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Chapter 2: Exodus

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Death... Have I been cursed with seeing it everywhere I go? No, I cannot allow myself to believe that. Daein's history may have been bloody, but it shall not be any longer... At least, it shall not be after this new war...

General Tauroneo sighed as he and a small group of companions stood outside of Daein's royal palace. In a few moments, Zihark appeared, his lavender hair flying freely as he ran towards the old General. "General Tauroneo, we've gathered about four thousand loyalists. The bulk of our army has already left the capital gates... Unfortunately, there aren't enough of us inside the gate to provide you armored units with support. As I'm sure you know, we'll need to move in small groups, otherwise we'd be finished."

"I see... But Zihark, you should rejoin Colonel Jill. I will be fine as I make it to the west gate." Tauroneo nodded.

Zihark whistled, and as a signal a wyvern landed next to him. "Zihark, you called?" Its woman rider asked, shifting her helmet to keep her long red hair from getting caught.

"Colonel Jill... Based on what Captain Zihark has told me, it is too dangerous for you here."

"But General, the enemy outnumbers you seven to one. You and your battalion might be overrun before you'd have a chance to regroup with our main army." Jill spoke, her eyes and voice full of worry.

Tauroneo smirked. "Do you doubt a Steadfast Rider, even though I was one? I shall make it out of here with a good number of squads, at least, but you should regroup the troops. In case I take too long, they'll need a capable leader. You, Jill, are the one. Zihark, help keep her safe, will you?"

Jill and Zihark nodded. "Be careful, General. Remember that Daein will need your strength till the end." Jill added, staring intently at Tauroneo with her worried expression.

Tauroneo chuckled. "You worry too much, girl. Now go, and go quickly!" Jill immediately reared her wyvern, and as Zihark leapt on her saddle the pair fled into the sky.

Tauroneo turned to the two hundred or so armored knights with him. "You heard her. The enemy outnumbers us greatly, but we will show them the power of the true Daein loyalists!" He raised his spear, the legendary Wishblade, and the warriors of Daein cheered with him. (1.)

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For years, Castle Delbray has remained one of Crimea's chief strongholds. Even when the rest of Crimea collapsed, the castle remained in Crimean hands even when Daein's overwhelming army laid siege to it.

This time was no different. As about four hundred Begnion pegasus riders appeared over the mountains from the direction of Begnion's Telgam Fort, General Geoffrey and the Lady Lucia immediately prepared themselves for the inevitable engagement. Thanks to Bastian, Lucia learned how to use magic to enhance the effectiveness of her blades, but thanks to Soren she learned how to utilize Wind Edges most effectively. She thought of that black-haired mage lately, and wondered if those stern features of his would soften a little without her around. After all, thanks to her help, Soren was able to lighten up around the people who truly cared about him.

But she couldn't let him distract her... After all, as Soren would put it: one must always be focused in battle, otherwise one would invite defeat.

But, then again, she really wished he was here. Pegasus knights were a pain because after great injuries those steeds could still fly some distance away to allow themselves and their riders to heal and recover. In the meantime more enemy troops would hound the defenders and the pegasi and their riders would return with greater vigor. If Soren happened to be here, however, his Tornado could easily wipe out pegasi and thus take them down for good. Of course, Thoron would come quite in handy against those armored warriors, but it was nothing an armorslayer couldn't handle. (2.)

And everyone knew that Bastian couldn't handle two minutes against Soren.

The Begnion troops continued to close in on their position, and Lucia motioned to Geoffrey to get ready.

An enemy armored unit charged forward, spear outstretched. A streak of blue flew past him, and, suddenly, he collapsed on the ground, a huge gash on his chest. Lucia smirked, these fools were much easier than she'd anticipated.

A pegasus knight closed in on her from the sky, hearing the neigh of the winged steed, Lucia smiled again, and, with a backflip, unleashed an upwards slash that split the steed and rider in half, killing both instantly.

Geoffrey winced. Had his sister become a heartless killer?

Lucia turned to Geoffrey, and noted his concern. Her eyes softened, and she explained her sentiments. "I cannot have mercy on people who don't understand it. They'd strike our peaceful nation so viciously, without warning, without any sign that they had hostility towards us. Because of that, it is my duty as a Crimean warrior to protect Crimea no matter the cost, even if that means killing many of these Begnion soldiers."

