Paralogue 5: The Grimleal Cache
Sitting at his workbench, Robin carefully turned a small wooden crank at the base of his latest project. As the crank rotated, four thin silver chains slackened slowly, lowering a thin bronze plate down towards a large, wooden tray, filled with black ink. Robin held his breath as he turned the crank, ever so gradually, watching it draw nearer and nearer. He heard the distinctive sound of the plate coming in contact with the liquid, and stopped immediately, now turning the crank in reverse.
Robin let the plate sit for a moment, and watched as a few drops of ink dripped back down into the tray, counting the seconds that went by. After a full count of thirty, he slid the tray to the side, which had been set carefully on wooden ridges carved into the workbench itself. It brought a second tray directly under the plate, this tray carrying a piece of parchment that had been carefully trimmed into a measured rectangle, just a tiny bit larger than the metal plate. Once the paper was in position, Robin began turning the crank again.
A loud thump startled the focused tactician, and his hand twitched, turning the crank far faster than he intended. The bronze plate made a loud smacking sound as it struck the parchment, and the wood below. Robin cringed, knowing the sharp movement could easily damage the fragile bronze plate, but for the moment, he had more pressing matters to attend to. He spun around and rushed down the hall of the upper floor of his library, and turned the corner, around a bookshelf.
"Daddy?" Morgan said, looking at him curiously. The toddler was holding a thick book aloft, holding it over a small wooden doll.
Robin sighed in relief upon seeing the little red-headed girl unharmed. "What are you up to, sweetheart?" he asked kindly, as he scooped up a nearby blanket and draped it over his daughter, who seemed to be shivering just slightly. Ylisse was not nearly as unhospitable as Ferox, but could still get rather chilly during the winter months, and the only fireplace in the library was downstairs.
"Dragon got Dolly!" Morgan proclaimed, as she dropped the book on top of the wooden doll again, the thumping noise that Robin had heard earlier.
"Why does the dragon look like a book?" Robin asked innocently.
Morgan giggled and held the tome up. "Dragon!" she said again, enthusiastically, showing it to her father.
Robin grinned as he saw the picture of a wyvern embroidered onto the cloth cover, and recognized it as one of the queen's favorite fiction novels. Thankfully, the wooden doll that Gaius had made for Morgan was pretty sturdy. He glanced around quickly, making sure that all the books were still on their shelves, safely out of reach of the energetic toddler. "Where's your sister?" Robin asked curiously, a hint of panic returning to his voice as he noticed Morgan's four year old sister was absent. The two girls had been playing together when he looked away, earlier.
"Sev hungry," Morgan explained helpfully. "Daddy, play?" she asked, her eyes shining with joy.
"Sure, just let me find your sister first, okay?" Robin said absently, as he turned for the staircase. Morgan hopped to her feet and followed in his wake, her "dragon", her doll, and the blanket forgotten for now.
"Hello, Daddy!" Severa called cheerfully from her perch upon a small wooden chair beside one of the round reading tables, as she munched on a small sandwich. A small picnic basket laid open on the table.
"I guess it is lunchtime, isn't it?" Robin said, knowing that his daughter was far better at keeping track of time than he was. He pulled up a chair beside her. Morgan, on the other hand, plopped herself happily into a comfy armchair tucked against the wall. "Morgan, come here," Robin said, gesturing towards another small wooden chair nearby.
"I like this seat!" Morgan protested, pouting. Robin sighed, and, having no other recourse, walked over and scooped up his younger daughter, carrying her across the room and placing her into the chair beside his own.
"Lunchtime," Robin said firmly. Morgan didn't seem too bothered, and giggled happily, thoroughly entertained by her father's vexation. Robin handed her a sandwich, which the girl accepted happily.
"Daddy, can we go shopping after lunch?" Severa begged, tugging at his sleeve.
Robin smiled, shaking his head. "We just went shopping yesterday, sweetheart," he reminded, though he knew full well that the little girl could spend every afternoon browsing the market. Thankfully, she was rarely interested in actually buying anything, and was satisfied just seeing all the sparkly trinkets and pretty clothing. In that way, she was a little bit different from her older self, who would almost end up buying something. "Besides, I promised I'd play with Morgan," he added, and Morgan nodded quickly.
