Disclaimer: The Fire Emblem series belongs to the Nintendo Company, Intelligent Systems, and all its respective owners. I only own my OC/SI.
Review Shoutouts
FireEmblemMaster101 – Yeah, and considering that's next chapter with Matthew but I'm sure Lucas will play it cool.
As for Serra… yeah he'll have to keep away from her with secrets with a… thirty-eight and half foot pole! ~
JP – Well I never said I wouldn't use it, just that Michael and Lucas just weren't characters whose development are inherently different.
Well to answer that Lyn never was really bound, she was pretending that's why she was able to strike so quickly.
Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
Journey Among The Plains
Chapter 5 – Beyond the Border
The next morning comes too quickly. Lyn has fought back the bandit's attack. Now, she rushes for the border of Bern. If she can reach it, Lycia itself is not far off. For a moment, Lyn stops to imagine the face of the grandfather she's never seen.
After having moved on from their camp in Bern, the Legion makes their final push for the Lycian border. If they can just cross it, then they'll finally be one step closer towards their goal…
"We've almost reached the Lycian border." Kent informed the group.
"After we cross here, we'll be safe from bandits right?" Lyn inquired.
"We should be. I doubt they'll want to chase us over the border." Wil explained.
"Ah, Lycia at last. So close, yet so far. But tomorrow we'll dine on some of Lycia's finest… Aah!" Sain stopped as he nursed the back of his head.
Behind him was Lucas with the object of his assault in his hand being his tome; "Will you calm yourself? We're still on a mission here, not for sightseeing."
"I happen to agree with Lucas, Sain. I can agree it will be great to rest in something proper but we must be vigilant." Kent said in agreement.
"Oh great… now there's two of you." Sain grumbled to himself.
"Kent, the inn at the crossing will be fine." Lyn said with finality.
"As you say milady." Kent complied.
"Lady Lyndis, you are truly an angel from on high!" Sain said with renewed joy.
"It's nothing. Forget it." Lyn simply replied.
Florina joined her, "Ah! Finally, we'll be able to get a good night sleep."
"Oh, no… Those bandits were persistent. I'll give them that much." Lyn said.
Lucas noticing Lyn's long face went up and asked, "Lyn, you alright? You seemed to be deep in thought right now…"
"Oh Lucas, it's noth…" However Lyn never finished as the group heard rushing from the trees and suddenly a small group of bandits had appeared.
"There this is. I found them" Yet another gruff, bearded, scraggily bandit leader announced.
"What?! Not again! They're still after us?!" Wil said exasperated.
"Hehehe, you lot ain't getting' outta here so easily!" The bandit said with arrogance.
"If you lot leave here alive. People'll think the Ganelon bandits have gone soft!" Another mousey like bandit replied as well.
"So? We care nothing fr you or your reputations! We will get to Lycia! Get in our way or you'll pay!" Lyn warned the bandits as she drew the Mani Katti from her sheath.
"Cheeky little thing aren't you?" The bandit leader said with a grumble, "Come on out boys! And no need to go soft anymore!"
"Everyone, retreat!" Lucas sounded as the group followed his lead as they headed a bit further southeast as only a small group of archers came to assist the group.
(Meanwhile…)
"Ooooh… we're lost. This makes me so MAD!" A young priestess complained loudly as she wandered the woods aimlessly.
"And yet it was you who was certain this was the correct path." A young mage replied calmly.
"What's your point, Erk? What are you trying to say?" The priestess said with a tinge of annoyance to her voice.
Erk simply exhaled, "…I swear, you are NOT the woman I agreed to escort…"
"WHAT!? What's that supposed to mean!?" The priestess said indignant.
"Would you please be quiet? I was told I was to escort a frail cleric to Ostia…" Erk explained.
"Yes. I am that priestess." Said cleric replied.
"You? Frail? Serra, you have no need of an escort. Even the most hardened criminal would flee in terror after five minutes of holding you captive." Erk explained once more, "I'll return your money. Gladly. Now, will you please go on to Ostia alone?"
"NO! You're MY escort Erk! MINE! You're so clean and tidy. A noblewoman like myself cannot be seen without a proper escort." A haughty voice now escaped Serra's lips.
"Your personality's nothing special, but you're not bad to look at." She said.
"I believe that's my line." Erk said, "And I have to take you to Ostia? I only hope my nerves endure the journey."
"What're you mumbling about now? Oh, you're just so gloomy!" Serra complained. "Hm? Is something going on over there? Let's take a look!" With that Serra rushed off.
