A never thought I'd get this far so fast. dang i've played this game way to many times. It might slow down around the Port of Bradon. I don't know. ON with SHOW.

"Lord Zero! What is the meaning of this?" Lord Helman angrily says to Zero.

"Hmmm, whatever is wrong?" Zero sighs, and turns to face Lord Helman.

"You said you were just going to frighten Eliwood! Your men almost killed him! My patience is at an end!" Lord Helman says, pointing an angry finger at Zero.

"I've decided I must tell Eliwood everything and apologize."

Lord Helman turns around only to hear Zero sigh again.

"My apprentice is out. I would really hate to do this. You're sure you wish to betray us?" Zero asks, seemingly reaching for something under his robe.

"I am tired of you and the Black Fang! Now, remove yourself from my castle! Your presence pains me!" Lord Helman shouts turning to face Zero.

"This is all too tiresome… One last time, you're sure this is what you want?" Zero says, tilting his head slightly.

"Nothing!" Lord Helman all but spat on Zero.

"Well, you're useless to me now."

Zero sighs one last time before thrusting a dagger into Lord Helman's heart.

"Oh Ephidel, if only you had been here to solve this problem."

Zero takes the dagger out of Lord Helman's heart and cleans it.

"Well I suppose with the old codger dead, I can go back to my original task," Zero sighs and vanishes.

(Back with Eliwood and company)

"There's the castle, Eliwood!" Hector says, slapping Eliwood on the back.

"We have to speak with Lord Helman…" Eliwood says, shaking his head and staring at the castle.

"That's not gonna happen, laddie!" an armored man shouts out, walking over to Eliwood and company.

"Who are you?" Eliwood asks, gripping his sword.

"Who am I? Ah, boy, you'd do better to worry about yourself. You'll be worm's meat before much longer," the man chuckles

"You think so?" Hector replies, gripping his axe as well.

"I think my axe will change your mind."

"Ha! The cub thinks he's a wolf! Does your bite match your bark? Tell you what: if you make it to the castle alive, we'll find out, eh?"

The man laughs before running off.

"What the hell just happened?" Mark mutters walking up, rubbing the back of his head.

"Mark, where have you been?" Serra asks, pouting slightly.

"I go to take a piss, and all of a sudden we're under attack," Mark sighs and sits on the ground.

"Bugger all, another battle. Just how outnumbered are we?" Mark groans, looking up at Serra.

"Why are you asking me?" Serra asks shaking her head, and walking beside Mark. She glances down at the map that Mark had pulled out.

"Because you were closest," Mark mutters, biting into an apple.

"Well there's only one way to go… hmmm" Mark glanced up and saw and a damaged tree.

"Oh that tree looks flimsy, think Bartre can knock it down?" Serra asked, following Mark's gaze.

"It seems you're learning something, my dear younger sister," Mark chuckles as he relays the orders to Bartre, who runs off to diligently carry out his work.

"Good soldier, that one. All right, the rest of you, we're going' south… uhhh, Lowen you go with Bartre. There's a swordsman down there, I'd really rather not be planning his funeral," Mark mutters, rolling up his map.

"Come Serra; let us be on our way."

Mark nods his head towards Serra and walks off.

So the battle begins. Bartre and Lowen make quick work of the sentries on the northwestern island, while the main group heads south through the mountains.

"EEEEK!" Serra shouts, just barely dodging an arrow.

"Mark, they're shooting at me!" Serra shouts at Mark.

"Yes I kind of figured that…" Mark mutters as he looks for the archer.

"Targeting women, how distasteful," he thought.

He hears a scream that accompanies Hector killing the archer with his axe.

"Heh, easy work that one. Simply gotta get in range," Hector chuckles, placing his axe on his shoulder.

"You're not very bright are you?" Mark says, rolling his eyes and biting into an apple.

So the march continued southward, and the bandits fell quickly.

"Why is it that these battles are all so easy? Just once I'd like someone of real talent to step… up."

Mark notices someone in the distance.

"Hmmm what is it Mark?" Serra says following his gaze.

"That one there… he's no bandit and no mercenary. He's from Sacae. Heh, if he's anything like Lyn or Rath," Mark chuckles, rubbing his chin.

"Pardon, Milord Mark," Matthew says walking up.

"What is it Matthew?" Mark says, looking back at the thief.

"I couldn't help but over hear your conversation. I believe I can help you recruit that man. He's an old… friend you can say. If you would be so kind, I believe I can persuade him to join us," Matthew says with a sly grin on his face.

"Well Matthew, if you think you're up for the task, then by all means," Mark chuckles, biting into an apple.

The Myrmidon swung his sword at Oswin. The blade connected, but could not slice through his thick armor.

"Blast… I thought…"

He couldn't finish, as Oswin lunged forward with his spear. The blade caught him in the side.

"Damn…"

He gripped the wound.

"It's been a long time… Guy wasn't it?" Matthew chuckled, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

"It's—is that you, Matthew?" Guy said, looking up at Matthew.

"What a pleasant surprise!" Matthew nods to Oswin, who simply nods back and leaves.

"How's your sword work coming?" Matthew chuckles, looking at Guy.

"You are aware this isn't the best place to be catching up, aren't you?" Guy mutters, gripping his wounded side.

"You and I… We're on opposite sides here," Guy says, standing up and gripping his sword.

Matthew only sighs and shakes his head.

"Are you really going to fight me?" Matthew asks, again shaking his head.

"I… Well, yeah. I'm much improved. You can't beat me!" Guy said, tightening the grip on his sword.

"You're quite a terror, Guy. Well then…" Matthew gripped his dagger, but then paused.

"Hold on! I think I'd prefer it if you repaid what you owe me," Matthew chuckled, and sheathed his dagger.

