Here we are with my attempt at a novelization of Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. There will be several changes from the game itself that you'll notice, least of which will be the focus on romance, which will be an ever escalating factor as we go along. Some pairings I have set in stone (not that I'll mention any of them), but I'd be glad to hear what you guys think pairings should be. Any and all pairings are welcomed as suggestions, and some will likely help me shape the scale of importance for characters (because giving over seventy characters high placed roles will be a difficult matter, to say the least). Yaoi and Yuri pairings are accepted as well but they – not to say this is a rule exclusive to them – will only be considered if the pairing itself is reasonable (such as IkexSoren, although you'd need a damn good testimony to have me go with that one as I am heavily inclined not to). I will be far more lenient with straight pairings and will possibly even accept the occasional crack pairing, but I am going to be more strict with the Yaoi and Yuri ones, mainly because I'm not confident with my ability to write them.
The only other pairing I'm adverse to doing – adverse is an understatement, because I will say with 99 certainty now that it won't happen – is SothexMicaiah. It's far too canon – like EliwoodxNinian, except that pairing is interesting just because of the difficulties lying beneath it. With SothexMicaiah, there's no development because it's there to begin with. And so, no, it will not be happening. Sorry if that deters some people, but I draw my lines somewhere.
This is also my first attempt at posting a Fire Emblem fanfic, although I have written several pieces with much the same style in mind. I'm hoping this isn't painfully awful, but I make no promises. Any pointers on what can be improved on as I go along would be welcomed with open arms.
Lastly, I will point out that much of my ability to write this came from DarkenedSakura's Game Script FAQ on GameFAQs. So I owe much thanks to that FAQ.
With my author comments out of the way, I'll get you settled in with the first chapter.
In northeastern Tellius there lay a country in ruin.
Three years have passed since the Crimean Liberation Army cut a bloody swath through Daein and won the Mad King's War. Crimea surrendered control of their neighbouring nation to their benefactor, the Begnion Empire, and began the reconstruction of their homeland. The brave leader of the Crimean Liberation Army, General Ike and his allies, the Greil Mercenaries, remained in their home of Crimea, careless of their enemy's plight.
Begnion ruled over Daein with an iron hand. They absorbed what little Daein had to offer, leaving it's people to suffer in poverty and famine. Hope slowly drained from the people over the three years of Begnion's occupation, to the point that only select few dare oppose their sovereign empire. Resistance forces banded together in attempts to restore their country's freedom, but all attempts were squashed by the Begnion Occupational Forces.
But a light shines bright still in the war torn nation.
The night sky was illuminated by the full moon, lonesome in the sky without a single star alongside it. It was a sight to behold that many would gaze up at for hours that night. Unfortunately, there were many who were deprived of the opportunity to do such a thing that night. People who suffered beneath one form of oppression or another; a common thing on the continent of Tellius.
One such example was in the former Daein capital of Nevassa. Hard boots thudded against the stone ground as Begnion soldiers ran to and fro, their red armor accentuated by the light the torches they carried gave off. Eyes looked from side to side constantly, searching every nook and cranny – and there were many – of the streets. The search proved itself to be a fruitless one, however, even with the soldiers all split up, searching the area thoroughly.
One nook in particular hadn't been searched thoroughly enough, it would seem. A silver haired girl of no more than seventeen or eighteen – and even that was a stretch – sat therein, a light tome clutched tightly to her chest with one hand and a small red bird perched on the fore finger of her other hand. She made not a sound out of fear that the persistent Begnion soldiers would find her, moving only when it became a necessity.
Two soldiers paced along the road just beyond this nook, eyes scanning to and fro, torches waving in tandem with their eyes. "You find anything?" the first of the two asked as he passed by the second, pausing only briefly after speaking before continuing on his way.
As the two crossed paths the second came to a stop, saying, "Not yet, Neva sir. She's still eluding us."
"She's just a kid!" Neva hissed, glaring at his subordinate. The other cowered under the gaze, taking a step back fearfully. "Keep looking."
