Disclaimer: Nope, I do not own Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.
The End of the Beginning
Bodies covered the battlefield.
Mangled forms of humans and their mounts leaked blood onto the grass, their still forms joined by the corpses of other…creatures. Beasts that were stronger than a dozen men, foul things born from the darkest nightmares all laid dead on the field of combat.
In the center of all these destruction stood a winged monstrosity, its eyes scanning around the clearing within the woods. Black, rough skin covered its ugly body, and occasionally red veins could be seen near the skin. It stood in front of a temple, its walls dark and foreboding.
It stood tall, it stood strong, but it stood alone.
The Demon King…
…Fomortiis.
A safe distance away, yet not letting it out of their sight, the remnants of the alliance army of Magvel gathered their banners. Fighting men of all locations congregated silently, most of them wore different uniforms, most of them did not know each other, and many most likely will never get that chance.
But they are here for a common cause…
…to defeat Fomortiis.
"How many men have we left?"
A man leading a contingent of white-armored soldiers asked his aide, his white cloaking flowing smoothly in the gentle breeze.
It has been a long march…
He waited patiently as the aide went to tally the numbers and report back, "Commander, we have seven hundred men whom can still fight."
He closed his eyes for a brief moment, mourning the losses they have suffered thus far. He then opened his eyes again, knowing there will be more to come.
By all that is holy, we had started with three thousand…
"Inform General Grado that the Order of Light is ready to march with his command." He spoke softly, his eyes trailing the men still under his charge.
"Aye, sir." His aide rode off, towards a temporary tent erected near the center of the army formation, a makeshift headquarters. Without looking at its direction, he knew that General Grado would be preparing for a final charge on Fomortiis, with the aid of the five Sacred Stones.
For many dark years the evil that plagued Magvel threatened to annihilate what remains of civilisation. Cities were destroyed, villages erased as the unholy horde swept away all efforts to stand against them. Just as humanity seems destined to be resigned to the pages of history books, a miracle happened.
Nobody really knew how the Sacred Stones came to be, not even the ones who found them. However, it was during this bleakest of time when five individuals, including General Grado, who came forth with these Stones. Armies flocked to his banner, and finally, the tide started to turn, lost territories were reclaimed, waves of evil creatures repelled. And in the two years, two long years of endless fighting and deaths, the alliance finally cornered the Demon King.
From the tent a great horn blew as the army started to move.
It was time.
As planned, the mounted units moved ahead first, some were banner-carriers of their respective armies, and proud did they ride. Though the alliance army had started with hundreds of thousands, and now it only had a small fraction left, it was still a sight to behold, for still tens of thousands of cavalry moved as one wave, closing the distance between them and the Demon King.
Behind, the infantry and the mages followed, marching at first, then picking up speed as they started to run. No one was eager to die, but should the alliance fail this day, there will be no one left on the continent to bemuse the fact.
The monstrosity did not respond at first, though as the front ranks of the mounted units reach it, its terrible claws took a huge swipe. Men and mounts were cleaved whole while others were flung away like some toys.
The Commander took a javelin from the bundle tied to his mount and threw it at the Demon King, his actions mirrored by the other horsemen as they closed to throwing range. Other tried to hack and slash at the Demon King's feet as it continued to swing those huge claws. Many javelins struck it, and most failed to penetrate it hide, yet as the assault continue, more and more javelins and spears found their marks at vulnerable area, open veins where the hide could not protect.
There was a flash of bright light, and a beam seared away many of the horsemen. Screams and moans filled the air as fatally wounded men struggle for breath.
With the arrival of the infantry and the mages, the battle escalated.
Fire and lightning struck the Demon King as archers and spearmen rained arrows and spears at the monster. Its claws and the demonic light continued to inflict heavy toll on the humans. However, slowly but surely, its claws started to swing slower, its demonic light flashed less frequently.
With slow, lumbering steps Fomortiis started to retreat back into the temple, and the brave humans of Magvel continued to attack it. After agonising hours, the Demon King was finally forced into a large chamber. Due to the constraints of the interior, a small but elite band of soldiers were chosen by General Grado as they confronted the evil being.
"You pitiful mortals dare to defeat me?"
Its roar was great, but they were undeterred. This was it, the final hour. The Commander looked on calmly as General Grado and a few others raised their Sacred Stones in unison.
There was another flash of light as the Demon King roared, not intelligently, but something primal, as something translucent and dark seemed to be dragged out of it. Beams flashed from its forehead as the monster thrashed about, pillars were cut asunder and stone slabs from the ceiling destroyed.
The dark mist gathered near the small war band and congregated into a solid stone.
"The Dark Stone." Someone murmured.
It was then that the chamber ceiling started to collapse.
"Everyone, out!" General Grado cried as they quickly ran out, just before the chamber collapsed on itself. Orders were quickly given for the chamber doors to be sealed as the heroes exited the temple.
The Commander took one last look at the Dark Stone, its black surface pulsing, as if it was alive.
He shivered.
At least the Demon King's soul has been bounded.
General Grado looked around when he exited the temple, the survivors numbered far too little from the original army the alliance had assembled. They looked tired, almost out of hope. He felt that it was finally time to break the good news, and what a news it was!
He held up the Dark Stone, and bellowed in a firm voice.
"The Demon King's soul is sealed! Victory is ours!"
Initially, there was only silence as the men looked shocked. Then the cheering swelled from a few small groups to engulf the whole army. Men cried and hugged their comrades as they had finally secured a bright future for their families, their friends, and Magvel.
The cheering lasted for days.
The celebration across Magvel lasted for weeks.
The peace that reigned lasted for centuries.
A/N: My take on how the Demon King was first defeated 800 years ago prior to the main plot . It also sets the stage for some OCs later on.