Fire Emblem Fan Fiction ❯ Fire Emblem Tellius Saga: Book 2 ❯ CHAPTER 65: RADIANT DAWN ( Chapter 34 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

The ‘safehouse’ was merely the tavern Calill and Largo managed together, and its only fortifications were the shuttered windows and ‘closed’ sign on the door. Ike pounded on the old wood slab, calling, “Open up, Largo! This is your general speaking.”

A soft, unhurried thumping came from inside, but no response.

“Come on, Largo, we need a world-class berserker! Know any around here?” Ike pushed. Soren thought it was a poor ploy to prove his identity, because he had no doubt Largo introduced himself that way to everyone.

There was no answer, but Soren was suddenly distracted from Ike’s coaxing by a strange nagging that tugged at his senses. He felt there was something obvious he was supposed to be noticing, like a familiar scent in the air.

Before he could identify it, Largo’s good-natured voice finally called from inside: “Hold your horses, puny general.” This was followed by the metal clunk of locks being undone on the other side of the door. A moment later, it swung open, and Largo was there, absolutely filling the doorframe. “Took you lot long enough to visit,” he greeted them, but no one responded immediately.

Largo’s slicked-back indigo hair, chinstrap beard, and wide smile were a familiar sight, but the rest of him had changed. His armor and fur cape were gone, and he was actually wearing a shirt for once. His height and mass were still impressive, but his bulk had softened and his shoulders looked more relaxed. Most striking of all, however, was the tall crutch under his arm and the fact that his left pantleg was tied in a knot, hanging where a knee should have been.

“Largo…” Ike pulled his gaze away from the injury and clearly forced himself to meet the man’s eye. “You’re right; it’s been too long.” He smiled. “It’s good to see you.”

Largo grinned back. “Come inside! Take a seat.” He shuffled to make room for the mercenaries. When Ike passed, he raised his hand as if to measure his height and screwed up his face in confusion. “You always been this tall, or did you have a late growth spurt?”

“Not so puny now,” Ike chuckled, swatting his hand away.

Once Soren stepped inside, his surprise at Largo’s missing leg was completely replaced by a new shock. He realized what he’d been missing before: there was a Branded here. Twisting his gaze to the source of the sensation, Soren saw a young girl hiding behind the bar. Since she was peeking out at them, Soren could only see her eyes and hair, which were both the deep pink color of wine. Those eyes were currently as big as saucers, and she was staring straight at him.

Since he’d frozen just inside the doorway, Shinon went out of his way to bump into him. “Move, twerp,” he hissed, and that was enough to force him to forget the girl for now. He stepped into the gloomy room with the rest of the mercenaries and looked around. It seemed like a regular bar, with no sign of hidden, injured spies.

“Calill not around?” Ike asked once they were all inside.

Largo locked the door behind them and shook his head. “She’s off fighting with Queen Elincia right now. A lot has changed in four years, but some things don’t.” He grinned contentedly. “That fiery gal can still fight like ever.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Ike agreed.

Largo hobbled smoothly across the room with the use of his crutch, making for the counter. “It’s just me and Amy right now, so I’ve been keeping the bar closed. But the beer’s still good if you want.”

Ike sat on a stool, and Soren stood beside him, trying to ignore the little Branded. Ike, however, didn’t ignore the girl. “Is this Amy?” he asked.

“She’s adorable,” Titania crooned, coming up on the other side. In response, the girl finally stopped staring at Soren and retreated shyly. “Is she yours?”

“Yup, this here’s Amy,” Largo replied proudly. “Say hello, Amikins,” he pushed her gently, but when she just turned away instead, he didn’t force her. “She’s still shy around big groups of strangers.” While he pulled a few glasses from the shelves, he continued, “Amy is Cal and mine in all but blood. She was orphaned as a baby, such a tiny little thing when we found her. But now Cal and I can’t imagine our lives without her.”

“That’s amazing, Largo.” Ike shook his head in disbelief. “I’m happy for you.”