"But, Daddy!" Severa protested.
"I'm sorry," Robin said. "Maybe tomorrow, okay? Mommy will come with us, too." That seemed to mollify the girl, who had just finished eating. Severa hopped down from her perch, and ran upstairs. Moments later, she returned, dragging a cloth bag behind her. The bag wasn't particularly large, but nearly half the size of the little girl who was dragging it. It was a rather sturdy bag, too, a gift from the adult Lucina, though Robin suspected that the adult Severa had a hand in helping her friend choose the bag, given the tasteful dark blue coloration. Both the older and younger Lucina favored bright colors and gaudy patterns.
As soon as she had finished eating, Morgan moved a decorated wooden playing board onto the table, and left to find the drawstring pouch full of pieces. The little girl had seen her father playing this same game with her older self, and had been immediately fascinated. The first time, Robin had tried to help her set up the board and the pieces, but had been quickly rebuffed. He knew better now, and watched, amused, as Morgan carefully started placing the pieces on the board.
When Morgan finished, she looked up at her father eagerly. Of course, none of the pieces were in the right place, and the board had been placed sideways. On top of that, some of the pieces weren't placed on the grid at all, and had been placed on the lines instead. Still, Robin knew better than to argue, and soon, the two took turns, moving the pieces seemingly at random, as neither of them really knew what the rules were by this point. Robin couldn't help but smile at Morgan's look of extreme concentration.
Beside their table, Severa had pulled out her toy spear. Cordelia had been extremely upset when Robin purchased that particular toy for the little girl, but Severa had demanded it quite adamantly. It didn't help that Chrom had purchased little Lucina a wooden toy sword. From what Robin heard, Chrom had suffered a particularly lengthy lecture relating to that purchase, too.
In actuality, Severa's toy was just a long branch that had been smoothed down. Cordelia eventually relented, and allowed Severa to keep her toy, when Robin wrapped the pole tightly in a thick cloth blanket. Sumia had done the same with Lucina's toy sword, and the two loved smacking the training dummies around when they were playing in Castle Ylisse. There were no such dummies here in the library, but Severa seemed content hitting a large pillow instead.
After about half an hour, less than a third of the pieces remained on the board. The game was usually played in under twenty minutes, but with no real objective, Robin's games with little Morgan usually took far longer. Robin was impressed with Morgan's patience, although, about halfway through the game, Morgan had mysteriously decided to start moving the darker playing pieces instead of the lighter ones she had been playing previously. Beside them, Severa had worn herself to exhaustion, and had collapsed on the unfortunate pillow, content to lie their quietly. A few visitors had entered, but upon seeing Robin so thoroughly occupied, they simply spared the legendary tactician and his daughters a smile before tending to their own business.
Then the door swung open once more, and unlike the other visitors, the library's latest guests had evidently sought them out specifically. "Sev!" a young Lucina called, running past her mother towards her friend.
"Lucy!" Severa called back happily, her weariness entirely forgotten, as she sprang to her feet and rushed forward to hug her friend.
"Hello, Robin," Sumia greeted, as she neared the table, holding a sleeping Cynthia upright against her shoulder, swaddled in a fluffy pink blanket. The one-year old girl was snoozing soundly, taking no notice of Lucina and Severa's chattering.
"Good afternoon," Robin said, turning as he waved.
"Wow!" Sumia exclaimed, as she recognized what Robin and Morgan were up to. "You already taught her to play the game?"
"Not exactly," Robin said, smiling. "But she likes to play, anyways." Sumia approached for a closer look, and giggled. Though the queen didn't know how to play the game herself, it was quickly apparent that Morgan had no idea what she was doing. Morgan looked up, confused.
"Hello, Morgan," Sumia greeted, smiling.
Morgan smiled back. "Hello, Auntie Sumia!"
"Are you winning?" Sumia asked.
Morgan shook her head anxiously. "No, Daddy is," she said sadly.
"Aw. It's okay, you will get better at it," Sumia reassured.
"So, what brings you here?" Robin asked curiously. "Weren't you and Cordelia going on a flight together?"
