Chapter 5) The Empire's Reach
So, we have literal monsters of legend wandering the woods. The sentence is so bizarre, and yet, it's the absolute truth. Monsters. It's like all the old stories have become real.
Despite this newer danger, Eirika intends to push forward. She gives everyone a chance to back down and return to Frelia, but none do. So, instead, we finally make our way to Serafew. The town used to be a sign of the enduring friendship between Grado and Renais, but now, it's teeming with Grado soldiers.
This is going to be bad.
Serafew was a rather beautiful town, made of soft brown and white buildings, flags of both Renais and Grado flapping in the strong winds. I imagine that once, both were equal, proudly declaring that the two countries shared this town. Now, though, the Renais flag was half-hanging off the pole, it's edges noticeably tattered, while the Grado flag loomed over it, its colors crisp as if it were freshly made.
I wasn't quite sure what Eirika had wanted to see badly enough to hike up the hill close to camp, but I was pretty certain this wasn't it.
"It's been so long since I was last in Serafew, a year and a half, I think…" Eirika murmured. She looked over the town with fond, yet sad eyes. "My brother and I would always pass through here on the way to Grado. Lyon would meet us here, most times, just as we'd meet him here when he visited Renais. We always made sure to see each other off here, though." She laughed, and it sounded frail. "We'd always sneak away from our guards to walk through the market. It was a game, almost. No one would harm us in peaceful Serafew, so, why not? It wasn't as if there was some divide between Renais and Grado. No guards to guard the border. It was a symbol of trust between our countries, so of course the three of us would be safe."
"Yet now it's filled with Grado soldiers," I said, bluntly. I winced, though, as I thought it might've been too blunt. It wasn't as if she couldn't see the soldiers herself. Their red and black armor looked strangely menacing from here, like little bits of blood were actually running down the outer walls of the city. "I…"
"Yes, it is. The peace I knew feels so far away, and a lifetime ago." She turned to face me, giving me a bitter smile. "Sorry. I knew we were at war, but I supposed it didn't quite hit me until now that we're at war with Grado."
"It's fine." I shrugged. "I'm still reconciling that I'm fighting in a war." I took her arm and tugged it. "Come on. I told Neimi we wouldn't be long."
"Right…" She glanced back longingly at Serafew, before heading back down the hill, towards camp.
I looked at Serafew for a moment longer, disappointed that this was my first look at the city Mom and Orson had talked so much about. A ripping sound made me jump, and I jerked my head up to see the Renaisi flag was no longer on the pole, but up in the air, being battered by the winds this way and that. The sight made me sick to my stomach, and I raced down the hill to catch up with Eirika, wanting to forget what I'd seen.
When we arrived back at camp, it was clear someone was about to come get us, and equally clear why. Colm was back from scouting in the city itself, which meant it was time for a report.
"There's not too many soldiers," Colm explained. He looked a little smug, but considering he snuck into the city without being caught, I guessed it could be forgiven. Mostly because he always looked smug, like how Lute was always boasting. "Guessing that since Renais fell, they don't see a point in maintaining a huge presence. The west gate in particular is undermanned."
"So, we can get in that way?" General Seth asked. He frowned a little, clearly thinking. "That will…"
"Minor complication, though. They're purposely seeking out Renaisi people, and it seems the soldiers aren't exactly inviting them to tea parties if you catch my drift." He became grimmer. "Now, that's the good news."
"...Good?"
"It's better than the next bit. There was a Grado general here, Glen the Sunstone or whatever, and he's given orders to be on the look out for Princess Eirika, as they believe she's making her way here."
"Why?"
"Simple. Our idiot prince." Colm paused and bowed briefly to Eirika. "Pardon my rudeness there."
"It's fine," Eirika reassured. She made sure to smile at him. "Emma has already informed me of what many think of Ephraim, and myself."
"Somehow, I'm not surprised," Colm replied. He gave me a sympathetic smile, and I rolled my eyes. "Regardless, our prince is in Grado. They know you'll come after him. Basically, he's being used as a bait for a trap, and likely doesn't even know it because he keeps being a needle in their side." He shrugged. "They've apparently lost quite a few forces to him."
"He's always been talented at fighting and tactics, though I wish he'd studied more diplomacy." Eirika sighed. "Regardless, they know we're near, and they're hunting Renaisi."
"Yep. So, complications." His eyes narrowed, and he glanced around at everyone. "What do we want to do?"
"It's not a question, but need," Moulder whispered. He glanced pointedly at our supply pile, and all of us knew what it meant. King Hayden had given what he could, but it had been given with the expectation that we would only have a handful of people. We'd almost doubled our numbers thanks to the casual recruitments, and it showed in how little we had left. "We simply do not have enough."
"Well, then, you need to come up with a plan," Colm retorted instantly. He glowered a bit, and I knew it was defensiveness. He knew damn well that the lack of supplies was partially his fault, just as it was partially Neimi's, Lute's, Artur's, Ross's, and Garcia's. "Because otherwise, we're dead."
