Disclaimer: I don't own FE and whatever.

Lyn's 8th chapter, w00t. Smaller update than usual because there's not much going on here.

Okay, changing names of the 2 last swords:

Einharjar: Sword of light, gem: Orihalcon: owner: guess

Etherion: Sword of darkness, gem: diamond: Owner to be determined

THE TACTICIANS' WISH

Lyn's Tale Chapter 8: Vortex of Strategy

"A small group of brigands? Erk, just fry them, we're all to sleepy to do anything," Hiro instructed the mage.

"Got it, chief," replied Erk, as he blasted the bandits with fireballs, burning those that didn't escape. "I love the smell of barbequed humans in the morning," said a satisfied Erk, who grinned sadistically.

"People will think you're a cannibal. You're scaring Florina, too," commented Hiro, who noticed that Florina was cowering behind Wil.

"Hey, I need stress relief. Serra made sleep right outside her tent, and it was cold as hell at night, because HER TENT IS SO FRIKKIN FAR FROM THE CAMPFIRE! I couldn't make another one because she went all 'protect the trees' on me," Erk said, a bit angrily. "SHEESH!"

Dragon Lands:

"...Lord Alveen," a dragon greeted the great fire dragon lord.

"I've heard that those 2 have left. Things aren't looking good for us; Lady Idoun is dying from childbirth," Alveen said.

"...But Idoun Jr. was born 50 years ago, milord," said the first dragon. "Is the process of cloning really this bad to the body?"

"Apparently so," Alveen replied. "But it does not matter if Idoun dies or not. Her clone will do much more than take over."

"...Rodrak, my son," Xiphias called to him.

"...Yes father?" The young silver dragon asked his father.

"I fear Alveen maybe planning something, now that our sword of protection, the Harusame, is gone. Be prepared to fight the fire dragons at any moment."

"...Yes father," Rodrak nodded.

"...come here, Idoun," Alveen coaxed a young black dragon. She came to him quietly. "Time to see how strong you truly are. We attack the light dragons today," he said to her, and she just nodded.

Karla reached an arena. 'I think I'll stay and get a job here for now.' She walked through the front gates to apply.

"Magvel? Sweet," Ian said, after being briefed on his mission by Mua. "Lina, let's pack up and get on the boat heading there tomorrow. And can I ask you a favor?" The orange haired girl nodded. "Will you lend some space in your backpack for some alcoholic beverages in case I get thirsty on the road?"

"...No, since I don't want to be carrying your drunk ass around the whole continent of Magvel," replied the archer.

"Damn," said a disappointed Ian.

"We're only 2 days away from reaching Castle Caelin now," Odin told the group.

"YES!" Erk jumped for joy, but then sighed. "But I still have to escort Serra to Ostia after that...this blows."

"Can you make them stop talking about guys? It's making me feel...I don't know, unloved," Wil commented.

"But you're the one with a girlfriend. And she's scared of guys, to boot," Erk replied.

When Ninian was about to say something, she stopped in mid-sentence, and stopped in her tracks. "Lyn...danger approaches..." she just said in a trance, simultaneously with Nils.

"I don't see anything. Are you sure?" Lyn asked them.

"Milady, don't move!" Odin warned as he heard something zoom down from the sky.

A bolt was stuck in the ground on the spot where Lyn would be if she had walked a few more steps, and she was paralyzed with fear.

"WHERE DID THAT COME FROM!" Lyn shrieked.

"They have a ballista!" Sain remarked.

"Lord Lundgren must be getting serious. Deploying siege weapons is no mean feat," added Kent.

"Ballista?" Lyn looked confused.

"It's a weapon made for distance attacks. It's really just a large bow, but it can be shot much farther and with much more force than a bow," Odin explained.

"So it's just a bow. Well, the best way to take care of ranged units is to hit them with melee. So we'll just have to rush in hard and fast, and take the users down," Hiro remarked.

"I've seen these things before. Wil, I want you to operate it when we take over one," he instructed. "It's just a really big bow."

"Hiro, Lady Lyndis?" Matthew asked them.

"Yes, what is it?" Lyn replied.

"...I have some...business to attend to. I'll be back soon, so leave some for me, all right?" Matthew then dashed off into the distance.

"So that's a ballista. It looks dangerous," Lyn commented, as she, Hiro, and Wil snuck around towards the first one that shot at Lyn.

"It's useless in close combat. We'll just have to take that archer down first," Hiro remarked. The three sneaked behind the archer. "Wil, do it," Hiro instructed.

"Here goes nothing," Wil said as he aimed for the enemy archer's head, and shot. It hit its mark perfectly and the enemy archer slumped down motionless, quietly. Wil got on the ballista. "Now, go get Florina to scout from the air," Hiro instructed.

Florina told Wil of the enemies' locations. "...Only 5 bolts? Well, these are really heavy anyways, so they should do the trick," Wil commented, and commenced shooting down unsuspecting enemy units, whom the rest easily cleared.

"I guess that's the last of them," Erk commented, after blasting a lone archer to cinders.

"...It's scary that you can kill all those people without feeling a shred of guilt," Sain said.

"See if I care," Erk replied.

"Something is really bothering me," commented Kent. "I noticed it during the fighting. Our opponents... They were soldiers of Caelin. I even recognized some of those we fought. I trained with many of them... And yet they attacked us without hesitation."

"They're black-hearted traitors who've joined Lord Lundgren. Good riddance, I say. It also means less resistance at the castle," replied Sain.

