Chapter 8: Moment of Courage
As the sun rose, the Shepherds set off once more. Chrom, Sumia, Olivia, Virion, and Cordelia said their farewells to the three children being left behind. Despite Maribelle's pleas to accompany them, Chrom and Gaius had been equally firm on her remaining behind in Ylisstol, given her condition. Finally, it was Brady who persuaded his mother that she was simply being unreasonable in insisting on going with them.
There were no soldiers accompanying them this time. They would have to take a small boat across to Origin Peak, and trying to move soldiers would be tedious and time consuming. Besides, Naga would only be able to transport so many of them onto Grima's back once they reached the fell dragon. Khan Flavia and Khan Basilio remained with the Shepherds, though, both insisting on seeing this ordeal through.
Their wounds had been treated already, and they would recover their strength during their march. Their supplies and weaponry had been hurriedly replenished as well, with most Shepherds carrying at least two or three weapons, and more than enough provisions for the journey there and back. The civilians gathered in Ylisse had poured out to watch the Shepherds set off for their final battle, and though the morning sun had only just peeked out from beyond the eastern horizon, the ravaged streets were already crowded with well-wishers.
Morgan had briefly considered borrowing as many Pegasi as possible and flying their entire company to Origin Peak, but that idea had been ruled impractical. There simply weren't enough Pegasi or skilled riders remaining, and with the Pegasi they could not carry nearly as much in terms of equipment. They had intentionally traveled light when they journeyed to Mount Prism, only barely carrying enough provisions for the six-day round trip. Instead, they settled for bringing spare horses and rotating them to make their journey as swift as possible. They followed the main roads through Plegia, which were thankfully clear of any risen. The Plegians who had survived the Awakening were ready to help however they could, willingly exchanging horses with them to speed their way. The Shepherds rode on until late each night, and set off at the break of dawn each morning.
When they neared the port from which the ferry once brought the Shepherds to Carrion Isle, Morgan and Chrom ventured out ahead. The surviving Plegians confirmed that the fell dragon had passed only a day before, and like all the Plegians they had encountered, were more than willing to help. By the time the Shepherds arrived, a pair of small ships had been set aside. They loaded their supplies quickly and set off, the villagers promising to care for the Shepherds' animals being left behind while awaiting their triumphant return.
The Shepherds sailed past Carrion Island, the abandoned castle leering at them gloomily in the distance, and as Naga had promised, Origin Peak was within sight. Above it hovered the two fell dragons, awaiting the Shepherds. Tension hung thick in the air as the two ships approached the beach.
"Grima has called more risen to his side," Naga warned, as they landed and began to disembark. "He knows of his weakness, and it will be well-protected. You will have to fight your way to the peak of the mountain."
"The risen will not stop us," Lucina replied confidently. Along with Chrom and Morgan, the three of them led the march up the mountainous path, making for the volcano's peak as Naga instructed.
Just as Naga had warned, they found the field ahead of them littered with risen. To their surprise though, the risen weren't nearly as numerous as they had expected, and they were scattered widely. In fact, they were too far to be made out. As the others looked upon them with relief, Morgan felt only dread. This was already feeling too much like their battle with Aversa and the Deadlords, where they anticipated an army and instead found a small force of elite warriors to match their own.
But there was no time to ponder it further. Upon seeing the Shepherds approach, the risen began closing in. Morgan quickly noticed that there were risen in the air as well, riding upon griffons and wyverns, flanking them from both sides. In the distance, over the peak, there were more fliers that seemed to be nearing. A large cliff separated two mountainous roads. From one side, a group of risen cavalry approached, from the other, a group of risen infantry. From behind the risen cavalry came a group of what looked to be risen mages.
"The cavalry will be the most difficult," Morgan determined quickly. Chrom and Lucina both nodded in agreement. "The fliers flanking us will reach us first, but we have to intercept the farther group of fliers else they descend upon us while we battle their cavalry and infantry."
Morgan then quickly separated the Shepherds into three teams. Cordelia, Sumia, Cynthia, and Nowi immediately flew off, soaring over the enemy lines to intercept the farther fliers. The remaining Shepherds would remain together until after the flanking griffons and wyverns were dealt with. Then, a larger team led by Chrom and Lucina would meet the cavalry force, while Virion would lead a smaller group to hold off their infantry.
They had only just finished relaying the plan when the wyverns and griffons swooped down upon them. Forewarned, the Shepherds had been waiting with arrows and wind magic at the ready, soundly rebuffing the first assault and felling several of them. Morgan and Cherche then soared up after those that remained.
