Author's Notes: Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo.

Fire Emblem:

Blazing Sword of Justice

Chapter 8: The Last of the Ganelon Bandits?

"EAGGHHH!!!" Erupted from the bandit's mouth as his face was suddenly ensnared by a ball of flames from the young mage in front of him. Dropping his sword, he clutched at his face, echoing the howls of pain. Falling to his knees he moaned as the purple haired mage panted about ten feet away.

Erk wiped his brow, summoning another fireball in his hand. There were only two others standing in front of him, an archer that stood some distance behind an axe man, who twirled his iron weapon in his hand as he smirked at Erk.

I can probably take one out, but it will leave me vulnerable to the other, he thought. And no matter how much Serra makes me cringe, I can't abandon her. He saw the archer notch an arrow and aim it over his companion's shoulder with a malicious grin. The axe man yelled a battle cry, charging toward Erk. This is it, he thought and raised his hand with a fireball to hit the man in front of him when he was suddenly sprayed with blood from the man's mouth.

"Ugh!" He wiped his face with the back of his free hand, staring a lance that suddenly seemed to have materialized from the man's chest, piercing him straight through from his back. The man gasped for air as blood trickled from his mouth. A disgusting slurping sound was made as the lance withdrew and as the man fell, Erk saw a horse with two riders that had gone unnoticed by him. A groan from behind the horse and a body slumping to the ground told Erk that the second man had been dealt with. The second rider had fired two arrows into the archer's neck, both protruding from the same side with blood trickling down.

All Erk could do was stare, even when Serra started jumping up and down, holding onto his arm in the process. "Oh! Oh, Erk! We've been rescued!! Now there's a real man!"

The front rider, a man clad in green armor winked at Serra. "You delicate beauty! What are the likes of you on this field of blood?"

Serra giggled in that high-pitched voice that made Erk wince. The second rider, the archer, rolled his eyes and gazed around the hilly area dotted with trees. "There are still some bandits out here, Sain. Maybe they're the remains of the Ganelon bandits."

"Ganelon bandits?" Erk wondered out loud. The Ganelon bandits are situated in Bern and Sacae, he thought. So that means...that Serra and I have been going in the wrong direction this entire time. He sighed heavily, hanging his head.

"Damn that Sain!" Kent growled as he edged his horse into a faster gallop. Dorcas gripped the saddle tightly with one hand, the other hand already brandishing his axe.

"You can't blame him for wanting to save someone!" Faren called out from behind Kent and Dorcas, giggling. A flap of wings sounded above their heads and Florina and her Pegasus soared toward Sain, gaining more speed that those that rode their horses on the ground. She nervously clutched Huey's mane as she tightly clasped a javelin in her right hand. Her eyes scanned the plains, quickly counting the enemy. Swooping down lower beside Faren's horse as Renegade galloped and Huey flew, she called out to her. "There are about eight left, Faren! All are behind that clove of trees, heading toward Sain and Wil fast!"

Lyn flashed a grin at Faren, who smiled back. Florina seems much easier around me than she used to be, Faren thought. That's great!

Florina landed her Pegasus near where Erk and Serra stood, who gasped at the knight dropping down from the sky. Kent rode up beside Sain, glaring at him, seeming to be stabbing him with his eyes. Sain chuckled at Kent, patting him on the shoulder. Lyn and Faren rode up together, Lyn looking down at Serra and Erk in concern. "Um...are you two okay...?

"Oh, a group of mercenaries!" Serra exclaimed, tugging tightly on Erk's arm. He grunted and bowed his head slightly to Lyn. "Er...thank you Milady, for assisting us."

"Oh, it's no problem, really..." Sain interrupted Lyn before she could speak. "After all, they're just remnants of the Ganelon bandits that we chased out of a neighboring village only a day ago." Sain looked pointedly at Kent, who blinked in surprise. "The Ganelon Bandits? There are still some left?" Kent mused, putting a hand to his chin.

Dorcas jumped down from Kent's horse, still clutching his axe as he looked beyond the group of trees ahead. "...we must deal with them. Otherwise they may attack the village again."

"I agree." Lyndis spoke up as Wil climbed down from Sain's horse. "It is mostly our responsibility if they are still in this area anyway..."

"Oh! So in other words, it is your fault for us being attacked!" Serra suddenly exclaimed, pointing her holy stave at Lyn.

"Uh..." Lyn stared back at the pink haired priestess at a loss for words. Serra continued as she twirled the stave before letting it rest on her shoulder. "By your logic, it was you that drove the bandits to this plain. Had it not been for that, my servant and I could have passed safely here." Erk snorted at Serra's words, but said nothing as Serra kept on talking. "Then it is most definitely your duty to drive these men away as they probably think we're with you now!"