Silence fell as everyone tried to think of a plan. But the gravity of just how dangerous this really was weighed too heavily on us. But as I looked at everyone, I realized something that might…
"Well, I can head in," I offered softly. All eyes turned to me, and I squirmed, a bit uncomfortable at their disbelieving looks. "I mean… I took after my mom in looks, so I look more Jehannan than Renaisi. That might be helpful right now." Of course, thanks to Renais being the center of the continent, Renaisi people didn't really have a 'type'. Often, you figured out someone was Renaisi by noticing they didn't have features typical of other nations. That worked against them in Serafew, since they wouldn't look like they were from Grado. "If I buy small purchases, and change my clothes or how I wear my hair, people might not notice until we're gone?" I definitely knew I needed to do small purchases. Big ones had led to me getting caught up in this mess. I still didn't know how Valter had found out. Merchant gossip, perhaps?
"Alone?" Colm asked. He shook his head. "Listen-"
"Eirika looks like a noble, and General Seth is instantly recognizable by everyone. Frelians wouldn't be this far south, so they'd stand out like a sore thumb. Everyone else more or less looks Renaisi, so while you could do one or two purchases, you couldn't do more than that." I shrugged. "I can get us more things. I think."
"And you'd be alone. In enemy territory."
"Shockingly, I think I figured that out already, but does anyone else have a better, or even different, plan for getting us items?" I waited. I hoped someone would. But while I could tell they all thought hard, I could see their expressions blank. I had to do this. "Then someone get me a list, and if I can borrow the most nondescript clothing we've got, I'd appreciate it."
Each time I went to the market, I changed clothes, or changed my hair, or both. I changed my voice slightly each time, and changed how I walked. I felt like a little kid playing make-believe, but the act had very, very real stakes this time. If I failed, if I was suspicious, I'd likely be taken into questioning. Or worse. But, it worked. I got us food, weapons, spare items that might be useful… I even had time to buy new shoes for Neimi and Eirika, the absolute lowest priority on our list.
"Thank you so much!" I gushed, smiling brightly. I pretended it was two years ago, and I was thanking Victor for his help in getting a present for Mary. "My sisters will be thrilled!"
"You're quite welcome, lass," the shopkeeper replied. He gave me a broad smile, one that made the wrinkles in his face deepen. "I'm just sorry I can't make you custom ones."
"Believe me, these are more than enough." I gave him the last of the gold I had, a bit extra than the actual cost. He took it with a smile, not calling attention to it. "Thanks again!" I skipped off, the bag with my purchase swinging with the motion. I had to keep up these fake cheerful act until I left the city, and then, we could leave. General Seth had wanted to leave before, but I'd argued for the new shoes, pointing to where Neimi's had a hole in it. Eirika's weren't in much better shape. I hadn't been caught yet, and so, I wanted to try one more time.
Well, actually, I'd wanted to be sick and cry and curl up in a little ball and never do anything again, much less this. My nerves were frayed from keeping up with all the little disguises, and keeping an eye on everything without seeming too, and I swore I'd be sick from stress. But Neimi had needed the shoes, and Eirika would need them before long. I wanted to help them.
"Excuse me, miss?" The strange voice made me look up, and it took everything I had to keep from screaming as I realized two soldiers were standing in front of me. "Is everything alright?" one asked. Both were male, from what I could tell, so I focused on the hair color, a shock of blonde hair. "You looked rather disconcerted."
"I was just making sure I wasn't forgetting anything," I replied automatically. It wasn't really a lie, and the words came easily. My heart thudded in my ears, and I felt like I could faint at any moment. "Thank you for your concern, though."
"It's no trouble, miss," the other one replied. They had brown hair. Both had brown eyes, I noticed. "Still, things are a little tense at the moment. There's a traitor running about."
"Is there? Goodness, that's troubling." My mouth was dry, but I managed to keep my voice even. I tightened my grip on my bag to make sure my hands didn't shake and betray my fear. "I'll be certain to head straight back home."
"Would you like an escort?" They both smiled warmly, and panic flooded me. That, above all else, I couldn't allow. "As we said, things are dangerous…"
"Oh, I wouldn't wish to trouble you!" I smiled at them both. "I'll be just fine. I'm quite quick on my feet!" Though, honestly, considering how nervous I was, I wasn't sure I'd even been able to walk straight.