To Morgan's relief, the risen weren't any stronger than ordinary risen. In fact, most of them felt weaker. Still, she fought cautiously, keeping her distance as she dispatched her flying adversaries. Neither Morgan nor Cherche had been in the battle of Breakneck pass. Neither of them recognized Captain Vasto of the Plegian wyvern knights leading the undead fliers, though there was some doubt as to whether any of the Shepherds would have remembered him well enough to recognize his partially rotted features.
Once the wyverns and griffons had been handled, the rest of the Shepherds split up and moved to their appointed positions, more than ready for this war to be over with.
As the most experienced Pegasus knight, Cordelia had been tasked with the three fliers that were to intercept the farther group of enemy fliers. When the two groups drew near, she saw that their enemies were riding on Pegasi as well. There were eight of them, leaving them outnumbered, but Cordelia had battled the Valmese Pegasus knights often enough that she confidently expected an easy victory.
That notion fell away a moment later, as she realized that her foes were not wearing Valmese riding armor. Instead, the armor bore the insignia worn by all of the Ylissean Pegasus knights. Dreading what she would find, but unable to turn away, Cordelia watched as their foes drew closer.
Leading the risen Pegasus knights was none other than Captain Phila. Behind her were the two loyal knights who also gave their lives in an attempt to save the exalt in Plegia. Behind them were five of Cordelia's own knight-sisters, killed in trying to repel the Plegian invaders years ago. Killed, even as Cordelia had been ordered to flee and warn the Shepherds.
Beside Cordelia, Sumia gasped in recognition. "T-That's impossible!" Sumia stammered, horrified that Grima would continue desecrating the remains of their deceased friends.
"So that's his plan," Cordelia remarked grimly. "Demoralize us by sending our old friends against us? Sorry, Grima, but we know better. Time to set our friends free." With that, Cordelia surged ahead to meet her former captain and instructor, and her knight-sisters. Sumia and Cynthia followed close behind, with Nowi riding behind Sumia, fingering her dragon stone apprehensively.
Cordelia had always held a reputation among the Pegasus knights, and with good reason. Despite being younger and less experienced than her knight-sisters, she had already been faster and stronger than her comrades, and she had only grown more capable since joining the Shepherds. She easily outmaneuvered them and began flitting around the edges of the battle, always striking, then retreating before the risen could strike back. At first, she used her javelins to keep her distance. Some of the risen hurled javelins back, but Cordelia easily swerved around them, and by the time Sumia and Cynthia had caught up, most of the javelins had been expended. Only six of the risen remained.
Cynthia immediately caught the attention of Phila's elite guards, the two of them rushing towards her. But Cynthia, unafraid, met her foes head on. They flew past each other repeatedly, extending their lances to swipe at each other. After a few passes, she managed to dismount one of her opponents, sending her tumbling hundreds of feet to the rocky slopes below, and Cynthia turned to face the second knight.
Sumia and Nowi found themselves facing off against Cordelia's three remaining knight-sisters. But while they had already wasted their own javelins, Sumia had hers. Sumia kept her distance neatly and took her time aiming, while Nowi challenged them directly, her thick Manakete scales protecting her from her undead foes. Their lithe frames and rusted, standard-issue steel lances simply couldn't harm the Manakete. Even as Cynthia successfully dismounted the second of the undead riders, Nowi had blasted two foes away, while Sumia had dispatched the last with a single well-placed javelin through the undead Pegasus's wings. She felt a pang in her heart, seeing the noble creature plummet to its death, but she also knew that Cordelia was right – better to be free of Grima's evil clutches.
Cordelia, meanwhile, faced off against Phila. Cordelia flinched, noting the sad irony of the situation. Two of the greatest Pegasus knights of Ylissean history. Two women who had once offered to each other the greatest of respect, a veteran captain to her most promising pupil, and a recruit to her welcoming teacher and hero.
One trapped in death, ensorcelled by the fell dragon's wicked dark magic, unable to go to her proper, well-deserved rest.
One trapped in life, bound by her responsibility to her daughters and friends, in a world that no longer welcomed her.
Cordelia spoke, although she wasn't sure if her old captain could understand her. "Captain Phila… can you hear me still?"
The risen said nothing, but made no move to attack, and Cordelia thought she saw a hint of curiosity in the otherwise passive expression.
"You've done so much for me, my captain. You guided me to a better life once before, when you welcomed me into your ranks. And though that ended in tragedy, you guided me on once again, when you sent me with the Shepherds," Cordelia continued. A single tear formed and slid down her cheek. "Without you, I would never have come so far. Without you, I would… I would never have met him."
