AN: Here's chapter 5.
This chapter, and the next one as well, will not have any battles. They'll be the part after the Save Screen and a small look into everyone's day. And I do mean everyone. There will be small segments from the other characters' POV later.
Beware, though, that it won't be all flowers and sparkles. There will be a couple of dark moments.
Thanks to Liune and NerdLord2nd for following! And, of course, to everyone else for reading this story!
As always, I do not own Fire Emblem. Enjoy, and please review!
Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw
~ Chapter 5 ~
The Shepherds
"So this is Ylisstol, capital of Ylisse…." Daraen commented in awe, "I've never seen so many people!"
"If you had, you wouldn't remember anyways." Ryoko teased lazily.
"Nobody asked you, midget brat!" Draraen snarled angrily.
Ryoko growled. "Do not. Call. Me. A. Midget. Ever."
Before the argument could devolve into senseless brawling, Sully wacked them both with her lance.
Ryoko pouted. "So mean…."
"Still, the capital is so beautiful!" she chirped happily, "I wonder if there's a Market Day soon."
Indeed, the city was a beautiful sight after the previous day's events.
The tall buildings were decorated with flower pots and drying clothes on the windows, the streets always wide enough to stop to the side to chat with someone and the people were clearly happy and comfortable living there.
Some people, children especially, waved at the group passing through the main road, which never failed to bring a faint smile to Ryoko's face. Lissa exuberantly waved back at all who did so, while Frederick was clearly more relaxed the further into the city they went.
"It appears the capital was spared the chaos we encountered, thank the gods." Frederick pointed out. "The quake must have been limited to the forest."
"Well, that's a relief!" Lissa said happily.
Ryoko hummed in agreement from where she was slumped on top of Frederick's horse. "That's good… it means that there won't be any large groups for a while…."
The green-eyed Dragon was still exhausted from the previous night's events and from her battle with the mysterious man, not to mention the spells she had cast before and after said battle and the large number of transformations she had used.
Reaching the limit of her abilities so often in a single night could not be healthy, and neither was being constantly magically exhausted for days now that she thought about it.
Before them the road opened into the huge marketplace, where hundreds of people were gathered, passing through, chatting and buying from the various stands.
In front of them towered the large castle, a building just as beautiful as the rest of the city from where one could see the people effortlessly from most of the windows and balconies and watch over them as a ruler ought to do. From the walls hung Ylisse's blue banner depicting the Divine Dragon, Naga.
"Look! The Exalt has come to see us!" an old man cried out happily.
Indeed, the ruler of Ylisse was walking through the streets escorted by some cavaliers and a stern-looking woman with graying hair who was clearly her bodyguard.
Ryoko struggled to sit up straighter to see the woman. "She's become a lot prettier…." She murmured.
The Exalt was a beautiful and tall young woman around Ryoko's age with long golden-blond hair framing her face delicately and beautiful blue eyes that almost seemed to glow with compassion. On her forehead was a symbol that was clearly identical to that on Chrom's shoulder, though smaller.
"The Exalt is your ruler, yes?" Daraen inquired, vaguely remembering Ryoko's words on the country he found himself in.
Frederick nodded, "Yes. Her name is Lady Emmeryn."
"Is it safe for her to walk among commoners like this?" the silver-haired tactician asked.
"The Exalt is a symbol of peace—Ylisse's most prized quality." The Great Knight explained, "Long ago, at the dawn of our age, the Fell Dragon tried to destroy the world. But the first Exalt joined forces with the Divine Dragon and laid the beast low. Exalt Emmeryn reminds us all of the peace we fought for then."
"She's also the best big sister anyone could ask for!" Lissa added.
"Yes, I imagine she…" Daraen agreed, but stopped abruptly when he realized what Lissa had said. "Wait, what? She's your… But wouldn't that make you and Chrom…"
"The prince and princess of the realm, yes." Frederick finished for him, laughing slightly. "Didn't Ryoko inform you of this?"
"I haven't been here for years!" Ryoko protested weakly, "'Sides, I only recognized the Brand when I saw it on Lady Emerina…."
