I'm getting too old for this.

These were words that Hector, Marquess of Ostia, had never thought he would dare consider true. Even though he was past his prime, he never wavered in his training even during the past 20 years of peace on the continent of Elibe. He was a powerfully built man, towering over most and clad in full body armor, similar to the armor he wore in his youth. His hair and beard were a deep blue, and his blue eyes possessed a fire that still burned brightly after all the suffering and hardship he had endured.

I really envy my brother now. Even with all the suffering he endured, he never experienced anything like this, Hector thought, gazing around at the battlefield he was currently stranded in. Having received word of the armies of Bern mobilizing on the border of his country, he had mobilized his own forces to meet the enemy head on. What had followed could only be described as a massacre; the Bern army was far larger and more powerful than what his spies had reported, and while his own men fought valiantly, they were eventually overwhelmed and eliminated until only he was left standing. Hector pondered why the Bern soldiers surrounding him presently didn't kill him, but then considered the possibility that they planned to capture him and use him as a hostage.

Heh, they can try, and they'll pay dearly for it, Hector mused grimly, hefting the bloody silver axe he carried in his right hand. He longed to be carrying Armads, the axe that the legendary hero Durban had wielded against the dragons during the Scouring. He himself had used the almighty weapon in his campaign to stop the fiend Nergal, a druid who had attempted to unleash the dragons once more into his world 20 years ago. Since that time Hector had felt a connection to Armads, even after sealing it away once Nergal and the dragon he had summoned had been defeated. The power he had felt when wielding that axe was incredible, and had lingered somewhat through the decades. Even though he took a great deal of pride in having delivered the final blow to the fire dragon all those years ago, he was now wishing he could face that fearsome beast again rather than the odds stacked against him now.

"So you survived this long. I'd expect nothing less from a man of your reputation, Marquess Ostia."

The commanding voice broke Hector from his reverie, and he turned to see the enemy soldiers part in front of him for a lone figure striding toward him. The man who spoke was younger than Hector, bearing an air of authority that demanded absolute loyalty, with a physique that almost rivaled the lone survivor. His armor was ornately decorated, and the simple circlet he wore beneath his short blond hair signified his noble birth. With a wave of dread, Hector recognized the hard, cold eyes gazing at him as completely different from the way they were the last time he had seen them.

"King Zephiel…I never imagined I would see you again under such circumstances," Hector said lightly, trying to come to terms between the memory of the young, idealistic boy he had been to the ruler that he had become. There had been whispers for years about the new king of Bern, and Hector had taken them with a grain of salt, something his wife Lyndis had supported him on. When word had arrived that Bern had invaded Sacae however, Lyn didn't hesitate to take a portion of their army on a campaign to liberate her homeland. Hearing the failure of Lyn's mission as well as the news of her death had devastated Hector, leaving it almost unbearable to tell their daughter Lilina why her mother wasn't coming home. The pain and hatred that had followed had nearly consumed him, and only with the help of his childhood friend Eliwood had he been able to keep himself together in the face of despair. Having lost his own wife Ninian a number of years previously, Eliwood was able to offer empathy and compassion that kept Hector focused on his desire for peace rather than revenge. "Would you mind telling me why you see fit to bring war and destruction to not just Lycia, but all of Elibe?"

"I don't answer to you or any man, Ostia," Zephiel replied coldly, hefting the bladed scepter he carried in his right hand. "I seek to accomplish what you failed all these years: peace for this world."

"Peace? That's how you justify your actions? How you repay the debt you owe me?" Hector demanded, his anger starting to boil over.

Zephiel's eyes narrowed, his hard face seeming to become even more like stone. "I owe you nothing. You have never done anything worth repaying from me."

"I saved your life!" Hector shouted, losing his cool. "How is death a fair exchange for the life I gave you?!"

"Because you doomed me to worse than death!" roared Zephiel, his face twisting into a mask of pure hate and rage. "It wasn't enough my father despised me, aimed to deny me my birthright; he attempted to take the 'life' you gave me!"

"Huh?" Hector was stunned; none of this had ever been confirmed among the information rings that Ostia maintained, although there had been a number of rumors regarding the sudden rise of Zephiel to the throne of Bern. "What did you do?"

"I delivered justice, the same justice I shall bestow to all," Zephiel declared, his face once more becoming a hard, stoic mask. "You see while his efforts failed, my father did reveal to me the truth; we humans are a selfish, greedy, violent race that doesn't deserve to control this land. I am the savior that shall deliver this world to its rightful rulers."

Those words sent a shiver down Hector's spine, as the full realization of Zephiel's goal hit him. "You don't mean…you're going to bring back the dragons? Don't you know they want nothing more than to kill us all, burn down everything we've built?!"

"Let them, it's nothing more than what we deserve," Zephiel said smoothly, "Need I remind you that it was humans that started the Scouring, and drove the dragons into exile. I am merely repenting for the wrongs we committed, and to that end I shall slay all who stand in my way, starting with you, Marquess Ostia."