"Ah. Of course. The first opportunity to get involved in trouble, she jumps right in it." Erk said with a tired sigh.
"Wow! It's a fight! A real battle!" Serra said honestly amazed. "Look Erk, there's a young girl fighting bandits!"
"Fool! Are you trying to get us killed?! Keep your voice down!" Erk said shocked that Serra ran out into an open battlefield.
However their loud voices attracted the attention of one of the bandits, "Eh? Who are you? You in league with that she-devil?"
"Hmm?" Serra simply said in confusion.
"Oh… this is so wrong…" Erk said as he prepared his tome.
"Gyaaaa! I'll finish you lot with one blow!" The bandit said as he prepared his axe to strike.
"Eeeeeek! Eeek! EEEEEEEEKKKK! Erk, help me!" Serra panicked.
"Oh both of you are so loud… Serra! Get behind me!" Erk pushed the young cleric aside. "Come then, face me!"
An archer then made to fire one of his arrows but Erk pushed Serra aside while dodging.
"Fire!" Erk released a large fireball straight at the enemy archer setting the poor bandit aflame.
"Aaaaah! Aaaah, burning! Aaaaah…" The man stopped squirming as he laid dead on the forest floor.
(Back with the Legion…)
"Was that a scream? Look, Lucas…" Lucas looked over to where Lyn was pointing. "There's some people there in the forest fighting the bandits."
"Well then let's go and help them." Lucas agreed as he took Lyn's hand and they both rode towards Serra and Erk's location .
"I never was expecting to find a fight… if only that siren could be silent for once…" Erk said under his breath as he scanned his surroundings.
"HEY! I'm right here you nitwit… and what do you mean SIREN!?" Serra said angrily.
"That loud voice of… wait, who goes there!?" Erk said cautiously as he saw Lyn and Lucas ride up to them.
The Sacaen swordswoman dismounted as she greeted the two, "Um, excuse me. Hello there."
Serra noticed this as the same girl she noticed before, "Hmm?"
"What are you here fighting these bandits?" Lyn inquired.
"…" At first Erk was quiet until he answered, "It just happened."
"That's not true at all!" Serra replied loudly. "These ruffians attacked because they believed we were with you!"
"Aaaaaah… my eardrums! No wonder people call her a siren where I'm from…" Lucas held his ears in what little attempt at blocking her out he could.
"You got us into this situation! Now how do you plan to get us out of it!?" Serra complained.
"If you hadn't had been so meddlesome Serra, we wouldn't be like this right now. My apologies, don't trouble yourselves with us anymore." Erk tried to defuse the situation.
"Even so… it would be better for all of us if we teamed up and take these bandits down… together." Lucas said recovering from his ear pain.
"That's true. Yes! That's a great idea indeed! Do not worry my dears, my healing powers are now at your disposal! Ohohoho…!" Serra said proudly. "Erk, let us go and help these two."
"Haaah, this was not apart of the plan… but whatever." Erk said with a defeated sigh.
"Good. My name's Lyn and this is Lucas, he's my strategist and friend." Lyn introduced herself and Lucas for him.
"Mine is Serra and this is my escort, Erk." Serra said as she pointed to the young mage. Lyn an Serra walked off together.
The young strategist and mage then looked at each other; the mage sighed, "Haaaah…"
"Hey, don't worry after this… I think you'll find things a bit more… manageable." Lucas said as he put his arm over Erk's shoulder.
"I highly doubt that. But… you look capable, so I shall I follow your guidance. Let us join them." Erk said as both men went to join the girls.
Serra then turned to introduce herself to Lucas, "Oh hello there. You're Lucas right?"
"Yes, and your Serra the cleric if I heard your friend correctly." Lucas said.
"Oh no, no, no, Erk is my… servant and I am his employer. "Master", more like it. Either way, it is nice to meet you. Should any of you happen to be injured in battle, my light magic will be of great use I believe." Serra said explaining her services.
"Well it'll help us maintain our medical supplies and hopefully cut back on our vulnerary usage." Lucas said to himself.
"That contrary mage for before is named Erk. He's… alright in my book. But I hope he is of some use to you." Serra opined.
"Haha, well considering how things are your assistance will be invaluable." Lucas replied.
"Lucas, the bandits are slowly closing in. What shall our plan be for this time?" Lyn said as she looked to the tactician.
After making quick introductions with the rest of the group, Lucas studied the area and realized that for the first time in while their group outnumbered the enemy, but even so no enough to simply surround them.
