Fire ED-blem: The Twilight Army
By The Mauve Lantern
Their journey over for now, Delilah and her friends, the three Ed boys, rested in a village called Delbrook. There, the young thief learned a little about the past of the boys she was accompanying from the leader, Eddy. Ed, while chasing a chicken through the streets, happened upon May, a young girl he had known from previous travels, who was being accosted by bandits; ever the gentleman, Ed challenged the bandits to a fight, and got his friends involved. In the fight, Eddward, a shaman, met a young archer named Nazz, who joined in the fight to free Delbrook. At the end of the day, the children stood victorious, and were offered hospice from the villagers.
Now, the party will continue on their way to the capital, only to be met by a new, more dangerous enemy than ever before…
Chapter 3: A Beast Named Honor
In the rocky kingdom of Woldor, the young prince Zuko watches from the balcony of his family's palace at the rising sun; he gazes at the amber sky, in all its majesty, with bitterness and cynicism. The lad's golden eyes are narrow like a hawk's, as though he were searching for some prey. Zuko is clad in a majestic, crimson, and flowing robe, with a light set of chainmail underneath; atop his head is the crown of the prince, shaped into that of a flame. His feet are free from the restraints of shoes, and he can feel the warmth of the castle in his bare toes. Sighing, Zuko is unsure whether or not it is honestly a good thing if he can feel anymore. A warm breeze from the east brushes his face, gently caressing the scarred half of the prince's face.
When he hears the noise of someone approaching, he swiftly spins around. "Who's there?!" he says a little too loudly.
"It's just me, young Zuko," his uncle, ex-General Iroh. Zuko sighs with relief; for a moment, he thought it had been someone else.
"My apologies, uncle; I thought you were another."
The old man merely offers a smile and a warm cup of tea. "I thought you might like some tea to start your day, Zuko." Iroh hands Zuko an ivory cup with gold trim, filled almost to the brim with a dark liquid that carries a pleasant fragrance.
With a wave of his hand, the crown prince turns down the cup of tea. "Thank you, uncle, but I don't feel up to it. Perhaps another time would be better."
"Is something the matter?"
"It…It's just that…he returned."
"Aang, that young mage boy from Konohal?"
Zuko nods before returning his gaze to the horizon. He tells his uncle what happened the night before…
Asleep in his royal chambers, Zuko is unaware of the uninvited guest that has shown up at his window until the prince is awoken by the sound of a rap upon the glass. He shoots from his bed and creeps over to the window, a steel sword clutched in his hand. With a trembling hand, he opens the window, only to find a young, bald boy wrapped in the red and yellow monk garb of his people. The smiling boy has a staff by his side.
"What do you want?!" he growls menacingly. Zuko never did like to be disturbed from his sleep.
"I just wanted to talk," whispers Aang, the boy standing before him. "I need your help." Zuko does not set his sword down, nor does he lower it; Aang notices, however, that his grip has loosened, if only a little. "You will think I'm crazy, but I know there will be an attack on the Konohal capital. From who, I can't say; for now, I only ask for assistance from Woldor!"
The royal prince is shocked at how serious the young boy has become; ordinarily, he would be smiling, no matter the bad news he had to deliver. What was going to happen?
"You had another vision?"
"Yes. There's…some kind of dark army, more than some rebellion. This enemy might very well take Konohal."
Zuko turns his back on the boy and says, "I'm sorry; there is nothing I can do about this."
"But your father…"
Just as soon as he turns, Zuko spins around and holds his blade at Aang's throat. "Don't. Mention. My. FATHER!"
"…he has connections to Ryadina, as well as the most powerful army in the known WORLD! Zuko, PLEASE!"
The prince takes the sword from Aang's throat, but he retreats back into his bed chamber. "I said before: you will receive no help from Woldor!" he shouted before slamming the door to the balcony shut.
Iroh strokes his long, gray beard after hearing Zuko's story. It troubles him, as he knows that Aang's predictions have generally proven to have been true. Without the help of Woldor or Ryadina, Konohal was doomed; was there anyone that could stop this army?
***
"Eddy, you oaf! We're lost!"
"Quiet, Delilah! We're not lost; I'm just taking a detour!"