"But we would feel terrible if something happened," the blonde one said. He smiled back, and I wasn't sure how much I liked how warm it was. They both seemed like nice boys, and I didn't like that. I didn't like thinking about how there were nice people in Grado right now. "So, please, if you would-"
"Darling, there you are!" A gentle chiming sound echoed in my ears as warm arms enveloped me in a hug. "I've been looking everywhere for you," a soft voice laughed, Jehannan accent noticeable. "Did you get lost?" I turned slightly, and caught sight of large hoop earrings and little tendrils of red hair. "Come on! I'm done with my 'patron'. I'm sorry you had to wait." I was tugged into someone's side, and from here, I could see she wore very little clothing, far less than most women would wear. That alone told me who she was: either a dancer or a prostitute. The scarf she wore around her arms, and the beads and bells in her outfit hinted towards the former. "Let's go!" She led me off easily, chatting about nothing. I did my best to look like I was listening attentively, making affirmative noises every once in a while, and she smiled approvingly before leading me into a house. The impersonal decorations in it made me think this was a house just rented out to people. I'd heard there were buildings like that in Serafew, since the inns could be easily overrun with travelers.
"Um… thank you for helping me," I whispered after a moment of looking around the room. The woman had simply watched me, sitting down at a table. "That was… odd."
"I take it that you're not from a city if you think that was odd," the woman replied. She smiled gently, and my heart ached when I realized how similar it was to Monica's. "You're a very beautiful girl. You need to be careful."
"...I'm pretty?" I wasn't sure why that caught me by surprise. I'd just… never thought about it, though. Yes, Jacob had called me 'pretty' while we were dating, but no one else had really commented on it. Well, Victor had that crush, but he'd never called me pretty. "Um… thank you?"
"You're very beautiful. I'm almost jealous." She laughed a little, and laughed more when I gave her an incredulous look. Now that I had a good look at her, I could honestly say that this woman was easily the most beautiful person I had ever seen. "My name is Tethys. I'm part of the Desert Tiger's mercenary group."
"I know them." Gerik the Desert Tiger was one of the most famous of mercenaries. I was certain even Eirika would know him. "I'm surprised you're all the way out here."
"A dancer is very good for gathering information, particularly since men don't worry too much about what they say during pillow talk." She paused, gauging my reaction, and smiled again when I didn't react. "Your name?"
"Oh, right!" I squeaked a little, embarrassed. I tightened my grip on my bag, and peeked inside to reassure myself that the shoes were still there. "It's Emma."
"Emma, how pretty." Her eyes sharpened slightly. "So, why exactly is a pretty girl like you buying so many thing?"
"I don't know what you mean." The words were automatic, and I tried to keep relaxed. Unbidden, the memory of Valter appeared, and I tried not to shake. "I was just purchasing some shoes." I held up the bag for emphasis. "See?"
"In these clothes, and with that light accent. But this isn't your first foray in." She smiled slightly. "It's really rather clever. I wasn't sure at first, even keeping a close eye. You should've put more time between purchases. If you'd done that, I definitely wouldn't have figured it out."
"..." I tried to think of what to do, but then I remembered how she'd made a point of saying she was with the Desert Tiger's group. They were an honorable sort. They followed the Guild's code as much as any other mercenary, but they made a point of only accepting jobs from people they respected. Grado's recent actions would've turned them away. I was certain of it. "I am afraid that time is of the essence. I'm the only one in my group even able to sneak in."
"Because you look more Jehannan." Her smile softened, and her eyes told me she appreciated the show of trust. "So, I was right. You're… half, I'm guessing?"
"Yes, my mother was a mercenary." I hesitated, but decided to just… go for broke. "Tabitha."
"The Daughter of Thunder, the sniper who never missed?" Her eyes sparkled slightly, and her demeanor softened even further. "I'd heard she had two daughters."
"Sadly, just me. My sister died."
"I'm sorry for your loss." Her tone and expression told me she really meant the words. "So, are you taking up the mercenary job? If you're a freelancer, I can get you with Gerik in a flash."
"Not… quite. It's complicated." I thought of the past few weeks and whimpered. "It's really complicated. I'm not even sure how to explain."
"I see." She stood up then and cupped my cheek, smiling softly. "I've a few gifts from patrons that I can't possibly carry. Perhaps you can take them along?"
"That… would be nice." I was startled, actually, by the offer. "I appreciate it."
"Girls need to look out for each other, and you, darling, look like you've been through quite a bit of hell." She smiled gently, and I was once again reminded so much of Monica that I actually almost burst into tears. I was saved by a knock on the door. "Saleh, how many times must I tell you that you can simply walk in here?"
"I'm checking that you don't have guests." The door opened to reveal a man wearing garb that was better suited for mountains. "Oh, you do," he continued, face completely stoic. I couldn't place his accent at all, and it didn't sound like that strange Rausten girl, so I had no idea where he was from. "I didn't think girls were among them, though."
"Girls are lovely~" Tethys chuckled, before shaking her head. "But she's not. She's just someone I met along the way. But speaking of girls, did you have any luck finding the one you were looking for?"
"Sadly, no." He sighed, shaking his head. "I can no longer sense her either, so she's definitely nowhere near. It might be best for us both to return."
"In a moment." Tethys rested her hands on my shoulders. "Do you have any supplies you don't need?"