"Yes sir," he sighed dejectedly, and both turned off down another path, continuing their search. As soon as she was reasonably sure they were out of ear shot, the silver haired girl crawled over, pressing herself tightly against the wall near where it had been damaged in the past, her breath coming out in shallow sighs. She glanced out the small opening carefully, eyes scanning what she could see without revealing herself. Her bird remained perched on her hand, looking about without a care in the world. It flapped it's small wings tentatively before leaning forward, nipping at the girl's finger.
"A-ah! Yune," the girl gasped, a little louder than intended. She quickly put a hand to her mouth fearfully, glancing out the opening again. Light radiated from further down the road and the thudding of boots returned, and soon the glimmering red armor was seen once again. She ducked away as quickly as he could, sucking in and holding her breath as best she could.
"Neva, sir, there's nothing here," a voice said harshly. The girl removed the hand from her mouth, fingering over the light tome she'd been holding carefully, fearful that she may need it.
"I know I heard something! The Dawn Brigade has to be here!" Neva snapped. The silver haired girl gasped slightly under her breath, though it went unheard to Neva. Yune opened it's mouth to make a noise, and the girl quickly hushed it by attempting to hold it's mouth shut between her fore and middle fingers, looking pleadingly down at the bird. Her unsaid prayers were ignored however as Yune tweeted delicately, looking up at the girl with a look of pure adoration. "Is something there?" Neva asked, looking pointedly toward the opening in the wall.
The soldier walked over to investiage, backing up immediately as Yune flew out from the hole, tweeting happily. He continued over to the hole, glancing in briefly before pulling away, looking over his shoulder with a knowing look in his eyes, "... No, it was just a bird."
The girl sighed with relief as the two nodded to each other and took off in opposite directions, light slowly fading from the area until darkness was all that remained. She was faintly aware of light nearby, but didn't make the connection until it was much too late. Her arm was grabbed roughly, her squeal of surprise drowned out by the cackling laughter her captor offered. In her surprise she dropped her tome, leaving her completely defenseless.
"Ha! You thought we didn't see you? Neva, what should we do with her?" the soldier cackled, looking over his shoulder as a group of soldiers came into view, all carrying torches.
"Silver hair..." Neva breathed, pleased with their catch. "The fortune teller, then. The Dawn Brigade is nothing without her."
The soldier tensed, "Do we hand her off to the general then?"
"Oh yeah, he'll love this. Bind her."
The girl's arm was twisted behind her back, her cry of pain muffled by a rough hand over her mouth. Her other arm joined it, and soon after came the painful sensation of rope being pressed against her wrist's. She tossed about and squirmed in vain, biting back cries. A hard fist connected with the back of her head, and she fell forward slightly as her vision began to spin before her, "Stop struggling, wench. It'll be much easier if you listen."
A chirp followed soon after, and the girl looked up with a small smile at Yune, circling overhead twice before taking off higher, away from the conflict. A strangled cry followed soon after and one of the soldiers collapsed to the ground in a bloody heap. The girl was forgotten as the soldiers turned toward their fallen comrade, and the rope fell harmlessly to the ground as she dove for her light tome in the confusion brought on.
"Sh-she's not alone!" Neva cried, bringing his lance to the ready. His subordinates followed suit, all aimed at the newcomer. With short but pointed green hair that fell over his forehead, accompanied by a scowl highly characteristic of his adult features, he brought immediate worry into the hearts of the Begnion soldiers before him.
Just as quickly as he had appeared he disappeared again, knocking out several soldiers with well aimed kicks to either their unprotected legs or their equally unprotected faces, flipping about gracefully whenever they tried to strike at him. The girl joined him and they stood back to back, the soldiers coming around them, poised to strike again.
"Micaiah," the man nodded in the girl's direction, gripping at the knife held firmly in his right hand. He spun it around briefly, catching it firmly and glaring at the soldiers again. Several gulped at the sight.
"Sothe... I..." Micaiah tried, clutching almost fearfully to her tome. No real fear overcame her, but she was slightly nervous. And, though he'd never show it, Micaiah knew Sothe was as well. It was one of the things she just knew. Such was the bond they shared, each as a brother or a sister to the other, if not closer.