"Chrom wanted a word with you, Robin. And little Lucy saw Cordelia and I come back from our flight together, so she knew Severa was staying with you today, and insisted on coming to see her," Sumia explained.
Robin looked bewildered, and with good reason. If Cordelia was there, too, wouldn't Chrom have just sent her to fetch Robin instead? Before he could voice his concern, though, Morgan interrupted. "Daddy, it's your turn!" she insisted.
"Oh, right. Sorry," Robin said quickly, and he scanned the board quickly, before choosing a piece and sliding it forward a step. Robin was quickly running out of legal moves – Morgan had, at some point, moved her father's lord into a river. Finally, Robin settled for moving his tactician beside the lord.
"Can you do that?" Sumia asked, confused.
"Well, since Morgan's already moved Chrom into the river, I suppose I should try to rescue him before he drowns," Robin said wryly. "Sumia, is something wrong? I thought Chrom would've sent Cordelia to find me, instead," he asked, sounding concerned.
"No, nothing like that," Sumia said hastily. "Miriel and her new assistant returned from their excavation in Plegia, and Chrom was wondering if you'd be willing to help them investigate some of the stuff they discovered. Cordelia seemed a little bit worried, though, and Lucy wanted to come play with Severa, so I offered to watch over Severa and Morgan for you two so she could stay for the briefing, too."
"I see," Robin said, as he watched Morgan move her own wyvern knight off the board. "Umm… sweetheart, where is your dragon going?"
"He's running away," Morgan said, looking at it sadly. "He's scared."
"Then how are you going to capture my lord in the river?" Robin asked kindly.
Morgan stared at the pieces for several seconds, horrified. Finally, she let out a reluctant giggle. "I can't," she admitted shyly. As she spoke, she quickly moved her own lord and tactician off the board too, her imagined army escaping from inevitable defeat.
Robin laughed. "It's okay. You were close, Morgan," he said. "I need to go see Uncle Chrom now. Can you stay here, and be a good girl for Aunt Sumia?" Morgan nodded happily, as she hopped down from her chair, curious to see what her sister and Lucina were up to.
"We'll be fine, Robin. I'll bring them up to the castle later," Sumia reassured.
"Thanks, Sumia," Robin said, as he stood. He looked through the open wooden shutters at the falling snow. With a wistful glance toward the warm fireplace, he retrieved his coat from the rack by the door.
"Good afternoon," Robin greeted as he entered the throne room. Chrom, Cordelia, Miriel, and Miriel's new assistant, a strange young man named Neutral were seated around the conference table at the edge of the room, leaving both thrones empty.
"Hey, Robin," Chrom said, waving his friend over as he indicated an empty chair beside Cordelia. Robin quickly kissed Cordelia on the cheek before sitting down beside her.
"How are the girls?" Cordelia asked.
"They were fine when I left," Robin said with a shrug. "Sev and Lucina were playing with some beads, and Morgan had just joined them." He turned to Chrom. "Chrom, Sumia said you wanted to see me? Something about an excavation in Plegia?"
"That's right," Chrom confirmed. "Miriel and Neutral just returned from Plegia, with some interesting news, and we were wondering if you'd be willing to lend them some of your expertise."
"I'm not much of an archaeologist," Robin reminded.
"We are aware of that fact," Miriel said impassively. "But you have demonstrated your penchant for imaginative and practicable innovations in the past. My apprentice's disposition is congruent with my own, and an additional perspective may prove invaluable." Robin looked at her blankly.
In a similar tone of disinterest, Neutral tried to clarify. "What my colleague means to convey is that your aptitude for more practical uses of our discoveries may further the value of our investigation." Robin cringed. In some ways, Neutral was the perfect assistant for Miriel. The young man was intelligent and methodical, and had no difficulty understanding Miriel's cryptic manner of speech. But his own diction was just as incomprehensible. In some ways, Neutral even looked like Miriel, with his tall and lanky frame, perpetually serious expression, and a pair of clear spectacles.
"Well… I suppose I'd be happy to help however possible," Robin said, after deciphering part of their request. "Did you have something in particular you wanted me to look at?"
"Actually, they want us to visit the site itself," Cordelia corrected.