"A few things, mostly tomes." His calm eyes fell on me, and I felt like I was suddenly an open book he decided to flip through. "Who is this, then?"
"A girl in need of help." Tethys moved to hug me. It was a warm and gentle hug. "So?"
"Yes, I can spare a few things." He continued studying me. "This will be pointless, but have you seen a girl with indigo hair?"
"Indigo? No," I replied slowly. Indigo seemed… odd. I'd seen many hair colors, but never indigo. "I'll keep an eye out, though. It's Saleh, right?"
"Yes, it is." He smiled slightly, just slightly. "Her name is Myrrh. She's… unused to traveling."
"I'll definitely keep an eye out." My voice became a little firmer, and his smile grew just a sliver more. "Especially as thanks for your help."
"Then I suppose I should get to that." He bowed slightly. "It won't take long."
"And, in the meantime, how about I make you some tea?" Tethys suggested. She giggled, smiling. "I have this delightful mint and ginger one…"
She urged me to sit down and not only have tea, but some pieces of apple cake, a dish I hadn't had since Mom died. It was… very strange, and probably as dangerous as all hell considering everything, but it was so familiar and so comforting that I couldn't… not.
It was familiar enough to make me happy. I wanted that.
Tethys and Saleh saw me off to the edge of town. They'd offered to come with me if I needed to purchase more things, but I reassured them that the shoes had been left until last, as the least priority. Tethys had given me a kiss on the temple, a common way for Jehannan mercenaries to say goodbye. It was supposed to give good luck. I'd given her a hug, knowing that was a traditional way to react to it. I'd simply smiled at Saleh, and he'd bowed, smiling slightly in return.
But about two seconds after they left, I ran into a cleric. And then got chased by Grado soldiers because apparently the cleric was the traitor those soldiers mentioned.
"So, what exactly is going on?" I asked her after a long series of running like mad and hiding like mice. Thankfully, the people here were more than willing to help shelter us. At the moment, we were ducked behind a lady's fruit stand, while she went inside for safety. "I'm Emma, by the way."
"Natasha," she replied. Her breathing was shaky, and her face was red from exertion. She really wasn't used to running. Her shoes had actually fallen apart earlier, but someone had given her their old ones. Her feet were still covered in painful blisters, though, from what I'd seen. "I… I have information that I must get to the other nations. It's…"
"Oh, so, war information? No wonder they call you traitor."
"The emperor has gone mad."
"If that's the information, I can guarantee you that it's been figured out." I cautiously peered around the corner of the stand to see if I saw anyone near. "Unless you know why?"
"No, but I know why he invaded." She gave me a serious look. "He-"
"Hold the thought. We need to get out of this alive, and then you can tell Eirika." I frowned as I noticed something. "Colm?"
"There you are!" Colm actually jumped over some broken stalls and slid behind the stall with us. "Freaking… holy… hell," he growled. He held out a lance for me, and I took it with a thankful smile. Then I felt a little ill over being thankful for a weapon. "This is why I protested!"
"Hey, I actually didn't get caught," I protested, feeling defensive. "They're after me for completely different reasons!" I thrust the bag of shoes at him. "Give these to Neimi and Eirika."
"Holy shit, you did manage to get the shoes." He took the bag and peeked inside, as if confirming I did, in fact, have two pairs of shoes. "Well, uh… need help?"
"Yes, but what I really need is you to tell Eirika that I'm fine, that I'm protecting a cleric who has some important information for her, and that we're just going to just try and get out of the city." No, I didn't. I was terrified. I didn't want to be alone, and I worried for Natasha. But I… I knew that message needed to get to Eirika. The girl refused to leave me behind when she barely knew me. I knew she'd refuse now, unless I specifically said we were meeting up later. And she really couldn't get caught here. "Okay?"
"Message received." He pointed towards the south. "Not sure if you know directions thanks to all the chaos, but that way is the border. Head for there."
"Thanks, Colm." I managed a smile, and stiffened when I heard some nearby shouts. "Run."
"You better meet up with the rest of us by nightfall. I'm not dealing with Neimi's tears."
"Yes, yes, you're the only one allowed to make her cry. Now get going!"
"There's a path to the east you might be able to make it through if it's just you two." Colm looked down the road and grimaced. "Damn, they're…"
"Just go." I whirled up, lance at the ready. "I've got this." I didn't really, but I didn't have much of a choice. The only other one was letting Natasha die.
"South. Remember." He took off, and I shifted my feet, getting into a better stance just like General Seth had taught me. Then, when the soldiers were close enough, I fell on them, using an ambush to get an advantage to the fight. After all, these people were just expecting a cleric, who weren't known for their fighting abilities, and so their guard was down. That let me get a few good hits in before they could retaliate.
I still took a glancing blow to the face, and some slightly worse ones to my side and legs, but nothing that would immediately stop me. I knelt down and moved their bodies to the side, out of sight, and I noticed something I wasn't sure I liked. There were two, both males. One had blonde hair, and the other had brown.
