, and I received another wound. They would be left with our battle field. They would have to pick up the bloody pieces or our war, and live their lives on this ruined soil.

The ground was now a mess of blood, turned up grass, and bodies. The horse picked their way over the fallen men gingerly, and the pegasai refused to land on them. It was a strangely revernt way we went around after the battle. Serra, and Lucius would pray for the dead; whether they were our enemies or someone who tried to help us. To the cleric, and monk they were all the same after they died, or so they said. They died fighting for their cause, and we would die fighting for ours.

My feet slipped out from under me on the bloody grass, and a spear pinned my cloak to the ground. I twisted around, to miss the arrow that was shot at me, and yanked the spear out of my cloak. It weighed heavily in my hand, and I dropped in quickly. There was too much going on not too. Battles were never as orderly as they are told to be no matter how well organized you are at the start. Everyone's fighting for their life, and sometimes they lose.

I fell against someone's back to dodge a blow, and watched the bolting crash haplessly into the ground. Slowly the endless barrage began to let up, the enemies weren't so thick now. We could breath. No one else came, and we were sent near the arena for a rest, and more fighting. I sat down away from the arena entrance, and watched a few of our fighters go in, and out. It was a lull between attacks, and we knew it, but we would take the rest while we could.

I stared up at the sky, and watched the clouds float by in a peaceful way. "Lord Eliwood, you're not injured are you?" A concerned voice asked from above and to my left. I looked up and saw Lowen standing off his horse, bleeding from a gash on his arm.

I frowned. "Myself injured? Lowen, you should be more concerned about yourself. I'm fine, go find a healer, and have them tend to you." Lowen started to protest, but I shook me head. "Lowen, there goes Lucius, he'll tend to you. Now go." Lowen could not refuse a direct order from me, so he walked off.

"You faired well in the battle Eliwood." Lyndis said absently from beside me. I jumped. I had not known she was anywhere near me.

Lyndis smiled in mirth, and apology. "Sorry Eliwood, I though you knew I was here."

"No, it was my fault for not being attentive. Though, you could sneak up on anyone you wanted to." I spoke with a light tone.

Lyndis shook her head. "I can't sneak up on Rath, or Guy."

"It must be the Sacean blood then."

"Of course it is."

"I saw you fighting, Lady Lyndis, you're improving daily."

"Lyndis or Lyn please Eliwood."

"Sorry, Lyndis."

"It alright." Lyndis stretched her arms around her knees, and grinned slightly. "You've been getting better yourself Eliwood, you've not be nearly so clumsy today as you were last time we fought."

I could always trust Lyndis to be blunt about such things. Saceans didn't lie. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." I lied. Oh, I knew what she meant. I had been more clear headed then I had for a long while, and had found no reason to let myself abstain unneeded injuries.

"Maybe you don't, but you have been." Lyndis leaned back, and looked up at the clouds like I had been doing a few moments ago. "It's better at night." She muttered.

"What?" I blinked and stared at her.

"The sky is better at night. It's nicer to look at the stars then clouds, I mean." Lyndis explained.

"I guess." I hadn't ever though to compare clouds and stars, they were to different, and irrevalent. Just two other things.

"You should relax more, and take more time looking at nothing." Lyndis advised. "It helps keep yourself calm."

I nearly laughed. Calm? When was the last time I'd been truly calm. Not in years had I been utterly calm at heart. Not even in my sleep now. Every moment of my life was tense, nothing could completely calm me ever again. "I'll try it Lyndis."

Lyndis nodded. "Good."

"More reinforcements are coming!" Florina warned from her high vantage point. "They're moving fast." She added in a hushed voice, flushed from her loud call.

Lyndis stood up, placing a hand lightly on her sword. "I'll see you after the battle Eliwood."

I stood and dusted myself off. "You as well, Lyndis." I was told to stay at the back this time. We regrouped our formation, and I found myself with Wil, and Rebecca. Wil was chattering with Rebecca who did not try to hush him. Even though Wil seemed distracted I knew he was watching the advancing enemies, waiting for them to come in range. The archers bent their bows back as soon as the enemy was in range, and let arrows fly.

