Ylisse boasts a reputation that is unprecedented, with tales of their past that can never be outshone by the other nations. Legends of heroes and the blessings of the divine dragons attracting scholars, priests, and other people of all over the world to see the Haildom for what it is. This could be rather egoistic to some, but it does have justification, for the world was much different several millennia ago.

The world was much different, as the landscape was not of the current times but the previous continents named Valentia and Archanea. There were many nations that inhabited these continents, but the one that stood out the most was the Kingdom of Archanea, which was where the Haildom of Ylisse came to be. Nevertheless, Archanea and the other nations were not immune to the inevitable misery of war. For many years, these nations were under the cycle of war and temporary peace that plagued the world for many years. It was not until the birth of the Fell Dragon that the cycle would stop.

Grima, who was the creation of a mad alchemist stricken with grief, came to harbor a seething hatred for humanity and wanted to be the one to bring it to its destruction. After killing his creator, he made a pact with a human and began his rampage to destory the world as we know it. This had alarmed the Divine Dragon Naga, who was the one who led the other Divine Dragons of the world. She did not want the world to be consumed by darkness, and so she came to the aid of a certain human. The man was given two artifacts made by Naga herself; the Falchion and the Shield of Flames. Even with such strong weapons, it was still not enough to go against Grima.

In order to ensure victory, the man travelled to Mount Prism, where he made a rite of Awakening and made a blood pact with Naga. The rite was a success, and with the power of the Divine Dragon flowing within him, he confronted Grima, and the Fell Dragon was ultimately defeated. The Fell Dragon was sealed, and peace was restored to the land. Shortly after the defeat of Grima, he became the founder and the First Exalt of the Haildom of Ylisse. The Exalt made great efforts to improve his counrty, and so he became loved by his people. The years of his rule were relatively peaceful, and he was regarded as a loving and peaceful man. His pact with Naga was still going strong, as he was given the Brand of the Exalt to represent his bond with the Divine Dragon.

It was many years after the death of the first Exalt when the world had already changed dramatically. No longer were the continents of Valentia and Archaena, but of Valm and Ylisse. Many nations of the Old World had fallen one by one, but had laid the foundations for future nations that rose from the ashes. Ylisse and Plegia were but a few of these new nations. Grima still was quiet in his slumber, but there were those who wanted to bring in the resurrection of The Fell Dragon. Soon they formed a cult, which was to be feared throughout the lands, and thus the Grimleal was born. In the course of these transpiring events, the gems of the Fire Emblem were either stolen or given away, leaving only the Falchion and the Shield as the only family heirlooms of the Exalt.

This particular era was considered by many historians as The Schism, as there was unfortunately little to no additional information as to what had occurred. Many of the scrolls had been lost due to the length of time, as well as several conflicts that had transpired over these last thousand years. Nevertheless the Haildom of Ylisse had experienced an era of peace for the most part...

and it was always due to the diligence and caring of the Exalt...

that the people would cherish these moments of peace...

A clear but soft knock resounded thought the wooden double doors and throughout the elegantly decorated room. This had brought on the attention of several individuals, one of them a well dressed man who was quietly reading a chapter off of a recent history book of Ylisse. It was rather late, and very few people would be out and about at these hours.

"Hello? It's Nana, Your Grace. May I come in?"

Upon knowing it was one of the royal servants, the man who has in the room let out a short breath of relief. His two children who were on his lap were brought out of their drowsy state by the noise. Seeing this, he quietly got them off his lap as he set his book on his desk. Then he adjusted his posture on his chair while their children sat in front of said desk.

" Why yes you may, Nana."

The maid in question made her way to the front of the desk, where she gave a small curtsy of greeting to the royal family.

"Please excuse me for the interruption, Milord. I came to inform you that princess Lissa has been fed and properly put to bed."

"Thank you, Nana, as always" then he looked to the little prince and princess. " Now then. Chrom, Emmeryn, I believe its time for you two to get to bed now"

Not surprisingly, this got a short burst of protest from them.

" But faaaaather, we were just getting to the best part!"

"Yeah, can't we stay awake for another chapter or two?"

"Now now, it has been quite a while past your bedtimes. You two are going to go with Nana to get bathed and dressed for bed, and I do not want to hear any funny business from either you or Nana, understood"

"Awwwwwww..."

"I said that is enough. Nana, take these two and get them ready for bed. Then get me something to drink for the night, if you would be so kind."

