A Fire Emblem Story-Chapter 2-Fight in the Cemetery

 

The interior of Aimee’s house was aired out, welcoming in the three strangers to the house. Cassandra followed Roy inside, timid about her old house. It seemed too empty; too quiet than her tastes. 

“So, Cassandra,” Aimee said, sitting down at the wooden table. “Who’s this? Your suitor?” Gesturing to Klein, she beamed at Cassandra.

Blushing, Klein held up his hands. “No, ma’am. We’re just travelling together.”

“Oh, well, that’s how your father and I met,” Aimee told Cassandra, winking. Blushing, Cassandra rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“I’ve heard the story more than enough, mother,” Cassandra insisted. “Speaking of my father, I was thinking of going to the cemetery today.”

Aimee froze, staring down at the table.
“The cemetery?” Aimee murmured, looking up.

“Yes, mother, the cemetery. I never said I’d be staying for long.” Cassandra told her sternly. “We’ll all be leaving again afterward.”
“What’s this ‘all’ thing?” Roy demanded. “I’m staying in Kalae. You two can go wherever you please.”

Cassandra shot Roy a hard look before turning to her mother. “I’m sorry, mother, but I have to leave again. I can’t stay here any longer.”

Suddenly, Aimee burst out laughing. “You really are his daughter, Cassie. Your father couldn’t stay in one place, either.”

“You’re not mad?” Cassandra asked, confused.

“Of course I am. But you’re my daughter, and I can’t hold you down anymore.” Aimee smiled, hugging Cassandra.

 

On their way out, the goodbyes lasted only a short time before Cassandra, Roy, and Klein took off. The cemetery was a mile walk in total, and the whole way the trio remained silent. Birds of every different color sang, but no human voices rang out until they reached the gates of the cemetery. 

“Where’s your dad’s grave?” Klein asked, examining the many headstones. 

“In the back corner, I think.” Cassandra answered, seeing two men hiding in the tall grass. Motioning for Klein and Roy to be quiet, Cassandra took out a knife and threw it just short of their location. Both looked up, surprised. “Hey, you two! What do you think you’re doing?” She called. When they didn’t come out, Roy approached them.

“Excuse me?” Roy asked, looking down.

“Shh!” One hissed, his black hair sticking out straight from the back of his head and his blue eyes begging. The green armor he bore blended in with the grass around him. “Don’t let them see you!”

“Them?” Cassandra asked, looking around. “Who are ‘them’ and who are you?”

“The Imperial Army! I’m Zeiss, and if they find me, they’ll kill me!” The man, who couldn’t be any older than 20, fidgeted uncontrollably.
“Calm down,” Cassandra drawled, rolling her eyes. “What about your little friend?”

“I’m Forde,” the other man, with chestnut-brown hair and green eyes, was more collected, even though his blue armor didn’t camouflage him.

“Why’ll the Imperial Army kill you?” Klein asked, trying to be friendly. Zeiss and Forde exchanged a glance before nodding.

“We betrayed the leader of our fleet,” Forde admitted, standing. In his hand he held a bow, one made of iron that was perfectly new. “The only punishment for that is death.”

“Wait!” Roy burst. “You were with the Imperial Army? Do you know what they want?”

“We just enlisted a few weeks ago,” Zeiss reasoned. “That’s not enough time to know. All we were told to do was grab the Prince of Kalae and kill anyone who got in our way.”
“Hm.” Roy scoffed. “We already knew that.”

“We didn’t have enough time to get information,” Forde reminded him.

“Yes, I know.” Making a split-second decision, Roy looked Forde in the eye. “I’m the Prince of Kalae. Why did you join the Imperial Army?”

The two shot a glance at each other, Zeiss reaching for his lance. Before he could curl his fingers around it, Cassandra had put him in a head lock.

“Don’t even think about it, pansy,” she growled, immobilizing him. 

“I’m sorry!” Zeiss apologized, waving his arms. “I wasn’t really going to-.”

