Chapter 10: The Mad King
Lady of Grima: Gri
Chrom had insisted that the Shepherds accompany Emmeryn to speak with Gangrel, and, after much badgering, and finally being given an ultimatum, the Exalt had agreed. The expression on the woman's face when Chrom told her quite bluntly, that either the Shepherds were coming too, or he would have me teleport her 'obstinate ass back to the Capitol' brought a wry smile to my face. Although I wasn't sure how well that would have gone. Emmeryn was not the most powerful spell caster, but she was still skilled, and would be able to resist me dragging her around via magic more than the average soldier.
"He's coming." Sumia landed with a light touch, her mount tossing his regal head. I suppressed a shiver as an image of a far younger woman riding that same peagsus was super imposed for a moment. "Maribelle's with him….as is some other woman." I frowned. Who else would be with Gangrel? To my knowledge the Plegian King's insanity had driven away all advisors.
"Noted." Chrom shot Robin a look. The woman's brow furrowed, before she nodded. I shifted, anxious for the waiting to be over. Standing around, acting as an escort to some noble was not a role I relished playing, and from the way Robin's lips were curled in vague disgust, neither did she. Then again, I thought, it was possible that the other woman was simply adjusting to the crawling feeling of Fell magic in her cloak.
I ran my finger over the fabric of my own, identical garment. The runes and wards that imbued the fabric were not especially complex, however, they were powerful. Drawing their strength from the caster, the ones suffusing Robin's cloak were every bit as powerful as my own, if constructed in a different manner.
Her potential for the craft of Fell magic was terrifying. The future, both while possessed, and after being cast aside, had shown me a great many mages who learned the craft of bending Grima's own unique brand of magic to their will, and prior to Grima, I had even encountered Divine Mages, who wielded the magic of Naga as a weapon of war, as opposed to its traditional use in healing staves. None of these warriors held a candle to Robin's potential.
My thoughts were shaken aside as, walking down the mountain side was Gangrel. The Plegian King smiled his trickster smile, eyes dancing with mirth and bloodlust. Behind him a number of paces, more than a dozen soldiers, and cloaked figures surrounded a somewhat worse for the wear Maribelle.
"My my my….what have we here?" I knew that voice instinctively. Female, attempting to be seductive. Rage flared behind my eyes, and Fell magic, which I had swirling just below the surface of my thoughts howled, demanding blood.
"Shit." I hissed, keeping my lips from moving. "Those cloaked ones are Grimeal. So is the psycho bitch." I fixed my eyes on Aversa, contemplating what horrible fate I should inflict on the Grimeal woman. In fairness, Aversa was not truly one of the Grimeal, she was merely a useful puppet of theirs, but none the less, the fact that she was working with Gangrel meant that the followers of Grima had decided that backing him was a good idea, which boded ill for the rest of the world.
"Should I change plans?" Robin muttered back, her voice tense. Chrom tensed as well, moving to stand beside his sister.
"No. Should they cause trouble, I will put an end to them." My reply was, perhaps, more self-assured than it had a right to be.
"What is this? The mighty Exalt of Ylisse?" Gangrel's mocking tone washed over us. "Complete with lapdogs?" A cackle followed those words. I said nothing. Emmeryn for her part, remained unphased by the taunts.
"King Gangrel." Her address was regal, cool headed to fault. The mad King's lips parts just a bit, revealing pristine white teeth, a few filed to slight points. "I have come to learn the truth of this unfortunate incident." Aversa spat at Emmeryn's feet.
"I can give you the truth." The dark clad woman snarled. I had the irrational urge to blast her head from her shoulders, before I clamped down on it. Aversa would get hers, I promised. However, I would respect Emmeryn's wishes for the time being.
Again, the Exalt did not flinch. Chrom, however was shaking with repressed rage. Robin had shifted her stance to a more combative one. I could see the readiness to call forth magic in her eyes. Tension began to build in the air, as the Plegian King continued to smile that manic smile
"Perhaps milady might share her name." The closest thing I had heard to an order from Emmeryn, these words held a hint of steel.
"Her name is Aversa." I cut across the Grimeal servant, seeing no reason to allow her to speak. Her tongue was an sharp as her nails, and conniving to boot. "She is the convenient go-between for the Grimeal and the Plegian throne." I fixed the woman with a glare. "Tell me Aversa, did you volunteer for such an honor, or was it foisted upon you?" I allowed some Fell magic to bleed into my eyes, an age old fear tactic, if one that had little chance of terrifying someone whose free will had been broken years ago.
"Watch your tongue, girl…" She growled. "Or someone might remove it." I smirked. That touched a nerve. Good.
"I welcome your attempt." Show no emotions, I reminded myself. I was the daughter of Validar, born to be the Avatar of their God. Remind them of that fact whenever possible. "Although I suspect the only thing being removed would be yours." The idea of even considering the use of my Father's advice was repulsive, but none the less, his words provided a good way to handle the Grimeal, regardless of my opinions.
"Thank you Gri." Emmeryn murmured. "Aversa. Is Maribelle unharmed?" Gangrel frowned as though genuinely confused by the question, before snapping his fingers.
"Ah yes, that blonde bint." A flick of the wrist, contemptuous, in direction of the men holding her, "I assure you, nothing ill has become of her…." The unspoken yet was obvious. I eyed the Grimeal surrounding Maribelle. Perhaps a dozen more lingered elsewhere, the reek of Fell magic making them easy to sense, if not pinpoint.
