Authoress Note: I don't own Fire Emblem, but Nintendo sure does! (And if I tried to take it, I'd need a damned good lawyer!)
Chapter 3: A Clash of Two Generals
Glen quickly dashed out of bed and practically threw his armor on as he tried his best to quietly trail the source of the noise with an unlit torch in hand. As he followed the noise, he noticed that it had led him to the dragon pen. Just as he was about to light his torch to see just who this person sulking around in the darkness was, a spine-chilling screech filled the night air as the gust from flapping wings was brushed against Glen's face.
By now, there was no doubt in Glen's mind as he threw open the doors to the dragon pen causing quite a stir with the other dragons and wyverns as he quickly guided his dragon out the stable doors.
"I'm glad I was too tired to unload any of this from your saddle my friend," Glen commented, noting that his sack of items was still firmly tied to the dragon's saddle. He then quickly took to the night skies, following the sound of the wyvern's blood thirsty screeches.
After passing by several nearby towns and villages, the wyvern finally began to descend as it landed in a small field next to the town. "Good, now come, we've got some work to do..." murmured a voice as the shadowed figure led the wyvern towards the town.
Glen followed suit as he dismounted from his dragon and led it in the direction that the other two had gone.
On the paved streets of the small town, a little boy was stumbling around, trying to find his way back home by the slim light of the lamps that were lit in several places. Feeling hopeless and left without another direction to turn, the young boy began to whimper and cry.
"I'm s-so s-scared!" he sobbed, "I-I just want to go home..." Giving up, the young boy sat down on the cobblestone road, not knowing what else to do. It was then that the boy felt a cold aura from behind. He quickly turned around to find himself cornered between a wall and a spear. "Well, well...you know, little children like you shouldn't be wandering about in the dark..." taunted the man, who held a tone of maliciousness in his voice.
"Pl-please...I don't want to die...I-I'm just lost," whimpered the boy, trying to turn his head away from the sight of the finely sharpened blade of the spear before him.
"And whose fault do you suppose that is?" interrogated the man, who was enjoying his twisted game.
"I-I'm...sorry sir, please, let me go..." pleaded the child who now held tears of fear and regret in his eyes.
"Psh...pathetic worm...I'll tell you what, I'll give you a chance to run, but after the count of ten I'm going to hunt you down like a wretched animal, understand?" sneered the man who now held a sadistic smile on his face.
To the boy the thought of being able to at least run for his life was better than being cornered up against the wall by a spear in an alley. He slowly nodded as the spear was returned to the man's side.
"Now, run boy...your life depends on it..." chuckled the man, "One...two...three..."
With look of sheer terror still frozen on the boy's face, he began to run. He dashed down streets and roads without a care trying to get himself away from that crude monster that had nearly taken his life once already.
He came to a halt, catching his breath as he tried to keep running. His blood ran cold as he heard a deafening screech as a loud clang rang out from beside him. He look in horror at the dismantled lantern pole that lay beside him; a neat cut severing the pole an half. The boy let out a small yelp as he tried to run, but stumbled and fell back down to the pavement watching as the shadowed figure mounted on the winged beast closed in.
"This is it boy! Your life is now mine and I'm going to crush it in the palm of my hand!" laughed the man as the creature swooped in for a close range hit. Right before the spear had hit it's mark another winged beast had intercepted the strike, managing to knock the other rider from his reptilian steed.
"What the..!" growled the rider who had clambered back up to his feet.
"Stop right there Valter! I knew it was you all along and now this little boy will be my witness!" Glen declared as his dragon landed on the ground along with Valter's angry, hissing wyvern. "Damn you...you're always interfering!" Valter grumbled, once again gripping the spear tightly in his hands, "Tonight, you will meet your demise!"
Glen readied his sword as he stared the other general dead in the eye. "You traitor...may the land of Grado never forget your sins and the blood you've spilt!" Glen shouted.
The two generals in armor dashed towards each other as the battle unfolded. They seemed to be sparring for both men were matched in both skill and strength.