"We've got you now!" Neva yelled angrily, lance at the ready. Inch by inch the soldiers moved closer, until in one swift motion both Sothe and Micaiah attacked. Micaiah opened her tome and began muttering a chant, holding her light tome close to her chest as she did so. Sothe meanwhile took to watching and protecting her carefully, hitting at enemies that got too close. When the chanting was finished and Micaiah had struck her arm out, a bright light shone out, momentarily blinding the soldiers.
Sothe grabbed Micaiah's hand, pulling her through as the soldiers rubbed furiously at their eyes, muttering curses. They were careful to avoid any streets where other Begnion soldiers would be patrolling, and it wasn't long before they'd escaped their peril. Yune followed them the entire way, serving as an unorthadox set of eyes for them, giving them the aid they needed in their escape.
Tonight, there would not be an opportunity for them to enjoy the moonlight.
Caws, tweets and the occasional cluck marked the beginning of a new day in the Crimean countryside, and it took every bit of the blue haired mercenary's willpower to resist the urge to ignore it all and roll over again into a peaceful slumber. In his father's wake, Ike had been made the immediate head of the Greil Mercenaries, and although he'd come to carry the position with ease and had the respect of his allies, there was one part he never liked: the demand that came with being the leader.
That is, being forced to get up early.
He stifled a yawn as he climbed to his feet, stretching and blinking his eyes furiously to rid his body of sleep. That done he immediately grabbed a blue sleeveless undershirt that was lying on the back of a chair nearby, pulling it over his head. Next came his equally sleeveless black vest with a collar extending nearly to his chin. And then came a brown breastplate that also acted as a shoulder guard, complete with several leather straps which were placed across it and tied to keep it secure on his chest. He skipped his red cape and green cloth-like ribbon, finding the weather of early summer to be much too hot for such accessories. Last was his blue shoulder guard; no matter how peaceful and how hot the day may be, there were limits to how lenient he would be in his attempts to protect himself.
Satisfied with his look and opting against changing out of the white pants he'd slept in, he threw on his dark brown boots and blue shin guards and left his room, closing the door softly behind him. His first stop was the mess hall, where his sister Mist and close friend Boyd were already awake and eating, sitting far closer to each other than Ike could recall having seen before. He shrugged it off with a knowing smile, gathering his own food in the form of a single small loaf of bread and a baked – well baked, with their excellent cook Oscar – potato, seating across from them. Neither gave more than a nod in greeting to him, but Ike kept his eyes firmly on them as he ate – well hidden by misplaced strands of blue hair, of course.
"Good morning, Ike," Oscar greeted calmly as he returned to the mess hall, carrying a pile of various cooking ingredients in his arms. Ike nodded in reply, smiling up at his green haired knight before returning to his food. He poked at it more than he actually ate it, still trying to fend off the bored feeling that always consumed him once sleepiness wore off. It was a byproduct of lack of work, but it couldn't be helped. When he thought about it he had only himself to blame for bringing ridding Crimea of strife and chaos, thus removing nearly any need for the Greil Mercenaries. There was the occasional bandit group trying their best to make a living in the Crimean countryside, but Geoffrey and the Royal Knights were surprisingly effective when it came to bandit extermination, and instances that the Greil Mercenaries were called upon for were growing fewer and farther between.
Not that he regretted a course of action such as the one they had taken three years ago, of course. Beyond the fact that it was a contract with Princess – although now she was Queen - Elincia, he and the rest of the Greil Mercenaries had a genuine desire to see their country restored, and so Ike was glad for that. If such a desire left them without work, he was okay with that. For the most part, anyway. The half a year since the Greil Mercenaries had left the Crimean Royal Court had been a boring six months, however, and the odd job here and there didn't help the yearning for a good fight that many of the mercenaries had.
It wasn't long before Soren joined them as well, grabbing a loaf of bread and seating himself next to Ike. "Ike," Soren acknowledged in his usual stoic tone, nodding. Ike, with a mouthful of bread, nodded in response before trying to force the rest down his throat followed by a glass of water to wash it down. He coughed loudly after it had gone down, bending forward over the table momentarily. Soren instinctively reached over, patting hard at Ike's back until Ike waved a dismissive hand.
"Any new requests?" Ike asked, turning away from his food to look at Soren. The raven haired tactician had been given the job of overseeing funding and requests following the reformation of the Greil Mercenaries. People had protested and said that Titania deserved to keep the job, but Ike's sound judgment of people shone through soon enough, and everyone soon came to realize the merits in their young tactician carrying such a role.