"You said you were 'shepherds'!" Daraen exclaimed, surprised.
"And so we are… in a manner of speaking." Chrom told him, "We just have a LOT of sheep."
Daraen blushed deep red. "C-Chrom… I mean, Prince Chrom! Sire! Forgive my dreadful manners!"
Chrom laughed. "Just Chrom is fine. I've never been much for formalities."
The silver-haired tactician breathed a sigh of relief.
"The prince and the princess…." He said, smiling, "That explains why Frederick puts up with all the teasing, eh?"
"Indeed." The man replied with an amused smile. "The sacrifices I make for the good of the realm…."
"When I came here looking for a job," Ryoko commented with a laugh, "I never imagined I would find a stable one, let alone with the prince of Ylisse as my employer! I guess patience really does pay off eventually!"
"I'd like to hear the story behind that one someday." Frederick told her.
Ryoko flashed a happy grin. "I'm open to swapping stories anytime!"
"It looks like Emm is returning to the palace." Chrom said, "Would you like to meet her?"
"Really?" Ryoko asked hopefully, "I wanted to, but then Father took me to Ferox, and then I was stuck in Valm, and I never got the chance to… and I'm rambling, aren't I?"
"Yes!" Chrom, Daraen, Lissa, Virion and Sully said at the same time.
"Well," Sully declared, "I'm going to bring Ruffles here to the barracks."
Ryoko waved lazily as the Cavalier dragged the archer away.
Chrom nodded his agreement and led the rest towards the Ylissean castle.
.
"Chrom! Lissa! Welcome home." Emmeryn greeted with a smile. "Oh, and good day, Frederick. How fared you all?"
Ryoko couldn't help but smile herself at the loving tone of voice the woman used. It was clear she loved her siblings with all her heart, and they her.
"Well—we shouldn't have any bandit problems for a while." Chrom said.
The woman's smile widened, "Wonderful. And our people?"
"Safe as they can be, Emm." He replied, then turned to the other woman. "But we still need to watch the borders. The brigands crossed over from Plegia."
"Forgive me, milord." The woman apologized, "My Pegasus Knights should have intercepted them."
"No, Phila. Your duty was here, with the Exalt." Chrom reassured her.
"And, besides, we had plenty of help!" Lissa added, gesturing to Ryoko and Daraen.
Emmeryn turned to look at them, "Ah, you speak of your new companion here?"
"This is Daraen, and Ryoko." Chrom introduced, gesturing first to the man and then to the Dragon.
Ryoko gave a small bow of her head and smiled.
"They both fought bravely against the brigands." The prince continued, "I've decided to make them both Shepherds."
"It sounds as though Ylisse owes you a debt of gratitude, Daraen, Ryoko." Emmeryn told them with a grateful smile.
"Not at all, milady." Daraen replied.
Ryoko inclined her head again. "I was just doing my job, Lady Emerina."
"Forgive me, Your Grace, but I must speak." Frederick said, "Daraen claims to have lost his memory, but it is only that: a claim. We cannot rule out the possibility that he is a brigand himself or even a Plegian spy."
"Frederick!" Chrom scolded his lieutenant with a glare.
"Yet you allowed him into the castle, Chrom." Emmeryn stated, "Does this man have your trust?"
"He fought to save Ylissean lives." Chrom replied firmly. "He and Ryoko both. That is more than enough for me."
"Well then, Daraen… Ryoko…." The Exalt said, turning to look at them, "It seems you've earned Chrom's faith, and as such you have mine as well."
Both of them curtsied. "Milady."
"But thank you, Frederick, for your prudence, as always." Emmeryn said, turning to the Great Knight, "Chrom and Lissa are blessed to have so tireless a guardian. I do hope they remember to mention that from time to time"
The man smiled slightly. "They do express something akin to gratitude from time to time, Your Grace." He turned to Emmeryn's bodyguard. "Phila, I assume you've heard about the deathly creatures we encountered, yes?"
The woman's stern look only darkened. "Yes, milord. They've been sighted all across Ylisse."
"Chrom, we are about to hold council." Emmeryn said. "I was hoping you could join us."