Miriel nodded. "Affirmative. Many of the salvaged relics are frail or unstable. Collecting all of our discoveries will prove a protracted procedure. Our intention is instead to establish a research center within the site itself. If you prove agreeable, the most pertinent articles can be brought back to Ylisstol."
"Exalt Chrom has agreed to construct an atelier for you here in Ylisstol, if necessary," Neutral added.
"So, you want me to travel with you back to Plegia, and see if any of these historic artifacts are… useful?" Robin asked, confused.
"They're not artifacts, Robin," Chrom said. "Well, I suppose they are. But, more specifically, Miriel thinks what they found is a Grimleal workshop of some sort."
Robin's eyes widened. "Whoa, hang on a minute. Grimleal? So these artifacts… they're Grimleal weapons?"
"Highly magical implements," Miriel half-confirmed. "Some may be construed as weaponry but they appear to serve a variety of purposes."
"So, you want me messing around with Grimleal magic," Robin said weakly.
"Robin, most of their magic is dead, now," Chrom reminded. "The urns Grima created to allow his minions to summon risen, for instance, are no longer functional, according to Miriel."
"Their magic is not to be feared if we remain cautious," Neutral agreed. "But there's great potential there – some of their research may be repurposed, if we desire."
"I see," Robin said, still trying to process the idea. "But… forgive me, Chrom. Why me? If there's dark magic involved, then wouldn't Tharja or Henry be more suitable?"
"Tharja is visiting Ferox," Chrom reminded. "And Henry did travel to Plegia with Miriel and Neutral. He's there, still, trying to learn more about the various items they've found. But, honestly, I'm a little bit afraid of giving him a free reign. He's still a little bit… strange."
"Crazy." Cordelia corrected, smiling, and Chrom and Robin both laughed. She was only joking, of course; Henry's morbid sense of humor and seemingly permanent smile alarmed those who weren't familiar with him, but his old comrades and friends knew that he was deceptively friendly, and his presence alone was uplifting, to speak nothing of his incredible talent for dark magic.
"Well, it seems you've planned this out pretty well," Robin said, after his laughter subsided. "Still, I don't know. Maybe I should go alone; I don't really want to leave Severa and Morgan alone for too long," he said, glancing at Cordelia.
Predictably, Cordelia shot him an annoyed look. "You would be gone even longer if you were to ride with Miriel and Neutral, especially with snow covering many of the roads," she reminded.
"Maybe Severa, or one of the other Pegasus knights could give me a ride," Robin suggested, though he understood that that wasn't Cordelia's true concern. He knew that despite the recent years of peace, deep down, Cordelia was still afraid of losing him. Truthfully, he shared her fears. He knew it was nonsense, and that things could just as easily go wrong here in Ylisstol, or if the two of them were together, but his near-death and actual-death experiences had taken their toll regardless.
"You won't have to be gone too long," Chrom said hastily. "The site is just north of the Dragon's Table, less than three days' flight from Ylisstol. And Sumia and I would be happy to watch over Severa and Morgan for you two while you're gone."
"Maybe we can bring…" Robin began, but he trailed off when he saw Cordelia glaring at him, as if daring him to finish his suggestion. "Never mind, bad idea," he amended hastily, with a sheepish grin.
"Toddlers and Grimleal workshops probably don't mix," Chrom agreed, accurately guessing Robin's line of thought.
"Especially Morgan, and her infernal habit of building towers of stacked tomes and alchemy flasks," Neutral said, in a surprisingly heated tome. Robin and Cordelia stared at him, surprised that he would be familiar with the toddler's favorite and mildly treacherous game. "I apologize," Neutral said quickly, noting their perplexed looks. "I intended no disrespect, but I have heard stories of your daughter's chicanery from my associates here in the castle."
"The Shepherds," Robin guessed, and Miriel's apprentice looked oddly relieved. "Anyhow, you're right. Keeping the books away from her in a library is bad enough. But are you sure you and Sumia don't mind, Chrom?"
Chrom smiled crookedly. "It's almost all Sumia, anyways. I spend most of my day stuck here in the throne room, remember? But she doesn't mind. In fact, she keeps hoping you two will decide to move back into the castle someday, so the girls can play together more often."