Ah, the men and women of Crimea, full of that innocence, unlike the martial Daeins or the regal Begnionians. These warriors fight not for the glory that the Daeins see, nor do they fight for the reputations their Begnionian counterparts hold so dear, no, they fight for one thing and one thing alone: honor, the hope that war will end, and no matter how many times Kieran waves his axe and yells aloud, he, unlike the men of Daein, does not enjoy the heat of battle. It's only his duty, not his hobby.

Swinging his lance, Geoffrey yelled: "Warriors of Begnion, my sister and I give you this last warning: evacuate this area or surrender immediately, otherwise we shall destroy your entire force."

The lead pegasus knight, a woman with swampy green hair and matching eyes, laughed wildly. "Idiot! And they call you Crimea's most tenacious hero! Considering how you're trying to shy away from battle, I doubt you match your reputation, General Geoffrey. Today, the Confederacy shall tear you Crimean slaves apart, unless you surrender."

Lucia gasped. She remembered that, during the Gallian Civil War, General Saigo, the Begnion warrior whose army was allied with the rebels, had said the same thing, something about a Begnion Confederacy... This did not bode well indeed, for the Apostle was the Empress of Begnion. Had something happened to Sanaki during this time?

"Then it seems you will need convincing. Knights of Crimea, attack!" Geoffrey yelled, raising his spear up high. The white-armor of the Crimean warriors clanked eagerly as they surged forward towards their Begnion foes.

Wind spells screeched through the air, and billows of flame streaked through the sky as the mages of Crimea began a magical barrage of the advancing Pegasus and Armored Begnion divisions. Wave upon wave of arrows flew from many a Crimean bow as these archers tried to pick off the pegasi. Quite a few brave Begnionian women fell from the sky, their bodies hitting the ground with sickening thuds. Their pegasi collapsed on the ground, their reddish blood staining the soil. But that hardly made their foes flinch, and the enemy continued to advance.

Lucia raised her armorslayer, a blade designed for splitting the armor of knights, and closed in on the vast wave of Begnion armored troops. With ease, she hacked her way through this living wall, killing every warrior who made contact with her blade. Four squads worth of men fell before her, slain so quickly that they couldn't even gasp their last words.

With Dame Astrid and Sir Kieran by his side, Geoffrey charged forward, impaling quite a few foes with his lance. Kieran crushed and split a variety of Begnion skulls with his axe, while Astrid twirled her bow and pinned many a pegasus rider between the eyes with her precise shots. The graceful plummets of the pegasi were rather ironic, considering the amount of blood both steed and rider would shed as they fell.

Seeing their champions tear through the enemy ranks, the Knights of Crimea cheered and charged to join them. Axe, lance, sword, bow, these weapons hacked, skewered, slashed, and pierced their way through their foes. Wave upon wave of Begnion soldiers collapsed, slain by these so called "slaves." Finally, the green haired pegasus rider, seeing her squadron and the rest of her subordinates dropping like flies, ordered a retreat, and Crimea was victorious on this day...

But the luck of the heroes of Crimea was not shared by their counterparts in Daein and Begnion...

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Two hundred knights had to hack their way past a thousand and a half knights. Tauroneo led them through the chaos, but not all of them would make it safely.

Clanking forward, Wishblade in hand, the General found himself mobbed by hundreds of axe-wielding men wearing armor as thick as his. Beside him, he heard the thud of a fallen comrade, and the screams of those who were unfortunate enough to feel the searing pain of the insertion of the cold metal of a blade into one's body.

He'd skewer a man, yank the spear out, and watch another comrade fall. Their numbers were dwindling fast, but Tauroneo knew that, as long as they continued pushing forward, those tough enough to survive would make it... It was too late to turn back now, now, they were cornered rats, and they had no choice but to chomp and claw their way to freedom.

Tears came to his eyes as he heard the howls of his men. Tauroneo was not Gawain, he did not have that endless stamina. Even in the prime of his youth, he'd slay twenty men by the time Gawain killed a hundred. Today, he'd failed his men... If only he was more skilled and stronger, then not as many would have to die.

He bit his lip and let the blood flow as he rammed Tellius's legendary spear into these rebel scum. They killed Pelleas, Prince of Daein... They were the loyal followers of that greedy dastard, Izuka, and they were victorious today.

But just as his aging muscles began to tire, just as his spear and armor began to feel heavy, he saw streaks of sunlight, and heard the scream of a wyvern. A Tomahawk flew past him and hacked off the head of a pursuing calvary rider, and a stream of red appeared before him. "Jill..." He gasped as he staggered forward into the light.