With a small bow she replied, "Of course, Milord. Come children, you must rest , for tomorrow will be quite a busy day"

The children gave a quick kiss goodnight to their father, then went to the maid to be escorted to their chambers, leaving the Exalt was alone for the moment.

Before the war, he would spend most of the afternoon just like today; with his children. He would read them stories from the many books he keeps from his bookshelf, visit them during their studies, even playing simple but fun games with them every so often. He would spend most of the time with Emmeryn and Chrom, as Lissa was still a baby and was being wet nursed by the other maids. Ever since his wife's death, he had felt a certain emptiness inside, and he would not allow himself to be remarried nor to take a concubine for himself. He would always be with his children, their children. The pride and joy of their several years of marriage, and he would let everyone know about it. Now he was lucky if we was able to actually have any alone time with them, as the war effort had taken a big toll on his schedule as well as his health.

Nana was a maid who recently was hired a few years after the death of his wife and several months after the initial outbreak of war. She was part of the general staff who worked at the castle in Ylisstol, but with her courteous habits and diligent manners it did not take long before she became the personal maid for the royal family. She was always eager to serve, and the children adored her. They would often times call her instead of their father to read them stories, or to have her join in in their games. All in all she was already a part of their family, being their "Big Sister" as they called her. He was glad to have someone as her to take care of them.

The Exalt looked at his desk which was riddled with various reports, maps and other documents that had been sent to him from the front lines. He remembered that he was reviewing these documents after the disastrous retreat following the Plegian Counteroffensive. These documents stated that they had lost major ground as well as a large portion of their supplies due to the constant raids that were conducted behind their lines. To make matters worse many of the soldiers were quickly loosing the will to fight and were beginning to desert and others were very well close to insubordination. At the moment his forces are already near the Ylissean border and are at a stalemate with the Plegians. At this rate it would not be long before the Plegians would launch another attack that would drive them back into their land.

With a frustrated sigh he started organizing the documents, attempting to blink away the early signs of fatigue from his face. With the children no longer there to further distract him, he would have to go back to the agonizing task of handling this delicate set of affairs. Only thing that he was hopeful for is the drink that Nana would bring to him soon.

The Castle may have been the home of the royal family, but in the case of the children it was nothing more than a giant maze full of different rooms and empty hallways. There was never a time when they would easily lose their way and start bawling their eyes out for them to find them, especially when the sun would be down, and the large oil lamps would not be enough to light their way. If anything it would only add to the scary picture of a dark hallway, where every shadow would just jump at them. The few people who would walk through these hallways would become ogres and the smallest of rats would be terrifying beasts that would crawl along the walls. Any movement or sound that would occur would be a reason to stop and close their eyes. Even when they were accompanied by someone such as Nana, they could not help but feel afraid of the darkness that the large oil lamps could not reach.

The servant in question can tell they were terrified by how close they would be to her, and how their hands would grip tightly on her own hands and skirt. However, she would not mind one bit, as she would slightly adjust herself to allow them to be close. Her own steps were paced in order for her to stay behind them, where she can see them. While they wouldn't have to worry about something as big as an attack on the castle anytime soon, there were always the possibility for a attempt on ones life. Children were defenseless and inexperienced, which meant that they were vulnerable. While not in immediate danger, these children would still need a few years before they would be at most left without an escort. Only when they would learn the means to defend themselves from danger would they be better left alone.

For now however, Nana would not allow a single scratch to be seen on them. Not when they were counting on her to do what she was hired to do. With that small thought, it would be a while before they would reach their chambers. Not that she minded anyways.

The cluster of paper that was left in his desk was now more or less organized, leaving only stacks that were made in terms of size, area and level of urgency. Not exactly the best system of organization, but it was better than nothing. He may be the Exalt, but he was more suited for leading and overlooking battlefields rather than the role of a mere secretary. Such a thought brought a dry chuckle out of him.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when there was a soft knock on the door. While the was no reason for alarm, he could not help but place his hand over the hilt of the Falchion.

"Who may it be?"

A gentle but commanding voice was heard. "This is Commander Phila of the Pegasus Knights, Your Grace. Permission to come in?"

"Permission granted, Phila,come in"

Phila came in with the full, confident stride of an officer. Taking the time to close the door, she took small but firm steps until she was about a few feet from the desk. From there she briskly stopped and stood attention before finally giving a salute to her commander in chief. It was only until the Exalt saw how troubled and out of breath she looked that he sensed that something was wrong.