And with the forest in their way this would mean that the group would have trouble navigating the way to stay together.
"Well then after our successful attempt a night attack, how about… a fire attack?" Lucas proposed.
"A fire attack? But isn't a very… cruel tactic Lucas?" Sain said with hesitation.
"Again Sain, you speak as if these men deserve any mercy. With any hope not only will this drive that group into disarray, but should somehow any of them escape they'll learn their lesson and will never mess with us again…" Lucas with some conviction in his voice.
"I for one second Lucas' plan. If we can frighten these bandits perhaps that shall scare them back into the hills and never again terrorize innocents for some time to come." Lyn said in agreement.
"Lyn…" Lucas said to himself. To be honest he thought Lyn would object on the same grounds as Sain, but again he heard that ferocity from when she spoke of the Taliver bandits before.
"Haah, I wish I could do something to block that hole in your heart… but I'm… to weak to do anything…" Lucas thought to himself again as he clenched his chest.
"Well… if we do go ahead with this 'Fire attack', how are we to do so?" Kent inquired.
"Hmm, I may have an idea. Wil, Erk! I have an idea…" Lucas said as the archer and mage looked between each other.
(Bandit Camp)
"Guuh… just where is that she-devil… I'll tear her limb from limb!" A brigand screamed out.
"I ain't seen hide not hair of them. Wait… what's that?" An archer pointed forward as plumes of black smoke rose above the tree line.
"Is that some kind of signal? Let's go!" The brigand sounded as he and several other bandits charged in.
After doing so they found nothing but the dead bodies of their comrades to greet them. The brigand now furious screamed out as he chopped at a tree with his axe.
"Aaaah! Come out, you cowards and fight us!" He screamed out.
*Whistle!*
The group ducked as they heard the whistling of an arrow pass them by. However as they opened their eyes they saw none of them had been hit.
"Ha… hahaha! Ha… you missed you pansies!" The brigand screamed out.
"Who said those were for you?" A voice responded from a distance.
The archer then began to sniff the air as he looked around them. Some of the woods was on fire and the flames were spreading there way.
"Aaaah, fire… it'll burn us alive!" The archer screamed.
"Ha! Burn us out will you, well I ain't scared! Do your wors… Aaah!" The bandit was quieted as a javelin was thrown and lodged itself in his chest. Looking down the bandit fell to his knees and fell unceremoniously to the floor as he breathed his last.
A large fireball then rained down feeding even more of the flames, and with it more screams occupied what used to be forest now housed the charred bodies of the Ganelon bandits.
(After one mountain crossing later…)
"Gaaaaah… you'll regret this… The Ganelon bandits will…" The bandit leader, Bug's rambling was ended with an arrow to his skull as Wil finished him off.
"I have to admit your tactics to trigger that fire trap were amazing, we got rid of a majority of the bandits and we're able to end the battle rather quickly." Erk pointed out quite amazed.
"I'll say those guys dropped like flies." Wil laughed.
Lucas smiled somewhat as he took in their praise.
"Chin up Lucas, it's only because of you we've been able to make it this far. Without your tactics we would be struggling by now. Your smarts have made our journey go incredibly smoothly." Lucas merely shook his head in disagreement.
"Not at all Lyn, my orders are nothing special, it's all of you that should receive the praise. I'm proud, it's just not for myself." Lucas answered.
Lyn frowned hearing Lucas downplay himself but to her surprise Florina spoke up, "You j-just don't give yourself enough e-enough credit Lucas…"
Lyn's smile returned, "What she's trying to say is that you're just as important as anyone of us here. Soldiers are only effective if they have leader to guide them, when they do they're unstoppable."
"Thank you… both of you." Lucas said with great relief as he gave a small smile.
After the battle Serra treated what few injuries the group had sustained with the power of her Heal staff.
"I gotta say Serra that staff of yours is incredible!" Wil said as he watched the cut on his arm begin to disappear.
Serra laughed with haughty pride as she took in the archer's praise, "Ohohoho! Only those in the service of good can use such powers!"
"If you're considered good, then evil has a new low." Erk grumbled to himself.
"But I must apologize for having you and Erk both get caught up in this mess of ours. But I suppose it's time we part ways." Lyn said with a solemn smile.
Erk cut off Serra before she could speak and answered, "Not at all, the fault was ours. We'll be off right now."
"Three, two… one…" Lucas counted down again just as Erk and Serra were about to leave as Sain jumped forth and appeared before Serra.
"Halt! What beauty appears before me!? I must know of this earthly goddess!"
