"Ylisstol has fallen!?" Chrom felt his throat dry up, a sick feeling churning in the pit of his gut. "But what of Emmeryn? Please tell me she's alright!"

"I wish I could," Basilio answered gravely. "Those dastards took her hostage and dragged her across their borders once the capital was sieged. Gangrel has announced she's to be publically executed within the moon."

"Executed!?"

"No…" Lissa barely managed to say. "Sis…"

She began to feel lightheaded. Emmeryn was to be killed? She couldn't believe it. The revelation flooded her mind, giving her gruesome images of what King Gangrel would do to her beloved sister. All the strength in her body seemed to be sapped away as the images worsened. The younger princess began to lose her footing, falling backwards. However, strong arms caught her before she could fall. Lissa looked to see who stopped her, a little surprised to see Lon'qu was the one holding her up.

"I thought you didn't like being near women…" she mumbled.

"I don't," he replied quietly, unsettled by her lack of teasing. "But…you are an exception. Until stated otherwise, it is still my duty to protect you."

"Thank you, Lon'qu…for always being there for me."

Lon'qu grunted, turning his head away from the grateful expression she was giving him. He was losing his mind. While it was true that he had become more comfortable around her, that didn't mean a thing to him. As soon as the war was over, they'd both go their separate ways. He knew of her interest in him. Takumi and that damned tactician wouldn't let him forget or ignore it. But even if the princess did have feelings for him, she was way out of his station. It wouldn't be right. He'd just disappoint and fail her, same as before when he failed to save her.

"I knew it…" Takumi muttered darkly. "I knew this would happen. I should've stopped her!"

"Don't start putting blame on yourself," Basilio chided. "There was no way you could've stopped her even if you did know what would happen."

"Basilio, you don't understand! I know I've seen something like this before! I can feel it."

"Calm your fluff there, boy! Whatever happened doesn't matter; that was then and this is now. We still have a chance to save the Exalt. We just have to—"

"Shepherds! We march to Plegia!" Chrom announced.

Basilio coughed uncertainly. "Well…we could do that. But I think it'd be wise if we kept more royal blood from being spilled by NOT recklessly charging into an obvious trap."

"Basilio, I don't care! He's going to murder my sister!"

"Chrom!" Robin said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We will save her. But just take a moment and cool down. We're not going to accomplish anything if our commander gives orders in a state of blind rage."

Chrom growled under his breath, unadulterated fury boiling in his veins. He took a deep breath, focusing on the words of his tactician. Robin was right, even though he didn't like his options. As the leader, he needed a clear head before he made any decisions. He took a few more moments to calm himself down before nodding to Robin, giving her the confirmation she needed.

Robin turned to the khan. "Now, give me all the details, Basilio. I'll need all the information you have so I can formulate the best possible course of action for the Shepherds and the Feroxi troops."

"You're planning to strategize everyone's movement?" asked Takumi, shocked by the sheer amount of work the tactician had just announced she'd be doing. "Robin, I don't doubt your skills, but that's way too much for only you to handle."

Robin's expression hardened, no trace of the happy-go-lucky woman she tended to be. "I'm well aware of that. I do not intend to take this matter lightly. One wrong move and the Exalt's life could be compromised. I will do all that I can to make sure this rescue is a complete success."

"…I can't tell if you're being reckless or if you're just that confident in yourself."

A shrewd smile. "A little bit of both, actually. Don't worry, Takumi. I promise I will keep everyone safe."

"I'll hold you to that," he thought, a bit wary of the upcoming battle. "I may not know Emmeryn like her siblings do, but the thought of seeing her killed…it pains me more than it should."

Takumi gripped his arms a little tighter, remembering the sweet and gentle welcome Emmeryn had given him and Lon'qu. Sometimes he could see a brunette woman in her place, giving him that same feeling of comfort and warmth with a simple smile. It was someone he knew; someone important. That uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach only fueled his strange desire to keep the Exalt safe.

Somehow, he knew something terrible would happen if she did die.

And so began the hasty march to Plegia. The whirling sandstorms and deep desert sands were rough on Ylissean and Feroxi guard alike. When one is used to a particular environment, the resulting change in climate can have drastic effects on the individual. The Feroxi were having the worst time, having been used to the freezing cold for so long. Lissa had kept her distance from Lon'qu specifically for that reason since the myrmidon's temper was on a shorter fuse than normal.

The harsh heat of the sun burned against them all, slowing down their travel speed simply due to sweat and thirst. Chrom could barely believe anyone in their right mind would find a home in an environment as cruel as this. His whole mouth tasted of grit and sand and his throat had dried up long ago at Plegia's border. What unsettled him most was the lack of Gangrel's soldiers who Chrom thought would have attacked his men by now. So far, the Shepherds had yet to encounter any resistance from their enemies. It bothered the Ylissean prince too much and he had voiced his concerns to Robin, who wholeheartedly agreed with him. It wasn't long after that when Frederick reported a skirmish happening not too far from the Shepherds. Almost thankful for the report, Chrom quickly ordered his men to the location and told Robin to pick their units.