Amazingly, it seemed that the old man was merely being a bit senile and delirious. Three fourths of the men who marched with him survived. A good 150 Daein knights would live to continue fighting in the shadows for their country... Jill, Zihark, and General Tauroneo left Nevassa that day. Though they mourned those who died, the fact that so many survived gave them hope, and for these champions of a fallen banner, hope was one thing they needed most.

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Tears rolled down Sanaki's face.

The door of the temple pounded, and she could hear the angry roars of the people beyond it. Sephiran and General Levail stood beside her. The warrior's spear and the calm minister's tome fixed by their sides.

Sigrun and Tanith turned to the Prime Minister. "Milord, we shall gather the Holy Guards and attempt to escape from the upper floors... It seems that the Begnion Imperial Guardsmen and Sir Levail will be the only ones left to ensure your safety, Prime Minister." Sigrun spoke, her voice full of hesitation.

"This is what happens when we allow the work of madmen to go unopposed. Lekain and his men are about to break the gate. Hurry, Dame Sigrun! Only you and Tanith will stand in their way if you escape. We will do what we can to hold them off, but the responsibility of protecting the Apostle goes to you."

Sigrun had Apostle Sanaki mount her pegasus behind her as Tanith and the other Holy Guards huddled close to their lady and their commander. They burst from the window of the third floor and fled Mainal Temple as fast as they could.

But Lekain was no fool. A wave of arrows fell from the sky, piercing their squadron as the Begnion Confederate snipers tried to hunt down the Holy Guard. But just as an arrow lodged itself into Sigrun's shoulder, several Halberdiers appeared, slashing their way through the snipers. And, marching behind those Halberdiers was Begnion's legendary General: General Zelgius!

"This is General Zelgius of the Begnion Imperial Central Army. Rebel leader, you are ordered to stand down immediately, otherwise you and your men will be hunted down and killed." His booming voice commanded on the battlefield. A blonde-haired, rather chubby man appeared from the front gates of the Temple, and laughed aloud. "I doubt your 'army' will hold for long, Zelgius. We outnumber you three to one, and many of the soldiers with me are just as well trained as yours."

Zelgius sighed, and, lifting his head towards the clouds, he yelled: "Dame Sigrun, protect our lady and flee this area. I will rejoin you when I can. The enemy is numerous and unrelenting, but as the Commander of the Holy Guards, I'm sure you could repel them. May Ashera be with you."

Sigrun nodded. "And with you as well, Sir Zelgius." She reared her pegasus and flew as fast as she could towards the west, with Tanith and her fellow riders following as swiftly as they could.

Only minutes after they fled the capital, wyvern knights and renegade pegasus riders engaged them. Swinging her lance, Tanith dove forward, decapitating several mounts and forcing their riders to plummet to the ground. Sanaki grabbed tightly onto Sigrun's armor, and the knight could feel her soverign's tears flowing down her back. "Sigrun... Why have I failed as a ruler?..." Sanaki groaned in between sobs.

Sigrun spoke softly. "Milady, 'tis the fate of a ruler to have the people turn against you at times. They've been misled by Lekain and his false words. His ambition will consume him, but before that happens he will sent countless foes to slay us all. When Zelgius returns to our sides, we will have to formulate a plan to save the Empire. Do not despair, if anything Zelgius should be more than well when we meet again."

Sanaki nodded, and buried her head into her retainer's back... This was only the beginning of harsh times for all of them.

Finally, Tanith and her troops were able to drive away their pursuers, and this band of women descended near a castle close to the Province of Tanas.

In the distance, they spotted several calvary riders. Raising their lances, Tanith and Sigrun prepared for the worst, but these were actually Zelgius's advance guard. Zelgius, knowing that he couldn't possibly defeat Lekain in the madman's capital, was forced to abandon Sephiran and Levail, knowing that they were almost certainly slain by Confederate troops. Zelgius personally arrived, and the four decided to take the nearby castle and rest. With about 1800 troops having been rescued or recruited by their force, the Imperial Army would be quite large enough to win a victory.

500 soldiers were stationed in the fortress, commanded by Numida of the Senate. Numida was an old ally of Lekain's, thus his men were all Confederate troops, ready to skewer what was left of the Imperial Army.

But Numida did not know that there was an enemy sympathizer in his own ranks.

