A/N: To the guest that wanted to know my Michalis build, first of all thanks for reading and leaving a review! I had Iote's Shield, Vantage, and Goad Fliers for his A, B, C skills and Deflect Melee for his SS. But I recently managed to pull a Hector and foddered him to Michalis for Distant Counter from a previous banner. No regrets. Best boi needs the best skills.
I do plan on trying to implement some of the skill mechanics into the fic but I guess we'll have to wait and see how that goes!
It was well past nightfall by the time that Palla finished her night shift and returned to the stables. True to her word, Palla made a detour during one of her passes around the clear, darkened skies around the castle grounds to check up on Kiran. It took only a peek into her room for Palla to ascertain that the Summoner was, in fact, sleeping and not still busy with work.
The rest of the evening was silent. For the most part, Michalis brooded to himself, perhaps about his conversation with Kiran earlier. Palla didn't bother to ask about it—no fool would go off revealing that they were eavesdropping on things not meant for their ears. The less he knew, the better. Michalis wasn't much for pleasantries anyway, so Palla didn't have to worry too much about letting that little secret slip.
His strength and wit on both on and off the battlefield were enough to convince Kiran to appoint him as leader for the Askrian flier forces. In most battles, it was tolerable. He barked out orders left and right but no matter how infuriating it was to be bound to him as her superior, his loyalties to Kiran at least, if not to the Order, prevented him from demanding anything too absurd or acting too far out of line.
But loyalties be damned if they were not honored. Palla knew that from experience. Michalis was a man with a track record of betraying his allegiances.
Then again, Minerva and the Whitewings were the ones that betrayed him in the end.
"Nice work today, girl," Palla whispered as she stroked the mane of her steed. "Have a good rest." She opted to wait beside her pegasus until the next riders appeared for their shift. When her pegasus nodded off, Palla gave her a chaste kiss on the muzzle.
It was during moments such as these that Palla could to fully appreciate her decision to become a pegasus knight. Pegasi were patient creatures, with an undying loyalty to their masters. With the right care, they were one of the most reliable of steeds. Though the same can be said with any other mount, such as the wyverns that the fierce Macedonian dracoknights fly and the horses that the gallant cavaliers gallop into battle with, Palla found the most comfort around her noble pegasus. She was a lifelong partner and companion.
"Oh, sis! You're back!"
Palla turned around. "Est! It's about time you showed up!"
"Aw posh, sis!" Est grinned brightly as she quickly saddled up her steed. "Y'know I wouldn't skip out on my work." Which was true; Est was as talented as she was hard-working. If it wasn't for her child-like demeanor, Palla would feel more comfortable with allowing her youngest sister fight in so many battles.
"My apologies," Tana said sheepishly, entering into the stables behind Est. "I nearly lost track of time when I was with Eirika and Ephraim."
Palla knew how close Tana and Eirika were. When Tana was first summoned, Eirika was ecstatic. Princess Eirika and her brother Ephraim were the only ones in the Order from the World of Stones. It must've have been a great relief to see a familiar face in an otherwise unknown environment.
The princess of Frelia was young but carried an air of nobility. She was reckless in her aerial maneuvers, but she had great potential as a knight. With more practice, Tana would grow to be a force to be reckoned with.
Palla gave her a sympathetic look. "No, do not dwell heavily on it. But punctuality is a virtue. It won't do if this becomes a habit, understand?"
"Yeah, yeah," Est said, waving it off nonchalantly. "Oh, right! Did you notice anything in the skies?"
"No, not tonight. Except for the stars above. It's a beautiful evening to go flying."
"That's good to hear! I'm sure Achaeus will love it," Tana said, patting the muzzle of her pegasus. "Say, Est. If we have time, do you mind if you could give some tips? Perhaps ones that will help me fly better in battle?"
Est grinned broadly. "Of course I can!" She lightly pounded her chest with pride and gave her pegasus a pat on the head, "I'll show you what it means to be one of Macedon's finest pegasus knights! Hear that, Clover?"
"My, so eager," Palla giggled. "It's fine that you train a little while patrol, just remember that you have to stay alert for anything suspicious."
"Yes, we will, Lady Palla," Tana answered.
"Please, no need for formalities with me. Simply 'Palla' will do," Palla replied. Hearing honorifics on her name still felt odd when it came out of the lips of the royalties from foreign realms. Having Minerva and Maria address her casually for so long must have spoiled her.