"Okay, listen up!" Robin announced. "I'm definitely going to need our mages and fliers for this battle. The sands will only bog down our horses, so those who can fight on foot or with our mobile units, step forward."

Takumi huffed as the rest of the Shepherds aligned themselves to Robin's desire. He could see the hesitance in her eyes as she picked out Gaius, Olivia, and Lon'qu as her allies. It looked like he would be sitting the battle out this time. After all, too many soldiers would attract attention and it was more difficult to keep track of their movements.

"Takumi, I want you to be Chrom's partner in this fight, alright?"

He blinked at his name being called. "Huh?"

"You heard me," Robin said. "I want you to stay by Chrom. By moving in a group, you'll be able to get through the sands faster than if you went individually."

"Wouldn't Lissa be a better choice than me?"

"Yes, I am aware of our lack of a healer. However, Lissa is still dealing with her own insecurities about wielding Brynhildr; not to mention she's still worried about Emmeryn. I don't want to force more unnecessary pressure on her right now."

"I see…" he muttered. "What about you? Aren't you supposed to be commanding these troops?"

"Honestly, I'm still working out the kinks in my plan. Time is of the essence and I cannot afford to make any mistakes during tomorrow's rescue operation. So, can I trust you to lead the Shepherds in this fight?"

He frowned at her. She was looking at him with such a sincere expression that he wasn't sure how to respond. It was a simple request and he did have the knowhow to lead a batch of soldiers like the Shepherds. He could easily agree to it. Yet, that nagging voice in the back of his mind continued to mock him. "You're not as good as her" and "you'll fail" echoed over and over in his head, making his temples throb. He wanted to decline. He didn't want any blood on his hands if he failed the men he was supposed to lead.

"Don't worry, Takumi. You'll be great. I believe in you."

Her words snapped him out of his mental battle. She still wore that same sweet expression and gave him a confident smile. She was sure he could do it. Basilio had shown that same confidence when he decided to take Takumi under his wing. Somehow, hearing Robin say it aloud shoved his depressing thoughts away. She needed him for this. He took a steady breath, looking her in the eye.

"Alright. I'll do it."

"Thank you. Good luck." She then gave him a sharp look. "And stay safe."

He could only stare at her back as she walked away and wonder about the oddly serious tone to her voice. It wasn't a threat of her whaling on him if he failed; it was a promise that she hoped he would keep. He felt a bit touched that she worried about him, but his pride would never allow him to fully admit that. Takumi reeled in his feelings of inadequacy. Doubts be damned, just this once. He needed to be focused, his mind as clear as the ice in Ferox. He wasn't going to be a disappointment to anyone; this he swore to himself.

Fujin Yumi in hand, the silver-haired archer began his hesitant stride towards the selected warriors. Chrom raised an eyebrow when he noticed his lack of a tactician and Takumi had no doubt the rest of the Shepherds had similar thoughts. He cleared his throat, steeling himself before making his announcement.

"I know Robin isn't here," he sternly began. "She won't be leading our troops in this battle."

"Why not?" asked a curious Ricken.

"She said she needed more time to fully formulate her rescue plan. Despite her absence, you won't be without a tactician. Robin has entrusted me to lead you in this battle."

Chrom crossed his arms. "You sure you can handle it, Takumi?"

"Robin seems to think so and I have no intention of letting her down," Takumi answered honestly. "I know most of you don't trust me, but all I ask is for your cooperation this one time."

"Desist from such presumptions," Miriel calmly replied. "Your successful liaison in past conflicts have substantiated your value. Do not misconceive our apparent lack of camaraderie with you for cynicism in your tactical capabilities."

"Er, yeah! Whatever Miriel just said!" Sumia cheerily agreed. "What she said was supposed to be encouraging, right?"

"I lost her at 'liaison'…" Olivia mumbled in embarrassment.

"In other words, we do trust you, Takumi," Chrom translated for the rest of the Shepherds. "You've already proven to be a worthy comrade. Don't ever doubt that, even if it doesn't appear that way to you."

"That's…good to hear," Takumi said in relief. "I promise I won't let you down."

"Of course you won't," chuckled Chrom. "So what are your orders, oh wise tactician?"

The archer rolled his eyes at the title before redirecting his attention to the battlefield. He quickly eyed each enemy from their location, overlooking their class and weapons. The villages in the area would need to be protected as well, which meant Sumia and Cordelia would be the best choices to get to them quickly enough. He was about to get the word out when he spotted a new face on the field that wasn't there a few seconds ago. It appeared to be a scantily clad girl, too young to be left alone and surrounded by potential enemies. Despite the distance, Shepherds could hear what the child was saying.