Though Phila's expression didn't change, her glowing crimson eyes suddenly watered, and Cordelia knew, without a doubt, that some part of Phila's soul remained trapped against her will in this withering husk.
"Thank you, Captain Phila. It's been difficult," Cordelia said quietly. "He and I… we didn't have as much time together as we hoped. But what time we did have, and those memories we shared, I will treasure for whatever time I have left. I have never once forgotten the price my knight-sisters paid to give me my future. The price you willingly paid yourself."
The undead woman looked as if she desperately wanted to speak, but the only noise the creature could emit was a cruel snarl. Cordelia shook her head and smiled, a sad, grieving smile, for she knew their one-sided conversation had come to an end. "It's my turn, now. I'm sorry to do this to you… but I can't leave you in Grima's claws any longer, my captain. I'll free you from this, and we'll meet again, soon enough."
With another snarl, Captain Phila urged her Pegasus forward. Cordelia agilely guided Catria away from the straightforward assault. Phila had banked quickly, turning her own steed back, but Cordelia was faster. Cordelia brought Passion sweeping past with incredible speed, catching Phila's lance mid-parry, and with a powerful sweep, Cordelia sent the undead captain's weapon sailing from her grasp.
Undeterred, Captain Phila rushed forward in an attempt to ram Catria. But Cordelia was ready for the charge once more, and Catria swerved around, allowing Cordelia two clean strikes. One blow struck Captain Phila through the heart, and the other struck her Pegasus. Together, the undead captain and her steed fell gracefully, crumbling to ash as they went.
Chrom gasped aloud when the cavalry emerged from the woods. Lucina, Frederick, and Basilio, standing by him, reacted much the same, gaping at the large figure clad in crimson armor that rode towards them. Despite the skin discoloration and glowing eyes, the Conqueror was every bit the intimidating figure in undeath as he was in life, and his signature weapon, his mighty red and black axe, swung easily in his grasp.
Beside him rode several Valmese knights. Most of them were heavily armored and armed with swords and lances, but a pair of them wore the armored riding robes of the Valmese mage-knights and carried tomes instead. A pair of crimson, glowing dots peered out from under each of their hoods.
"The pure water!" Lucina reminded, as she spotted the approaching mages. Before they left Ylisse, Naga's priests and priestesses had provided them with a few canisters of blessed water, that, when imbibed, imbued one with innate magic resistance similar to Pegasi. Morgan had suggested that it be distributed among those who were most susceptible to magic attacks. Frederick, with his heavy armor, had suffered far more than his share of magically inflicted wounds, and upon hearing Lucina's reminder, he hastily pulled forth the flask Morgan had entrusted him with and gulped the liquid down. Chrom and Lucina swiftly followed suit, and not a moment too soon, for even as Lucina was casting the empty vial aside, a lightning bolt rippled through the air toward her. She rolled away a second too late, but the diffused magic dealt her only a glancing blow, leaving a slight numbing sensation.
Thankfully, they had Walhart outnumbered pretty badly this time. But as Walhart kicked his undead steed forward and the Shepherds scattered to avoid the sweeping blows, they remembered just how difficult it was to bring this powerful foe down before. Morgan had spotted the engagement and flown overhead, quickly calling for those on the ground to focus on eliminating the other riders, as she herself attempted to bypass the Conqueror's seemingly impenetrable armor. A lightning bolt was quickly sponged up by the armor, indicating that its magic shielding was still active despite the damage the armor sustained. Morgan followed it with a blast from Valflame, hoping the magic would be strong enough to penetrate. Most of the energy was still negated, but the remaining flames were enough to make the Conqueror flinch and come to a halt.
Chrom, remembering the way Robin had dismounted the Conqueror before, immediately stepped to the side of the mount, and spotting the gap in the armor still, swung at the opening. His axe bit into the undead steed, even as Walhart tried to move away, and the steed crumbled away, leaving Walhart to tumble onto a pile of horse armor. The risen recovered almost instantly, but the Shepherds were on him in a flash, hoping to bring him down before the mages could arrive.
Even as the Conqueror collapsed, overwhelmed by strength in numbers, a devastating wave of fire and lighting gushed out. The Shepherds fled from the barrage. Kellam had also taken a dose of pure water, and along with Chrom, Lucina, and Frederick, escaped the barrage mostly unharmed. But many of the others suffered stinging burns as they tried to regroup to launch their own, coordinated offensive.