"Just more requests to return to the Royal Court," Soren replied with a shrug, looking at Ike out of the corner of his eye while he ate, searching for a reaction. When he saw no change in Ike's face, he continued, "All of them have been coming from Duke Felirae. That being the case, I don't think Crimea will be safe for long."
"You think he's planning a rebellion?" Ike asked, genuinely shocked and equally disappointed.
"And he wants the heroes of the Mad King's War on his side," Mist concluded, pouting childishly. "What do you think we should do, Ike?"
"We're certainly not taking part in spreading civil war," Ike concluded immediately, pushing his plate away and standing up. "The real issue is, what --"
He was cut off by the loud sound of a horn reverberating through the entire fort. Everyone immediately dropped what they were doing and ran, not stopping – except for Ike to grab his sword from his room along the way – until they were out in the fort's courtyard. Ike headed up the group of mercenaries as they settled in with weapons ready, poised to attack the platoon of Crimean soldiers across from them that didn't seem to want to do more talking than necessary.
"General Ike!" a man dressed in thick, white armor with golden trimmings walked forth, removing his helmet to reveal dark blue locks. "I am an messenger from Duke Felirae. May we have a moment of your time?"
Ike's grip on his sword tightened, "If it is in regards to your request for us to return to the Royal Court, we've already answered you." the man's expression soured at this, but it was only for a split second before a wicked smirk replaced it.
"My Lord is willing to offer you anything you like in exchange for your services. If it is money you want, we will give it to you. If it is being mercenaries, you may be employed into the Royal Court and so keep your mercenary status. Duke Felirae is not picky about how Her Majesty receives your services."
"I doubt it is Her Majesty he wants us to serve," Ike responded, skepticism seeping through every breath he took thereafter. "Sir --"
"Yeardley," the man finished.
"Sir Yeardley, I know not what your Duke wants with Crimea, but I know it is not in the better interest of Queen Elincia's rule. Regardless, the Greil Mercenaries make a strict policy of not getting into the world of nobles and politics. Show yourself out," Ike narrowed his eyes for good measure, hoping they would get the idea and take their leave.
Certainly he knew better, though.
Yeardley cackled loudly, grinning so widely that several breaths – friend and foe alike – hitched in their throats, "The Duke was right, they won't offer their aid kindly. Alright men, get them! Take them alive!"
Ike scowled, "I had a feeling it would come to this." He turned to those around him, "Five to one odds haven't kept us down before. Let's show them the strength of the Greil Mercenaries!"
Yeardley and his men barely had their hands on their weapons before the mercenaries were upon them, Ike and Boyd working in unison to attack and protect one another as they fought while Soren watched both of their backs with various tomes, continually changing which he used; Rolf and Shinon stood back, firing upon any they had a clear shot at; Oscar and Titania rode straight through them, swinging from side to side as they went, and Mia stuck with Gatrie, using him as a human shield to contrast her comparably low protection. Mist and Rhys stuck close to Rolf and Shinon, not at all confident in the wisdom of rushing out to assist. Not that their friends particularly needed any healing magic at that moment.
"What are you doing?!" Yeardley barked to everyone around him as he brought his lance to a ready position, swinging it at the perfect moment so it caught Oscar's, forcing the green armored knight from his steed. "We have them vastly outnumbered! Slaughter them!" Unfortunately for him, Oscar was no less skilled on foot than on his steed, and before Yeardley could even ready himself again, he had a lance pierced through a small opening between the main body of his thick suit of armor and the arm. "Y-you... you could have killed me," he gasped, realizing the pain – and the blood loss – was minimal. Oscar hadn't done nearly as much damage as he could have. "Why?"
Oscar nodded his head toward the battle waging on around them, and Yeardley's eyes followed. He noticed with great shock that very few of his men were actually dead. Although they'd been eliminated in exceptionally short time – given the numbers disadvantage to the mercenaries – many suffered only from relatively minor wounds, although almost all of them were unconscious. "We will not attack our country of Crimea, but we will not assist it in it's work as well. Gather your men and take your leave," Ike said, his large sword resting on his shoulder as he walked over.