"I have came back from the front lines and I would like to report on the current situation regarding our soldiers"

"Phila, as you can see here I am already littered by the reports that you have already sent me from the Plegian front." He gestured to the stacks that were on his desk. "I believe I have already heard enough for the moment"

"Sire, I am terribly sorry but this is something that cannot be put aside. I had to return in order to relay the information to you myself instead of a messenger because it would have already been too late"

The Exalt slowly rose from his chair, whatever good mood he had now gone.

"Phila... what is it you are trying to tell me?"

"..."

"...Phila?"

"Sire... I-I have received news... about a certain camp of ours that was stationed about several weeks ago and..."

"...and?"

" ...and going against your orders... they decided to parlay with some of the Plegian forces!"

"WHAT!?"

The commander held her breath when the Exalt began storming towards her, and was awfully doing her best to not break down right then and there. Nevertheless she could not help but feel the beads of sweat go down her forehead as he stared right at her at close range.

"How in the hells did this happen!?"

"A-Apparently they were... having the riders send messages to one another, while making sure they would not report i-"

"Riders!? as in YOUR RIDERS!?"

"Sire please forgive me! Our forces are already stretched thin as it is, we don't have enough people to keep them in line!"

"Do you have any idea how disastrous this will turn out!? If those soldiers surrender their arms, they will leave an opening for the Plegians to waltz through!"

This was becoming more and more infuriating at the minute. The Exalt took deep breaths in order to control his temper, pacing around the room to gather his thoughts. Phila dared not move, and could only follow with her eyes. The only sounds that were heard were the simple clacking noise of his feet across the floor. The pegasus knight can hear herself suffocate under the sheer tension.

The Exalt soon stopped in front of her once more, his features now a bit tame. "Where is it?", he asked.

"S-sire?"

"Where is this camp located?"

"...It is l-located down south of the P-plegian desert. Reports indicate that it is near several small villages, along with an altar of the Fell Dragon that is just south of Plegia Castle"

The Exalt clicked his tongue in disgust, "Those dastards do not know what they are dealing with. Who in the right mind would worship such a horrible creature, let alone associate themselves with them?"

"That I do not know sire, but there is something else you need to know"

"Hmm?"

"We have also received reports of a small convoy, and are around the same area heading south towards the coast"

"The coast? Are there any harbors that are built along the south coast?"

"None whatsoever, and what more troubling is the fact that the convoy has no indication of being part of either side."

This rose a lot of questions for the Exalt, but the apparent act of insubordination was something he could not ignore at the moment. He would have to ignore the convoy for now.

The Exalt took a moment to think his next plan of action, Phila waiting patiently at attention.

"..."

"..."

"...Phila."

The commander for her part regained composure, ready to receive her orders, "Yes Sire?"

"I want you to investigate this matter and bring those responsible to the capital. They are accused for committing treason of the highest regard against the Halidom of Ylisse and will be punished to the fullest extent of the law."

"Yes Sire."

"The rest of the men in question will also be punished, so there will be no leave and their pay will be cut for the remainder of this war. Make sure to bring reinforcements to prevent such an incident from occurring ever again."

"Yes Sire. Is there anything else I need to do?"

"That will be all. You are dismissed."

Phila gave one final salute to the Exalt, "Very well then, your Grace. I bid you goodnight."

"Likewise, Phila"

With that, she turned around and made her way out of the office, once again leaving the Exalt alone once more. With the sound of the door closing shut, he quietly went back to his seat. His whole body was slumped down by the weight of such a report, and was doing his best not to collapse under the sheer pressure. Running his hands through his face, he briefly tried to force himself awake and continue with his work. So many things were happening so fast, and he wondered if he was able to keep up with it all.

...

He also wondered how much longer would he wait for that damned drink of his...

The only sound that could be heard at the moment were the constant clicking of the Pegasus Knight's shoes as she was heading out towards the stables, the only light provided by the oil lamps throughout the hallways. This was always a slight anxious feeling when going through, and it was not much more different for her. The stress she undertook when she was the Exalt's office didn't do much to calm her nerves. If anything all it did was made her even more paranoid. Which was why she stopped abruptly when she heard someone else coming her way.

"Who's there?" she demanded, with her hand close to the dagger she had at her side.