Chrom nodded. "Of course."
"Well, that's our cue, Daraen, Ryoko!" Lissa chirped, "C'mon, there's a place I want to show you."
Ryoko gave one last small bow in the direction of the Exalt before following Lissa out of the room.
.
"Here we are, the Shepherds' garrison!" Lissa said with a flourish as she led them inside. "Make yourselves at home."
Ryoko looked around.
The main room was spacious and homey, with a long table in the center and a number of chairs placed around it. On the table there were multiple pieces of paper and some books, not to mention a tome, a quill and an inkwell in a corner that had been left there haphazardly as if their owner had left in a hurry.
On the walls there were some weapons, either hanging from it or leaning against it, both sharp and of the dulled kind used for training.
There were already some people in the room, who had turned to Lissa's voice.
'I like this place.' Ryoko commented to Grima. 'It feels like home. It's been a long time since I've been in a place like this.'
Yeah. Me too. Grima agreed.
The first who caught the green-eyed Dragon's eye was a blond woman with her hair styled into thick drill curls with a pair of white bows to keep them out of her face and a parasol in her hands. She was wearing a simple white and pink riding outfit, and she gave off the air of being a noblewoman.
As soon as she saw Lissa, the woman charged at the princess and hugged her tightly. "Lissa, my treasure! Are you all right? I've been on pins and needles!"
"Oh, hey, Maribelle!" Lissa greeted happily. "How have you been?"
"'Oh, hey' yourself!" Maribelle said irritably, "I've grown fourteen gray hairs worrying over you!"
That sounds slightly obsessive…. Grima commented idly.
'Oh, hush, you.' Ryoko told him teasingly, though she couldn't help but agree with him.
"Aw, you worry too much." Lissa reassured her friend. "I can handle a battle or two! …Although I could do without the bugs and the bear barbecue…."
The last part was muttered with a slight glare to the blue-haired woman, who shrugged apologetically.
Honestly, it was not her fault the damned animal had jumped on her and Chrom from out of nowhere or that they were better off making it their next meal rather than search for other prey.
"Hey, squirt!" A man shouted. "Where's Chrom? I bet he had a rough time out there without ol' Teach and his trusty ax!"
The speaker was a rather loud, half-naked, brown-eyed blond who was wearing chains around his neck. And he apparently referred to himself in the third person, as well. That could not be healthy.
It isn't. Grima quipped.
"Oh, so you're 'Teach' now, Vaike, is that it?" Lissa teased, giggling. "And here I thought people were just born lacking wits. It can be taught?"
Ryoko suppressed her snickering. This many people were already putting her on edge, and Grima's commenting and crackling in the background wasn't helping things.
"Ha! Never doubt the Vaike!" The loud blond boasted, "…Wait, was that an insult?"
Yes, it was. Grima replied before cracking up again.
Ryoko slammed down her barriers to shut him up before she made a fool of herself.
A woman with light brown hair and chocolate brown eyes approached them. She was wearing a simple pink and purple riding dress, a pair of riding boots of the same color and silver armor on her chest, arms and shoulders.
On her hair, at the back of her head, there were a pair of pretty wing-shaped hairpins, identifying her as a Pegasus Knight.
"Beg pardon, but when might we see the captain?" the woman asked.
"Poor Sumia. She's simply been beside herself with concern…." Maribelle commented to Lissa, "Her eyes were scanning the horizon all day during training. She might have earned fewer bruises fighting blindfolded."
"Aw, Sumia, that's so sweet of you to worry about Chrom." Lissa told the brown-haired woman.
The Pegasus Knight blushed. "Worry? Well, I… He's our captain and our prince—of course I'd worry!"
The loud man, Vaike spoke up next, "So, who're the strangers?"
"No one is stranger than you, Vaike…." Lissa commented, but then turned serious, "But allow me to introduce our new recruits."
She turned to the silver-haired man, who up until then was too busy looking around to pay much attention.
"This is Daraen. Chrom made him our new tactician, and you should see all the tricks that he's got up his sleeves!" Lissa introduced.
She made to turn to Ryoko, but Vaike interrupted.