"You'll regret not killing me..." Yeardley spat, slowly regaining his confidence as he tightened his grip on his lance. He swiftly turned and thrusted at Ike, who quickly twirled around the lance's thrust, bringing his sword to a point at Yeardley's unprotected throat. "Duke Felirae has nothing but the best of intentions for Crimea... you are all traitors to your Queen..."
"I have no intention of being punished for self-defence," Ike pressed his sword forward a little more, receiving a sharp intake of breath from Yeardley as he tried to keep his nerves under control. "Now return to Duke Felirae and tell him we have no desire to involve ourselves in the business of nobility."
Yeardley spat at the ground around his feet, mumbling something incoherent under his breath before turning around. Those who could still move got up as well, loading their unconscious allies onto the horses they'd come on. "The Greil Mercenaries will be charged with being rebels to the nation of Crimea. You'll have nowhere to run," he hissed as he walked away, shaking his head dejectedly.
Ike knew immediately just how right he was.
Micaiah sat at a small round table in the local bar, head cradled is her arms as she tried to tune out the never-ending torrent of words streaming from her friend's mouth. A boy sat across from her, no more than a year older than her in appearance, with obsidian black eyes that betrayed his otherwise childish appearance; namely, his wild brown hair and that seemingly permanent smile on his face.
A smile that remained in place even as he talked about the possibility of one of his friends being dead.
"Something must have happened to him, Micaiah," he ranted on. "He's never late. What if the Occupation Army killed him? What if they found out he was with the Silver Haired Maiden, and took him in for questioning?! What if --"
"-- Don't worry, Edward. Leonardo is fine," Micaiah cut him off, her voice screaming irritation. Edward's smile flickered for the briefest moment before he nodded, his unfounded worries put to rest. Micaiah sighed happily as he stopped ranting, slumping back in her seat. She reached for the water-filled canteen in front of her, taking back a large sip of the soothing liquid before placing the canteen back on the table, relishing in the wonders the cool drink did to her dry throat.
"Hey, hey! I have an idea!" Edward waved his arms around frantically, "How about you use your farsight to find out where he is?" he grinned sheepishly, folding his arms on the table.
"Edward, you know that's not how it works..." she rubbed at the bridge of her nose, sighing delicately. "I can foresee some things, but I don't get to choose what I see..."
Edward held his hands up in defence, "I know, I know. I was just teasing," he smiled disarmingly, and Micaiah shook her head pitifully as her irritation subsided. "Even so, Leonardo's never late. Something must have happened. Should we --"
"--Help, someone! Please!" the doors swung open and a lady ran in with a little boy in tow, both breathing heavily, sweat trickling down their necks. "Run! Bandits are attacking! Who knows what will happen if they catch you!" she shouted throughout the entire bar. Immediately people were on their feet and running, going whichever way they could to escape the confusion and terror quickly spreading. Micaiah and Edward got up a moment later, wisely avoiding the throng of terrified civilians.
"Where's the Begnion Occupation Army at this time? How are they going to keep the peace if they're nowhere to be found when they're actually needed?!" Micaiah sighed heavily, shaking her head as she stepped up next to the woman. She looked down at the considerably shorter Micaiah with a gentle frown; soothing, caring.
"They're only interested in hunting the Dawn Brigade. If you're not a member of the Dawn Brigade, you have nearly free licence to terrorize the people," the woman responded, her eyes narrowing as she spoke. It was a sensitive topic for many a Daein citizen, Micaiah knew, and rage wasn't an uncommon thing for her to see when she spoke with citizens.
She felt her own anger build up, and she had to fight to keep it at bay, "They're horrible! Just find somewhere to hide." She waved a hand toward the back of the bar, smiling, "Leave the bandits to us. We'll take care of them, okay?" she lowered herself to one knee, smiling at the little boy who had been hiding behind who Micaiah could now only assume was his mother.
"And don't worry about us," Edward added, grinning. "We happen to be members of that same Dawn Brigade! Just leave everything to us," he added a thumbs up for good measure.
The boy brightened up considerably upon hearing that, "Really?! You guys are in the Dawn Brigade? My friends and I talk about you all the time! That's awesome!"