Bartholemu was once a member of the Senate. However, he was corrupt, and misspent his funds, forcing Prime Minister Sephiran to demote him and banish him from office. Now, he was a simple Bishop, a light magic and stave wielder who would be treated like a common army healer and mage. Bartholemu had long regretted his actions, but because Sephiran did not trust him, he would never be able to gain an appointment.

But now this crisis was happening, and with four-tenths of the castle guard under his command (for they made up his personal guard), Bartholemu decided that it was time to show his goodwill. He waited for the Imperial Army to enter and engage Numida, and just when Numida began to call for help, Bartholemu made his strike.

Zelgius, Sigrun, Tanith, and Sanaki were quite shocked to see a Confederate officer assist them in the capturing of this citadel, but they could hardly complain. Numida, realizing that he'd been betrayed, fled the scene immediately with a Rewarp staff, and Bartholemu prostrated himself before Sanaki.

Sigrun recognized him immediately. "Minister Bartholemu, formerly of the Senate, you were charged with Corruption and Monetary Fraud, and were found guilty of your crimes. Because of this, you've been demoted and excommunicated, yet here you kneel before Her Majesty. Explain yourself."

"I've heard the saying that 'every sinner has a future,' and it's occurred to me that my former actions should not stain my memory forever. I've hardly done anything to atone for my deeds, but now it seems that the Empire is in quite a sorry state. I am a minister of the Begnion Empire, and thus it is my duty to stand by the Apostle in these dark times. Death may be my fate for joining you, but I hardly fear it now. Please, let me have some honor, let me help you. I have soldiers here who can reinforce your troops, and since we are all servants of the Empire, it is our duty to protect our Soverign. Apostle Sanaki, will you accept your servant's assistance?" Bartholemu bowed.

Sanaki grabbed him by the hand and pulled him up. "You're a convict, but that doesn't mean that you aren't a good man. I need all the help I can get, and if you're willing to stand by me till the end, then I will make certain that you will be pardoned. I accept your assistance."

With Bartholemu by their sides, the Imperial Army rested and was one the move yet again. Sanaki hoped to enter Gallia soon, as she was friendly with King Caineghis thanks to their mutual assistance during the Mad King's War.

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And, thus, the heroes of Tellius underwent their respective trials. Some were forced to flee their homes, while others were forced to protect them till the end. The tides of war began to rise ever higher, its boiling waters simmering with greater and greater rage.

And, like the previous wars, young Ike would once again be forced to take on great tasks... As his men safely returned to their Fort, they would have little idea of the trial that was yet to come...

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1. I have a feeling that some of my readers just came in from Radiant Dawn. If that is so, let me inform you that this is a sequel to Path of Radiance with some tie-ins to Radiant Dawn via similar characters and few similar plot points (such as an evil Senate.) However, this is an alternate timeline so there are major differences between this fic and Radiant Dawn. Furthermore, Wishblade, being Bryce's weapon, is more likely to be in General Tauroneo's hands than General Levail, as Tauroneo was much more likely to be near Bryce when that General fell, and thus would be likely to pick the spear from his dead hands. Bryce and Tauroneo are old friends and if, as many fantasy fics say, the weapon chooses the user, the Wishblade is more likely to choose Tauroneo than some random Begnion general.

2. This fic is the sequel to Gallian Nights. Carrying on from that fic, magical effectiveness is based on physics. Wind fans flames and makes them stronger. Wind can disperse electric sparks. Fire and Thunder have much greater intensities than Light. And, based on spiritual beliefs, Light, with its holy qualities, can defeat Dark, which has a connotation of being evil. Metal conducts electricity, so Thunder magic can shock armored knights and other armor-bearing beorc. Fire sears flesh, so it is quite effective against laguz (and, technically, against lightly armored units like archers.) Wind makes it difficult for winged units to fly, as it knocks them out of the sky. Shadows can blot out flames and electric sparks, so Dark beats Thunder and Fire. Wind is neutral to Light and Dark because there is no relation between them. Thunder is strong against Fire because, well, it just is, apparently.

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Author's note: You can either blame The Stuttering Stallion, or Chrono Trigger for the lackluster update here. I have no intention of going into hiatus, however, I've realized that I've lost the passion for Fire Emblem... My passion lies in Dynasty Warriors, it seems, especially in The Stuttering Stallion. As of now, that fic is my pride and joy. That, and Chrono Trigger is way too fun, making me too easily distracted to update, sapping my free time. Forgive me if this chapter seems lackluster...