Mist and Rolf were now leaning over the bar on the other side of Titania, and all three were talking to Amy, trying to coax her with coos and kind words. Soren tuned them out and tried not to think about the fact that Amy looked about four years old, which meant she was likely conceived during the narrow window of time when both a beast and hawk army had been stationed in Crimea. Forbidden love, a perverted fling, or savage rape—it was impossible to know by what crime she’d been conceived. All that mattered was that beorc and laguz had been in the same place at the same time. Is that really it all it takes to spawn more creatures like me? Soren couldn’t stop the thought from entering his mind. Is the only solution for beorc and laguz to stay behind their own borders and never interact?

When he finally wrestled himself away from these thoughts, he was able to gather that Ike, Gatrie, and Largo were discussing his missing leg while Boyd, Rhys, Mia, and Oscar were listening sympathetically. “There was a real bad bandit raid a couple years back,” Largo explained, “But these were more monsters than men, I tell you.” He gesticulated to show how vast these supposed bandits were. “Truly huge and ferocious, pulling bears on chains and waving around clubs the size of house timbers! Must have been a hundred of them—no, two hundred!”

“This is not why we are here.” Soren nudged Ike, not wanting to hear another of Largo’s tall tales.

Largo’s story died on his lips, and Ike grew suddenly somber.

“It’s not, huh?” Largo asked, sounding intrigued.

Ike shook his head regretfully. “Lucia’s in trouble. We heard some of her soldiers might be here.”

Largo raised his chin and grinned knowingly. “Ah, so you’re working for Elincia again too, just like Cal. Nice to have the band back together.”

Ike cocked his head to the side. “Actually, we’re working for Bastian. Elincia doesn’t know we’re here, and we’d like to keep it that way.”

“My lips are sealed,” Largo assured, raising a hand as if in a vow. “Though—you might have already heard—Calill, Queen Elincia, Haar, and everybody else has already left the city.”

“We heard,” Ike agreed. “But first thing’s first—do you have a backroom?”

Largo laughed and called to Amy: “Amikins, let’s introduce our guests to the fellows in the back!”

 

As Calgary had predicted, two of Lucia’s agents had survived the ambush. Largo had treated their wounds enough to stabilize them, but they were obviously grateful to Mist and Rhys, who were able to repair the flesh completely. After a brief introduction from Largo, the two plainclothes soldiers trusted the mercenaries enough to report everything they’d seen and heard the previous night.

Unfortunately, neither of them had a clue where Lucia had been taken, which meant this mission was a failure. After leaving Largo’s tavern, Ike convinced the mercenaries to take the long way back to Calgary’s hideaway, and despite the danger of being seen and recognized, they investigated the half-empty warehouse where the ambush had occurred.

The bodies of Lucia’s fallen agents were gone, but there were still bloodstains on the ground to show where they’d died. The mercenaries found nothing else. Seeing as none of them were expert trackers, Soren wasn’t surprised they couldn’t find anything Lucia’s or Calgary’s agents had missed.

 

Back at the hideaway, Calgary wasn’t disappointed by their failure. “It was worth a shot,” she said with a shrug. “Any more time spent searching for the Heir to Delbray would be a waste. We ride for Alpea now.”

“What will we do when we get there?” Ike asked, even as he tied a customary band around his forehead.

“If Alpea falls, you will break the enemy’s ranks long enough to allow Queen Elincia to pass through and escape,” Calgary answered calmly. “But your mercenaries must hide in the trees until the last possible moment. A surprise attack may be the only thing that gets Her Majesty out of that fort alive.”

Ike gritted his teeth in annoyance.

Calgary narrowed her eyes. “That is Bastian’s plan for you. The Greil Mercenaries are his last resort. Do you understand?”

Ike nodded stiffly. “We’ll honor our employer’s wishes.”

 

Ludveck’s army had broken through the fort’s southern and western gates by the time they arrived. While they watched from afar, Elincia led her troops by relaying orders from the tiered fort’s highest balcony. She was dressed in full armor, and her pegasus stood patiently behind her. Princess Leanne, garbed only in a light pink gown, stood beside her singing galdr to bless the troops below. Soren wasn’t surprised to see her, because Calgary’s spies had already reported that the heron princess had been visiting Melior at an inconvenient time and been accidentally caught up in the conflict. Two ballistae shot rocks at Ludveck’s troops at the base of the fort, and once in a while, Calill would drop a well-placed fireball on their heads using Meteor.