"Hey!" the lady smacked the boy in the head, scowling down at him. Her eyes softened when she looked at Micaiah again, reaching a hand out to gently move a couple strands of silver hair from Micaiah's face, "Children are fighting? Oh, what has happened to our country of Daein, forcing children to fight and steal for the poor..." she sighed, pocketing her hand and shaking her head. "But we can't fight, so we'll take you up on your offer. But be careful; they won't think twice about slicing you in two."
"Thank you, and we will," Micaiah nodded to their now retreating figures before she left the bar with Edward close behind. Edward took the front as they rushed through the streets in search of the bandits – which were either nowhere to be found or far better at stealth than most would give them credit for. They finally came to a brief halt in a small alleyway, taking a moment to gather their bearings, "Where... are they?" Micaiah panted, placing her hands on her knees as she gasped for air.
"Micaiah," Edward nodded to the end of the alleyway where a bandit was now passing by, axe slung carelessly on his shoulder. Micaiah and Edward looked at each other and nodded, moving carefully toward the end of the alleyway. The bandit was near a small tree, eyes searching left and right for what Micaiah could only assume was more victims. Edward didn't give him a chance as he dashed out of the alleyway, and by the time the bandit was aware of Edward's presence he had a sword piercing his back, between the shoulder blades. Spewing blood for a moment, he muttered profanities under his breath as he collapsed to his knees and, a moment later, his stomach. Edward pulled his sword out of the man's back, cleaning it off with a cloth.
By the time he'd turned himself around another bandit was upon him, and Micaiah slipped in behind Edward as the two clashed – sword against axe. The sheer brute force the bandit possessed overpowered Edward quickly, sending his sword flying from his hand. As the axe swung a second time Edward rolled out of the way, grabbing his sword. When he reached his feet again the bandit wasn't facing him, instead facing the now defenceless Micaiah.
"Heh... a pretty girl like you 'll fetch me a pretty penny. Now," he stretched his free arm out in offering, smiling toothily. "Be a good girl and come to papa."
Micaiah frowned but said nothing, discreetly opening her tome and muttering a chant underneath her breath, inaudible to the bandit even in his close proximity. Before she could finish an arrow firmly lodged itself in the bandit's head, and he fell to the ground roughly, several bones snapping as he hit the ground. "Micaiah!" she tore her gaze from the dead bandit to look over toward a small house, in front of which was a blond man with a bow in hand, a quiver on his back filled with tightly packed arrows.
"Leonardo!" she greeted happily as he ran to them, his serious face an immediate contrast to the laid back appearance Edward took. His long blonde hair waved from side to side as he ran, a defining feature that few people Micaiah had met had. She smiled as he stopped next to them, asking, "How did you find us?"
"A little bird led the way," he pointed to the sky where Yune was circling overhead. "Your's, in fact," Edward chuckled at that.
"Sorry we ran ahead, Leonardo. But we couldn't leave these people! We --"
"-- I understand," Leonardo cut her off with a small smile, full of understanding. "We can't leave the people who believe in us to die. I'll help you fight."
"Thank you, Leonardo," Micaiah turned and, without further word, they continued on. The small marketplace was crawling with bandits when they reached it, and only by swiftly taking cover behind some barrels did they avoid immediate detection. Micaiah sighed with relief and hesitantly looked out into the marketplace; to her relief there weren't any civilians, but the amount of bandits had her worried. Turning back to Leonardo and Edward, she said, "Edward will go out with me providing support. Leonardo, stay here and provide cover fire. Make sure there's nobody nearby if you need to change vantage points."
They both nodded, and Edward – ever the eager one – rushed out almost immediately. He was spotted immediately, but the bandit's attempt at embedding an axe into the swordsman's chest was cut short by a bright light forming over him, dispelling into several tendrils that tore through him with agonizing intensity. With a pained cry he fell to his knees, where his head was removed by Edward.
An arrow to the head dispatched the bandit Micaiah saw running at them from the side. The rest of the bandits had taken up some form of order, guarding the entrance to a small alleyway – no doubt where their leader was, living in blissful ignorance with the many riches he'd secured from the already impoverished civilians. By the time she'd finished this, Edward was standing over another corpse, blood pouring from the bandit's arm where the sword had connected and an arrow lodged in his abdomen. Leonardo stood next to him, checking a barrel for supplies.
