A/N: Finally, I'm out of hiatus. A lot of things happened since I completed the previous chapter. My brother hanging himself, family problems, visiting relatives in Arkansas and getting things situated. Just this last month, I was thinking of giving up on fanfiction since I've started to run out of ideas for stories. But I think I should give my stories one more chance before I really throw in the towel. Anyway, enjoy the story. And Happy Thanksgiving.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the stuff that I alone make. Got that? Good.

"I fight for my friends." - Normal Speech

'Huh?' - Thoughts

/Lady Ashunera\ - Old Speech

Tales of the Wanderers, Book 1: Tellius

by demonhelper007

Chapter 2: A Faint Light

(Old Road, Outskirts of Kisca...)

Several days after they were driven out of the Daein Capitol, the Dawn Brigade were taking a break from their journey. Lee, Sothe and Nolan were discussing their journey over a map while Micaiah and the others were resting. "Just another half an hour, and we'll be in Kisca. I'd like to stock up there, but...", said Nolan. Lee shook his head. "It's too risky. The Occupation Army will be on the lookout for us. Best advice is to stay clear of any towns until further notice.", said Lee. "Good idea. We don't want to attract any unwanted attention.", said Sothe.

"Don't tell me... This means sleeping on the cold ground with nothing but bugs to keep us warm!", whined Edward. "Oh, Edward, it's not that bad. The forest is beautiful and serene. I'd almost rather be out here. Right, Yune?", said Micaiah. The little bird responded with a chirp. "So would I, Micaiah. It helps me be more in tune with nature.", said Lee. "Oh, you would say that, Nature Boy.", said Tyrone jokingly. Lee looked at his brother with a glare. "You got somthin' to say about that, jackass?", asked Lee.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that you would like to spend some alone time with Micaiah. Lee and Micaiah, sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G.", said Tyrone with a laugh. Lee blushed at the statement while Micaiah giggled. "That's it! I'm gonna kick your ass for that, ya douchebag!", yelled Lee, tackling Tyrone to the ground. They rolled around the ground until Tyrone got Lee in a submission hold. He held him like for a few minutes until he calmed down.

"Um... excuse me.", said a voice behind them. They all turned to see a young woman in her late teens wearing a creamy white and tan dress and armed with a healing staff. "Are you people heading into town by any chance? Our abbot is ill. He needs medicine, but Begnion soldiers are hoarding our provisions in the manor house.", said the woman. "Guys, group meeting.", said Lee. As the young woman sat on a log waiting patiently, the Dawn Brigade was in a heated discussion. After a few minutes, the group agreed to aid the woman, Laura, in raiding the manor for the supplies.

(Sometime later... Lord Kisca's Manor)

On a cliff overlooking the manor, the Dawn Brigade was reviewing the plan. "Sothe, you know the layout of this place?", asked Tyrone. "I was here years ago. As I remember, there's a large armory located deep inside the building. And if I understand correctly, Begnion soldiers guard valuables they've stolen-from rare objects to necessary supplies-in that armory.", Sothe explained. "Then the medicine will be there as well.", said Lee.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" asked Laura. Lee and Micaiah looked over to her and smiled. "Don't worry. We know what we're getting into.", said Micaiah. "Your abbot will have his medicine. You have our word.", said Lee. Laura smiled and nodded. "Thank you.", said Laura. "Alright, here's the plan: Sothe, you sneak in and unlock the doors that will lead us to the armory. While your at it, see if you can cause a little confusion by finding any explosives and set them off. Micaiah, you lead the others in a diversion and take out as many soldiers as you can.", said Lee.

What about you and Tyrone?", asked Edward. "Me and Tyrone will use these grappling guns and make a zipline so we can drop in on any stragglers that survived. Once Sothe sets of those explosives, that will be the signal to attack.", said Lee, holding up a weapon with a hook attached to it.

(Later...)

After splitting up, the two brothers checked their gear and set up positions on a good spot near the manor. "There's the manor. Sothe should be setting off the bombs. Any minute-", said Lee. As soon as he said that, explosions ripped parts of the manor to pieces. And nearby, the Dawn Brigade launched their attack. "There's the signal! Hook up.", said Lee, taking aim with the launcher. Pulling the trigger, two grappling hooks flew off at the manor wall, sticking into the wall. After that, they grabbed the handles and attached them to the zipline.

"Ready?", asked Lee. "No.", said Tyrone. "Good.", said Lee, before pushing himself down the zipline. (cue Operation 40 music) As they sped down to their insertion point, two guards didn't notice the two until it was too late. After knocking the guards down and slicing open their throats, the two brothers pulled out a couple of M-14 rifles with different loadouts: Lee's had a ACOG Sight and a M203 Grenade Launcher, while Tyrone had Iron Sights and an Extended Mag.