The thief Delilah and her party had been travelling for a couple of days now, without any signs of a village in sight. Naturally, tempers had begun to flare, mostly between the self-proclaimed leader and the actual master of the group. Delilah and Eddy had been at each others' throats a few hours after leaving Delbrook, arguing over where to proceed next on their journey. A vote amongst the party members found Eddy to be the leader (for now), and so they were making their way, however twisted the way.
Nazz, cool and level-headed as always, steps between the two before they can draw their blades. "Let's just try to relax, okay? Eddy, you wanted to go this way; how much longer do we have to travel?"
In response, Eddy gazes into the sky before saying, "Abouuuuuuuuuut…another league of travel, perhaps less."
She smiles and tells him, "Thank you, Eddy. Now, Delilah, can you go another league?"
The thief scoffs. "Yes, but I'm leading from here on out!"
"WHY?!"
"Because, Eddy, you have been taking us in circles!" Eddy growled at this statement, but knew that he deserved it more than anyone else. After all, they had spent a whole day trying to find the village of Berzerkya, which they should have happened upon by now.
***
Meanwhile, while the others walked down below on the ground, Ed sat atop May's winged horse, Marigold, and conversed with the young maiden.
"So, May," he started, "Why were you travelling all by your lonesome? Where are your sisters?"
"I can't seem to find them, dearest Ed: we were separated from each other when a horde of bandits attacked our home village. I've been searching the whole countryside for them, but there has not been a single sign of them." By now, soft tears have started to fall from her eyes. "There…there seems to be no hope in finding them."
Ed hesitantly reaches out his large hand and gently wipes the bitter water from her face. In a soothing voice, the boy says, "It will be all right, May, you'll see. We are going to find your sisters, and we shall all travel and perform in the towns of the world!"
May smiles, her eyes still wet with tears. "Thank you, Ed; thank you!"
***
Down on the ground, Delilah leads the party out of the woods and into a run-down village, possibly the victim of a bandit attack. There are a few huts left here and there, but it is largely barren, save for an old fortress, which looms over the tiny village. Everywhere, there are scattered remains of huts, and a few farm animals wander aimlessly, unsure of what to do.
Delilah quickly checks the village for any signs of life before asking, "This is the village you were talking about, Eddy? It's a ghost town!"
"This ain't right," the shorter boy mumbles, ignoring the leader. "When me an' the lads were here a couple of months ago, this was a bustling village, not unlike Delbrook!"
"Hmm…might there have been a bandit horde here?" Eddward asks, checking for any signs of a battle.
Nazz walks ahead of everyone else, and makes her way towards the ruins. "We're not going to find anything just by standing here. C'mon!" At her behest, the group moves in, Ed and May swooping in from above to join them. When they move towards the center of the town, they are stopped by a booming voice.
"HALT! Who dares to enter this village?" Stumbling forth from one of the remaining huts is a young man, perhaps a few years ahead of Delilah and her friends. He has bushy hair the color of the night sky, and a beard of the same color. Wrapped around his chest is a vest made from the fur of animals, nothing else; his arms burst from the holes in the side, and revealed to the world is his powerful chest. Below his waist is a pair of black pants, not unlike the kind that Ed wears. The boy's feet are encased by a pair of warm, furry boots. One hand is clutching his arm, which is stained with blood, and the other holds a large iron axe.
With a powerful voice, he asks, "Who are you that you trespass upon the land that belongs to Rolf's family?! Answer the son of a shepherd!"
Delilah steps forward, her hands out in the open so that Rolf will not suspect her of an attack. "I am Delilah, and these are my travelling companions: Ed the Mercenary Eddward the Shaman, Eddy the Thief, May the Pegasus Knight, and Nazz the Archer. We came here only for shelter for a while, before leaving; that is all!" She is nervous, and rightfully so. This man seems to have endured many battles, and he has a ferocious glint in his eyes.
After a moment of staring at the party, Rolf lowers his axe. "Forgive me," he mumbles, "Rolf has had to defend his village from many rogues these past weeks." As he walks over to the group, he stumbles and falls to his knees.
"Goodness!" exclaims Eddward, "Are you all right?"
With a grunt of pain, Rolf slowly rises to his feet. "Yes, thank you, Hooded-Ed-Boy; Rolf, the son of a shepherd is quite fine. Just a scratch."