"If only I hadn't dropped my staff…" Natasha's gentle voice kept me anchored instead of letting my thoughts spiral. "Here, let me at least bandage them," she murmured, crouching by me. She used the soldier's fallen weapons to cut her own dress and she wrapped them around the worst of my injuries. "That will hold you, I think."
"It'll have to," I replied. I reached down to pull her up. "Can you run? We need to run."
"I will do what I must." That wasn't really an answer, and both of us knew it. But both of us also knew it was the only one she had. "Sacred Light, watch over us please…"
We both ran, towards the east. I had to glance at the sun to figure out which way that was, but it was pretty easy to find the path from there. We raced down, wincing as the sounds of battle began echoing through. The others were fighting. I hoped they were alright, but I knew there was little chance of me getting to them at this point. I just had to stick to my own plan, and hope the others were...
"I figured I'd find someone here." Someone suddenly jumped down from the nearby roof, red hair and black jacket fluttering behind him as he landed. I instantly brought my lance up, and tried not to freeze as he turned red eyes towards me. Jehannan for certain, and the easy way he held himself, sword almost dangling from his fingertips, just screamed that this man was a skilled mercenary. The clothes told me the same, since the black jacket was of fine quality, matching his hat perfectly, and the jewelry he wore (bracelets, ring, earrings) were subtly expensive. His sword was also of very good quality, with a keen edge that suggested he also had the money to keep it in such good shape.
Mercenaries wore their wealth in a subtle showing of their skill, since only the most skilled mercenaries would even be able to afford such things. Only the most successful mercenaries would hold themselves so carelessly in a battle situation. We were in trouble.
"Like what you see?" he asked, grinning roguishly. He even winked. "Well, maybe not, based on the glare." He bowed a little, somewhere between genuine and mocking. I was surprised by how graceful it was. "But it is a pleasure to see you again, miss cleric."
"You're… you're that man who helped me earlier," Natasha murmured. She cautiously stepped around me, but didn't get closer. "You… you're here to silence me, aren't you? Grado's hired you for that."
"Well, they said they needed help capturing and silencing a traitor, but that traitor seems to be you, so yes." He shrugged, still nonchalant. "They really want you dead, little miss. Orders of the emperor himself, from my understanding. Nothing personal."
"P-please, wait a moment!" Natasha took another step forward, and I snagged her sleeve to keep her from going much farther. I wasn't sure what I could do to guard her, but I at least knew she needed to be near for me to have a chance. "I… I don't care what happens to me, but you must hear my words. Emperor Vigarde seeks to destroy all the countries in order to-"
"No offense, miss, but I'm a mercenary. I can't afford to listen." So he said, but there was something different in his eyes. A sharp, calculating light that showed he'd listened very closely. "Then again, I only hired on as a favor to Caellach, and my contract is due to end soon anyway…" He tilted his head, as if in thought. But he still watched us closely. I felt like a mouse in front of a hungry hawk. "And killing a pretty girl would leave such a poor taste in my mouth, especially one who isn't actually fighting…" He reached into his pocket, and I tensed, wondering if he was going to throw something. "Tell me; do you like to gamble?"
"...What?!" Natasha's yelp was the only thing that told me I hadn't imagined that last sentence. "I… that's…"
"No? Gambling's quite fun, or I think so. Even when I lose, I don't like stopping." He smiled slowly. "So, want to have a wager? You win, and I believe and help you. Sound fair?"
"I… you can't be serious." Natasha sounded, and looked, like she couldn't decide to laugh or cry. "This is not time for games!"
"Would you rather I get on with the job I'm hired for?" He waited for an answer, and his smile grew when she hesitated. "So, nice and simple. Heads or tails? Your call."
"Umm… heads?" She shook her head suddenly. "No, tails!"
"Tails? Alright." He shrugged and pulled a coin from his pocket. Fear flooded me as I realized he hadn't shown the coin prior, and there were many who cheated at gambling. "Here we go." Before I could demand to check the coin, he flipped it up. Sunlight caught it as it spun in the air, and everything just slowed as it came down in his hand. He closed it quickly, to flatten it and make it pick a side, and then opened it up to look. "Huh."
"Um…" Natasha's voice sounded so small, and she curled into herself a little. I felt like I was going to be sick. "Which… which is it?"
"Tails." He tilted his hand down so that we could see it too. I couldn't decide if I felt relieved or that I'd been punched in the back. "Figures. I haven't won anything all day." He shrugged, smiling a little. "Well, Lady Luck has spoken. I'm on your side now."
"A-are you serious?" Natasha's eyes were wide, and she just… stared. I couldn't blame her. This was weird as all hell. "You're…"
"Yeah?" He shrugged again. "I might cheat, but I never try to worm out of a bet. It's a rule of mine."