The person in question stopped as well, probably startled by the voice. They were only a few feet from each other so it wasn't hard to make out the silhouette of a young girl.

"I-it is Nana, Milady. I d-didn't mean to startle you."

With the sound of her voice, she slowly brought her hand back down, and was suprised to find herself letting out a breath that she didn´t know she was holding. She smiled and gave her a slight nod.

"Not to worry, Miss. If anything i should be the one to apologize, as I mistook you for an intruder."

"N-no, It is quite all right. I can see how you would think that, given the time of night."

"Speaking of time..." Phila gestured to the tray she maid was carrying. "For what reason do you have that with you at these hours?"

"Ah! w-well His Grace had asked m-me to bring this to his office right after getting his children to bed"

"I see... and would you have an idea of why that might be the case?"

"Not even the slightet, Lady Phila. However, I have noticed how he was a bit...d-distressed, so it must have been something awful for him to request a drink at this hour"

The drink she was referring to was the one she had on the tray, which was a specially crafted glass bottle of the strongest Feroxi whisky. The only people who would even dare try to drink this were either heavyweights or those who wanted to forget. Given the circumstances, there was no question as to what kind the Exalt was. Phila herself was a bit aprehensive of her Grace resorting to alcohol to calm his nerves, but then again what else could he do after hearing such bad news?

"How unfortunate. Very well then, see to it then that he does not go too deep. I cannot bear to imagine what he would do under the influence, especially after tonight."

"What do you mean? Is there something wrong with Milord?"

"...I fear I cannot help but worry. You and I both know that this war has been hard on him, and perhaps it has taken a toll on his mind as well as his health."

"Of course, Lady Phila. This war has been hard for all of us, especially for Milord."

"Me neither, but we must defeat our enemies as soon as possible. We cannot allow the Plegians to continue with their cultist ways."

This last statement slightly irritaded the young maid, and her hands began to unconsiously grip harder on her tray.

"B-but why must we continue with this war? W-why must the halidom s-suffer with so much death and pain?"

" I know how you feel, miss. However we are already committed to seeing this war through, and should we defeat Plegia, we can be able to rest in peace knowing that we have eradicated their form of worship"

"S-surely there must some other way to resolve this."

Phila took a moment to take a deep breath, however Nana could have sworned that her red eyes slightly gleamed when she looked back at her

"When it comes to the Grimleal, that is the only way to do so... they have no remorse nor do they have mercy to neither friend nor foe. They are the worshippers of the Fell Dragon, the bringer of destruction and an enemy to all life as we know it. They will not rest untill they have the beast awaken from its slumber. Which is why we must intervene... to prevent such a fate from becoming a reality."

"I... I see..." Replied Nana, "I have been a bit foolish to think that there was an alternative. Forgive me, Lady Phila."

"Its quite alright. I understand your concern, but do not worry. Ylisse will become victorious and the Grimleal will soon be no more. For now however, I believe i have kept you for too long."

It was at that moment Nana realized what she was doing.

"Ah, the drink! Excuse me, Lady Phila, I must be on my way now"

"Of course, Miss. Please take care."

Nana responded with a slight curtsy before brislky walking past her to the Exalt´s office. Phila on her end took one last look at the young girl before resuming her walk along the slightly lit hallway.

Had she looked at her a bit longer, she would have saw the maid taking a long swig of said drink while she went to her destination. Not that the Exalt would notice.

It wouldn´t have made the Exalt´s time any more longer either way.

Hello Hello, Kalbern Here! I am so so so so so SO SORRY for the long wait! I have been dealing with alot of stuff at the moment, and I did not have much time to work on this as much. So i want to say this real quick, because this might explain a few things... I moved to Mexico City a few months ago. Yup, i went out of the country, mostly because the rest of my family is here. I have been spending a few weeks getting settled before starting to work on this again, but yeah it has been difficult to a place with a computer to write with.. Nevertheless its no excuse and im sorry. I will be more diligent in getting more done.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and any feedback and comments are greatly appreciated. I want to know how i can be able to improve on my writing to be able to bring a good reading experience for you guys. Again thanks so much for takng the time to read this and i will see you guys soon.

Ah and a special shoutout to my good beta reader and friend, Cheif of RAGE. Guy has helped me out alot and I am glad I was able to reach out to him. Thanks buddy!

Ok then, I will see you guys later!