Sain immediately took the cleric's hand into his own as he got on one knee and kissed it, Serra taking it all in decided to play with the knight's emotions, "I am Serra the beauteous, in service to House Ostia, and you are?"
"I am Sain, a knight of Caelin, in service to Lady Lyndis." Sain replied.
"Uhh, weird time to ask this Kent, but does Sain get… tunnel vision when he's in battle? I swear I them together when she healed his wounds in battle." Lucas inquired the red-armored knight.
"Yes actually, despite his… demeanor. Sain can gain a sort of tunnel vision as you say in battle. He's very dedicated surprisingly. Battle is typically my only reprieve from his licentious behavior.
Serra then picked up on that detail from Sain, "Oh? Lyn is a member of the Marquess' family?"
Sain answered, "Yes, she is the Marquess' granddaughter. We were sent to look for her in Sacae."
"How… interesting… Erk, come with me!" Said priestess pulled aside the mage as she tried to quietly speak with him.
"…You cannot be serious…" However despite his attempts to object, Serra then ran back to join Sain as she spoke, "Oh Saaaaiiin! ~ Could we perhaps join your merry company? ~"
Lucas put his hand in Sain's face and pushed him away before he said anything embarrassing, "We'd be welcome to have you both aboard."
Erk sighed as he rejoined the group, "Lucas, you must know she is…"
"Trying to gain favor with the Marquess by assisting Lyn and his journey? Yes, I know." Lucas answered made Serra red in the face.
"EXCUSE ME?! I resent that notion, thank you very much!" Serra blew up.
Erk for once chuckled as he watched Serra look like a tomato, "Haha, seems someone has you figured out Serra."
"If anything, I'm waiting on you to agree Erk. Like I said to Serra, we'd all be happy to have both of you accompany us." Lucas offered.
Erk looked to the strategist and his first replied, "I'm assuming you have some important information to share with us?"
Lucas nodded as he allowed Lyn to explain, "There's a power struggle in Caelin currently… my Granduncle wishes to rule himself, but he seeks to eliminate me. We've already faced numerous bandits and assassins in his employ already. Lucas believes that our battles will only get more serious from here on out."
Serra for a moment seems to falter, but keeps her herself firm; "You think such lowlifes are enough to scare us! Ohohoho! Our magic is at your disposal, we shall be invaluable help to your cause."
Erk rubbed his head, "Oh, I'm going to have an aneurysm…"
Lucas then clapped in joy at the addition of two new allies, "Well then that settles it! Everyone welcome our new healer and anima mage!"
The Legion then began to head for the Lycian-Bern border; Erk found himself walking besides Lucas, "I'm surprised you could tell what kind of magic it is that I use."
"Well as a strategist by trade, I would be remiss to not take into account all of the skills and abilities of my allies." Lucas replied.
"To be honest I had thought you a practitioner as well with that tome you carry by your side." Erk said as he pointed to the mysterious tome Lucas had carried with him since he had arrived in Elibe.
"Oh this?" Lucas pulled out said tome. Looking it over the grimoire was seemingly nothing special. The book itself was leather with the inscription of what appeared to be a dragon on the cover.
As Erk began to turn the page however his eyes went wide as said tome only contained a single spell; a Fire spell.
"This tome only has one spell. How long have you had this?" Erk says.
"Wait, there's a spell in there now? When I first opened it… it was blank all of it." Lucas pointed out.
"You're saying this tome was absolutely blank?" Erk said incredulous.
"As hard as it is to hear. Yes it was, when I first met Lyn I had never seen this tome before, and I assure you it was most certainly… empty." Lucas insisted.
"Hmm, it's quite possible this tome… has many mysteries to it. If only I could have some way of sending this to my mentor…" Erk said slightly frustrated.
"Well even so… I have abilities in magic. So instead I trust my brain to be my weapon. For now though I shall carry it with me." Lucas took back the tome and put it away in his bag for now.
The two continued on as they rejoined the group after having lagged behind for some distance.
AN #1 – Welcome everyone to my fifth chapter Fire Emblem story, "Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade – Journey Among the Plains". The group fights off yet another group of Ganelon bandits for the last time.
Now with Lycia in their sights, the fight to take back Caelin can now begin in earnest…
All of this and more in the next chapter, "Blood of Pride"
AN#2: As always it's you guys that keep me going and I hope you hear from you with any constructive criticism. So remember to favorite, follow, and most importantly review so I can hear from you guys.
AN#3: Not much in the way of development again; except for two new allies and beating up more bandits…
See you guys next time!