"We're not that far away," Cordelia pointed out.
"We live just outside the castle gates," Robin said. "Sev and Morgan already spend half their afternoons playing in the castle, anyways. And Lucina's welcome to come by and play whenever she wants."
"I keep telling her that, too," Chrom said. "But you know Sumia. Anyways, what do you think, Robin? If you're not comfortable going, I won't push you. We'll probably end up bringing most of the stuff back here, eventually. But I thought you might be interested in checking it out yourself."
"We'll go," Cordelia decided, looking at her husband meaningfully. "Right, Robin?"
"Fine. But if we freeze to death out there, it's your fault," Robin said, grinning.
"Oh, we'll stay warm enough," Cordelia assured, returning Robin's smile and winking.
Chrom groaned. "I'm sure you two will," the exalt said dryly. "Enjoy your little vacation."
"I get a feeling this trip will take more than three days," Robin said, as he unfurled a bedroll atop a flat and rather hard mattress. It was only the second day of their journey, and a winter storm had caught up to them. As the blizzard began to stir, Cordelia turned Catria back, and the couple returned to a small Plegian farming village they had just passed over. The village was too small for a full-sized inn, but the tavern had a single spare room that the tavern keeper had been more than willing to rent out.
"Oh? What gave it away? The howling winds, or the sleet?" Cordelia teased.
"Sarcasm's my department, remember?" Robin said, laughing lightly, as he laid down atop their bed. Neither of them were overly concerned – winter storms weren't all that unusual, and the locals hadn't been alarmed in the slightest. Little Severa had only been slightly disappointed when her father apologized that they would have to postpone their marketplace tour, but the opportunity to stay in the castle with Lucina was more than enough to appease her. It helped that when the older Severa heard, she volunteered to take the girls shopping herself.
"We can share," Cordelia said, snuggling beside him. "I don't think the tavern keeper recognized us, by the way."
"I'm pretty sure he didn't. But that's fine by me. Preferable, even," Robin said. Though Plegia had once been founded by the Grimleal, no kingdom had suffered more at the claws of the fell dragon than the country of his own worshippers. As a result, the heroes who challenged and defeated the fell dragon were even more revered in Plegia than they were in Ylisse.
"I'm not complaining," Cordelia said quickly, enjoying the quiet evening as much as her husband.
"You aren't tired of living in Ylisstol, are you?" Robin asked softly.
Cordelia looked surprised. "What gave you that idea?" she asked curiously.
"You seemed pretty eager to go on this trip," Robin said. "I'm just worried that you might be feeling a bit stifled living in Ylisstol. It's fine with me… I think I've missed this life, honestly."
Cordelia wrapped her arms around Robin and gave him a quick squeeze. "That's why we're here. I'm happy in Ylisstol, too, but I could tell you were growing a little bit restless."
Robin ran his hand through Cordelia's hair absently. "Maybe a little. But it's not like I'm bored in Ylisstol. We have Severa and Morgan, now."
"Mmm. The girls don't mind if we take a trip every now and then. And in a few years, they'll be old enough to come along with us, if they want to," Cordelia said.
"They will," Robin said. "If they're anything like their older selves. Our daughters are pretty adventurous. But when that day comes, what will we do when we want a bit of time to ourselves?" Robin teased.
"Find taverns with more than a single room," Cordelia answered, in a similarly playful tone, as her hand fluttered gently along Robin's arm.
"Maybe the storm will last through the morning," Robin said, as he closed his eyes, enjoying his wife's touch. "It'll be a good excuse to sleep in a little."
"Do we need an excuse?" Cordelia asked innocently, pouting slightly as she gave Robin another tight squeeze.
"Hey-o! You came, after all!" Henry called excitedly, as he watched Catria touch down in the campsite. It was a fairly large campsite, initially established for nearly sixty people, though about a third of their team had returned to Ylisstol. Since the site was meant to be a lasting one, most of the tents erected were of a sturdier and more permanent variety, though many would remain empty until Miriel and her assistants returned. A few of their excavation crew were locals, familiar with the lay of the land, but most were Ylisseans. There were several sages, mages, alchemists, and scribes present as well, here to investigate and document the findings.