"Here," Eddy tosses him a vulnerary, "Use this." The man gulps down the medicine in a second.
"Thank you."
Nazz helps Rolf to his feet. "Why are you still here, Rolf? Are there any survivors?"
"No," he replies gloomily, "Rolf is the only one left in Berzerknya, save for the animals that belonged to Papa and Mama. There is a duty the son of a shepherd must uphold: should the family be struck down, he must protect the animals from death. That is what the father of Rolf did, and that is what Rolf shall do!" He turns and beckons the others to follow him.
"Come. Rolf shall provide feed for your winged horse, Large-Teeth-May-Girl, and Delilah-Green-Hood may sleep in the fortress alongside her companions."
Delilah smiles in gratitude, thanking the poor farmer for putting them up for the night.
***
Not far from the village, behind a large crop of boulders, a large party of bandits lies in wait, preparing to storm what's left of the village, and take what they can get. These men have been attacking the town every week for over a year, but lately they only come once a month, due to the tenacity of the sole remaining villager. Tonight, however, they will strike that brat down and take the animals for food.
"A'righ', lads! Tonight, we take what we can get!" shouts the leader, Gengha. He is a large man who wields an even bigger axe. He is not one to be trifled with, as shown by the numerous battle wounds on his body. There is not a single hair on his head; instead, a large, X-shaped scar covers his scalp. The only scrap of clothing that he wears is a pair of trousers that were stolen from the nearby village. Everything about this man reeks of danger.
While his men grow excited, Gengha turns to the newest member of his gang and asks, "Oy, you ready ter fight?"
"…Yeah." The boy he speaks to his roughly twelve years of age, and skilled with riding. He has proven himself a capable fighter, and exceptional with a lance and sword. A green tunic, with red armor atop that, rests upon his chest, and he has a pair of black riding pants on. His short, red hair is covered by a small helmet, and he wears black boots upon his feet. He carries himself with a very apathetic attitude, not particularly caring what happens, so long as something rough happens.
"I'm serious, Kevin: if you squirrel out on us, I won't hesitate in having one of my boys kill ya!"
"Like you could!" the boy shouts in reply. The gang turns to see what the commotion is, only to be disappointed at the prospect of another argument between Kevin and Gengha.
The leader growls before turning back to his men. "Okay, boys, move out!"
***
"What's that?" asks Ed, peering out through a window in the old fortress.
By now, the group has made their way into the rough, battle-worn fortress, along with Rolf's animals. They will stay here for the night, assuming they do not encounter any enemies…
The son of a shepherd takes a look through the glass, and his face contorts into a scowl of hatred. "Wicked-Beast-Gangha, the man who slaughtered this village." Rolf turns from the window. He racks his brain in search of a plan, in hopes of a way to stop the destruction of what's left of his home.
"Let us help you," says Delilah, a hardened look in her eye, "We can fight alongside you."
"Many thanks, Delilah-Green-Hood, but Rolf would not want you and your happy-go-lucky friends to be injured just for the sake of his animals."
Nazz places a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder. "You don't need to worry about us, Rolf; we can hold our own."
"That's right, Stretch." Eddy saunters over to the group, a jug of wine in his hands. "Let us *hic!* help you!"
"We shall protect your chickens!" shouts Ed, his sword drawn for battle.
May holds her thumb up and says "Leave it to us!"
"Y-You can count on us…I hope…" Eddward mumbles, clutching his dark spell tome. His fingers drum along the top; he is more nervous than before. Can they win this fight? After all, they'll be cornered inside the fortress; it will be like gutting fish in a barrel!
When she notices Eddward's nervousness, Nazz delicately picks his hand up and holds it. At her touch, the young shaman loses all his nervousness. "Th-Thank you, Nazz…"
Her face lights up in a warm smile. "Anytime you need to calm down, just talk to me, Eddward."
At this time, Delilah claps her hands to get everyone's attention. "Okay, I've got a battle plan! Rolf: you, May, and I shall storm them out front, while Ed and Eddy stand guard here at the fortress. Eddward, you and Nazz shall provide attacks from behind Eddy and Ed; take your pick. When there doesn't appear to be any more bandits, save the boss, we shall call for you. Move out!" The group scattered, heading to their assigned places.