"Oh, thank heaven!" Natasha actually clasped her hands in prayer, closing her eyes. "Thank you, blessed light, for your protection!"
"You know… I've nothing against heaven, but I'm right here if you want someone to thank." He sighed as Natasha ignored him to continue praying. "No? Well, stay behind me, both of you." He threw the coin up again, and flipped his sword for a proper grip. "I've got some fools who don't know the meaning of stealth to take care of."
He whirled quickly, a blur of red and blacks, and suddenly, there was a lot more red splattering against the walls and trickling down the path. It took a couple of blinks to realize he'd cut down two Grado soldiers. They weren't quite dead, yet, but their wounds were bad enough that a baby could've killed them.
"Do you know a path out of the city?" I asked, voice breathy and squeaky. This man could've killed us. The man should've killed us, but didn't for the most inane of reasons. We should be dead, and we only weren't because this man was weird. "We're meeting our group outside."
"Yeah, there's a path," Joshua answered. He pointed to Natasha, though, who looked a little shaky suddenly. "I think it all just caught up. Take a breath." He held up a hand as Natasha opened her mouth to protest. "Much as I would love carrying you, little miss-"
"Natasha," she interrupted. She leaned against the wall. "My name is Natasha. I forgot to tell you."
"That's a pretty name." He smiled, and it was much warmer than before. Strangely warm, considering he had blood splattered across his chest, and was standing between the two dying soldiers. "Regardless, I can't fight and carry you, and I'm not sure pretty girl here…" He nodded to me. "Can do so either. So, just take a quick breath. We're still fine."
"...Alright…" She sighed and slid down the wall, drawing her knees up and wrapping her arms around them.
The man crouched down and poked the bodies, likely checking the wounds were as fatal as they looked. I twitched at every noise, and tried not to wince as one of them whimpered. I looked around the area, hoping for some sort of distraction, and found something fairly quickly. The man's coin was on the ground, sitting in a little bit of blood. I picked it up and wiped the blood off, and that was when I realized something.
It was double-tailed. There wasn't a 'head' side at all to the coin.
"Aw, you discovered my little trick." A hand plucked the coin from me, and I looked up to see the man pocket it. "No, not a word," he said, smiling slightly. "Don't spoil my fun."
"...You never intended to kill us, did you?" It hadn't been inane. It hadn't been some trick of luck. That… that made me feel so much better about this whole thing. And confused. So very confused.
"Well, I don't like killing pretty girls." He grinned and slipped a hand into his pocket. "So, heads or tails?"
"Not likely, mister. You cheat."
"Oh, don't call me 'mister'. Makes me feel old." He smiled, and actually reached up to ruffle my hair affectionately. I thought of Mom, and how open she'd been with affection. It was a common thing among Jehannans, just like terms of endearment for everyone. "My name is Joshua."
"Like the wayward prince of Jehanna?" I'd only heard little pieces of that. Supposedly, the Crown Prince of Jehanna just left the castle one day ten years ago, declaring that he intended to learn about the people. While there was some grumbling, most Jehannans I'd spoken to actually still liked him, though whether that was because they had to cling to hope or because they admired the audacity, I had no idea.
"Yeah, I get that a lot. Man, if I had a gold for every time I had..." He sighed mournfully, and I giggled, unable to help it. "So, pretty girl, your name?"
"It's Emma." It was strange. He reminded me weirdly of both Mom and Monica, but also a little bit of Orson. Deadly, but kind. Fierce, but gentle. The supposed contrasts just… made me feel strangely safe. "You're weird."
"Fine words to say to someone you just met!" He grinned. "Come on." He nodded to Natasha, and I turned to see her standing up again. "I think our lovely cleric has caught her breath enough for another run."
"Right!"
We escaped the city, and met up with the others on the Grado side of the border, outside the city. Apparently, Lute had decided to test out her thunder tome that I got from Saleh on the heavily armored members of the Grado soldiers, basically resulting in a lot of electrocuted soldiers. Thus, we didn't have to deal with pursuers as most of them were a little too dead to do much of anything, and could actually relax when we set up camp and tended to our injuries. Natasha insisted on helping Moulder, and thanks to the Mend staff Colm swiped, she did. Neimi and I made dinner, with her wearing her new shoes, and only after we ate and had baths did we sit around the campfire to listen to Natasha's story.
"Thank you so much," she whispered, bowing to us despite being seated. Eirika sat in front of her, across the fire, and I sat next to Eirika. Everyone else was scattered about, and I actually had to look to find Joshua, directly behind Natasha. "Really, that was…"
"It's fine," Eirika reassured. She sat with perfect posture, and kept her expression calm. "But if we might get an explanation."
"Of course." Natasha closed her eyes briefly, before starting. "My name is Natasha, Princess Eirika. I served as a priestess in Grado's Imperial Temple." She bowed her head. "I saw you a few times when you visited with Prince Lyon, your highness."