Across from them, on the other side of the mountainous divide, Virion quickly realized that the risen foot soldiers they faced were going to be more troublesome than Morgan had anticipated. Leading the risen was the master swordsman, Yen'fay, and this time, the swordsman wouldn't be going easy on them.
Lon'qu was up to the challenge though, and pulled forth his own swords. Flavia initially meant to help, but thought better of it immediately, seeing the speed and precision with which the two swordsmen fought. Instead, Flavia rushed to meet the next of the risen, a heavily armored, bald risen man with an impressive mustache and beard. Cervantes met her charge willingly, but the veteran Feroxi warrior easily outfought the lumbering general, scoring hit after hit against his heavy armor.
Another former general approached Flavia from the other side, but this warrior's armor was incomplete. Virion recognize the noble General Mustafa and winced, but that did not stop him from putting Yewfelle to use, sending arrow after arrow into the risen. Like all the risen, Mustafa did not bleed, and simply collapsed to the ground and crumbled to ash after the fifth arrow came to a rest in his withered torso.
Then a bolt of lightning struck Virion, throwing him from his steed, and wounding the horse in the process. Before Virion could even search for his attacker, Lissa reacted with her rescue staff, pulling Virion away just in time to avoid a second bolt, as Gangrel, the late Mad King of Plegia took to the field, carrying a brand new Levin sword. Severa and Owain stepped forward to face him, though neither recognized him. Both were eyeing his sword carefully, recognizing it to be of the same make as Anna's magical blade.
For some time, Severa and Owain kept themselves away, nimbly side-stepping the magical flurry as they closed in and flanked the nimble risen. Gangrel then began fighting conventionally, but was no match for either of his opponents. After only a few exchanges, the risen turned to flee, hoping to put some distance between him and his foes so that he could safely use the magical properties of his blade.
Owain rushed to intercept him. "Be gone, fiend!" Owain roared dramatically, as his blade neatly cut through Gangrel's waist.
Behind them, Flavia continued her relentless assault against Cervantes, until finally, she managed to land a direct blow to his skull, taking a light blow on the arm in return. She thought it a rather favorable trade as the armor crumpled where it stood, the body turning to dust. Beside her, the duel between Lon'qu and Yen'fay came to an abrupt end, as Yen'fay was distracted by a clever feint, and with impossible speed, Lon'qu spun his fine sword in a wide arc, decapitating his undead opponent.
The other lesser risen following had been cleaned up thoroughly by the other Shepherds standing near, and soon, their gazes turned to the other side of the battlefield.
Grima had one more nasty surprise waiting for the Shepherds. As the dust settled and they turned their attention to the risen mages, Chrom fell back, horrified. There were roughly a dozen of the risen in total. Most of them were mages, although two were dressed as war clerics in the service of Naga, and carried axes. Leading them was a particularly bloated figure that had only grown more grotesque in death, still wearing the red and gold robes of the Valmese Empire. Excellus leered at them unpleasantly, but it was not his unsightly face that had drawn Chrom's attention. At Excellus's side stood the undead form of Exalt Emmeryn.
Despite the glowing red eyes, Emmeryn's expression was still one of peace and serenity. She clutched a staff tightly, but otherwise stood perfectly still. They had never retrieved her body. After the war, they learned that the Plegians had collected her body from where it fell, and honored her with a Plegian funeral and burial. Her grave had become a shrine, which served as a reminder of Emmeryn's love for both kingdoms, and Chrom had reluctantly agreed to allow her remains to rest in Plegia only after he saw the lasting impact his sister had left.
But Grima must have found and defiled her grave, too. Her body should have long since been reduced to bone, or dust, but like many of the risen who should have rotted away, Grima had repaired her flesh. Though her clothing was still torn, she bore none of the fatal injuries she sustained during the fall. "Emmeryn," Chrom whispered softly, his gaze locked upon his sister.
"Father!" Lucina cried, bringing him back to reality. He turned to see Excellus hurling a fireball in his direction, but the distraction had cost him. The fireball connected squarely, and it seemed as if the pure water he had imbibed was wearing off, for he surely felt the heat of the flames. Chrom threw himself back, but the shock of seeing his sister had left his body numb and uncooperative.
Lucina, too, had taken the sight of her aunt rather poorly, as the poor woman reminded Lucina of her past failures. But she had managed to keep her wits about her, and charged forward, quickly. Noting that her father's magical resistance seemed to be wearing thin, she imagined her own protection would be fading as well. She closed the distance quickly, and thrust Falchion at Excellus.