Suddenly, Hector was thrown back in time, reliving two prophecies that had been given to him over 20 years ago. In his final moments, the Archsage Athos, one of the legendary heroes who had defeated the dragons during the Scouring, had told him, Eliwood and Lyndis that one day "an evil star shall rise in Bern, and all of Elibe will be once again be bathed in blood." While the three friends had speculated at great length how this prophecy might come to pass, it was the other prophecy that truly hit Hector hard.

On his journey to claiming the legendary axe Armads, he had met the spirit of its previous wielder, Durban the Berserker. Upon proving himself worthy of wielding the legendary weapon, Durban had given Hector one final warning, claiming using Armads came with a terrible cost.

"Once you have gained this power…your life will not end with a peaceful death. You will die alone on the battlefield, in the savage garden of war's bloody delights."

Having everything come full circle, Hector saw the performance that was his life reaching its end. Upon realizing how all the events that came before had led to this moment, Hector threw back his head and started laughing, a full laugh that he hadn't used since Lyn's passing.

Zephiel frowned at the peculiar behavior he was seeing from Hector. "Do you find the idea of your imminent death amusing, Ostia?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Hector chuckled, pulling himself together again. "I have known this day was coming for a long time. I just never thought the one who would end me would be you. Fate is a funny mistress, all things considered."

For the first time since speaking with Hector, Zephiel smiled, a twisted smile showing his contempt and disgust for Hector's sentiment. "Fate is an excuse that fools use to deny responsibility for their actions. We are the sum of the choices made by ourselves and others, and the consequences of those choices."

"Ah, I suppose you're right," Hector conceded, hefting his axe. "Who knows, maybe my choice to face you now will change the future. The only way I will know is by finding out which of our ideals is stronger."

"Well said," Zephiel declared, "out of respect for the prince you protected a lifetime ago, I shall end you myself." Holding his scepter high, there was a blinding flash of light. When Hector could see again, he saw that in his hand was a tremendous sword, whose size rivaled Armads and blazed with divine power. "Come Ostia, face me and the legendary Eckesachs and prove your virtue is greater than mine."

"Alright, let's do this," Hector cried, rushing forward while raising his axe above his head. As Zephiel adopted his fighting stance, the last thoughts that passed through Hector's mind before he engaged the ruthless ruler were as follows:

Eliwood, I'm sorry I must leave before you. Lilian, be strong and never lose hope. Lyn, my dear sweet Lyn, I'll see you soon…

Zephiel stood atop the fort at Araphen, frowning as he gazed at the aftermath of the battle that was waged earlier that day. He was interrupted from his musings as a tall, gaunt man wearing colorful riding armor approached him from behind.

"My liege, Narcian is pleased to report all opposition has been eliminated," the self-proclaimed general declared, smirking as he shared in the view from the ramparts. "I highly doubt these feeble insects will dare oppose the mighty Bern Empire again."

"That remains to be seen," Zephiel replied, keeping his back facing his subordinate. "Take your wyvern platoons and secure the capital of Ostia. Once the city is yours, hold it and wait for further instructions."

"Of course, your majesty, it shall be done just as you say," Narcian said proudly, turning and heading towards his waiting wyvern, smirking as he began planning the 'fun' he would have with the citizens of Ostia once he got there.

As Narcian left, Zephiel once more began pondering about his fight with Marquess Ostia, and the calm he had seen in the other man's eyes, as though he held no fear for what awaited him. As he brooded on this, a cloaked figure ascended the staircase leading to the roof and walked to the solitary ruler, pausing at his right side.

"You did not kill that man." The shrouded figure spoke in a feminine voice that was hollow and void of all emotion. "Despite your goals, you let him live."

"No, his wounds will eventually kill him for me," Zephiel replied, glancing sideways at his companion. "I want him to fully understand his failure before he leaves this world."

"I do not understand," the female figure said, her eyes briefly showing beneath her hood. One of them was green, and the other was red.

"Men like him believe that peace is a goal that once achieved, allows them to sit on their laurels while others clean up their mess," Zephiel explained, his face darkening as he confided in the figure beside him. "The old system would have us humans fighting each other over the smallest things, such as jealousy and greed. The only way that true peace can be obtained is by taking control of everything, and vanquishing any who stand in our way. This world must be purged by fire, and a new world will be built from the ashes, with dragons as the rightful rulers once more."

Turning from the ramparts, Zephiel headed towards the stairs, with the hooded figure following silently behind him. "Come, there is more work that must be done, and you and I shall see this mission through to the bitter end."

Hey everyone Paragon here, and oh boy has it been a while. Getting a promotion at my job has been getting me more hours, and that leaves less time to focus on my writing. However, I've finally managed to put something new out, and it's a fun take on how one of my favorite characters meets his end. Yes, I am a fire emblem fan, and a very passionate one at that. With all of the new games coming out, the inspiration finally hit me to crank out this little story, and I am so happy I did. I did include my own take on what pairings I think are the most appropriate, and I think it really adds to the story to have these pairings the way they are. If you want to leave a review, I'd appreciate any feedback you readers may have on this story. And don't worry, my Persona story is not forgotten; if things work out, I should be starting to work on the next chapter very soon.