When Rolf runs outside and catches sight of his enemies, he growls like an untamed beast. He roars, "EULALIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" and charges headfirst into the fray…
***
Delilah starts the battle by heading for a large, ugly bandit who approaches her. When they come closer, the enemy smiles with a mouthful of crooked, yellowed teeth; it is all the thief girl can do to not vomit. Still, in spite of the enemy's appearance, she moves right in with an attack from the safety of the trees. Her combat expertise tells her that the branches and roots will provide a fine, make-shift shield from enemies' attacks.
She moves for a slash with her light sword, which connects with the bandit's chest; he howls in pain, and reels back a little. When he tries to fight back, however, his axe gets caught on a tree branch close to Delilah. With his axe stuck, he is left open to the girl's blade. He screams in pain for an instant, when she skewers him on the sword, and then grows silent. The man with ugly teeth slumps to the ground, blood pouring from his chest. Delilah pauses for a second, looks at the corpse, and then spits on it, cursing the man.
***
Rolf, meanwhile, has attracted the attention of three large men, all of them armed with axes and other tools. The men who surround him are fairly tall, perhaps slightly taller than the son of a shepherd, but this does not bother him at all. In fact, he welcomes this challenge.
"Well, well," chuckles one bandit, "What 'ave we 'ere?"
"Looks like he's the last one 'ere!" howls another.
"I betcha he's the one what's got the farm animals!" the third one giggles in excitement.
Rolf grips his iron axe. "You shall not." He whispers this so that the men can hardly hear him.
"Shall not what?"
"SHALL NOT TAKE THIS LAND!!!" With that, Rolf charges forward, digging deep into the first bandit's body with his axe, nearly chopping the man in half. His blood splatters across the farmer, but he does not stop there. Before the others can react, Rolf has leapt at the third man, and relieves him of his cranium. This time, a fountain of flood sprays forth, showering Rolf in the man's life force.
In the eyes of the last bandit, the fighter has become a demon; dropping his weapon, he begins begging for his life. "No mercy for you," Rolf growls before bringing his axe down into the man's head, breaking it like a ripe melon.
The three men disposed of in a moment, the son of a shepherd does not stop to rest. Gangha is on the other side of the village, and it is there that the two of them will fight to the death…
***
"Versammlung, dunkle Kräfte! FLUX!"
VOOSH! The shadows surrounding Eddward gather into a rough sphere before melting into the floor and reappearing in front of Ed, finishing off the bandit that had dared to make his way to the fortress.
"Nice shot, Eddward!" shouts Ed, who is holding his sword at ready, prepared for the next opponent.
"Thank you, Ed!"
Eddy calls to his friends from across the asylum. "Hey, Ghostface! I need your help!"
Eddward looks around and asks, "Where's Nazz?"
"She went outside to snipe down enemies from behind a boulder. Give me a hand!"
Eddward runs across the way, making sure to avoid the stray chicken that has made its way out of the pen. He makes it just in time to cast another Flux spell on a bandit that Eddy has mortally wounded.
"I do hope Nazz is all right!" Edd bemoans.
"Eh, she'll be fine." Eddy chuckles in mirth. "It's the enemy that should worry!" As if to prove his point, a guttural howl of agony reaches the boys' ears. They poke their heads outside, to find an arrow-riddled corpse, with Nazz waving to the boys as she moves along to another hiding spot.
***
As Kevin rides through the village on his horse, Epona, his eyes catch sight of an arrow heads right for his arm. Swiftly maneuvering, he avoids the projectile and immediately rides in that direction, hoping to find the archer. The young cavalier spins his sword in his hand, ready for combat.
"Oh no!" Nazz tries to notch another arrow before the enemy engages her, but there is not enough time; within a few seconds, a cavalier is upon her, his sword drawn. Instinctively, the girl with golden hair covers herself with arms in an attempt to protect herself. She waits for the strike to come, but it does not.
"You're a girl?" asks the bandit. Hesitantly, Nazz nods. Grumbling, the cavalier sheathes his sword. "I don't fight girls. I told the boss this, but he wouldn't listen!" He turns his horse and says, to no one in particular, "This has gone on for too long. I have my honor, after all; I can't keep fighting for that pig."