"Huh?"

Guy tilted his head slightly to the side.

"Last time I saw you, I gave you food. If I remember correctly, you said you owed me your life," Matthew says, stroking his chin.

"I only said that 'cause you said you wouldn't feed me otherwise. I hadn't eaten in ten days, and you were cooking meat! You… This… This isn't fair!" Guy stuttered, almost looking like he would cry.

"The people of Sacae never lie. Isn't that right, Guy?" Matthew grins, looking at him.

"Grr… Fine!" Guy sighed, defeated.

"I finally find work, and now I have to throw it away! This is all your fault!" Guy shouted, pointing at Matthew.

"That a boy. Besides, last time I checked, I think Oswin over there nearly had you finished off. Oh, you should see our priestess. She'll heal up that nasty scratch for you," Matthew chuckles, and walks off.

Mark grins as he sees Matthew approaching them.

"Sneaky little bastard did it." Mark chuckles, biting into his apple.

"Heheh, that's Matthew for us. Well, I better tend to his wound."

Serra runs off to heal Guy.

"Excellent…" Mark grips his sword.

"That young man reminds me all too much of Karel. That bastard… he will pay for abandoning me and letting his elder brother die. However I have a battle to fight," Mark thought.

With Guy's aid, and Mark's excellent plan to attack from two directions, the battle progressed right up to the castle.

"Well Hector, that man there is the one that talked a big game. Why not teach him some manners?"

Mark glances over at Hector. "What do you say?"

"It'll be my pleasure." Hector says cracking his neck, and grabbing his axe. He runs up to the castle gate.

"Come on out! We're here!" Hector shouts.

"Well, well, well! You survived, I see."

The man came out gripping his spear.

"You'll find that I'm a bit tougher than those fools you faced before!" the man shouted, pointing his spear towards Hector.

"What have you done with Marquess Santaruz?" Hector asks, readying his axe.

"You want to know? Heh, you'll have to beat me first."

That was the last warning the man gave out before the battle began.

Hector grips his axe and swings it down, embedding a gash on the man's chest plate, nearly slicing all the way through. The man, not to be outdone, thrusts his spear at Hector. However, Hector quickly dodges and bats the attack away. Hector hefts his axe up and jumps into the air. Using the momentum of his fall, he strikes the man in the weakened part of the armor, launching his weapon straight through his chest. The man coughs up blood. He could already feel his life fading away.

"You've beaten me… but you're too late to save him… Too bad, eh laddie?" the man mutters before dying.

Hector and Eliwood rush into the castle.

"Lord Helman!" Eliwood shouts, running through the halls.

He eventually reaches the main chamber and sees Lord Helman on the ground.

"Is that you…? Eliwood?" Lord Helman says weakly.

"Hold on, my lord!" Eliwood says, rushing to his side.

"I… I must apologize… Your father… He…" Lord Helman breaks out into a coughing fit, splattering blood on Eliwood's armor. Eliwood looks down at Lord Helman. Despite the man's obvious condition, Eliwood desperately craves to know more about his father.

"Do you know something, sir?" Eliwood asks.

"I… … If I hadn't told Elbert… about… Darin's plans… This would… never… have..." Again Lord Helman begins to hack up blood.

"Lord Helman!" Eliwood shouts, shaking Lord Helman.

"Go to Laus… Darin… the marquess of Laus… knows all." Lord Helman mutters, his eyes closing.

"Marquess Laus?" Eliwood asks, looking down at Lord Helman.

"I'm sorry, Eliwood… I… I can't…" Lord Helman's words begin to weaken.

"Hold on!" Eliwood says, gripping Lord Helman tighter.

"Beware… the Black… Fang…. Beware the one they call… Zero…" Lord Helman's eyes closed, once and for all.

"He's gone…" Hector says, walking up beside Eliwood.

"It can't be…" Eliwood sighs, collapsing to the ground.

(Sometime later)

"He said something about the Black Fang?" Mark asks, as he walks up beside Eliwood and Hector, who had just finished talking to the marquess of Santaruz.

"You know of them?" Hector says, looking over to Mark.

"I was in that village for a reason, Eliwood. I was following a lead on the Black Fang. I've been investigating them for a year now. They had a hand in my brother's death and the amnesia that ailed me a year ago," Mark says, sitting down on a nearby chair.

"What can you tell us about them?" Eliwood asks, glancing over at Mark.

"Not a whole lot, really. They're an assassination guild of sorts. Currently the best there is. However, lately their plans have become more complex. A name I keep hearing is this mysterious masked man, one they call Zero," Mark says, shaking his head.

"Lord Helman warned me, he said to beware Zero. I didn't understand it, but he must have his hands in all this," Eliwood says, looking out the window.

"Zero… as far as I can tell he joined the Black Fang about 8 months ago. He swiftly rose in ranks and is supposed to be at a level equal in power to the leader."

Mark shakes his head.

"But that's all I could find out; no one even knows what he looks like. He always wears a black mask that conceals his face," Mark sighs as he rubs his chin.

(Elsewhere)

"This is a very important task, one that I can only entrust to you." Zero says, standing in front of a shaded figure.

"… If that is your order." The man says, barely louder than a whisper, and yet Zero hears him clearly.

"Excellent Jaffar, The target is a man named Eliwood."

Zero reaches into his robes and pulls out a piece of paper.

"These are your orders; I've written them down quite clearly. I trust you'll have no problem's fallowing them."

Zero hands Jaffar the note, and walks off. Jaffar opens the note and begins to read it. A moment later, Jaffar seems to vanish.

"The Angel of Death… I pity you Eliwood. Your life is now over."

Zero begins to chuckle.