"How've you been, Henry?" Robin asked, reaching out a hand. But Henry ignored the proffered handshake, and instead swept Robin into a hug.
"It's been so long!" Henry said, laughing. "Hello, Cordelia! How're the tykes doing?"
"They're doing great," Cordelia answered, smiling. Henry's good humor was incredibly contagious. "Severa gave the little stuffed bear you gave her to her little sister, and Morgan sleeps with it every night."
"Aww! That sounds adorable," Henry cooed.
"It is," Robin said.
"Ooh! I've been working on a ritual to generate life force!" Henry said excitedly. "If it works, I can send you guys another stuffed animal. One that's alive!"
"Umm… that's quite alright," Robin declined politely, as he imagined a stuffed animal with the glowing red eyes of a risen.
"I think a moving stuffed animal would just scare the kids," Cordelia agreed. "Thank you, though."
"Oh come on, it'll be amazing!" Henry said eagerly. "It would be just like a pet! But you won't have to feed it and it would never get sick or old!"
"It would still get worn out, though," Cordelia pointed out, and Robin cringed at the thought, trying hard not to think about a stuffed animal walking around, missing an eye with its cotton stuffing poking out from the seams.
"Good point," Henry said thoughtfully. "Oh well. Maybe I can find a solution to that too… say, Robin, have you ever thought about studying dark magic?"
"Once or twice," Robin said casually. "I don't know. I haven't really needed much magic, lately, and even if something does come up, I'm pretty comfortable with elemental magic."
"You're the best," Henry said with a nod. "But there's plenty of good things about dark magic, too!"
"Like?" Cordelia asked curiously.
"Well, for one, it feels really good!" Henry said, cackling in a slightly sinister manner. "It's like if you buy something really, really expensive. Ever done that? Parting with all that coin is tough, and you feel really guilty afterward, but you end up with this amazing new thing you wanted! And that feels really good, you know? Dark magic is like that!"
"Severa would be sold. Though I don't know if there's any guilt involved with her purchases," Robin said, grinning. "But I think I'll have to pass, Henry."
"But wait! There's more!" Henry added. "With the dark arts, everything is painted black! You like black, right?"
"He's finally changed up his wardrobe a bit," Cordelia said. "Henry, do you have a stable or pen here? Catria's probably pretty tired."
"Oh, sure!" Henry said, pointing to the west. "There's a small pen out there, about two hundred paces out. There's horses and oxen there. They're all really friendly, too! And we've got plenty of feed there. Maybe you should unpack first, though. There's a few empty tents near the animal pen you two can choose from."
"Thanks, Henry," Robin said, as he and Cordelia led Catria in the direction he pointed.
"No problem!" Henry called, waving cheerily. "Just let me know when you're ready for the tour!"
Robin had forgotten how dreary and unpleasant Grimleal lairs could be. The fell dragon's power factored greatly into many of his servants' work, so even this disused workshop resembled a place of unholy worship more than it did any craftsman's workplace that Robin had ever seen. Grima's cruel visage leered at them from various murals and paintings. The room was far taller than necessary, and supported by intricate carved pillars, depicting various gruesome images of victims caught in the throes of dark rituals. Although they were out of the snow, it somehow felt colder than ever.
"I'm still not entirely sure what use Chrom and Miriel were hoping we'd find for these implements," Robin said to Cordelia quietly, as the eerie imagery reminded Robin of the Grimleal practices entailing great sacrifices. Some dark magic was designed similarly to conventional magic, with the only notable difference being that they drew more power from the caster to supplement the energies contained within the tomes, but their discoveries following Grima's fall indicated that much of the Grimleal technology relied on a combination of Grima's own power and life force drawn from sacrifices, animal and human alike.
"Frankly, there is little use to be found. Many of the Grimleal devices are no longer functional," a middle-aged female researcher interrupted snootily, overhearing Robin. "And your lack of respect when speaking of Exalt Chrom is deplorable."
Robin turned, startled. "Oh… I meant no disrespect," he said quickly.
"In fact, Chrom gets a bit upset with us when we call him by his title," Cordelia interceded, smiling.