Grabbing onto the horses saddle, Nazz prevents him from riding off. "Wait! Before you go," she asks, "Would you help us to fight him?"
"Gladly," the cavalier replies, a blush creeping onto his face. "I'm Kevin, by the way."
"Nazz." She extends her hand into a handshake, and Kevin picks her up and puts her onto Epona's back.
"Can you ride and fire?" he asks as Epona whinnies a little.
His companion nods, and giggles a little. "Let's go!" she shouts, and the two ride into the thick of the fight, picking off the bandits one by one.
***
The battle carried on for a short while longer: Ed had moved out of the fortress, leaving Eddy and Eddward to protect the animals, and joined May on the battlefield; with their combined might, they took out every bandit and mercenary that came their way. Delilah had fallen back, due to injury, and was resting in the iron fortress to recover her strength. And while Nazz and Kevin joined forces to wipe out any other enemies, Rolf slowly made his way through the ruins to his target, Gengha.
Finally, the only remaining enemy is the leader himself, who stands ready for the son of a shepherd, who drinks a vulnerary before rushing the vicious bandit.
"You think you can stop me, whelp? Then you shall die with this village!" Gengha howls with a mix of laughter and with rage. To think that his men could all be taken out by a bunch of children! They will pay dearly for this…
"Enough talk," Rolf growls, blood coating his body as though he had swum through a lake of the sticky liquid, "Now, Rolf challenges Savage-Bandit-Gengha to a honor duel!"
The two combatants raise their axes to the heavens for a moment, praying to their respective gods for strength in the battle. Once they have finished, the men lock eyes and charge at each other, their axes swinging about. These are fighters with the capabilities of slaughtering a small army; for them to fight is to have the very ground tremble beneath them.
When Nazz sees the duel, she pats Kevin on the shoulder. "We have to go over and help our friend Rolf, Kevin!"
"We can't," the cavalier replies as he wipes his blade clean on a ragged cloth that hangs from his belt, "He is locked in a honor duel with Gengha; only the death of the boss will let us near him."
"But we have to help him!"
"There's nothing we can do."
Ed stands at attention, ready for any other enemies to come. "Don't worry about it, Ed," May tells him, "There is no one coming."
"Still, we have to do what we can while Rolf fights." The young man sets his sword down. "We have to be there, in case any reinforcements appear!"
Locked in the duel, Rolf has suffered a good deal of damage to his body; he can barely stand, the agony is so great. The fighter will not back down, as he knows that there is more to this fight than just his life. His father is with him, even now, and so is his mother; the old medicine man, who would let Rolf play with his chickens; his little sister Risa, who is buried in what was their house; Ulrich, his friend who had taught him how to fight in the first place. All of the people in the village appeared in his mind, and the son of a shepherd knew that he could not die. Summoning all his strength, the man spins through the air and brings his axe down deep into Gengha's chest, ending the fight.
His opponent spews blood from his mouth before saying, "Y-You…how did you?" Gengha falls on his back, the life gone from his body.
The battle finished, Rolf falls on his back and gazes out into the setting sun. For an instant, he can see the villagers again, smiling at him and beckoning him. "Follow us, Rolf," they are saying. The son of a shepherd shakes his head. "No," he tells them, "I cannot go yet. There is still much to do here. Forgive me; I must stay here for a while longer."
***
The next morning, Rolf placed a new fur vest on, and placed his boots upon his feet. From outside, Kevin calls to him. "Rolf! Hurry, or we'll leave without you!"
"Rolf is coming, Red-Haired-Kevin-Boy!" Before he departs from his hut, the young man casts one last look upon the small, wooden cross in the center of the structure. It is in memorial of the villagers, lest anyone forget what transpired here. Without shedding a tear, Rolf places a hand on the cross. "Rolf shall do you proud, o ancestors. You shall not be disappointed." He rejoins the group outside, and they set out along the road, Rolf's animals in tow.
"So, Rolf," Delilah asks, "What are you going to do with them?"
"Rolf shall give them to a farmer he knows in a nearby city. Come; follow the son of a shepherd!" He lifts his axe into the air and charges ahead, Ed and Kevin following close behind. The others smile and follow from a distance.
***
Name: Rolf
Class: Fighter
Level: 5
***
Name: Kevin
Class: Cavalier
Level: 4