"Oh, yeah?" He challenged, "Can he do this, then?"
And the man proceeded to let out an extremely loud belch.
Ryoko grimaced. "That was disgusting."
Daraen was about to make a sarcastic remark, but thought better of it.
"Ugh, Vaike!" Maribelle scolded, "That was abhorrent! Must you baseborn oafs pollute even the air with your buffoonery?"
Ryoko and Daraen shared a look that said that they were in clear agreement with the woman. There were better times and places to initiate belching contests.
Namely, in bars were everyone was so drunk off their asses that nobody cared about propriety anymore.
"Really, Vaike?" Lissa said, disgusted. "That was… ugh!"
The princess shook her head. "Anyways, the short lady over here is Ryoko. Don't let her looks fool you, she's only a year and a half younger than Emm, and a Dragon!"
The blond noblewoman's eyes widened in disbelief. "A Dragon, you say? Haven't they all disappeared thousands of years ago?"
"We went into hiding, for the most part, or chose to seal our powers into the Dragonstones to become Manaketes." Ryoko replied. "I tend not to advertise it too much, though, because then I get hunted down by Grimeal, especially those who want to free Grima and there's not many of us left."
Wait, why did she say that?
"What?!" Maribelle exclaimed, "but it should be impossible!"
Ryoko shook her head sorrowfully. "I'm afraid not. There is a manifestation of his Seal in this world. So one would be to kill the current Seal Holder, which would be me by the way, and he would be free, though I've been told there are other ways to do so."
The woman briefly tugged up the sleeve of her tunic, revealing the lower part of a Dragon's body on her arm.
"Wait, but wouldn't your job as a mercenary endanger the Seal?" Lissa asked.
"Then why not just go into hiding as well?" Maribelle inquired, irritated.
"The stronger I get, the better protected it is, Lisa." Ryoko replied, "And, about that, Lady Mariaberu, I should give some backstory first. The Seal was originally designed to be held by men, who are naturally stronger and can thus direct more energy into it. Men can also have more of a chance of having an heir available nearby, since the Seal passes over a direct line, and the Seal's signature is more suppressed. However, it still attracts those greedy for power.
"When Mother disappeared, I was six and learning of the arts of Summoning. I became the sole heir, and by then we had been attacked countless times. I had about seven years of education about the Seal, but Father and I were always on the move and I wasn't able to learn much before he was captured by bandits."
The woman took a deep breath, holding back the tears that came with that memory. "The Seal transfered to me two days later, when he was killed by Grimeal, and I hid as a mercenary's orphan son. Not too far from the truth, all things considered, but I still have no children. It's only recently I worked up the courage to return here after I fled. And if they find me…."
Ryoko hadn't even realized that she was shaking until Maribelle hugged her tentatively.
"Poor dear, you've had so much sorrow in your life…." The noblewoman said soothingly.
Oh, Skies, I was an idiot…. Grima whispered, horrified.
Ryoko choked back sobs and nodded slightly.
Why was she being so open? She didn't understand. She'd been reserved her entire life, telling a very select few about even her gender, let alone her story.
And yet, here she was, telling her best kept secrets to a bunch of strangers!
For some reason, she didn't feel as unsettled by this as she should. She felt like these people could be trusted.
Grima's mental touch was a reassurance and an apology all rolled into one, though she didn't understand what he was apologizing for.
"Gods, Ryoko…" Chrom's voice said, startling her out of her thoughts, "I had no idea…."
Ryoko shook herself and stood straight.
"I-Ish alright." She told him, "It's something I've learned to live with. I'm alright, now."
Was this what a home (a family) felt like?
"Ah! Captain!" Sumia exclaimed, running towards Chrom, "You've returned! I was— I mean, we were so—"
The Pegasus Knight tripped over nothing and faceplanted on the ground. She picked herself up as if it had happened many times already and blushed.
"Sumia! Are you all right?" Chrom asked, concerned despite the slightly amused look on his face, "…Those boots of yours again?"
"No! I mean, yes! I mean…" the woman sighed, clearly wishing to avoid making a fool of herself even more.