The researcher looked at them, confused for a moment, before recognition set in. "Oh gods! Sir Robin and Lady Cordelia! I'm so sorry!" she stammered, panicked.
"Don't worry about it," Robin reassured, as he extended a hand, which the flustered researcher shook nervously. "So, what have you learned about these Grimleal devices so far?" he asked politely, noticing that the researcher's discomfort remained.
Robin's ploy worked, and with her attention drawn back to her work, the researcher relaxed visibly. "For one, we know that the risen will likely never be a threat again," she began. "We began our investigation with these small clay urns that we've decided to call canopic jars, after the urns used in funeral rites of certain ancient civilizations. The jars contain little more than ash and seem to serve no purpose, but some of the Grimleal texts that we've translated indicate that the ash was once cursed, and contained the power to awaken the dead."
"Hmm… during the Second Plegian War, we guessed that the Grimleal had found a cache of ancient weaponry, to support their bid for power," Robin remembered. "I guess this must be that cache."
"I'm afraid not," a male researcher interrupted, joining their conversation. "The devices and texts we've discovered are all of recent-make. Miriel hypothesized that it was Grima's return to power that precipitated the establishment of this workshop."
"Oh, right," Robin said, remembering that his future self, corrupted by Grima, could easily have provided the power necessary to fuel these canopic jars. "So, the jars are inert now?"
"Indeed," the female researcher confirmed. "Under Henry's guidance, we've experimented with the urns in a controlled fashion, and determined that no magic remains in them. All that remains is ordinary ceramic jars containing ash."
"What about the rift magic?" Cordelia asked curiously. Though tampering with dark magic made her nervous, the idea of instantaneous travel across long distances seemed appealing, especially considering that some of their old comrades and friends had moved across the sea to Valm. A month's voyage separated them now, and though the Shepherds on either side of the vast ocean wrote to their distant friends, anything more than that proved impossibly inconvenient.
"We found a magical gateway," the male researcher answered, gesturing towards a strange arch placed atop a pedestal. "And a matching keystone. Some of the texts spoke of sorcerers creating a temporary portal, leading from this gateway to the location of the keystone. But we've attempted to replicate the procedure, to little success."
"It appears that only someone tainted by the fell dragon's power can invoke the keystone, or the gateway," the female researcher explained. Curious, Robin lifted the keystone and focused his attention on it.
Nothing happened.
"What did you expect?" Cordelia asked, smiling. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, Robin still secretly feared that Grima's influence remained.
"I figured nothing would happen. Just wanted to make sure," Robin said. Both researchers looked confused, for the Shepherds had kept Robin's true relationship with Grima quiet. "So, with Grima gone, I suppose the gateway and keystone are useless, too," Robin concluded.
"That appears to be the case," the male researcher agreed. "We did find a little bit of a substance Miriel recognized as warp powder. There's not a whole lot left, but unlike the gateway, it proves functional."
"One of the scribes found a manual with instructions on creating more warp powder, but it appears to rely heavily on a bloodstone," the female researcher said.
"As in, the mineral?" Cordelia asked curiously, vaguely remembering the dark green gemstone, speckled with red and yellow. Maribelle was very fond of jewelry, and always took great pleasure in pointing out rare gemstones when they visited the jewelry vendors in the Ylisstol markets.
"Yes and no," the female researcher answered. "The mineral is the same, but a mundane gem is of little use. Apparently, there is truth to the legends of Grimleal and their sacrificial rites. Some bloodstones can draw and retain life force from human sacrifices. That life force is then used in creating the warp powder."
Cordelia winced, reminded of the callous nature of the Grimleal. "So, not very useful, either," she said.
"Not necessarily," Robin corrected. "The bloodstones may be part of their process, but to the Grimleal, life is just another source of magical energy. The elements themselves are similar, and perhaps we could find a substitute."
"Perhaps," the male researcher agreed, although he sounded unconvinced. "Although the Grimleal are not entirely unaccustomed to conventional magic, as you well know. In fact, they have plenty of manuals and devices relating to the use of anima magic." He turned and led them to a lectern. "Take this lectern, for instance. From what we can tell, the Grimleal had only begun experimenting with it." The researcher selected a fire tome from a nearby bookcase, and laid it open upon the lectern. Then, he placed a metal implement, shaped roughly like a torch, into a notch on top of the lectern.