Tana smiled. "If that is your preference, then Palla it is."
Palla locked the latch to her pegasus' stable. She turned around, eyes falling to her younger sister's back. Her eyes moved to the open stable entrance and then back at Est.
Est was going out again.
She was like a puff of smoke. Light and breezy but if you blinked, she's gone. Just like what happened back at home. Where she never come back.
Weeks after the War of Heroes ended, Est vanished once more.
"Always a wayward one, that girl," Catria mused upon finding her quarters empty one evening. "I'm sure she'll be back soon."
It was a rather normal occurrence that Est would go off on her own in short, spontaneous adventures, even when she was young. As a knight, those habits did usually lead her into the hands of the enemies. But the continent was at peace. She had a husband and a home to return to eventually.
But when the days started to drag on to weeks, Palla slowly became unable to stomach the feeling of dread that was pooling in the pit of her stomach. Something just didn't feel right.
The idea that Est might have somehow managed to be captured again plagued her thoughts. It wasn't too long ago that Palla and Catria travelled across the ocean to the continent of Valentia. By another twist of fate, the two of them joined forces with Zofia's hidden princess, Celica, who was more than willing to aid in their search for their lost sister.
It was when they finally broke through the desert defenses of the pirate king's citadel did the meaning of being captured by the enemy truly struck her.
Prisoners were disarmed and left vulnerable without a way to defend themselves. There was no privacy in the cells so whatever horrors befall on those unfortunate enough to be shackled inside were bared to be seen and heard by all that go past the halls leading to the dungeon. Inside the cells emanated with a foul stench from the waste that was not properly disposed of due to the lack of an adequate sewage system. Food was rationed just enough to survive on so that the prisoners were still marketable to slave owners that were willing to pay a pretty penny for a new addition to their property.
Est was young, cute, and resilient, which made her even more valuable to the slave trade. And while Est insisted that nothing so dreadful happened to her besides starving in a filthy prison cell, Palla gave thanks to Naga every day while they were in Valentia that Est was rescued before anything irreparable happened to her.
It was that same fear that drove Catria and Palla to exhaustion once the realization that Est might never come back started to take root.
Both Prince Marth—who would shortly be crowned king, alongside with his betrothed, queen-to-be Princess Caeda of Talys—sent out waves of search parties that scoured the continent. And while Minerva resigned from her post as Commander, she still held enough influence among Macedon's army to aid in the effort. Regardless of the circumstances, Est was still a renown pegasus knight and comrade among the ranks.
The searches failed of course—Est must have had traveled far, far away to be able to avoid them. For her to go off like that was certainly a bizarre thing, even if she was more adventurous type out of the three.
This time, however, it was not by pirates or by their enemies that led to her extended disappearance. As time wore on, it became increasingly clear to everybody that it was by Est's own decision that she chose to leave. As the eldest out of the three, Palla was left constantly wondering why.
Was it her own shortcomings as the eldest? Did she neglect Est too much? Or maybe she was too overbearing on her?
Or did Est find out about her sinful feelings towards her husband?
During that time, Catria was only recently promoted to captain of the pegasus knights. She was to train the new recruits and aid in the reconstruction of the ruined towns that littered across the country. She spent every waking moment that she had during her days off to participate in her own search of Est, no matter how exhausted she was.
Abel, on the other hand, became as frequent as ghost sightings. After the war, he changed. When Est disappeared, he was just as devastated as Palla and Catria.
Long expeditions with either him leading a search party or simply on his lonesome resulted in less frequent stays back at the Altean castle. That also equated into even fewer times that Palla was able to see, much less talk, with the knight.
Prince Marth, always a gracious man, had never directly punished him after he took up his lance against his liege during the second war. Then the war concluded, and Est vanished without a word. The viridian eyes that sparkled with mirth and life that Palla fell in love with was gone, leaving dark shadows in his gaze.
Despite it all, during the rare glimpses that she caught of him from afar, she could not help but resent the way that her heart ached for him. To comfort him the only way that she could, and hope that perhaps, he would do the same for her.
As the possibility of Est returning became more and more unlikely, a part of Palla despaired at the thought that maybe Est truly did find out about her feelings for Abel.