Despite the defense Elincia had mustered, Ludveck’s forces were steadily gaining ground. Soren knew Ike wanted to join the fight, but he was a seasoned commander, not some hot-headed teen, and he remained composed as he watched the battle unfold.

Just when all hope seemed lost and Soren expected Elincia to call for evacuation, the distant thunder of hooves drew his attention to the east, and he wasn’t the only one to notice. “Could it be?” Titania gasped.

Rolf scrambled up a tree as quick as he could and called down to the others: “It’s Commander Geoffrey! The Royal Knights are here!”

A moment later, they exploded from the woodland road, successfully broadsiding the vestiges of the Ludveck’s army still outside the walls. A portion of the rebel forces immediately lost their nerve, and many turned and fled into the woods. The Greil Mercenaries hid themselves behind trees, boulders, and bushes to avoid notice—not that these cowards were paying much attention to their surroundings.

The reinforcements boosted the morale of the garrison forces, and even Elincia mounted her pegasus to join the fray. Together she and Geoffrey vanquished the rebel army, took dozens of prisoners (including Ludveck himself), and sent the remaining soldiers running and sobbing in fear and regret. 

“I guess she didn’t need us,” Ike said after watching these events unfold in silence. From his tone it was hard for Soren to tell how he felt about that fact.

“Should we go congratulate her or something?” Mia offered.

“Not yet,” Calgary cut in. “You will be paid no matter what, so bear with me a while longer.” She furrowed her brow again as if thinking about something that unsettled her. “We passed a village not far from here; let’s retire there until I hear from my scouts.”

“We’ll follow your instincts,” Ike conceded, and they left Fort Alpea behind.

 

In a barn at the edge of town, the mercenaries waited. While the others whispered among themselves and discussed the battle they’d just observed, Soren took a moment to assemble his thoughts. The time had come to reunite with Elincia: their former employer and—as far as he was concerned—Ike’s old flame. Soren was more nervous than expected. Just an hour ago, he’d watched Ike’s face staring at the queen from afar, and he’d seen a level of reverence bordering on pain in the squint of his eyes. Clearly Ike was as inspired by Elincia as she had once been by him, and it must have taken all his self-control not to fight at her side.

But then Elincia had won the battle without Ike’s aid, and his face had changed, becoming calm and turning to stone. Now he was talking to Mist and Rolf, and he seemed to be behaving normally. Soren wondered what he could be thinking.

Turning his thoughts away from the queen, he next recalled the Branded girl Amy, who was currently under Largo’s care back in Melior. He had seen no sign of her mark, which meant it must be in a place that was easy to conceal, like Koure’s or Stefan’s. But surely Calill and Largo had seen it. Do they know what it means? he wondered, Do they know what she is? Did they choose to take her in anyway? He doubted it; more likely they mistook the Brand for a mere birthmark.

He wondered if the girl would grow up tormented by ignorance. Would she one day seek answers in the Royal Library or travel all the way to Sienne as he had? Or maybe she would try to track down her true parents as Koure was doing. Perhaps she would find the Grann colony, in ten years or twenty. Fifty years could pass and she could still be searching for answers that didn’t exist. Maybe then she would give up and join the colonists, who were sure to still be there. The thought turned Soren’s stomach. He didn’t know what he wanted for the little girl other than to never have been born in the first place.

Forcing himself to forget Amy, Soren tried to think about the loose ends left by this civil war. Would Elincia execute Ludveck for treason? Would there be a trial? Would the rebellion’s other leadership face the same consequences? Would she pardon or prosecute the soldiers who’d been captured, and would she seek to track down those who’d fled? His thoughts turned to Lucia, who was still missing. He wondered if she was alive, and if so, whether her captors would turn her loose or kill her now that their rebellion was in shambles.

“You look troubled,” Titania observed, coming to sit beside him. “Do you think this battle is not yet over?”

Soren scowled. “The battle is won,” he countered, “Elincia achieved a decisive victory today. I am merely contemplating the next battle; and I am not troubled by it.” 

“The constipated look on your face says different,” teased Boyd, coming to lean against the wall beside them.

Soren did not deign to respond.