"Serra..." Erk began hissing at her, eyeing Dorcas' free axe and Sain's unsheathed lance. "If you hadn't been so meddlesome and so daft to have gone in the wrong direction to Ostia, this would not have happened." He bowed respectfully to Lyn. "Please, pay my companion no mind. Trouble with us no more."

Faren clapped her hands and grinned. "As much as this conversation is entertaining...the rest of the bandits are getting quite close."

Just as Faren had said, four men had slithered out of the trees, looking hell-bent at Lyndis' group. Florina whimpered nervously and Wil quickly notched an arrow to his bow to begin firing from a distance. Lyn jumped down from her horse, unsheathing the Mani Katti. "Stay back you two," indicating to Serra and Erk. "We will deal with these men."

"No!" Serra cried out, stamping her feet. She pushed Erk forward a little, who stumbled. "Erk will assist you. Erk, go and help these ladies out." Desperately wanting to fireball Serra's face, he regained his composure and stood beside Lyn, eyeing the bandits ahead. "Ah...Serra is right...We will all get out of this situation much easier if we work together...including you as well, Serra." She pouted, but made no word of refusal.

"Ooh, a mage..." Faren mumbled. Lyn looked up at Faren. "So, tactician, what are your orders?"

Looking up at the approaching bandits, Faren uttered a quick gasp. "Florina, take to the sky quickly! Wil, Erk, target that archer!" Florina shrieked and dug her heels into Huey's side. He neighed loudly and flapped his wings, rising gracefully but swiftly from the ground. Wil aimed his arrow at the man that was a few yards away who was taking aim at Florina. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Erk summoning up a rather large fireball. Wil opened his hand, releasing the arrow at the same time Erk released his magic. Erk's magic seemed to cover Wil's arrow, turning it into a flaming missile as it hit the archer in the chest before he could let his arrow fly. He screamed and crumpled to the ground in flames.

Faren quickly called out orders to Kent and Sain: those two would ride on opposite sides with Lyndis riding behind one rider and Dorcas riding with the other. Florina would swoop down from above with her javelin. Faren, Wil, Erk, and Serra meanwhile, would follow at a distance behind, staying just out of range from being attacked, but being close enough so Wil and Erk could do damage.

"Go, Lyndis' Legion!" Faren cried out giddly as Kent and Sain edged their horses in a gallop toward the approaching bandits. Wil looked up at Faren with a raised eyebrow but smiled. "I think you're having too much fun here, Faren."

She smiled down at Wil. "Oh, don't be so gloomy! We've made new friends, Wil!" Renegade snorted at Wil, almost seeming to agree with his mistress. Wil sighed but kept his smile as he notched another arrow and began running after the first group. Serra climbed up on Lyn's horse, winking at Faren. "I think it would be bad to run in this dress, after all!" Erk sighed and followed Wil, summoning up more hand fireballs as the two women followed them on their horses.

"RAAH!!" Lyn cried as she buried the Mani Katti into one of the bandit's chest...above his collarbone. She had managed to flip over Kent and do this, something that stunned the knight shortly before parrying a blow with another man. He growled at the vagabond, who snarled back at him, raising a second axe that Kent had not seen before. Kent pushed hard against the man's first axe, making him stumble backwards, allowing Kent to thrust his sword deep into the man's chest. He fell to the ground in a silent death next to his companion. He looked up in time to see Dorcas ram another man wielding a sword with his shoulder, dropping him to the ground on his back. He just seemed to flick his iron axe downward at the man, which buried itself into the man's neck deeply. He bent down and pulled the bloody axe out of the man's mess of a neck. Another body suddenly fell atop his, a green lance buried into his chest. Sain sighed and nudged Dorcas' shoulder.

"Would you mind handing me that?" He asked dully, indicating his lance. Dorcas smirked and pulled Sain's lance out effortlessly, handing it back to the green knight. Lyn sheathed her sword, looking around. "I thought Florina said there were eight bandits...where are the other four?"

"KYYYYAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!"

Faren bit her lip as she held onto Renegade's reins tightly as she stared at the four men that had gathered around her, Serra, Wil, and Erk. They had apparently snuck behind them as they advanced behind Lyn, and jumped them before they could reach the others. Serra let out a blood-curling shriek, causing everyone in the closet proximity to wince. Wil growled, but stood protectively in front of Faren and Renegade as he narrowed his eyes at the four men. Erk stood beside him, summoning a fireball. Serra, who had commandeered Lyn's horse, looked nervously at the men surrounding them as she clutched at Rain's mane.

They seemed to be much smarter than their compatriots that Lyn's group had just slain. Two of them wore body armor only over their chest. Faren noted that the best way to slay them would be a precise shot to the neck or a magic attack. She doubted much that the other two would allow Wil and Erk the time to strike down their friends. The other two, one had short spiky greased hair and really, looked more like a bug than anything. Him and the other man wore only loose shirts, but wielded their axes threateningly. The one that looked like a bug chuckled.