"That's where Father McGregor served, so Lyon and I would visit to pay our respects, and to ask more questions about our history lessons." She smiled slightly. "He's the only one to ever scold Ephraim. How is he?"
"He… he's dead, your highness." Natasha curled her fingers into her skirts to hide their shaking. "He was arrested a few weeks ago, and was executed as a traitor."
"A traitor?!" Eirika's yelp was high enough to make me wince. A quick glance showed I wasn't the only one. "Him? Never! Yes, he and Lyon argued a bit over Lyon's research, but Lyon knew it was only because he worried! Lyon adored him!"
"It's because Emperor Vigarde wanted him silenced." Natasha's voice grew quiet. "He knew… he knew the true purpose of this invasion." She took a shuddering breath and looked up again. "Emperor Vigarde seeks to destroy the Sacred Stones."
"The… what?" Eirika's jaw dropped. Hers wasn't the only one. "But that's… they're sacred treasures…!"
"They keep the darkness at bay. And yet, Emperor Vigarde wants them destroyed." Natasha ducked her head again. "Prince Lyon took Grado's from the temple, citing it was 'for his father'. For all I know, it could already be gone."
"Lyon…" Eirika's shoulders dropped. "This is…"
"I know it's hard to believe, but Father McGregor used his last words to tell me." She glanced up again. "Please…"
"Considering the war, I am not certain we should so easily trust someone from Grado," General Seth murmured, after a long moment of silence. "But if she is telling the truth…"
"We saw monsters," Eirika whispered. Her eyes were dark with confusion, pain, and fear. "We fought creatures of legend. The legends say that the Stones are what protects us from the Demon King and his ilk. I can believe one is broken. I can believe the rest. But even if I didn't, the accusation is serious, too serious to ignore, no matter how much it chills me to the bone." She smiled bitterly at Natasha. "You'll forgive me, though, for hoping that there was some… misunderstanding?"
"I would be very happy if it was something that simple, my lady," Natasha replied. Her own smile was calm, gentle, and tired. "Would it be too much trouble to ask if I might travel with you?"
"Of course not." Eirika's smile warmed, and she glanced up to Joshua. "And what of you, Sir Mercenary?"
"I lost a bet with yonder cleric here," Joshua replied, shrugging. His eyes were sharp, but his smile was kind. "So, I'll be sticking with her."
"And your payment?" Eirika asked. "I can't guarantee you anything."
"Like I said, I lost a bet. I'm not working for money at the moment. I'm just helping out Natasha here, dove."
"...Dove?"
"It's a Jehannan thing," I explained, knowing that I'd better do it now instead of later. "Better set up boundaries quick if you're uncomfortable. Jehannans are very free with affection, meaning lots of hugs, kisses, and lots of terms of endearment." Mom used to do it all the time, and if she'd lived, I might've had the same habit. But time without her, and in more reserved Renais, bled it from me. "I'm guessing he went with 'dove' because doves symbolize peace, and you're known for your peaceful nature, Eirika."
"Hey, don't go revealing my secrets, petal," Joshua chided. He grinned when I rolled my eyes. "But she's right. Let me know if anything makes you uncomfortable. Jehannans don't tend to live long lives, thanks to mercenary work, so we're very free with a lot of things. I can be a bit better than some, since I've actually done lots of work outside of Jehanna, but I have my habits."
"Like making bets with a sister."
"Exactly." He stretched, still perfectly relaxed. Eirika still looked startled by the endearment. "However, I also recommend that we wrap up for the night. Natasha's about to faint, Emma's exhausted, and I've little doubts the rest of you are better, since I see most of you are struggling to appear alert." He smiled teasingly at everyone. "I'll volunteer for first watch. You lot decide who you want to watch me."
It still took a few moments for everyone to agree that yes, we were tired and no, trying to appear strong wasn't going to help anyone. We divided up tents as per usual, with Eirika and I sharing. I couldn't even remember if we had to or not, since everything knocked most of the details from my shopping out of my head, so I had no idea how many tents and bedrolls I'd bought. But we'd set up our tent as we always had, and no one protested, so before long, the two of us were curled up in our bedrolls, supposedly to sleep.
However, after a bunch of restless turning and brief respites that quickly fell apart thanks to nightmares, I gave up and pushed myself up, intending to just sit by the campfire again. But I paused, noticing something. Eirika was awake too.
"Nightmares get you too?" I whispered. She squeaked and rolled over, staring at me. "I normally sit outside to calm down."
"Oh, that's where you go," she murmured. She smiled shyly. "I thought I just kept you up."
"No, sadly, I never noticed. I'd head out to try and not keep you up." I actually laughed a bit at that, startled by how ridiculous it was. "Well, we're both up." I got out of my bedroll to push to closer to hers and then slipped back into it. "What's up?"
"You mean besides us?" She smiled weakly at her own joke, and I managed another laugh. "I was just… thinking, really."
"About Serafew."