Boyd yawned and crossed his arms. “I just hope we can leave soon. I feel like we’ve been nothing but cooped up for ages.”

Titania opened her mouth to say something (probably to expound upon the virtues of patience), but then Calgary burst through the barn door, immediately silencing everyone’s conversations. “Bad news!” she announced, “You may be needed after all.”

“What happened?” demanded Ike.

“Is Queen Elincia in trouble?” asked Mist.

“The Queen is safe in Alpea,” she assured, “But the surviving rebels are demanding a trade: Duke Ludveck for Lady Lucia. If the Queen refuses, they will execute Lucia before the fort walls. They are building the gibbet as we speak.” 

“Do you know where she is now? We’ll rescue her,” Ike vowed.

Calgary raised a calming hand. “We must see what the Queen decides.”

“If she knew we could rescue Lucia for her, there’s no way she’d give up Ludveck,” Ike argued.

“True...” Calgary sighed. “But Lord Bastian would want her to make her own decision without that knowledge.”

Ike growled in his throat. “This isn’t some sort of test or a game. Lucia’s life is on the line!”

“Lord Bastian hired you only to be a last resort,” Calgary said definitively. “Continue to trust his judgement.”

Ike gave in. “Fine.”

“The rebels will be expecting a rescue attempt,” Soren spoke up, adding his own logic to Calgary’s decision. “They will be guarding Lucia closely, and they will be nervous. Acting rashly could get her killed even sooner.”

This seemed to resonate with Ike more than Calgary’s blind order. He nodded at Soren in thanks. “What’s the plan then?” he asked, and his gaze was still directed at him.

Taking a deep breath, Soren recalled the clearing outside Fort Alpea. The surrounding woods had both tall, climbable trees and underbrush thick and varied enough to provide cover. It was a decent place for an ambush, but the mercenaries would need more than that if they were going to save Lucia from the noose. “Alright,” he began, “Here are our options…”

 

It was easy enough for Soren to slip into the growing crowd, which was filling with local villagers as well as the soldiers and militia who’d escaped this morning’s battle. For a disguise he wore a dusty brown cloak to hide his robes and a straw hat tilted forward to hide his Brand.

Shifting his gaze to the side, he could see Lucia standing on the scaffold. Her long, blue hair had been chopped short to her jawline, and it was smeared with dried blood from a wound on her head. Her face was bruised, and both her porcelain skin and once-white tunic were torn and filthy. Her hands were bound behind her back, and a loop of rope was already draped around her neck. A soldier in Crimean armor stood on either side.

Turning his gaze back to the crowd, Soren caught sight of Mist, who was walking hunched over and using her staff as a walking stick. She wore a patchy gray cloak with the hood pulled over her head to hide both her youth and the sword tied at her waist. When she turned toward him, she caught his eye and gave a small smile. The braids she’d been growing for years were now gone, and her hair was as short as it’d been during the Mad King’s War.

In the frantic minutes the company had had to prepare their disguises, several of the mercenaries had taken extra time to cut their hair, shave their faces, and make themselves look well-kempt for their return to the public eye.

Turning away from Mist, Soren let the crowd carry him along until he determined that Mia, Rhys, and Ike were also in position. Their disguises seemed to be working—even Ike, for whom it had been hard to acquire a cloak large enough to cover his steel greaves, his gauntlets, the pauldron that protected his left arm, and the broadsword whose hilt jutted above his right shoulder. Soren had advised him to hunch over and walk slowly, but even so, his bulky form looked suspicious.

“Queen of Crimea!” shouted the rebel leader—a man wearing the plumed helmet of an army captain. He stood at the base of the scaffold and pointed an accusing finger at the fort. At his call, the crowd hushed. “We demand that you release the Duke of Felirae! Refuse, and Lady Lucia will die!”

Tilting his head as far as he could without dislodging his hat, Soren caught a glimpse of Elincia standing on the battlements above the main gate. Geoffrey was standing beside her, which was a good indication the Royal Knights weren’t about to launch an assault against the crowd. (Soren, for one, didn’t want to find himself caught on the end of a cavalry pike).

“No!” Elincia called back, with an authority that spread ripples of unease through the crowd.

“You have half a mark! If the Duke is not released by then, the girl dies!”