"You'll never prevail over me you accursed fool!" Valter hissed, countering one of Glen's strikes and returning with one of his own.
All the boy could do to avoid getting hit was to cower beneath a food stand as he watched the generals become entangled in the wrath of their battle, making sure to catch every detail that tried to evade his line of vision.
"Tell me...what on earth were you thinking! Killing innocents for the glee! Valter, you're nothing more than a wretched beast!" Glen retorted, "You're a sick man I tell you..." Glen was outraged to find that a general of Grado's finest could even think about harming innocent folk that resided within the kingdom. The thought sickened Glen as a rage filled him. "How could you...all the people, their anguish, their terror, their pain...are you telling me that you feel no guilt!" Glen demanded, still trying to fight off Valter's swift attacks.
"No...all I felt was pleasure, watching the crimson river run down their bodies, seeing the look of mixed fears frozen on their faces...I'd have to say it very satisfying indeed..." Valter stated as a twisted smirk appeared on his face.
That comment was the last straw for Glen as he charged towards Valter with his sword gripped firmly in his hand. Valter tried to counter by thrusting the spear towards Glen's heart, but the other general evaded the attack as he landed a piercing blow with his sword.
"N-No...how could you have..?" Valter gasped, trying to pull the impaled weapon from his chest. The sword had sliced its way through the high quality armor worn by the other general and was wedged firmly in his chest. It had gone so far through that the other end was actually sticking partially out of his back along with a stream of blood pouring down his back.
"How does it feel?" Glen growled, "This was how those innocents felt as you slaughtered them one by one."
By now Valter was on his knees, gasping for air as he frantically tried to pry the metal blade from his body.
Glen walked over to the other man as he grabbed him and held him up by his neck. "I'm not about to let you die just yet...for someone as wretched as you, death would only be the easy way out..." Glen murmured.
For a spilt second, a glint of fear could be seen in the other general's golden yellow eyes. "G-Glen...wait a second...I-I can explain..." Valter stammered.
Glen gave Valter a cold stare before knocking the other man out, for he had been applying pressure to the vital blood stream within the other man's neck. Glen dropped Valter's motionless body to the ground as he peered beneath the food stand. "It's alright now," Glen reassured, "He won't harm anyone any longer. As long as you'll come to the council with me, we can get this settled out, but only if your parents will let you of course."
"Y-yes! I will!" the boy exclaimed, overjoyed that his life had been saved.
Glen dragged Valter's body, along with guiding his resistant wyvern back to Grado Keep. Glen proceeded to set up the council meeting while keeping an eye on the traitorous general.
Valter had been silent ever since their return to the castle as he kept a constant glare pinned to the other general.
Later on, the meeting with the elder's council was finally met as Glen throughly explained the situation and let the boy describe his near-death experience. The elders and the king had decided to discuss the topic amongst themselves and turned to Glen with a look of satisfaction on their faces.
"General Sunstone, it has been declared that General Moonstone will never harm, nor set foot in Grado ever again. He will be stripped of his rank and banished from the kingdom, understand?" the council elder stated.
"Yes my lords, all was heard well," Glen stated as he turned to see Valter's angered expression as he was led out by guards. "I'll get you for this you damned good for nothing bastard!" Valter growled before the guards dragged him away. After the meeting was adjourned, Glen decided to have a nice stroll around Prince Lyon's gardens. 'Looks like things are actually gonna clam down for once...' Glen thought.
"Brother!" came a shout. 'Never mind...slash what I just thought...' Glen assumed as he turned around.
"Is it true? Is it really true!" Cormag questioned, an eager expression on his face, "I heard that you solved the incidents of the slaughtered villagers!"
"Aye, it's true little brother, but it's been such a tiring day...why don't you find something else to do that may interest you?" Glen suggested.
"Why not? After all, anyone who can strike Moonstone down in battle deserves a rest," Cormag remarked, walking off as Glen returned to his relaxing walk.
Wow, that was a long chapter...anyways hoped you enjoyed it cause Valter ain't done with his reign of mayhem just yet...Mwa ha ha ha! coughs You get what I mean...Please Review!