Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem
A swordsmen's cold steel-gray eyes swept the craggy peaks of Samsooth Mountains, more commonly known as the Ghoul's Teeth.
There was not much to see, just cold gray stone. His vision was starting to haze from lack of movement or blinking when out of the blue there was a scream: "Traitor! That stinkin' Julian ran off with the cleric!"
The swordsman turned sharply coming as close to startled as he could manage. That was the cue, the Samsooth Sires flooded out of the fortress.
The swordsman followed more slowly, casually observing his surroundings. If there was an attack there would be plenty of screaming bandits to warn him. A brawny bandit barrel towards him shoving co plunderers left and right like shoving through a wheat field.
"You, Crimson Edge, it's time to earn your keep. Go catch that traitor and the cleric!" he roared. The swordsman known as the Crimson Edge didn't so much as blink before vanishing like smoke into the dark rocky passes.
The Crimson Edge was a shadow on the wall as he peered over the edge of the pass. He could see two figures in a cloak and a cleric's robes. The thief called Julian was as good as dead but the cleric...would be a problem. I don't kill women he mentally promised to himself.
He swiftly and silently sped after the duo but neatly stopped when he heard other footsteps. One, two, no, dozens and dozens of people, here in the Ghoul's Teeth?
From his high vantage point on one of the rockier hills that lined the Teeth he could see a blue caped figure flanked by two cavaliers and an old paladin. After them came three fighters with axes swung over their shoulders. Then there was a girl riding on a pegasus, a noble without a doubt judging on her gold trimmed armor. The man that was next to her made the Crimson Flash grit his teeth.
There was no mistaking it, it was difficult for any mercenary to not recognize the brawny form of the mercenary leader Ogma.
Before he could so much as take a step there was the thundering of feet on the hard stone floor. The swordsman hissed between his teeth, his employer must've gotten impatient and sent his bandits depriving the Crimson Flash of his advantage of silence.
Sighing he decided to go with the flow. Slipping out his sword with silent and practiced ease he shot forward like lightning, taking advantage of the high terrain he was on.
This is bad, are those two trying to join up with the band of nobles? His memory suddenly became clear, he had heard the Samsooth Sires muttering something about the knights of Altea coming. He had dismissed it as impossible, why would a band of snooty nobles come here? But it looked like it was true, he had to stop them now or never.
His Killing Edge was seconds away from slicing open the thief Julian's back when a flurry of white feathers nearly collided with him. Eyes blazing with rage he was just on the verge of slicing the pegasus and it's rider in half, temporarly forgetting that pegasi only accepted women as their riders.
His already blazing eyes widened even more when the blue haired girl hopped off her pegasus and hefted her lance aside. "Navarre!" she screamed, the high pitched scream made his ears ache but it was barely felt with the shock of his name. Few people knew the Crimson Flash as Navarre and the surprise made him freeze for a moment.
"Navarre! Since when does a swordsman of your caliber fall in with thieves and cutthroats?!" she yelled. If there was any such lightness in him Navarre could have laughed at the innocence in her voice and on her face. Such people don't belong on the battle field.
"What? Fly away girl before someone decides to swat you." he snapped harshly, he didn't kill women but nothing said that he wasn't rude to them, nobles or not.
The girl's liquid blue eyes started, "Please Navarre, why fight for nothing when you could fight for something? Lend your sword to our cause, or if you won't then strike me down now!" she pleaded
Navarre's jaw would've dropped if he didn't have perfect control of his expressions. What kind of person goes running up to an enemy and plead with them to join?! Tch, well what do you expect out of pampered nobles who are use to everyone obeying? But what could he do? Kill her now? It was a tempting idea but he couldn't do it
With a deep sigh he finally spoke up, he was surprised how monotone and raspy it sounded from disuse. "No, I don't kill women. You win, I'll join you." He turned away fists clenched from anger. The girl didn't seem to notice as she put on a broad smile, she happily said something that might have been a thank you if Navarre had been paying attention. The only part he heard was "I'm Caeda, Princess of Talis." He could've cared less.
Taking a firmer grip on his sword he swerved around to face his former employers unfazed. This wasn't the first time he had swapped sides on a moment's notice. An easy traitor like any other mercenary.
In a blur he swung his sword at the first bandit he saw, not even bothering to look at his handiwork he passed on to the next opponent. He never had to look, the Crimson Flash never made a mistake.
Navarre parried an axe, baring his teeth at the pressure on his wrist. In a flash he slipped his sword out and thrust the sword forward.
A minute, a hour...he lost track of time in his intense concentration that he entered when ever he swung a sword. Sometime in all the chaos his Killing Edge glanced off a Rapier. He turned swiftly but managed to stop himself in time when he spotted a flash of a blue cape.
The caped noble he had first seen. Probably a noble of Altea.... "Uh...aren't you...?" the noble started looking a bit nervous. "Navarre" was the monotone voice that finished. "The great swordsman the villagers mentioned...does this mean you will fight with us?" the hopefulness in his voice was a mirror image of the pegasus knight Princess Caeda's. Well duh, what else would I be doing? He decided to answer anyway, "Yes, you only have to name your target." with that he left like fog.
He wasn't sure when the battle ended, he just knew that it ended when everone stopped branishing their weapons. The Killing Edge automatically went back in it's sheath.
Steel eyes flickered looking at the mountain pass now filled with soldiers. Now that everything was quieted down there was quite a few eyes on the stranger: him. Some eyes were friendly like Princess Caeda's and Ogma's. Others were merely wary like with the archer and the red and green cavaliers. Navarre couldn't help noticing how red one was and how green the other one was regardless of how stupid the thought sounded. Other gazes were just plain distrusting like with the old paladin and the fighters.
He didn't miss the cold tensness in Julian's eyes and the strangely calm forgivingness in the cleric's.
Navarre looked away, it was probably his time to leave now, his job was done. He had only taken one step when he heard a "Hey, swordsman" behind him. Turning around slowly he realized that Ogma was behind him.
"You, your the Crimson Flash Navarre eh? It's an honor, since your traveling with us now I hope to spar some times." Ogma held out his hand. Navarre tentively shook it, one shake and then he drew back his hand. He hadn't counted on staying for much longer but he had said to the Princess that he'd join. No taking words back now....
Navarre looked over the tall craggy peaks
Just another job...just another job
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