When Abel suddenly left knighthood in order to continue his search, all Palla had left to prevent her heart from being crushed from the weight of it all was her duties to restoring her kingdom, helping Minerva and Maria at the convent, and Catria's presence.
For those that lived and died with regrets, perhaps being summoned to Askr may have its own set of benefits, hm?
Kiran must be on to something, Palla reasoned to herself.
As remarkable as it was to be summoned as a Hero, it also felt like a cruel joke that fate forced upon her.
Catria was second of the Whitewings to join with the Order of Heroes, not too long after her.
Then much to their surprise, Est appeared at the summoning altar together with Abel weeks later.
Palla and Catria stood stupefied near the alter with their feet frozen to the ground, sharing the same unabashed shock written clearly on their faces. The youngest Whitewing quickly whipped around, absorbing her new surrounding like a sponge before her. Then, as if she instinctively noticed her sisters nearby, her gaze stopped on her two sisters.
Est, like always, was the first of the three to react.
"Palla, Catria!" She excitedly jumped into her sisters' arms during their reunion, sending them crashing onto the ground.
Est had her arms wrapped tightly around her sisters, holding them almost uncomfortably together. Despite her small size, Est was surprisingly strong. She held them even tighter still, causing a chuckle to escape Palla's lips at Est's child-like demeanor. Catria yelped, smiling broadly despite holding back one of her usual chidings.
Her voice was just as strong, unfazed by the fact that she just crossed time and space to wind up in a strange, new place. "I'm so glad you two here!"
Palla felt relief wash over her like a flood.
Est was here. She was safe.
Palla ran a hand lovingly through Est's short, soft hair, the other resting at the small of Catria's back. Catria's arms encircled their waists, holding them close. To the others that were watching the cluster of Whitewings splayed out on the ground, it must have seemed silly. But how long has it been since they were last reunited? In the embrace of her two sisters, Palla nearly lost herself in the tender moment. Her mind raced with everything that that she wanted to say, repeating like a desperate mantra.
Est, Est, Est. You're here! Gods, do you know how much Catria and I were worried about you! You're not hurt, are you? Where were you? Where did you go? I love you, did you know that? Please don't ever go away like that again. I love you so much, my dear little sister—
Abel, who was content to watch the scene unfold, finally spoke up. "It's good to see some familiar faces. What a strange place that we've come to."
His voice was enough to bring her back to reality.
It did not have the same hollowness of the Abel who was still frantically searching every corner of the continent that she knew of from her world. Instead, it was the same warm, gentle voice of the man that kept a piece of her heart.
Shame festered in her consciousness and her heart drowned in it. It reminded her of her own weakness: how she yearned for the love of a man that will never love her back and how that man was her precious sister's husband.
Her hand stilled. Est pulled away to look at her with bright eyes—so bright that Palla wanted to shield her eyes at its intensity as if she was staring directly at the shining sun above. "Palla, what's wrong?"
Everything started to come back to her like an unrestrained flood. That no, Est is here, but she's not there. Here in Askr, yes. But she was not quite the same Est that Palla was still waiting for in their Macedon.
"N-nothing," Palla managed despite her throat feeling as if it was close to collapsing into itself, "I-I'm just so happy to see you again."
Reality was shattered again.
As Kiran and Catria escorted the pair into their new quarters, Palla rushed into her own before her tears overcame her. She managed to pull herself back together by the time the evening bell was rung to for everyone to gather in the dining room for supper but her red, puffy eyes betrayed the emotions that tore at her from within. Catria noticed—she was always the most perceptive one, even if she doesn't always voice her thoughts aloud—and Palla did her best not to let it overflow.
It was a few nights later that Palla and Catria asked Est about the events after the what was later known as the War of Heroes.
Where did she go? What happened?
Instead of answers, Est's expression was that of confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked innocently. "I've been with Abel this entire time. Don't you remember? After we left Valentia, Abel and I were going to open up a shop!"
That same night, Palla also learned the more about the origins of the Catria that she thought was the same one that came from her own realm.
Catria had mentioned before that she was from a time after the War of Heroes. In her world, Commander Minerva and Princess Maria settled in Sister Lena's monastery after the wars. The rest of her story was so strikingly similar to Palla's that Palla didn't give it a second thought.
What really took her attention was that in this Catria's world, Prince Michalis was dead.