"Eyes front, keep it tight.", said Lee as they moved towards the side entrance. Before getting to the door, they spotted a lone guard. "Tyrone, take him out silently.", said Lee. He watched as his brother pulled out a garrote and began choking the man into unconscious. After the man fell, Lee looked over to the front. "Perfect. They're all focused on the diversion.", said Lee.

The two brothers converged on the side door. "Alright. Stack up.", said Lee, pulling out a Flash Bang Grenade. Yanking off the pin, he tossed in the room and shut the door quickly. Hearing the flash bang go off, they opened the door and ran in, taking down three disoriented soldiers in the process. "Move out.", said Lee. As they moved through the manor, they could hear the sounds of battle drawing near. Rounding a corner, they found Sothe taking down the last guard. "Sothe, form up on me and let's go.", said Lee. Quickly, they moved deeper towards the storage area.

(Meanwhile...)

"General Jarod, sir! There are burglars on the loose! Several young men and women have broken into the manor house!", reported a soldier. Jarod's eyebrow rose a bit. "Did you say women? What... What color is their hair?", asked Jarod. "There are two girls, sir. One has bizzare silver-colored hair, and the other-", began the soldier, but was cut off by Jarod. "The Silver-Haired Maiden! Hm, very well. I want all soldiers on hand. Capture the girl... Alive. Do what you will with the others, but bring me that girl! Understand!", ordered Jarod. "Sir, yes sir.", said the soldier.

(Back with the others...)

Lee, Tyrone and Sothe converged on the door to the storage area, the sounds of fighting being heard on the other side. "Alright, Tyrone. Put away your rifle. It's time to get up close and personal.", said Lee, shouldering his M-14 and unsheathing his katana. Seeing as Tyrone and Sothe had their hatchet and Kard ready, Lee pulled open the door and they ran in. The guards inside immediatly saw the trio. "Hey, you three! How'd you get in here?", demanded one of the soldiers. "We're the Dawn Brigade. We go as we please.", said Sothe. "We're here to take back what you've stolen from the people of Daein.", said Tyrone.

Brandishing their lances, the soldiers charged at the trio. They responded by Sothe pulling out a knife and fling it at one soldier, hitting him in the neck and killing him, Tyrone deflecting a lance to the side and planted the hatchet in another soldier's face, and Lee dodging the third soldier's lance and chopping his right arm off before impaling him. As they cut a swath of destruction, Micaiah and the others finally linked up with the others. Together, they managed to get the medicine, as well as some other supplies before leaving in a hurry.

(Later...)

After they managed to give the Begnion soldiers the slip, the Dawn Brigade regrouped back in the forest. "Well done everybody. Are we all present and accounted for?", asked Sothe. Micaiah looked around before noticing that Laura wasn't with them. "Wait! Laura's missing! She was just with me a minute ago.", said Micaiah. "Alright. We'll split up into three teams. Nolan, you take Edward and Leonardo. Sothe, you take Tyrone. I'll take Micaiah. We'll search for her. After three hours, we'll meet up in Kunu Swamp if any one of us finds her.", said Lee. They all nodded and went in seperate directions.

Half an hour later, Micaiah stopped and looked around. "Micaiah, what is it?", asked Lee. "Somebody's nearby...", said Micaiah. Lee drew his katana, but it was too late. Twenty Begnion soldiers came out of the woods, surrounding the duo. "Yune, fly away!", yelled Micaiah. The bird immediatly flew away in time. "You sensed me, didn't you?", asked a voice behind them. They both turned and saw Jarod approaching them. "Where is Laura?", asked Micaiah. "You saw through my ruse. You're as clever as they say, my dear.", said Jarod, smirking. Two soldiers came up with a bound Laura. "Mi-Micaiah! Lee! Don't come any closer!", yelled Laura.

"Laura! Let her go! She isn't one of us...", said Lee. "Now I can't do that. She's a valuable hostage, just like you two. Throw down your weapons and surrender.", said Jarod. Lee looked around them, seeing as they were outnumbered. Sighing, he thew down his katana and put his hands up, Micaiah doing the same. "Wise choice. Alright, let head back to the castle. As long as we have these three, the others don't matter.", ordered Jarod. As the two were tied up, Lee thought, 'I've got a bad feeling about this.'

(Glaive Prison, two days later...)

Later, the trio found themselves in a cell with three other inmates. One was a woman in her early to mid 20s with long, black hair and deep, emerald green eyes. She wore a salmon red dress with a pink cloak over it, along with a headpiece with a jewel hanging from it.