"Did I lose him?" she panted out, worriedly looking over her shoulder.

"Hold! Wait for Gregor!"

She screamed shrilly at the bulky man trailing after her. "EW! GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU CREEP!"

"Creep? Who is creep? Not Gregor! Hush now, wee one. We make with the running!"

"What…am I seeing?" Takumi barely managed to get out, watching as the girl nailed the man in the shin.

"Hey, you!" Chrom yelled, completely ignoring the fact that numerous Plegians could hear him "Keep your filthy hands off that maiden, you fiend!"

The man looked towards Chrom over the sand dunes. "Good grieving! Gregor is no fiend! Gregor has done nothing but help, yet receives multiple punches to groin. Is a harsh, cruel world to poor Gregor; and all for doing good deed."

Takumi blinked. "Er…so you're not with these Plegians?"

"Aye! They make with the catching of us soon! Believe Gregor! Look at innocent baby-face!"

"You think he's telling the truth?" whispered Chrom, skeptically looking at the mysterious mercenary.

"On a normal day, I would say no," Takumi awkwardly replied, sounding unsure about the whole situation. "But my position dictates otherwise. As much as I want to, I can't judge every eccentric person I meet at first glance. Not to mention that those Plegians don't seem too happy with this…Gregor guy. Consider him and the girl allies for now until we can get more specifics from them personally."

"Understood," the Ylissean prince said, readying himself for battle. "Shepherds, move out!"

"You're sticking with me, Chrom. Orders from Robin," Takumi added, arrow already in hand.

"Oh? Did she? Alright th—What the!?" Chrom suddenly balked. "She can turn into a dragon!?"

Takumi was confused until he saw the little girl from earlier suddenly morph into a reptilian creature with wings. He stared at the majestic beast as she decimated the Plegian who dared to threaten her. The green scales and leafy wings changed before his eyes. A completely different girl stood in the dragon's place. Her lengthy snow white hair and sad crimson eyes stared at him, a cape swishing behind her and her body clad in silver and black armor. For a moment, he almost thought he was looking at Robin had it not been for the similar shaped stone in her hand. She hunched over, her form shifting into a different creature. A completely different dragon arose and stood on its hind legs, roaring in pain and sorrow.

It was her. The traitor. The one whose name he couldn't quite grasp. It wasn't Robin, even if she looked remarkably like the strange tactician. He could finally confirm that now. But where was she now? Why did she look at him with such misery in her eyes? He wouldn't pity her. He couldn't pity her. Could he?

"I can't believe it. I never thought I'd see a manakete in my lifetime."

"Manakete?" Takumi repeated, snapping out of the vision. "What's a manakete?"

"I've heard that they're a race of beings that can transform into dragons using special stones."

"Why would a manakete be in the middle of a desert?"

"Not sure, but I guess we'll find out after we rout the enemy."

Takumi nodded, spotting a Fighter coming towards them and letting his arrow fly. The man was felled with one shot. It wasn't long before another took his comrade's place. Those who were unable to get through the dunes fast enough were quickly surrounded by Plegians. Having been trained and raised in the harsh environment, they were able to use the familiar territory as an advantage over the less prepared Ylisseans.

As they slowly made their way through the sand, Takumi giving orders over the harsh winds that were blowing by, Chrom was left to his thoughts. Every time he was placed beside the amber-eyed archer in battle, Chrom couldn't help but marvel at how powerful Fujin Yumi was in Takumi's hands. The sacred arrows were strong enough to take out a man in one or two shots, piercing both flesh and bone with deadly precision. Even without his memories, Takumi wielded it with such ease that it both surprised and terrified the Ylissean prince.

His father nearly destroyed Plegia with Brynhildr alone. It brought up the question of what the other three sacred weapons were capable of doing, especially if they were all brought together. Thankfully Brynhildr was now in the possession of his sister, but Chrom had no desire to thrust Lissa onto the battlefield simply because she had a powerful tome that had chosen her. That kind of power needed to stay out of hands that sowed evil; hands that belonged only to men like Gangrel. If Robin's speculation was right, Gangrel already possessed one of the three remaining weapons. He hoped to Naga above that it wasn't Yato: the sword that was said to have the power to cut down the gods themselves. He wasn't sure if even Falchion would be able to stand up to something as mighty as the legendary Yato.

"Snap out of it, Chrom!"