“Queen Elincia,” Lucia croaked, trying to raise her voice as much as possible. “Don’t listen to them! Don’t worry about me!” Her eyes were fierce, and she was standing tall despite her injuries.

But the rebel captain didn’t appreciate her outburst. “Quiet!” he ordered, “You can die sooner, if you like!” He gestured sharply at one of her guards, who promptly stuck her in the ribs with the end of the spear. The blade went in and out in a flash.

“Gah!” Lucia’s whole body convulsed against the pain, pulling the noose tighter to her neck. She tried to stand straight again, but a new bloodstain was spreading down her side. Soren wondered if she would survive the half hour the captain had given Elincia to decide.

Returning his gaze to the battlements, Soren could see Elincia and Geoffrey arguing, but he couldn’t hear a word. The murmuring of the crowd rose again; people began chanting and jeering. Elincia promptly turned and disappeared, but Geoffrey remained, glaring down at the people threatening to kill his sister.  

Soren, meanwhile, moved about the crowd. Whenever he had a view of the woods, he tried to determine where Titania, Gatrie, Oscar, and Boyd were waiting, but there was no sign of them. Glancing at the tree where he knew Rolf and Shinon were stationed, he was satisfied to see no shadow or motion betraying them. The minutes ticked by, but the mercenaries stayed in hiding. As Calgary had reminded them yet again before sending them off, they were only to act as a last resort. They had to wait for Elincia’s decision.

Eventually she reappeared on the battlements, and the crowd quieted again. “Rebel soldiers, hear me! Ludveck of Felirae, having conspired against the nation, will stand trial. As the queen and ruler of Crimea, I refuse to negotiate with those bent on destroying it.”

“So you’re gonna let this girl die!” the rebel captain cried in frustration.

“Hah!” Lucia coughed victoriously, bringing up blood that dribbled down her chin. She was still trying to stand straight.

The guard who hadn’t stabbed her took this chance to kick her in the calf. “Tch,” he complained when she didn’t fall, “Kick, scream, beg—give us a show, wench!”

But Lucia remained composed. Soren wondered if she’d caught sight of Ike creeping toward the base of the scaffold or if she really was prepared to die.

“Your highness!” called the captain, “Your trusted friend will now die. Let this burn forever in your memory!”

“People of Crimea…” Lucia seemed to summon the last of her strength. She was shaking now, and her voice was hoarse with blood. “Behold your true queen! Your queen! Long live Queen Elincia!”

Now was the time. Soren counted the soldiers closest to him and those between him and Ike. He brought one hand to the neck of his cloak and the other to the spell book on his hip. His lips were ready to begin incanting.

But the shot didn’t come.

It should have come as soon as Elincia had made her announcement, but Soren could understand why Rolf might want to give Lucia a chance to spout her inspiring words. Shinon, on the other hand, wouldn’t have wanted to wait, and neither of them should be delaying now. The executioner was moving to the lever. His hands were on it now. Lucia’s eyes were closed.

Soren wondered if he’d overestimated Rolf and Shinon’s abilities. Perhaps neither one could make the shot at such a distance. Or perhaps they’d been discovered and already taken out. In a worst-case scenario, Soren could cut the rope himself, but from this distance, he would probably hit Lucia as well. He started whispering the words, but then, finally, an arrow came sailing through the air.

It cut through the rope a foot above Lucia’s head, imbedding itself in the gibbet’s timber. The executioner pulled the lever, but Ike called Lucia’s name as he ripped off his cloak and closed the distance between them. With whatever energy she had left, she pushed herself forward, falling from the scaffold and landing in Ike’s arms. 

“The queen’s men are attacking!” called one of the rebel soldiers, and the entire crowd exploded in an uproar.

Soren cast aside his own disguise at the same moment he released his prepared Wind spell into the soldiers before of him. They were facing Ike, not expecting an attack from behind. Soren wasted no time chanting a second spell, a stronger one this time. The vicious gales swept the soldiers’ feet out from under them, tore into their armor, flung their helmets from their heads, and bit into their flesh like the jaws of a dozen hungry hounds. Then Soren conjured a blunt tunnel of wind, clearing a path to Ike. Now he could see his friend successfully fending off his attackers with one hand while holding Lucia’s unconscious body over his shoulder with the other.