"So...looks like 'e gotta couple o' wimps here along with some...wenches...boys..." The other men chuckled, Wil held up his bow threateningly. Three of the men held their axes up as if to throw in response. "I wouldn't' try that if I were ya," Bug-guy said. Wil grimaced and lowered his bow slightly, but still kept the string drawn tightly. Erk glared at the men, his fireball still burning brightly in his hands. One of the men looked at the bug-guy, smirking. "Why not jus kill de men and let us have some fun with de girlies, Bug?"

Bug echoed his partner's smirk. "That sounds like a good idea..."

Wil snarled but was cut off short by someone giggling behind him. Both he and Erk looked over their shoulders to look at Faren, who had both of her hands over her mouth in an attempt to muffle her giggling. Serra was looking at her like she was crazy, but Faren kept giggling, staring at the man named Bug. He stepped closer to Faren, staring at her. "What's yo problem, wench?!"

Faren kept her hands over her mouth, still giggling a little as she looked down at him. She moved one of her hands slowly before speaking. "Heh...your name's Bug...it so suits you..." After speaking, she went into another giggling fit. Serra, seeming to have picked up something by Faren's behavior, flipped one of her pigtails over her shoulder and said snootily, "What an uncouth name. Definitely low lower-class!"

Bug snarled. "Kill them all!" Wil and Erk shared a panicked look before raising their weapons threateningly at the approaching three men. Wil could see Lyn's group nearing them, but it'd be a minute at least before they'd be any good. Stretching his bow, he aimed the arrow at a man that was closing in on him. Just as he was about to release it, a javelin sunk into the man's throat from the sky. Wil stared for a moment before the man fell to the ground then whipped to his left and fired at another man that nearly brought his axe on Erk's head. He fell and Wil could see the charred remains of the third man on the ground beside Erk. Erk looked at Wil in confusion before a flap of wings answered his impending question. Florina and Huey landed gracefully beside the group, fingering a slimmer lance. She smiled at Faren. "Thank you...for distracting him..."

Faren winked at Florina as Bug backed away, holding his steel axe in both hands. Serra laughed haughtily, a hand beside her cheek. "Oh ho ho! Look who's outnumbered now!"

"Wench!" He hissed and raised his axe. He never stood a chance. A slim lance was suddenly embedded in his back, along with an arrow in one side and flames on the other. A small hand axe, thrown from a distance, sunk into his lower back. Bug looked confused before falling to the ground dead. Erk looked up to see Lyn's group, Dorcas climbing off from behind Sain, looking satisfied at the man on the ground. Lyn had run over to Florina and patted the young woman on the shoulder, smiling proudly at her.

Sain rode up beside Serra and took her hand, gently kissing it as he winked at her. "Is Milady Priestess alright?"

She giggled, pretending to be embarrassed. "Oh...what a brave knight...both of you," eyeing Kent as she spoke. Sain shook his head. "Oh no, miss, you don't want that one." He raised his eyebrows and made a gesture. "He'd rather be on the other side of the lance if you know what I mean..."

"Oh...what a shame..."Serra pouted. "Waste of a man." Erk put a hand to his head as Kent snapped his head toward Sain's direction, who howled with laughter. "SAIN! You lout! Stop your lies!"

Wil chuckled at the scene, leaning against Renegade and looking up at Faren. "So...when you laughed, you were trying to distract him from Florina?"

Faren grinned down at Wil. "Well...he really did have a funny name. I mean, who goes around being called Bug, even if you do look like one?" Wil just laughed, patting Renegade's side. "Faren, you're a little too much, but-Ow!" Wil drew back a bloody hand as he glared at Renegade. The horse innocently looked away from Wil before looking delighted.

Night had fallen and Lyn's group, along with Serra and Erk in tow, decided to make camp on the border. Two large tents had been set up along with two smaller but elegant looking ones that belonged to Erk and Serra. Dorcas was busy tossing the remains of supper into the fire, so any wild animals would not be attracted to left over carcasses.

Serra sighed in frustration as she heard the news from Kent that she and Erk had been going in the wrong direction to Ostia. "Ohh...Erk this is your fault! We went the wrong way and now we've lost our horse!"

"My fault?" Erk looked at Serra incredulously. "Serra...may I remind you that it was you who demanded that they knew the correct way to Ostia, and it was you that insisted that Beauregard was merely 'frolicking among the bunnies' when those bandits showed up?"

"It is NOT my fault! It's yours! You should have been a better escort, Erk!"

Faren and Lyn looked at each other. Lyn looked over at the two bickering people. "So...why are you heading to Ostia?"