"And other things. Memories." She sat up then, and drew her knees into her chest, resting her arms on them. "You've been kind in not bringing up, but you heard what Tana said, right?"
"I heard a lot of things Tana said, including a promise to verbally tear into your brother while in hearing of her brother." Though, honestly, I wasn't sure how much I was looking 'forward' to that now. I had been, but now, with all the battles and everything, I felt like I held onto it just for Eirika and Tana. "You'll have to be more specific."
"My crush on Lyon." She smiled bitterly. "She was loud."
"...Well, I wasn't sure if you wanted me to know."
"I don't mind. Like she said, I'd planned on confessing, next time I saw him." She sighed, drooping. "I had it all planned out, you know? Got Ephraim to agree and everything, though that wasn't hard. He loved the idea." She smiled sadly. "There's this beautiful park in the city where Lyon and I loved to read, actually, a bit deeper than the market. I'd invite him there, trick the guards into leaving us alone, and then confess. I'd actually… been looking forward towards it." She drooped a little more. "I've had a crush on him for the longest time. I thought it was unrequited, but when we last met he gave me these beautiful earrings…" She sighed. "They're at the castle. I hadn't been wearing them. But they're beautiful earrings, shaped like wings. They're custom; I knew they were. Because I'd complained to him just a few weeks before that I really wanted wing-shaped earrings and couldn't find any. So, I thought… well, maybe I should go for it. It might make things awkward, but he clearly likes me enough to get me custom things, so if nothing else, we're good friends, and maybe we could…" Her voice grew softer and softer. "He's always so kind and gentle. This war must be breaking his heart."
"Like it is yours?" I rested a hand on her back and smiled. I was reminded of when I'd shyly told Monica about my own crush on Jacob, though mine wasn't quite sad. It hadn't been a war, after all. "Relax. I'm… sure he's fine. He's the prince. I doubt anything has happened." I patted her back. "You can ask Natasha a bit more, though."
"I'm scared, though. What if he's… changed…?" Tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm honestly terrified by everything. Everything is falling apart, and I don't know what's going to remain the same, if anything. His father has gone mad. What if he did too?"
"...You love him, right? Lyon?" I waited until she nodded. "Well, just… just hold onto that." I wished I had better words to say. "You're holding onto the hope that your idiot brother is still alive. Why not hold onto a little more?"
"You think it's safe?"
"That's up to you." I shrugged. "But I feel like… if you're willing to hold onto a little, hold on to a lot. It burns no matter what. And maybe the best weapon we have in this war is hope." Though I had no idea what I hoped for, other than seeing Orson again.
"...Yeah." She leaned into me, and rested her head on my shoulder. "I'm scared."
"Me too." I rested my head against hers. "Want some funny stories?"
"Yeah. Do you want some too?"
"Yeah."
We stayed up very late, doing our best to make each other laugh. When Natasha, of all people, came in to check on us, worried, we ended up just dragging her into the insanity, though it took much longer to get her to crack her professionalism enough to laugh.
It was weird. We were weird. But everything was weird, so this was just how we had to survive.
Notes on Natasha:
A 20-year-old cleric from Grado, entrusted with her mentor's dying words
A bit inexperienced with a staff, but she has great potential. Moulder believes that with some practice and experience, she'll end up stronger than him.
Kind and gentle, with a tendency to overwork, she focuses not only on physical wounds, but mental as well, despite the pain she herself must be suffering.
Notes on Joshua:
A 23-year-old gambling addict who works as a mercenary
Fast and skilled, with enough strength to make his skill bite deep. He's clearly a very skilled mercenary, though he's the first to admit he's not invincible.
Roguish, casual, and incredibly kind. He took the time to introduce himself to everyone, and spent time with the shyer members of the group, making them laugh. He even made a point to ask Eirika how she was feeling about everything.
Author's notes: And here's two of my absolute favorite fire emblem characters, Joshua and Natasha. In game, Saleh has a brief in-story cameo where he just appears and disappears, hinting to Myrrh's existence, while Tethys cameos via visiting one of the villages, and she gives you a dragonshield. I expanded both a bit, more Tethys than Saleh's. Technically, there's an Amelia cameo too, but Emma didn't run into her.
It's well-known that Joshua cheats in many of his bets, so it's a pretty popular theory that he disguises his actual decisions with an illusion of chance. Joshua's official art also shows him with at least one ring and a couple of bracelets on his right wrist. Neither his official art nor his in-game art shows his ears, so there's… nothing that says he doesn't have his ears pierced. The image of a strong wind ripping the Renais flag off the pole is inspired by a similar scene in The Two Towers (which, fun fact, wasn't planned! It just happened and they kept it in.).
Technically, the one and only side chapter of the game is after this chapter, but since that focuses entirely on Ephraim, and there's no way Emma would be there, we're actually skipping over it. Sorry to those who like it!
Next Chapter - Victims of War
