Fire Emblem: The Great Divide

Within a day the Five Maidens and their wayward Laguz friend were gone from the village. Dawn had broke across the sky, painting it an orange hue that bordered crimson. The grass was slick with dew; the air was cold and chilly, marking the trademark temperature of morning.

Judah groggily sat up from his position in the front, spreading the wings on his back. He must have slept wrongly, for his back ached and ached. He quickly became aware everyone was asleep, blankets wrapped around them snuggly. Even Fleura was fast asleep, labored breathing and all.

Judah stood to his feet, ears searching for something. He felt as if they were being watched...and had been for some time. His red-rimmed eyes stared through the trees, searching. He scrambled for his bow and quiver, waiting. A shift. He glanced back to see Iscah getting up, just as groggily as he had been a few minutes before.

A whistling sound came, and Judah ducked as a hand axe came sailing from depths of the forest. The hand axe embedded itself in the wood of the carriage's top. Now Iscah was on her feet, and the other girls were beginning to awaken. Relda's eyes were open, fixed on the hand axe from her position. Judah crouched, nocking an arrow in his bowstring. He heard Iscah grab for her iron sword, drawing it from its scabbard—a brown, worn scabbard.

She was watching him with those distrustful eyes of hers; he could read the questions in her eyes. Judah heard the footsteps before he saw them. Women poured out of the forest in swarms, armed with weapons ranging from iron to steel. One in the far back wielded an axe of silver. The silver turned crimson at the warm touch of the rising sun.

Judah headcounted and observed their weapons. Upon closer inspection, their weapons were either cracked or rusty except for the one with the silver axe. Twenty-six or more had them surrounded. Bandits, Judah surmised.

The woman with the silver axe stepped forward, an eyepatch over her right eye. "Pretty bold of ya to enter the Blackfish's territory, beastman." She boomed in a voice that had traces of feminine to it. Her dirty brown hair was cropped short, and she scarcely had a figure you'd expect on a woman, it being more masculine.

Judah wasn't sure how to respond. "Blackfish? You'll have to forgive us, then. We were resting." He said. The woman's face morphed into a scowled grin.

"Oh, I'm sure. One man among a bunch of women. I know your type. Well, you won't be living long, beast." Judah almost cringed at the sight of her yellow teeth, cracked with some missing.

"I believe you have it wrong." Judah said, watching the Blackfish Bandits to his left converge on him. He saw Relda get up.

The leader of the Blackfish made a face. "So that's your type? Detain him, girls."

Judah looked around in confusion...until he felt a fist on the side of his head. He stumbled, falling off the carriage, dazed. He was instantly seized by the arms, and felt a fist impact with his jaw. He heard Iscah shout something, sounds of weapons clashing, a pained cry, and then the shaft of an axe slammed into his temple. His eyes rolled back into his head, darkness taking him and his vision.
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Iscah watched as the birdman tried to placate the bandits. Fool. You're supposed to kill bandits, not negotiate with them, she thought. She moved from the back of the carriage, out the back and to the sides, iron sword lifted. She charged the first bandit, slashing.

It missed by an inch, and she found herself tackled by another as the slashed bandit cried out at the cut in her arm, which bled crimson. Iscah struggled against the weight of the fat woman atop her, more coming to hold her down. They were smelly.

Iscah found her arms tied behind her back, being forced to walk as the woman that led them led their carriage into the woods. They couldn't risk more fighting—not with Fleura in the back.

Iscah kept her eyes low, but observing the bandits. They wore worn leather, and most looked as if they hadn't washed in days. She hoped none of them had lice. Or fleas. The fat woman guided her along, panting heavily into her ear, trying keep up with her fellows. Iscah learned the leader of the Blackfish was named Maricia. A beautiful name for an ugly woman.

Iscah rubbed her wrists against the ropes holding her arms behind her back. It was painful, and her green hair was dotted with dirt. The other girls including Relda were tied up except Fleura. Iscah had almost facepalmed in the dirt when one bandit exclaimed the woman was showing signs of pregnancy. Obviously, fool.

She winced as Judah was woken, smashed with the shaft of the axe once that had been found out. Surely they didn't think the birdman had been responsible for that. There was a nasty bruise forming across the left side of his face, quickly turning purple. That side of his face was swelling. He just accepted the punishment with nary a word. If it had been her, she would have scorned them.

Iscah struggled upon the feeling of cloth covering her eyes. Someone was blindfolding her! "Stop!" She shrieked, jerking her head away. The dark...not the dark. She didn't like it. They could do anything to her, but not take away the light.

She struggled, feeling the fat woman adjust her grip and smack her upside the head. The blow sent Iscah stumbling forward, and the blindfold was securely placed around her eyes.

She struggled as she was yanked to her feet, not ungently by said woman. "Sorry. Boss' orders." The fat woman whispered. Iscah shivered, not saying a thing. She felt small and defenseless. Her outburst shamed her. The birdman was watching. She felt his stare on her.

They had moved him in front of her, she knew by the brush of his wings against her bare leg when they had done so earlier. She kicked him. It was his fault they had blindfolded her. If he had just transformed and killed them, they wouldn't be in this situation. "Don't say anything." She said threateningly, yet it came off as feeble and tremulous.
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Judah cringed at the sharp kick to his back. A string of curses came to his mind, all aimed at her. But he never spoke them. How was this his fault? Why did she keep blaming him for things? Judah wondered this as they were led in a dank, dark cavern. He could see even though they had blindfolded him.

If I were like the Laguz in Solgen, I wonder if she'd treat me so cruelly, he thought. It was foolish, but he kicked her back. He delighted himself with a yelp from her. It didn't last long, for his lips met a knuckled fist from one of their captors. He spat blood. Great, every Beorc hated him. Oh well. If Iscah wanted to treat him terribly, then he would reciprocate it.
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Iscah was embarrassed at her yelp. Damn birdman. She was tempted to kick him back, but she was too afraid to do so. Why am I treating it as if it's his fault, she wondered. She chewed her lip. The thought had just occurred to her.

Because it was his fault. It was every Laguz's fault that the world was wrong, and that the gods had left them. She wanted to believe that, but the words sounded false. They continued their trek lower into the caverns.