Micaiah rushed over to the two, opening her tome and hanging her head, "No matter the foe, the Goddess judges all evenly," she muttered in prayer to the bloodied corpse, wincing involuntarily as her eyes opened again. "Their leader should be somewhere around here. Come on," Edward walked past them and took the helm as they proceeded down the alleyway, eyes scanning from side to side. "Here," Micaiah stated firmly as they reached a bend in the alleyway.
Axe and sword clashed suddenly as Edward turned the corner. He was dressed comparatively well, with a red breastplate covering his upper body and iron shoulderguards. Spikey blonde hair stuck out from a red headband, and his axe – which was considerably better than the rusted one Micaiah had been seeing – glistened with every swing, Edwards knees threatened to buckle under the pressure, and despite the difference in speed with their swings Edward found himself unable to find an opening.
"Wh-what is this guy...!" Edward gasped out, his hold on his sword tightening as it threatened to be torn from his grasp. His arms ached terribly, and every breath came out as a desperate pant rather than a normal intake of air.
"I am the great Pugo, of the Silver Star Bandits! We, unlike you Dawn Brigade fools, are honest thieves!" the man cried, pulling back for a definitive swing. Edward narrowly managed to dodge by way of sidestepping, around the axe, followed by a slash that left Pugo without his right hand. Pugo's cry of pain was cut short by Edward's sword being pointed to his throat, holding him firmly in place.
"Honest?" Micaiah asked, walking up. "You are honest? These people work hard to get what little they have and then people like you come along and take it away! Many are fed mere scraps, and you take even that! You are undeserving of the Goddess' forgiveness."
"Shut up! We work hard too! You have your ways, and we have our's! We're not wrong!" Pugo cried, trying to back away from Edward's blade, only to come into contact with Leonardo's chest. "W-what...?"
"You're despicable," Micaiah spat, walking past the man. "Edward, if you please."
Micaiah didn't want to see the sword pierce the man's throat.
"You did it!" deeming the moment safe, Micaiah turned around, stepping over the corpse of Pugo on her way back to the marketplace, where the woman and her son were watching the three with near fanatical glee. "Thank you so much!" the woman paused, truly taking in the sight of the three – not one of them looking a day over nineteen – with mild disappointment. "Children becoming our saviors..." she sighed, shaking her head.
"Think nothing of it," Micaiah gave a dismissive wave, smiling. "We only do what's right, ma'am. Thieves and bandits are in need of such judgment."
"Wise beyond your years..." the woman pulled Micaiah into a brief and gentle hug, cradling her head briefly before releasing her again. 'Hardly,' Micaiah thought to herself with a scoff, though she dared not make it vocal.
"Hey, you! What do you think you are doing?! Stop right now!" all eyes turned to a higher point, high above the houses on the outskirts of the marketplace, where a small group of Begnion soldiers were standing, glaring down at the small group.
"Well well," Edward chuckled darkly, rubbing the back of his head. "Look who finally decided to make themselves known. Funny they were nowhere to be found when they were needed."
"Yeah, hilarious," Leonardo scoffed, shaking his head. "We can't let ourselves be caught here. Micaiah, Edward, we should run for it! Come on!"
Micaiah nodded, turning toward the lady and her son, "I'm sorry, but we have to – well, you know," she chuckled nervously.
"We know. Thank you again, for all your help. I wish there was more we could --"
"-- You! Don't move!" one of the soldiers bellowed, turning to make his way down the nearby stairs.
Micaiah gulped, "Let's go," she turned to run, finding her right leg's movements hindered slightly by the boy gripping tightly on her leg. "Hmm?" she turned her head, looking down at the boy. "Yes?"
"My name's Nico, lady! When I grow up, I'm gonna be just like you guys! Come back again sometime, okay?" the boy grinned happily despite the situation, holding up a hand, pinkie outstretched.
"Of course," Micaiah smiled as she took the pinky with her own. "Let's see eachother again, Nico," and with that, she ran.
She'd been doing a lot of that lately.