Chrom raised his voice. "All right, listen, everyone: in the morning, we'll be marching to Regna Ferox."
"Regna Ferox?" Daraen asked.
"A unified kingdom to Ylisse's north. Inhabited by barbarians, or so it's said." Sumia explained.
Ryoko nodded, elaborating, "They're all warriors at heart, and favor the blade over politics for the most part. It's really cold there, too, and they don't generally care about religions."
Chrom nodded. "Yes, and we'll need their strength to quell this new menace. Typically, the Exalt would request such aid in person. But given recent events… Well, the people might worry should my sister suddenly leave the capital. So the task has been passed to us.
"Now, this mission is strictly voluntary. So if, for any—"
"I volunteer!" Lissa interrupted.
"Me too!" Vaike shouted, "You'll be needin' ol' Teach along for such a delicate mission!"
"I'll go as well." A plain-looking man in a massive suit of armor said, causing Ryoko and Daraen to turn to him, "…What? I've been here the whole time!"
"I… I, um…" Sumia mumbled, hesitating.
"Yes, Sumia?" Chrom acknowledged her.
"It's just that… I'm not sure I'm quite ready for a proper mission just yet." The Pegasus Knight admitted, lowering her head. "I'd probably just get in the way."
"Well, you could stay behind the main group, and if a battle is met, just watch and learn?" Chrom proposed, "Your choice, of course. But some lessons can only be learned on the battlefield."
"W-well, if you think it wise, Captain." Sumia stuttered.
Chrom smiled softly, "Just stay by me and you'll be fine."
"Oh, yes!" She cried happily, then corrected herself. "I mean— Yes, sir, I'll do that!"
Ryoko smiled amusedly. It looked like the woman just needed some encouragement and confidence in herself. A lot of it.
"I'm coming!" she said, raising her hand briefly, "You might need a guide."
"And you'll certainly be needing your tactician!" Daraen chimed in.
She turned to the man in the massive suit of armor and approached him, following behind Daraen. It was then she noticed something.
"Oh, wow!" she exclaimed, surprised, "you have some sort of innate passive cloaking magic! That's so cool!"
"R-Really?" the man asked, caught off-guard. "I never noticed."
Ryoko cracked a grin. "It's a really rare talent. I only recognized it because I learned an active version of it, even if it's much weaker."
The man smiled. "I'm Kellam."
Ryoko grinned. "Nice to meetcha! Now, I'm going to buy myself a new sword, bye!"
With a wave of her hand, Ryoko faded from view and disappeared.
'Now, where's Virion?' Ryoko thought, 'It's about damn time I drag him shopping with me.'
AN: Well, that's it for now. I might make an update sooner rather than later, but don't get your hopes up.
Now, notes. Ryoko's reaction to the word 'midget'... she's twenty-four and looks twelve. I'd get pretty annoyed too if they constantly pointed out my lack of height. Actually, I do get annoyed when they think I'm fourteen. I'm not. I'm among the oldest in my class.
...Anyways, moving on, Ryoko's accent will be much more noticeable with Emmeryn and Maribelle's names, plus probably a few others. As for why nobody points it out... Ryoko always speaks with an accent, and it's only marked enough to write it when she's stressed or pronouncing unfamiliar words. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it.
The tome, quill and inkwell are Miriel's, but she left in a hurry to research and forgot about them.
About Grima's comments... he's bored. Horribly bored.
Maribelle will not be as cold as in canon in her interactions with Daraen, nor will she be so with Ryoko. The first reason is because, quite obviously, Daraen did not piss Maribelle off with his sarcastic comment about the 'belching arts'. Secondly, Ryoko's mild mental breakdown when she finally reveals her past to someone.
Grima did not know about it because, at the time, Ryoko's father was the Seal, and he could not see the outside world. This means that he thought Ryoko had it easy and was just being a brat all the time.
Finally, Kellam. Since I added in the Sky-Eyes thing and will be expanding on inherited skills concept, I thought this was a nice little quirk to give him and explain how he's practically invisible to everyone but the player.
Was it good? Or boring? Let me know!