"How can that be?" Palla asked her in disbelief, eyes wide. "I thought Michalis was alive. After the war, he simply left."
The Michalis that Palla knew of vanished soon after the end of the War of Heroes. With Michalis gone and Minerva renouncing the throne, it was a call for new leadership to guide the country. Thus, Minerva decided to leave the future of Macedon in the capable hands of Marth in order to unite the rest of the battered continent.
Catria shook her head. "No, he perished during the war. From grievous wounds that... Well, I'm sure you know, sister," she said vaguely.
After he stole the sacred tome Starlight from the twisted mage, Gharnef.
Palla opened her mouth to ask more questions but quickly clicked her jaw shut when Catria pursed her lips pensively. Catria nodded to Est, who was still staring at them owlishly.
Back Palla was first summoned, Kiran explained to her that Anna made every new member of the Order of Heroes take a vow of secrecy.
To not divulge too much into the history and secrets about the world that they had come from.
Since the logistics of the summoning ritual was still a mystery, the confidentiality was a necessity. Heroes were being summoned from all points of history and timelines. If a Hero were to be sent back their world with knowledge of a future event or a certain person, then it could potentially impact the integrity of their world's future—for better or for worse.
It was all speculation, of course. Palla was not sure on how much she could ask before she overstepped her boundaries, so she let the questions die on her tongue.
No one could prove that any knowledge that was obtained during a Hero's stay in Askr would carry over when they left. But for good measure, Anna chose to enforce it after the Order's encounter with "Marth."
"Marth," the masked youth that joined the Order during its first venture into the swirling storm of chaos called the Tempest, warning of the dangers of interfering with the flow of time.
"Time is not something that humans should tamper with. If it were possible, then I wouldn't have tampered with it in the first place, under most circumstances," The mysterious warrior said somberly. "But it was the only way to change fate."
Whether this Est was from another time or not, Est was still Est—her sister. So pure, so innocent.
Palla heaved a heavy sigh, shaking her head. It wasn't good to brood over it things out of her control, she reminded herself.
Tana glanced at the eldest Whitewing while Est finished saddling her mare. "Are you alright?" The Princess of Frelia asked.
"Ah yes. I suppose I'm just a bit tired, is all."
"Don't overwork yourself too hard. Even the finest of warriors must rest eventually."
Palla locked her feelings away as she has done over and over again. "Yes, I know. How funny, I also had this conversation with Kiran earlier as well, except it was I urging her to take a rest."
Tana smiled gently, her pegasus Achaeus flaring his great wings to their full length. "Then you must know better than anyone. Est and I will take care of the skies tonight. Please, take care." With that, Tana galloped into the night.
Est gave Palla a brief hug before mounting her own pegasus. "Okay, sis! I'll see you later when I come back!" Clover whinnied loudly, and Est flew off behind Frelian pegasus knight.
Once again, Palla was alone.
For the time being, there was no way to go back to her original world unless the summoner specifically chose to send her back. But Askr was in desperate need of help in order to protect the freedom of the rest of the realms. As worried as she was about the Minerva and Maria of her true homeland, it would go against her honor as a knight to ignore the war in this foreign land. So, she decided to stay and fight.
If the world was a perfect place, Est and Catria never would have gone to war. They were both incredibly talented knights, Palla wouldn't deny that. But she would have done anything to keep them away from the perils of the battlefield if that meant keeping them safe.
If her sisters never went to war, they would have been able to go to school. Have a proper living. Fall in love and marry. Eventually start a family and live the rest of their days content and fulfilled. Instead, they have been ravaged by the cruelty of war several times over, have lost and grieved, and was torn apart again and again.
Est was close. So close to attaining that sort of normal sense of peace with Abel. But the chance of that happening again vanished when she did.
But in Askr, Est was at her and Catria's sides again. By off-chance that they can't return to their original world, then she and Abel can have a fresh start. Catria as well.
While Askr may not be the home she yearned for, there had to be some meaning to her purpose here. She and her sisters may have to fight for yet another cause, but it only reaffirmed her convictions.
Here, her sisters were not separated.
Here, Est and Abel can live happily with each other.
And as long as her sisters were happy, then Palla could endure all the pain in the world if she had to.
Because here, she was going to do her utmost to make sure that she never lost anyone again.