The next inmate, who was sleeping, was a young woman in her late teens with long, light violet hair loosly tied in two. She wore a tan shirt with a violet skirt and a short, dark tan cloak around her shoulders.

The final prisoner was a young male who looked to be in his late teens with dark emerald green hair cut at the shoulders and deep, light red eyes. He wore a long, tan cloak that completly covered him.

As they were sitting in the cell, Micaiah and Lee made small talk. "I hope the others escaped.", said Micaiah. "Don't worry, Micaiah. Have more faith in our friends. I'm sure they're alright and they got the medicine to the abbot in time.", assured Lee. Micaiah smiled a bit. "Yes, your right.", she said. Finally, the woman in red spoke up. "Pardon... Excuse me. Not to pry, but did you know you're bleeding? You've got some blood on your sleeve there.", inquired the lady.

They looked on her sleeve, and saw there was a cut going across her upper arm."You're right! I've been so distracted, I didn't even noticed.", said Micaiah. "Unfortunately, there are no vulneraries to heal you in this rat hole. Here, try wrapping this cloth around your wound.", said the woman, holding out a long stretch of cloth. Micaiah took the cloth and wrapped it around her arm, covering the wound. "Thank you very much. I don't think we've introduced ourselves. I'm Micaiah. This is Lee and Laura.", said Micaiah, pointing to herself and the others.

"I'm Aimee. I've been a lucky guest here in this prison for some time. On behalf of myself and my snoozing friend over there, Ilyana, it's very nice to meet you, Micaiah.", said Aimee. Said woman turned for a bit before letting sleep embrace her again. "So, why are you two in this shithole?", asked Lee. Aimee frowned and said, "I wish I knew. We belong to a merchant caravan that was passing through en route to the next market day. When we arrived here, we were taken to this prison against our will. Now, we await 'the general's pleasure.'"

"I see. That doesn't sound good.", said Lee, disgusted with the thought. "Um... Excuse me.", said a voice. They all turned to the last prisoner who sat down next to them. "So you can speak. You've been so quiet over there, I'd assumed you didn't speak our language.", said Aimee. '...If you wish, you can use this salve on your wound. It's a powerful herbal infusion.", said the stranger, holding out a small red vial.

"Herbal infusion? Hm, it smells pretty strong. Are you sure it's safe?", asked Aimee suspiciously. "Positive. And it's effective.", said the stranger. "Alright, we'll take your word for it.", said Lee. He took the vial and used it on Micaiah's wound. After that, he looked at the stranger. "So, what's a Goldoan doing out in these neck of the woods?", asked Lee, to the shock of the stranger. "H-how did you know?", asked the stanger. "I had a hunch when I got a good look at you. Someone like you would stick out like a sore thumb since Goldoa is known for its stance on neutrality and isolationism.", said Lee.

"I'm looking for someone. It was said that she was seen somewhere in Daein.", said the stranger. "I see. Then I won't ask anymore questions.", said Lee. Suddenly, Lee heard a noise from outside their cell. Hushing the others, he said, "Someone's coming." As soon as he said that, two figures dropped from the ceiling. When Lee looked at them, he smiled. "It's about damn time you got here, big brother.", said Lee.

Indeed, it was Tyrone and Sothe on the outside of the cell doors. "Sorry it took so long to get here.", said Tyrone. Sothe then looked at Aimee with recognition on his face. "It's been three years, Aimee.", said Sothe. "Why hello, Sothe. I remember you. You certainly grown up to be easy on the eyes. I believe I'm a little smitten.", said Aimee, smiling."You two know each other?", asked Micaiah.

"Somewhat. We crossed paths during the war.", said Sothe. "Alright, lets get out of here before the guards show up.", said Tyrone, picking the lock. He heard a click and the cell door opened. As they walked out of the cell, the stranger said, "I would like to get out of here as well. Like Aimee, I have no idea why I've been inprisoned. May I join you."

"Of course. The more, the merrier.", said Micaiah. "I thank you. My name is Kurth.", said Kurth. "Well then, Kurth. Let's get the hell out of here.", said Lee.

(Later..., Outside the cellblock)

As the group rushed outside, they heard a voice. "Sothe, this way!", yelled Nolan, running up to them. Edward and Leonardo was right behind him. "Guys, it's so good to see y'all.", said Lee. "How did you guys managed to get this far without Sothe's help?", asked Tyrone. "Oddly, one of the soldiers let us in through the back door.", said Nolan. "A Begnion soldier?", asked a confused Micaiah. "Yeah. He said, 'If you're here to save Laura, follow me.' Laura was confused at this. "How strange. Why would a Begnion soldier mention me?", wondered Laura.

