Prologue ~The Boy of Blue Flames and The Girl from the Plains~ Part 2

After one bandit fell, the battle would begin anew. Both sides readying their respective weapons, the bandit quickly advanced from the plains and from the ger, the blond scarred man named Batta seemingly the leader of the ruffians remaining stationed.

"Lyn, I'll handle the one from the West, you could deal with one from the North. I'll help you as soon as possible." Ike called out to her. "Got it, be careful Ike!" Lyn responded.

Approaching close to the bandit in the plains to the West, Ike readied his battle stance. The bandit opposing him laughing.

"Best you leave your valuables and the woman to us, the Ganelon bandits!" Ike only glared at the bandit's provocation. "Not today, not ever. If you want to run away, now's your chance."

The bandit eyes narrowing at Ike. Lunging at Ike, he raised his axe and swung it down diagonally. But Ike was prepared, the bandit's swinging hardly amounted to his father and Titania's skills with the axe, let alone Boyd. Taking a step back and dodging the axe aimed at his upper body, he quickly counterattacked. Slashing at the bandit from his sword originally hanging over his head downward, causing the bandit to yell out in pain, and following up with another slash to horizontally, wounding the bandit further. Two slash wounds apparent on the upper body of the bandit.

Ike remained unwounded, and the bandit looking worried. Taking a glance at Lyn's direction, engaging with Batta, he quickly ran toward them. Ike, realizing what the bandit was doing, immediately chased after him. The bandit quickly approaching Lyn, readying his axe to swing at her, only for Ike to call out: "Lyn watch out!"

Lyn, interrupted from her battle with Batta, saw the bandit jumping into the air and swinging at her. Quickly taking a step back and leaning away from the strike zone from which the bandit that ambushed her had his axe stuck into the ground. She unfortunately was being flanked by Batta, who took the opportunity to swing his axe at her. She raised her blade to block by clashing against the belly of the axe, but the blade of the axe still reached her right shoulder, causing a slight tearing wound. She quickly backed away from Batta,

"Lyn!" Ike called out. He quickly slashed at the bandit who was still pulling his axe stuck in the ground, causing the bandit to fall over breathing his last.

"Grr... you'll pay for this!" Growled Batta, as he set his sights on Ike. Swinging his axe repeatedly as Ike cautiously dodged each blow. Only counterattacking with his own slashes. Wounds appearing on Batta but barely enough to deter him from fighting for his life. Ike needed a critical blow to finish him.

Fortunately, Ike's prayers were answered, as he quickly shuffled a good distance back away from Batta.

Batta snorted in response, "Huh, you scared of Batta the Beast?"

Ike, facing where Lyn was, called out, "Now Lyn!"

"Wait, huh?" Upon questioning and turning where Lyn was, the girl he wounded was found to have her wound patched up, likely after consuming a vulnerary and only leaving a bloody stain and slightly torn fabric. Her stance already readied as she unsheathed her blade and lowered her center of gravity. What happened next was like a blur.

What appeared to be afterimages of Lyn before striking, Batta found himself the victim of a downward and then a upwards slash, and then the final strike with Lyn delivering a final horizontal strike. All clean strikes without a single drop of blood on her blade.

"What? How...How did you-" Batta questioning how she managed such a feat before perishing and falling down. Batta the Beast and his bandits were felled. Sighing with relief, Lyn took a deep breath.

"Whew... That was close." Lyn turned towards Ike as she spoke, "I sorely underestimated him. Sorry if I worried you." Ike was still awestruck at her skills with a blade. Shaking his head, he smiled back at her.

"No need, Lyn. I have much to learn to reach the level of skills like yours." He continued on with his praise of her. "I allowed that bandit to ambush you without finishing the job, it's my failure to help you from getting hurt. For that, I must apologize." Ike bowed his head in an apology.

Lyn found herself bringing up her hands and stammering at his apology, "No no, you did great! Without your help, I would have been in alot of trouble. In fact, without you, I wouldn't have been able to defeat the bandits. In fact..." Looking at Ike's blade he borrowed from her, she continued: "You did great at your first job as a mercenary! Could this have been your first battle?" Ike nodded. "Then you shouldn't be ashamed. You did far better than alot of beginners."

Ike scratched the back of his head out of embarrassment. Shaking his head out of humor, he spoke: "Very well, we both did well. I'm sure we can both improve from here on out."

They found themselves looking off into the distance. The sun began to set, leaving a warm color in the horizon. It was time to head back to their ger.

Watching the sunset, Lyn spoke, "We'll need to get stronger if we're going to survive... Strong enough that no one can defeat us." Ike stared at her briefly when she spoke her last statement. He pondered about why she wants to become the strongest.

She seemed skilled enough that Ike would not be surprised if she was the best in her tribe. But seeing her eyes, he could see some obsession, and a hint of sadness.

Turning her head towards Ike, she smiled, "You did great, Ike! Let's go home." And she walked off after declaring his accomplishment. With a slight upwards turn of the corner of his mouth, he went with her back to their quarters.

"irawoahirumenikaga~"

Lyn awoke in the middle of the night. Raising herself from the bed with Ike nowhere on sight within the ger. And the voice she just heard...

"~erufairakihodohiuyabam

emuyemuyunetahimikayagak~"

The voice belonged to Ike, what seemed to be him singing a melody outside the ger near the thicket and cliff. His voice at the peak of puberty, making his singing a slightly awkward pitch. But she didn't find it unpleasant to listen to. The lyrics seemed to be foreign however. Stepping outside of the tent to see him sitting near the trees and cliff continuing his serenade while staring off into the stars, he stopped himself upon hearing her footsteps, and turned towards her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you, Lyn?" Ike called out to her. Shaking her head, she spoke to him calmly, "I was just worried after noticing you were out of the ger. Still, that was a nice song, although I couldn't understand it." Smiling back at her and then continuing to look back up into the stars.

"This was a lullaby from my mother," he explained. "She sung this often to me and my sister when we were young. It was pleasant despite not understanding the lyrics. After she passed..." Lyn's eyes widened slightly at his last statement. Ike continued: "Mist would hum this melody often when gathering flowers or doing her duties. But because I'm far from home..." He paused with a sad look appearing on his face.

"I felt like singing it out of nostalgia, and a way to keep connected when Mist is not here to sing it." Ike smiled slightly, but a hint of melancholy in his expression.

"I'm sure you'll find your way back home." Lyn asserted, sitting right next to him. Putting her hand on his, she stared right into his cerulean eyes, and he too reciprocated with him staring into hers. A good moment passed where they realized that they've stared at one another and quickly looked away from each other with a flushed expression.

"Could you..." Turning her head back at him as she spoke, "finish the rest of your song? I'd love to hear the rest of it." Smiling back at her, he nodded and closed his eyes.

"irawoahirumenikagan~"

And thus Ike's serenade continued, with Lyn listening intently.

AN:

To Guest: I didn't call him a hero. I called him a Boy of Blue Flames. He isn't declared a hero yet.