Robin and Cordelia watched, impressed, as the researcher invoked the tome, and the torch lit up. The metal did not burn or melt, and there was no fuel, but the flame burned brightly nonetheless. "A magical torch," the female researcher explained. "The lectern is designed to adjust the power being channeled through it, and feeds the energies into the attached device. The Grimleal only assembled three suitable attachments, all of which interact with fire magic to project flames of varying duration and intensity."
"Does the lectern require you to be capable of wielding magic to begin with?" Cordelia asked, intrigued.
"Unfortunately, yes," the male researcher said. "All of the magic comes from the tome, but it still requires some skill to coax it forth. A skilled user will likely find his magic far more effective," he added, as the magical flames winked out of existence. "Why don't you give it a try, Sir Robin?" he invited.
Robin nodded and reached out for the tome. A moment later, the torch burned brightly once more. They watched the flame in silence for some time. Though the researcher's flame had only lasted for about thirty seconds, after over a minute, Robin's flame was still burning. "Can we build more of these lecterns?" Robin asked curiously, already imagining several uses for the device.
"Likely," a scribe said, as he joined them by the lectern. "Impressive. I have never seen the torch remain lit for so long after a single casting." Even as he spoke, the flame finally burned low. Still, he did not look too disappointed. "Might I ask you to light it once more, Sir Robin?" the scribe asked. "I would like to compare the duration with our existing data."
Robin complied, lighting the torch once more. "So, what would it take to manufacture more of these?" he asked curiously.
"There is a diagram in one of the manuals. As far as I can tell, there is no dark magic involved, but some of the components I do not recognize, and others seem fairly rare," the scribe said, as he stared at a small hourglass he had extracted from his pocket just as Robin lit the torch, timing Robin's spell.
"This certainly holds some promise," Robin said absently, eyeing the lectern. "Maybe we could even make a magical fireplace. I'll ask Henry to have one of these sent over to the library," he said, noticing that there were at least two more in the room.
"No, you won't," Cordelia interrupted quickly. "Not until your library is properly Morgan-proofed."
"Oh, right," Robin remembered sheepishly. "Well, I'll talk to Chrom. Maybe I can expand the library to include an actual workshop. Then I can design it to be a little more secure."
"If you mean to experiment with our discoveries, there are a few more you should see," the male researcher invited, as he led Robin down the hall towards a large workbench covered in mysterious paraphernalia.
Despite her stern reminder, Cordelia felt a nostalgic warmth in her heart as she followed Robin and the researcher. Truthfully, there was one other reason she had been interested in taking this trip with Robin. Life in Ylisstol was pretty routine, and she was afraid it was a waste of Robin's talents. Besides, she loved seeing the pensive spark in his eyes when an idea was brewing in his thoughts.
Even if it meant she had to keep an eye on little Morgan and make sure the mischievous girl stayed out of trouble.
Disclaimer: The characters, the setting, and any cover images used belong to Intelligent Systems. I do not own Fire Emblem, or any part of IS.
Like "Sojourn in Ferox," this piece is mostly an original work. In a way, it's a follow up to "Radiant Legacy," as it's part of the transitional period in Robin's life. I honestly found Robin's original character ending to be a little bit lacking. Maybe Grima is all the historians cared about, but I can't help but imagine that Robin could do so much more with his life, even if he never has to carry a sword or tome again.
By the way, Neutral isn't an original character. I'm sure most of you have already figured out who he is. It's just a cameo, really, as I don't know if I ever plan to expand on him further. And yes, I was lazy with his alias, and just went with an anagram of his real name. I included him for two reasons. Firstly, to show that the other children do exist, and some of them did make it. However, not wanting to interfere with their parents lives (yet), they're content to remain in the background. Secondly, tome stackers.
This is the last of the five stories I initially planned. I was trying to add some depth into my interpretation of the Fire Emblem: Awakening world, and I hope you enjoyed these stories. If you want to see more, or if there's something specific you want to see, toss me some ideas.
I'm planning at least one more update to Another Side, Another Story in the meantime, but it would be a little bit different from these other side stories.