“Yeah, whatever.   You shouldn’t’ve told them, Roy.”

Shrugging, Roy looked Zeiss in the eye. “Where was your next target?”

“I don’t know! We were going to ride into the castle and look there….”

“The castle?” Roy erupted, turning and dashing off.

“Roy!” Cassandra called, running after him. She was faster; she caught him before his foot crossed the gates of the cemetery.

“Don’t stop me, Cassandra!” Roy spat, trying to shake her off. “They’re going to kill my family!”

“And you’ll be killed with them! Face it, Roy. You’re too late.”

The words hit Roy like an ax. His eyes unfocused and his legs gave out under him. Luckily, Cassandra was there to catch his dead weight. 

“Then what do we do?” Roy whispered.

“Well,” Cassandra sighed, “you’re the leader. What now?” Regaining his composure, Roy stood and faced Cassandra.

“We have to figure out what’s going on in Jasper. Something’s not right.”

“Gotcha, captain.” Klein saluted. Cassandra elbowed him in the ribs. 

“Then what?” Cassandra asked.

“We stop whatever’s happening. Simple as that.”

“Then we’ll join you,” Forde blurted without completely thinking it through. Zeiss whirled on him, surprised. Roy, Cassandra, and Klein also looked, their eyebrows raised. “We know something’s up, and that’s about it,” he explained. Sighing, Zeiss nodded.

“I can use lances,” he said, picking his up again.

“I use bows and arrows.” Forde informed them, stepping forward.

“You’ve started already,” Cassandra grinned at Roy.

“Stop! All of you freeze!” A small, frightened male voice cried out. Looking back, Cassandra saw a man who couldn’t be over fifteen standing before them, holding a sword in his hand. 

“What’s up, kiddo?” Cassandra grinned, even though she was only three years older than him. “Need some sparring practice?”

“Good job, Peter.” A much older man’s voice rumbled as a man with pitch black hair and a face as pale as Wendy’s walked into view. Looking up, his black eyes pierced through Roy. “Roy, last survivor of the Royal Family of Kalae, I am Cormag of Jasper. Come with me, or every one of your friends will die.”

“Who sent you?” Roy asked, taking a step back.

“Queen of Jasper, Erica.”
“Queen?” Cassandra snorted, laughing. “What about her brother? Or her father?”

“The prince and the king are not capable and are not qualified to reign over a country. Now, Prince of Kalae, come with me.”

“Over my dead body,” Cassandra growled, stepping in front of Roy. Clutching his ax closer, Cormag motioned with his left hand. A whole fleet of soldiers ran or rode into view, backing Cormag up. Smiling evilly, he took a step forward.

“You were saying?” He growled back, pointing his ax up. “Charge!”

Cassandra, Roy, and Klein immediately started mowing down Jasper troops, Cassandra and Klein plunging their swords in and out of enemies and Roy burning them to a crisp, chants rolling rapidly off of his tongue. Forde and Zeiss were a bit less excited to start fighting. Their own comrades, ones that they’d trained and laughed with, didn’t hesitate for a moment, so they quickly had to defend themselves. 

As the fighting slowly ended and the soldiers of Jasper thinned out and all but were wiped out. Cormag stood among the few that still stood, his ax gleaming in the evening sun. 

“This is not possible,” he breathed, looking around. “How can five people beat the best of the Jasper Imperial Army?”

“Simple,” Cassandra grinned, hurling her last knife at his chest. The blade pierced the lavender armor he bore, thrusting into his heart. He died immediately, his eyes going blank as he fell to the gravel. “We’re just that good.”

“Don’t be narcissistic, Cassandra,” Klein chided. Roy stepped over Cormag, examining his last expression. 

“He killed my family,” Roy murmured, closing his eyes. “I can’t believe I’m so stupid.”

“You aren’t stupid,” Cassandra protested, placing her hand on his shoulder. “Just confused. Onto your plan, yes?”

Looking up, Roy’s smile returned. “Yes. We march into Jasper tomorrow.”