They wasn't able to get an answer when one of the guard towers spotted them and rang the alarm. "The prisoners are escaping!", yelled a guard. Out of nowhere, the entire garrison force rushed out and surrounded the group. "Oh fuckberries. They found us.", said Lee. "While I was in the armory, I 'borrowed' a few tomes and staves. I even grabbed Lee's sword.", said Sothe, handing Lee his katana. "Perfect. Now I can fight too.", said Micaiah, taking the Light and Thani tomes. "If you'll lend me those tomes, I can fight as well.", said Ilyana, pointing to the Thunder and Elthunder tomes in Sothe's hands. Nodding, he gave them to her.

Aimee shook her head and said, "With all due respect, I'm certainly no fighter. And neither is the boy. We'll just tip-toe around you all and stay out of harm's way. Good luck, everyone." Lee nodded and pulled out his Colt. "Hey, Tyrone. Remember that game we used to play back during our time in the airsoft tournaments?", asked Lee. "'Who's the Better Killer?'", asked Tyrone. Lee nodded and said, "Let's play."

Taking aim, he opened fire on a archer, signaling the attack. The frontline warriors charged the enemy line while Leonardo and the female mages provided support. At first it was a seesaw battle, but it turned in favor of the small group of rebels.

Now all that was left was the garrison commander, a couple of swordmen and a lone soldier. The soldier had short moss green hair and deep brown eyes. He wore a set dark blue armor and was armed with a javelin and shield. Laura immediatly recognize the soldier. 'Is that... Aran?', thought Laura. The soldier charged at Lee, javelin at the ready. He managed to dodge the javelin and hit the soldier in the neck with the flat end of his sword, knocking him out.

"Tyrone, grab this man. I'm sure Laura would appreciate it.", said Lee. Tyrone nodded and grabbed the knocked out soldier. "Let's get out of here!", yelled Micaiah. As the group ran to the gates, the surviving Begnion soldiers gave chase. But Lee and Tyrone grabbed their flashbangs and tossed them over their shoulders. The flashbangs went off, blinding the enemy forces and giving the Dawn Brigade time to put some distance between them and the prison.

(Later...)

The Dawn Brigade finally linked up with Aimee's merchant caravan and was introduced to the other members: Muston, the weapons merchant. Daniel, the expert in custom jobs. And his brother Jorge, the pawn broker. As they were sitting around the campfire, they began to talk about current events. One of the subjects that Jorge brought up had surprised the Dawn Brigade.

"What? King Ashnard had a child? How come we haven't heard of this?", asked Sothe. "It's just a rumor. Nothing more. But if it's true, then it would be a strike of great fortune for Daein.", said Daniel. "What do you mean?", asked Micaiah curiously. "During the Mad King's War, Crimea used a scion of the royal family, Princess Elincia Riddel Crimea, to unify its people and rally a liberation army. If they could do it, so could Daein.", said Jorge.

"I see. So where is this orphan?", asked Tyrone. Jorge pulled out a map and showed it to them. "According to the rumor, he is in the east, near the Desert of Death, trying to raise an army to lay claim to the throne.", Jorge explained. "Alright. We may have a possible adventure laid out for us. But it's Micaiah's decision as to where we should go.", said Lee. Micaiah closed her eyes and used her forsight on this decision. "...In the desert...an important encounter awaits us. It shall be the one that changes the shape of our future.", said Micaiah.

Lee contemplated what she said. "Alright, the desert it is. Now the journey into the desert won't be easy. We'll give the others time to rest. And then we hit it.", said Lee, rolling up the map and handing it back to Jorge. As the group went to do other things, the Brothers Sykes went to see the man they captured.

(Later...)

"So, what do you want from me?", asked the man. "Nothing really. Just your help in restoring Daein.", said Lee. "Why? I haven't been a true son of Daein since I was adopted by a merchant family from Begnion.", wondered the man. "For one thing, you've seen how the Occupation Army treats the population. They won't stop until Daein ceases to exist as a nation. And another thing...", said Lee before trailing off. As soon as he said that, Laura rushed into the tent and embraced the man in a hug.

"Aran! I'm so glad to see you!", cried Laura. Aran was surprised to see her well with these people. "Laura, why are you still with these people. I thought you would've went back to the abbot?", asked Aran. Laura shook her head and said, "The Occupation Army knows who I am, so going back to the abbot would be a bad idea. Besides, I want to do my part in freeing our country."

Aran thought about it for awhile before agreeing to help. His assistance would one of the many things the Dawn Brigade will need in their journey to find the long lost son of Ashnard, the infamous Mad King of Daein. But the journey overall has just only begun.

To be Continued...