"H-hey! Hold it!" one of the soldiers cried in vain. He slammed a fist onto the wooden fence angrily as they were lost from his sight.
"Who and what are you bellowing at, soldier?" all the soldiers gulped as they turned toward the stairs. There stood who they considered to be the most imposing man in the Begnion empire. Covered from neck to toe – as he was without a helmet – in dark purple armor with shoulder guards that spiked upward to a point at the sides. His smooth hair, a dark red that nicely complimented his coal black eyes, only added to the imposing figure he presented.
The fact that he was never without his lance only added to their fear of the man.
"G-general Jarold?!" from within the ranks of Begnion soldiers came Neva, all but shaking in fear. "When... when did you get here, sir?"
Jarod moved until he was right in Neva's face, scowling at the slightly shorter man. Back at the stairs, a man guarded by thick red armor arrived, taking his position safely off to the side. "Answer my question, maggot. Who. Were. You. Bellowing. At?" He stressed each word individually, flexing his free hand almost threateningly.
"S-sir, they were from the Dawn Brigade, we think." Jarod did nothing but raise a clearly irritated eyebrow, and so Neva continued, "They're a band of thieves who steal goods we take from the townspeople and return them to the people. Truly a virtuous bunch, but they're bothersome."
"And you did nothing but yell at them... why?" Jarod pressed, tapping his foot now.
"They're said to have a witch. The Silver-Haired Maiden, she's called. She's said to be capable of healing wounds simply by laying her hands on an injury. And she has a green haired man near her at almost all times. They aren't to be taken lightly; they've already escaped our grasp on a number of occasions."
It didn't need to be said that their lives were safer by not mentioning that the green haired man in question wasn't present at the time.
"I see..." Jarod drawled, smirking. "I believe I'm finally beginning to understand."
"Sir?"
The smirk faded, "I'm beginning to understand just how incompetent you are!" he barked, thrusting his lance through Neva's chest. Neva immediately fell limp on the lance. "Make the villagers talk. Find out who these idiots are and where they're hiding. They won't escape me."
As soon as the soldiers took their leave, the heavily armored man moved to Jarod's side, a smirk on his face, "I really don't care who they are. The stronger the fodder, the more interesting it is for us, right?"
Jarod smirked in kind, "Exactly, Alder. Watching over this washed out place has lost it's luster. A little enjoyment is exactly what I need."
The relaxation the Greil Mercenaries had resigned to was quickly being disturbed.
While the mercenaries busily worked at packing up their equipment and rations into several small wagons, Ike and Soren oversaw the job from a distance, leaning against the brick wall of the fort's exterior. A frown was permanently fixed onto Ike's face, while Soren's wasn't without it's usual indifference. Similar frowns were on the faces of each of the mercenaries as they carried out their respective duties, without question but grudgingly.
"Running from our own nation..." Titania sighed, running a hand through her long, red hair. "Didn't think it would come to this."
"Duke Felirae will make his move soon," Ike responded, shrugging. "Perhaps this will change Crimea for the better. But fleeing to Daein countryside? Not happy about that. Political carnage over there."
"I've already contacted a couple friends to meet us on the border," Soren responded, turning his head to look at Ike. "We need only get that far, and we'll be safe from Crimea's army. Even with all the nobles against her, the Queen won't send her troops into Daein territory to take us out. Until then, though..."
"Her hand will be forced," Ike finished. "It can't be helped. We'll do our best to avoid the main roads. It will prolong the trip, but it'll be safer. Also, we should avoid the mountains in the northwest."
"I'm sure Bastian is aware of our innocence," Oscar stepped away from the wagon he'd been packing with cooking supplies, smiling. "That should give us a few days' leeway if we leave now."
"Certainly," Soren nodded. "Shall we go Ike?"
"Let's go."
Well, review if you want. I'll probably wait about a week before I hand out a second chapter, just to see the reception I get. Remember, criticism is preferable to a simple "This is great," or "This is absolutely awful, go die." But I won't be picky.
If anyone's wondering why I had Ike involved in the first chapter, it's because it bothered me that Ike turned out to be the main character despite not showing up until the third part of the game. Don't worry, his earlier role in the story won't have any effect on his role in the game; it's just getting him swept up in things far earlier, is all.