The portly risen raised and arm and caught the attack with a grunt. Lucina retracted her blade and slashed forward, but Excellus had managed to retreat away this time, and with a gesture of her staff, Emmeryn mended the wound. Lucina knew that she'd have to destroy Emmeryn first, but she was reluctant to do so, and instead managed to roll past Excellus, cutting down one of the war clerics behind him a single stroke.
The daring move had put her in a rather dangerous position, and the others turned on her immediately. Thankfully, Libra had been attentive, and Lucina was whisked away to safety. Morgan, realizing that the pure waters must have run out, entered the fray with her sword drawn, attacking them as she swooped by. Her courageous assault proved effective, and she managed to bring down two more of the mages and wound several more, including Excellus who received a near-fatal wound through the chest, narrowly missing his blackened heart. But the risen were resilient, as always, and again, the wound proved ineffectual, as Emmeryn quickly healed it.
And then Emmeryn stiffened, as Chrom drove his axe into her back, tears streaming from his eyes. "Grima!" Chrom roared, in an agonized tone, as he swiftly moved on to the next target, bringing down Excellus with two swift blows. The mages turned and blasted at Chrom, but he ignored the burns and pushed on, resisting Lissa's attempt to pull him back, as well. Thankfully, Morgan was right behind him, and the other Shepherds rushed to his aid. Together, the Shepherds quickly cleaned up the remaining mages, leaving the mountainous region silent, save for the flapping wings of the returning Pegasi.
Grima's final, sadistic stunt had done its work. Though the Shepherds marched on with conviction and a renewed determination to bring an end to his cruelty, meeting their old friends and foes had created a sense of wrongness about it all, seeding discomfort and discord in their hearts. The Shepherds regrouped and carried on in silence, mentally bracing themselves for their final battle.
Even in the distance, both fell dragons had been terrifying large. Up close, the prospect of battling either of the titans was even more daunting. The Shepherds stood at the peak, the two dragons slowly circling them idly, waiting for them to make their next move.
"Why do they simply wait?" Lucina asked uneasily. The Grima she had battled once never hesitated, and had always acted with impunity, clawing even buildings to oblivion and melting entire armies with torrents of deathly flames. But now, there were two fell dragons simply circling them idly.
Naga appeared amidst the Shepherds. "Grima has overexerted himself creating the risen. Even if he hadn't summoned such a vast army immediately, it would have taken at least a week or two for the fell dragons to strike with their full strength. We are fortunate to have arrived so soon. But be warned – even with a fraction of his power, Grima will be far stronger than any enemy you have ever encountered."
"Which one will we face?" Chrom asked, with a hint of trepidation. After facing Emmeryn, he was rather torn. He truly wanted to free Robin from Grima's clutches, if anything of Robin remained buried in the fell dragon's avatar. But he wasn't quite sure if he was ready to face his friend again. When they had battled Grima in Ylisstol, at least he had been able to convince himself that it was not truly his friend standing before him at all.
"The one that has recently travelled to Ylisstol will be weaker, and prove the easier target," Naga explained, gesturing towards the smaller of the two fell dragons. "The fell dragons are more intimately bound to his spirit than the avatar. Each has a weakness upon the nape of its neck. That weakness will be guarded by Grima's servants. You will have to bypass them and strike him down with Falchion. Once you have done so, both fell dragons' bodies will be destroyed, and Grima's spirit will be banished once more."
"Naga… do you know what will happen to my father? To Robin?" Morgan asked nervously.
"Grima's avatar was an empty shell, bound by the fell dragon's dark magic and brought to life by a fragment of Grima's soul. The man you knew as Robin, for all intents and purposes, no longer exists apart from Grima," Naga said, looking at Morgan with sympathy. "His soul will have long since been assimilated into Grima, returning to its source. Once Grima's spirit is banished, without the magic or soul to bind his body together, both avatars, like the fell dragons, will simply crumble away."
Morgan flinched. Behind her, Cordelia's lips grew thin, but otherwise gave no indication of what she was thinking.
"It's time," Chrom decided. The short rest they had must suffice, Chrom knew, for the longer they waited, the longer the shadows of despair over their own hearts grew. Fear, anger, and grief swirled within each of them, and they could not steep themselves in it forever. It was time to act.
"Indeed," Lucina agreed. "Milady, please send us on our way. One way or another, this ends here."
Naga nodded regally. "Very well. I wish you the best. I will remain with you and assist however I can. I only wish I could do more."
"You have given us more than we could ever ask for," Lucina assured. Soft, green light emitted from Naga, enveloping all of the Shepherds and their mounts. The light blinded them, and they felt a calling. A divine force guiding them to their destination.
To their purpose.