The blue-haired teen barely dodged an axe that was aiming for his neck. With a loud cry, Falchion slashed through the body of the Plegian Fighter. Blood sprayed onto Chrom as he tried to ignore the stains that would be caked onto his body thanks to the raging heat beating down on him. He gave a curt nod in gratitude, despite Takumi giving him an annoyed look for not paying attention. In the distance, he could see Cordelia and Sumia performing their roles perfectly. Not a single person got anywhere near the villages. Ricken and Miriel were taking out their enemies before they even got close to their comrades. Gregor and the girl were holding out alright despite being the smallest group, most likely due to the sheer strength they both possessed. This was looking to be an easy victory despite the obvious terrain disadvantage.

This allowed Chrom and Takumi to move forward without too much difficulty and single out the commander of the troop: a Dark Mage that spouted some nonsense about offering their lives to Grima. Chrom's eyes instantly narrowed at the name, charging at the sorcerer to distract him. Plan in mind while Chrom was dodging dark energy that fluxed around him, Takumi prepared an arrow that was sure to kill.

Chrom smirked. "Would you like the honor of shutting him up?"

"Allow me!" Takumi replied, almost smiling at how completely ignorant the Dark Mage was.

The glowing green arrow was released, flying through the air at an intense speed. It was only a blur of light before it pierced the chest of the Plegian mage, blowing a clear hole through him. The body slumped to the ground, his last words praising his god and offering his life force to it. The seemingly easy acceptance of the Plegian's own death disturbed Takumi. It wasn't long before Chrom was by his side, wiping off sand that got stuck in places Chrom didn't know it could stick to.

"What was that all about?" Takumi asked Chrom, watching as the blue-haired swordsman began patting off the sand in his locks.

"What do you mean?"

"What he said about this 'Grima'. Who or what is it?"

"Oh, right. I keep forgetting you're like Robin. You don't know about the Fell Dragon," Chrom admitted before taking on a serious expression. "Long ago, my ancestor, the Hero-King Marth, fought and brought down a mighty dragon called Grima. The Fell Dragon's very presence sapped the life out of every living thing and it threatened to destroy the world. We wouldn't be here today if not for the First Exalt. It's been nearly a millennia since Grima was defeated, but there are those who wish for the Fell Dragon to be revived even today. They are called the Grimleal: worshippers of the Fell Dragon. This man was one of their acolytes."

"Why would anyone want to resurrect such a vile beast!?" snapped Takumi.

"I can't answer that. It's beyond my comprehension as well."

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY! You guys!"

Both Chrom and Takumi noticed the manakete girl rushing up to them. She practically glomped Chrom as she gave him a big hug, expressing her thanks for helping her. She then proceeded to do the same to Takumi, knocking the archer over and sending him flying into the sand. Her giggles were infectious. Even though he was annoyed that he now had sand sliding down his shirt, Takumi couldn't help but grin at the young girl.

"Can I join you? I just gotta repay you guys for helping me out! If you hadn't come, I would've been sold off again."

"Sold off!? You mean like a slave?" Takumi exclaimed. "That's detestable!"

"Yeah. It was awful. But thanks to you guys, I don't have to go through that anymore! So pretty please, can I join? I promise I'll do my best! Even the big guy wants to help!"

"Well, Takumi? You are the tactician here," stated Chrom.

Takumi frowned. "I'm not exactly inclined to let a child fight in an army…even if she can turn into a dragon."

The girl blinked. "Oh, is age all you're worried about? That's no problem. I'm like…a thousand something? I lost count a long time ago."

"Seriously!?" the two men blurted out.

"So that's a yes? YES! By the way, I'm Nowi! Nice to meetcha!"

"Okay…Nowi," Takumi began, attempting to pry himself out of the manakete's hug. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure! What is it?"

"Have you…ever met another manakete? One who looks older than you and has snow-white hair and crimson eyes?"

"Hmmm…" Nowi's face scrunched up before she shook her head. "Nope. Doesn't ring a bell. If would be cool to meet 'em though. Dragonkin aren't exactly common around here."

He frowned. "I see…Thank you for telling me."

Chrom raised an eyebrow at the odd conversation. Takumi remembered a manakete? When had he met one? Who was it and why was it so important that the amber-eyed male had to ask about it? Chrom shook his head. What was he thinking? Takumi probably knew as much about it as he did. If there was one thing he knew about his fellow Shepherd, it was that Takumi would only bring something up if he deemed the person trustworthy enough to speak to. He had to be patient. Building bonds was never an easy task, but Chrom was willing to do what he could to befriend the strange amnesiac. Robin's attempts to pair them in battle was her way of trying to get them to open up to each other. He was already comfortable having the young archer as his ally. The two looked out for each other on the battlefield.

It was a start. That's all it took.

Oh my god. I tell myself I'm going to take a short break from Fire Emblem. A short break turns into a six month hiatus. I am so sorry! I haven't lost my love for this story. I just needed the time to get my muse back into the series and it finally paid off. Hopefully I can keep this story going for a while.