"Oh..." Serra sighed dramatically, which forced Erk to look away in repulse. "My lord Marquess and his younger brother sent for me after I tended to the lambs of a nearby village..." She put her chin in her hands as her elbows rested on her knees and smiled politely at Lyn. "So tell us, Lady Lyn, what are you doing out here?"

"Well..." She fingered the Mani Katti's hilt as she spoke. "We are on our way to Caelin. We have...business with the Marquess there."

"Ohh, Marquess Hausen..." Serra mused. "And what kind of business do you have with him? He's kinda grouchy or so I hear.."

"Serra!" Erk put a hand over his face and sighed while he spoke in monotone. "Please forgive her words. She must be delirious."

Sain laughed, nudging Kent in the side. "Oh, I don't know...she's got a bit of a point, doesn't she?"

Kent coughed, trying not to blow up at Sain or accidentally agree with him. "The Marquess is...himself."

Sain rolled his eyes and looked over at Wil, grinning. "But his lordship's mood certainly has improved since he has learned that his granddaughter is alive, so no worries."

"Granddaughter?!"

"Sain, you lout! Can't you keep your trap shut?!"

"Ah, a mere slip of the tongue, my bosom companion. Perhaps I am drunk on the beauty of the priestess we have the honor of sitting with..."

"Hee hee..."

"Ugh..."

Faren looked at Wil, who shrugged helplessly at her. "Well, they probably would have found out anyway, right?" Faren nodded, giggling.

Lyn sighed and put a hand on Kent's shoulder, stopping him from smacking Sain again. "Kent...it's okay. We can tell them, I trust them." Lyndis looked at Erk and Serra. "I am the Marquess' granddaughter. I am going to meet him for the first time in my life."

"OH!! HOW WONDERFUL!!" Serra jumped up, clapping her hands together. She seemed to be smiling as large as she could. Erk rose up slowly, looking at her with suspicion as Serra kept talking. "I knew you had a noble air about you, Lady Lyn! Why, I knew it the moment I set eyes on you!"

"Yes, well..." Lyn was obviously embarrassed. "The journey hasn't been easy...we've been attacked by bandit's and my granduncle's men the whole way..."

"Oh?"

"An inheritance dispute, Milady..." Sain smiled, blocking another blow from Kent's iron first. "See, Lord Lundgren doesn't wish for Lyndis to make it to Caelin alive because he wishes to have the title of Lord Marquess. He's a little greedy like that."

"Oh, how horrid!" Serra exclaimed, putting a hand to her cheek. She glanced deviously at Erk for a moment, which suddenly made him worry. Serra, what horribleness are you planning now?!

Serra walked over to Lyn and grabbed her hands, looking up at her earnestly. "Oh, Lady Lyn! Please allow me and Erk to accompany you! We wish to see you safely to your grandfather!"

"But...I can't put you two in danger...and you're already on your way to Ostia..."

"Ostia is on the way to Caelin, Lady Lyn..." Sain said innocently as he winked at Serra. "Why, we could always use a bit more help. With Lady Serra's magic healing touch...and Sir Erk's balls of fire, we could blaze through more quickly! Besides, I'm sure Serra will be much more gentler on us for healing than Lady Faren."

Faren pouted at Sain, making Wil laugh. Kent put a hand over his face, shaking it slowly. Lyn sighed but smiled at Serra. "Okay...we'd be glad to have your help. Thank you so much, Serra and Erk."

Serra giggled happily and trotted back to Erk who stared at her with shock. "What...what are you doing?!" He hissed at her. She smiled smugly and suddenly hugged him, whispering in his ear. "Having a person in power in your debt is never a bad thing, Erk! And if you try to leave, I'll make sure Lord Pent knows how horrid an escort you've been!" She leaned back and patted him on the shoulders and said loudly enough for everyone else to hear. "Don't worry, Erk. When we help Lyn, we'll head for Ostia. Think of this as a chance to improve your magic!"

Erk slowly sank down on his log, his face growing pale. Still seeming to be in shock, he just stared ahead at the fire before whispering, "I ...I think...I'm going to be ill..."

Author's Note:

That lance joke? Totally wanted to use it last chapter. But I still fit it in, so it's all good.

It makes me sad that there were no Sain/Serra supports in the game. Those two would have had good ones, too. Anyway, guys, thanks for reading so far. I didn't think I'd get this far with this story. I'm going to try not to do any more filler chapters, but sometimes those are nice since we can see more of the characters and Sain making a fool of himself. And yes, I'm looking forward to getting to Matthew as well, hee. Next chapter is going to take some time and hopefully be longer than the rest so far, but we'll have some Rath and Matthew-ness in there. And maybe some Sain bashing since you guys really like that. And more pity for Erk.