Titania and Oscar had already reached the crowd, with Gatrie and Boyd sitting on the back of their saddles. Gatrie leapt off as close to Ike as he could, fighting his way to his commander. Oscar dropped Boyd on the other side. Then he and Titania set about picking off soldiers in strategic lines, thereby separating the vulnerable civilians from those with weapons. Some of the villagers starting throwing stones, but many had fled as soon as fighting had broken out and still others formed a heard of gawking faces.

Soren was exposed where he was standing, and he was out of Rolf and Shinon’s range, so he couldn’t count on their support. Soldiers were moving in on him fast, and he was going to get stabbed or worse if he didn’t change tactics. But he also needed to prevent Ike from becoming surrounded long enough to get Lucia to safety. (If she’d been fit to fight, the plan had been to cut her bonds and give her a sword, but as things were, this battle had a different objective).

Soren was aware of Mia dashing toward him. She was cutting down soldiers left and right, which made her a more desirable target for their blades. Finally she reached him and dispatched a couple of soldiers whose strikes he’d narrowly avoided a moment ago. “Soren!” she scolded cheerfully while slicing open the neck of a spearmen charging at him. “Always lost in your book. What have I said about watching your back?”

Soren shot her an annoyed glance but didn’t stop chanting. 

“Form up!” the captain bellowed. “Surround them all. Don’t let a single one escape!” Despite his confident tone, he was cut down by Titania’s poleaxe only a few seconds later.

His troops followed his command, however, and were trying to surround Ike and Gatrie. Soren focused on building an even wider tunnel. He didn’t need to cut anyone, but he had to knock them down to make a path. This time he succeeded, and Oscar rushed in to take Lucia from Ike.

Next Soren directed a similar spell in the opposite direction, opening up a path toward the crowd of civilians where Rhys and Mist were waiting. The plan was for Rhys to heal Lucia while Mist guarded them. Ideally they’d be safe among the villagers, who would make perfect human shields as long as they didn’t try to wrestle Lucia’s body out of Rhys’s hands. (If that happened, Mist would have to prove her blade’s sharpness).

After delivering Lucia, Oscar wasted no time returning to the fray, and Soren was free to cast spells in every direction, fending off the soldiers who were now trying to murder him in earnest. The Greil Mercenaries may have had the element of surprise, but they were vastly outnumbered. Even though Titania had taken out the enemy commander relatively quickly, someone else with a loud voice had since taken charge, and the persistent rebels refused to disband and flee. The mercenaries wouldn’t last without reinforcements.

Fortunately, Geoffrey didn’t keep them waiting long. The gates pulled open, and the Royal Knights poured out, their horses snorting and nickering from the excitement. Soren saw familiar faces among the cavalry: Kieran, Marcia, Astrid, and Makalov. The latter three were wearing new armor cut in the Crimean style, but their colors remained the same as the custom armor they’d worn during the Mad King’s War. Other than that, the years seemed not to have changed them much.

Geoffrey, on the other hand, was wearing the helmet and finery of the Commander of the Royal Knights, and he’d exchanged his lime-green armor for royal blue steel. He made a beeline for his sister, and the villagers who’d stayed this long finally ran for their lives. When they were gone, only Mist, Rhys, and Lucia were left.

Soren sent a final wind spell at a retreating soldier, cutting open both his knees from behind. The rebel fell into the dirt screaming but unable to run. He would probably be taken prisoner and survive to stand trial. Soren didn’t really care about that, though. This particular man had carved a nasty cut into his shoulder when he’d been distracted by the incoming cavalry, and that warranted retaliation.

He let the rest of the rebels escape, and even the Royal Knights pulled to a halt once they reached the woods. Looking around the clearing, Soren was satisfied to see the now-empty scaffold presiding over a spent battlefield of corpses and writhing, injured men and women. All of the mercenaries had survived with wounds no worse than the one currently dripping warm blood down his back. Geoffrey trotted up to Ike, and they clasped forearms.

Crimea’s brief civil war was over. The Greil Mercenaries had declared their return loud and clear. And Soren was suddenly filled with the inexplicable feeling that he’d missed a chance to do something important.