"So what did you find during your investigation?" Hiro asked Matthew, who just returned.

"First, about Marquess Caelin's illness. He really is unwell. He's been abed for nigh on three months," Matthew started.

"Oh no, grandfather..."Lyn said, looking more worried than before.

"I heard an interesting rumor about his condition, though. The people believe that someone's been poisoning the marquess..." Matthew continued.

"Someone is poisoning the marquess?" Kent asked, looking just as worried as Lyn now.

"And this someone... Well, everyone's too afraid to mention a name. However,they say that, as soon as the marquess took ill, a certain noble took control of the castle as though it were his own. I fed a hungry innkeeper some coin, and he fed me a name," Matthew continued.

"Guess who?" Hiro asked sarcastically.

"Lord Lundgren," Matt answered for those who didn't know.

"How can this be? How can they allow him to get away with this? The villagers know he's the one poisoning my grandfather, and yet no one raises a hand against him? Why?" Lyn asked angrily.

"They are afraid, and they lack proof. The whisperings of the common people means nothing," Kent explained.

"That's the truth of it. And of the marquess's loyal retainers who might have lent credence to these rumors, there is no sign," Matthew continued.

"So they've been silenced?" Lyn asked.

"Looks like it."

"And there's more," Matthew continued on. "An imposter's appeared, claiming to be the marquess's granddaughter. At least, that's the story Lundgren's telling to all who'll listen. People are waiting for three traitorous knights and a baseborn child to appear and lay calim to Castle Caelin."

"Outrageous!" Odin exclaimed. "Us, branded as traitors?"

"He says...I'm an imposter?" Lyn asked him.

"It looks like it. Don't you have anything that proves your lineage?" Matthew asked. Lyn shook her head.

"When my mother joined the Lorca, she brought nothing from Lycia with her," replied Lyn.

"Milady, Marquess Araphen himself remarked at your resemblance to Lady Madelyn! Your face is your proof!" Sain remarked.

"They'll say we found a look-alike somewhere... We're seen as betrayers of our knightly vows. Our word means nothing. No, our only hope is to see Marquess Caelin himself," Odin told him.

"Then we must hurry. I must see him, with my last breath if need be," Lyn said.

"But we must formulate some manner of plan! Even if we set out for the castle, the troops patrolling the area will cause no end of problems. You have been branded as oathbreakers, after all," Matthew pointed out.

"...Eliwood! He seemed sympathetic to our plight. He should be still in Kathelet. If we can talk to him, he might help us!" Lyn remembered. So they headed back to Kathelet.

"The fire dragons are attacking!" a silver dragon yelled towards his comrades in the village. "Lord Xiphias! They are attacking!" 'Damn,' Xiphias thought. 'Just after Kuro left, too.'

"Idoun, show them your power," commanded Alveen, as his fire dragon troops attacked the silver dragons. Idoun flew high above a battlefield, charged up a dark bolt to its maximum size and power in her mouth, and blasted it in the biggest cluster of fighters. A huge explosion occurred, and the blast killed about half of the silver dragon and fire dragon troops. "...Excellent! With her, my plans will be carried out so easily!" Alveen sneered.

"GRAH!" Xiphias roared, and breathed a powerful bolt of light, killing a large cluster of fire dragons. He inhaled, and fired a barrage of bolts from his mouth, blasting an even larger cluster of fire dragons to death.

"Damn that Xiphias. Oh well, Idoun, kill him," Alveen commanded. Idoun charged her body with powerful dark energy, and dived down at Xiphias. This would have killed the old dragon, but the attack was far too obvious and easy to avoid. Idoun may be more powerful, but Xiphias had many a millennium's more experience in combat. Xiphias fired a hailstorm of bolts at Idoun as she landed, making her roar in pain. Idoun charged up a dark bolt and fired it, but again, Xiphias easily dodged it, and fired a powered up bolt at her.

Idoun flew over it, but the bolt killed lots of fire dragons after it exploded. Idoun fired another dark bolt, but Xiphias blew a bolt of equal power at it to make it explode on contact, making a very large cloud of smoke. Idoun breathed another bolt at it, but was hit by a powerful bolt from her right. Apparently, Xiphias used the smoke cloud to cover his movement. Although Idoun wasn't terribly experienced in combat, she knew when her opponent is too strong for her. She also has almost completely exhausted her strength, and was bleeding heavily from many different places. So she retreated.

"Hmm...looks like Xiphias is still too powerful, even for her...damn. It looks like we'll have to do this another time. FIRE DRAGONS, RETREAT!" Alveen commanded.

"I hope the others are all right back home," Kuro said to Ninian. "We were really worried about you two, you know."

"Kuro...Thank you..." Ninian hugged him, making him blush.

"...I've missed you," the lord told his companion. "...I was worried that we wouldn't be able to see each other again after you two left, knowing that the human world is dangerous."

"...I'm worried," Lyn said, as Odin was accompanying her for a walk. "Do you think my grandfather will be all right?"

"Of course, if he wishes to see you as much as you wish to see him. Will power can do amazing things," replied the cavalier.

"Odin, thank you for always being there for me. You're not like the other 2," Lyn commented, hugging him, crying into his chest. "This isn't like me to cry so much, but there's so much to cry about. My grandfather...my people..."

"...It's all right, milady, I'm here for you," Odin told her, and put her in his strong yet caring and gentle embrace.

"...Thank you, Odin..."

End Lyn's tale chapter 8

Short update, because of a bit of a writer's block.