I dodged some shot at us, and the battle began again. The healers dashed through the throngs, healing, one moment, and killing the next. The weaker were carefully placed for the stronger bombardment, and the stronger were cutting a way through. It was chaotic again. I was jumbled around, pushed more toward the front. The enemies were stronger now. They waited for a weak unit to be drawn away, then descended on them with every intention of ripping them apart. They were barely saved each time, either by fleeing before their death, or being rescued by a stronger unit.

Once again the enemy forces began to dwindle, but we didn't stop to rest, we pushed froward. It was time to finish the fight. Weapons flashed with renewed energy as the end of the battle came near. The enemy forces tried to regroup, and attack again, but they were outdone. It was easier for our units to fight when they could see the end of battle. The dance become faster, more complicated. Each stroke was faster, harder. I ducked out of the way, and leaned against a doorframe to watch.

Blood coated the ground like rain, and dismembered bodies littered the streets. One by one they enemies were killed, until there was only one left. He was the man supervising the attack, and he watched us with confidence. He was sure he could beat us. I move out of the doorway to get closer o the final fight, and slipped on the blood slick ground.

I stared down at the strange reflection in the blood, and lifted my hand to brush blood flecks from my face. More blood from my hand smeared across my face. It was a futile thing to try to wash the blood from yourself in a battle field. It was impossible. Everything was covered in blood, dead, and emotionless. I stood carefully, and pick my way across the field of death. The last man left was Linus.

I watched the man, one of the Four Fangs, fight bravely, but it was an unfair match. He had Erk, Lucius, and Wil firing at him from out of his range, and Lowen attacking him with a lance. He fought bravely to the end. The battle was finished. There were no victorious shouts, just worn soldiers gasping for breath, and nursing their wounds. Battle wasn't glorious, it was mass slaughter.

Death after Death. Fight after Fight.

"We're done here, let's head to camp, and get moving before anyone else shows up." Hector took charge as I fell into silence. "Serra, Lucius, we'll leave you to your work here." We gathered up our thoughts, weapons, and left. Serra and Lucius prayed earnestly for the fallen people, or it seemed to be in earnest. I always wondered if they were not just praying for a face. It would be a stretch for anyone to pray for their fallen enemies in true earnest. The ones who had tried to kill you while they were alive, and would still be trying if they were not dead. Still they prayed.

"Come on Eliwood, were moving out." Hector rested an arm over my shoulders, and carefully guided me through the maze of bodies.

I tried to relax, but it was hard to. I hated him. "Hector, I'm fine you know."

"I'm not so sure Eliwood, you seem a bit dazed." Hector did not sound worried, or even concerned. I clenched my teeth, and cursed my moment of lapse in mask.

"A little, but it's nothing to worry about." I slipped out from under Hector's arm, and smiled at him. "Just a little tired, that's all." Hector nodded. I let him pass me, and fell to the back of the group. I looked at the blood still on my hands, and stuck to my fingers. It wasn't my blood, but it was someone's blood. Had they had a mask they used? Had their mask been made by their blood? No, I doubted it. I was the only one. No one else knew what I was, and they could not know. How could they? No one knew, and if they did they would not understand. They would only walk away, and leave me alone.

A/N:(Yeah! I have a sticker!) It's longer, okay about three or four sentences longer, but I'm working on it. I'm afraid it's getting redundent. . Hopefully the plot will suface.(Plot plot? I remember no plot.) Oh, and a few thing to the reviewers. Yes Eliwood is over reacting, and not everyone is gossiping. Everyone but Eliwood is attempting to be in character.

AngelcDevil-So you know Eliwood is mad at me, but I tied him up to the ceiling fan, and he's gagged. . If looks could kill I'd be dead. Just remember, just because he starts out phsyocotic, doesn't mean it has to end with him being phsycotic! R&R please.