From behind him, Maribelle thrashed about in the arms of a brute of a man, gifted with burns and scars aplenty. "Unhanded me you gutter-born troglodyte!" I winced, suspecting the severity of her insults had been increasing since her capture. While amusing, it would not help her cause, or our attempt to negotiate her release. Unless Plegia had improved its standards of recruitment, the men wouldn't understand the word troglodyte, but would at least understand that it was a rather vile insult, and thus react as such.
True to my expectation, the man holding her wrists tightened his grip, and I saw the woman wince. The defiant fire in her eyes did not fade however.
Aversa smiled, a cruel glint of sun upon her nails. "You want your truth Exalt?" Without waiting, the woman plowed on. "This one here crossed the border into Plegia, without consent or warning. Then, what's more, she wounded the noble soldiers who tried to escort her home!" The tone of voice I suspected was supposed to incite shock, fell flat against an audience that didn't believe a word.
"Lies!" Maribelle strained against her captor, eyes flashing with rage. "You speak nothing but lies hag! Did they fail to teach you the meaning of the word truth in wretched-crone school?" I suppressed a smile. In point of fact, the concept of the truth had been tortured out of Aversa, using methods
Said woman offered a patronizing smile. "No manners at all. Such a violent animal must be caged, you know." I clamped down the urge to unleash the might of her god upon her, and laugh. The only violent animals present were Gangrel and herself. Robin seemed to be sharing my mindset. Lissa who stood a ways behind us was near tears. Chrom had his hand upon the Falchion, and a stance of undisguised aggression. Emmeryn still remained unphased.
Taking a deep breath, I reminded myself that I could not fall into the traps she was setting.
Gangrel's delighted, if twisted smile never changed. "Such a violent temper…." He paused, malicious delight in his words. "It speaks towards her guilt." He paused to inspect his nails, as though utterly bored with the situation. "This calls for a weighty punishment. Imagine if she were to…confess…to being an Ylissean spy!" He made the remark in a flippant, offhand manner. At this, Emmeryn tensed, for the first time showing that she was reading beneath the words, to the hidden threat of torture. The sickening smile upon the King's face suggestion worse that torture in Maribelle's future. "It would take a considerable act of good faith to repair out relationships were such a misfortune to occur." Chrom gave what passed for a low growl.
"Sick bastard." Robin snarled. The newly stitched runes upon her cloak where pulsing with power, the freshly energized wards throbbing in time with their mistresses feelings. My own magic swirled, writhing with my own repressed fury.
"I have done nothing wrong!" Maribelle spat. "It is you who should confess, you sadistic excuse for a King! It was your men who invaded Ylisse, razing an entire village in the process!" Scowls were directed at Gangrel, who, serene as ever, picked at something beneath one of his nails, before yawning. "When I tried to intervene, I was dragged back across the border, while they left plundered shops, and charred homes in that village." She glared at Gangrel eyes filled with righteous anger. The detached portion of me sighed in exasperation, as the knowledge that such accusations would not bother the Mad King in the least.
"That, my dear," The King replied, "Proves only that Ylisse has a more severe bandit problem that I had heard of late."
"Be assured," Aversa took over, "That we will weep many tears for your slain villagers."
"I'm sure you will." I spat. Closing my eyes, I willed my Fell magic to the surface. Careful to keep my lips from moving, I mumbled, "Grima, attend me!" The rush of power as I unlocked the font of magic was intoxicating as ever. Racing down my veins, the blackened bloodlust, fueled by anger called for an offering. Although I had my power as my disposal now, I kept it caged, held like a coiled spring.
"I believe you Maribelle." Emmeryn glared at Gangrel in frustration. "I request you unhand this woman at once, King Gangrel. Surely you and I can sort out these affairs without the need for hostages." Her tone was placating, which I knew was the wrong thing to do. The man would only respond with violence.
At once rage flared in Gangrel's eyes. "Without so much as an apology?" This time, the man was spitting in fury. "Why should I even bother with parley then Exalt? I have every right to take her head for a decoration on the dinner table, and be back in time to enjoy such a decoration this very night!"
"You black hearted bastard!" Chrom snarled, the Falchion halfway from its sheath. I opened my mouth in incant magic. Robin twisted, her palm blazing white with lightening.
For his part, Gangrel was did not flinch when faced with our ire.
"Control you dog, my dear." He scolded Emmeryn. "Before he gets someone killed." Pausing to allow the other two to sheath weapons, and release magic, Gangrel went on. "Now." I saw the conniving smirk upon his face. "Perhaps a trade. You will give me the Fire Emblem. In such a case I might….release your little bird."
"Unharmed and in one piece." Aversa added, a wicked gleam to her eyes.
Emmeryn blanched. "You would ask for Ylisse's royal treasure?" I had a sinking feeling. Aversa was here. Grimeal lined the hills. They wanted the Fire Emblem. This wasn't about Ylisse at all. This was about reviving the Fell Dragon. Mentally, I clamped down on a curse. I should have seen this coming.
"Because," Gangrel crowed, "I know the legend! The Emblem is the key to your wishes being realized. I have desired such a present for years, but alas, my birthday comes and goes, but not a parcel from Ylisse…." An ominous chuckle followed.
"The Emblem's power is meant for a single purpose King Gangrel." Now it was Emmeryn's turn to scold. "To save the world in an hour of direst need. Is there no nobler wish?"
I shifted to a combative stance. This conversation, I knew would end soon. Gangrel would tire of playing with Emmeryn, and blood would be shed. With this many Grimeal standing around, I had to be ready.
Indeed, the smile on Gangrel's face betrayed his bloodlust. "I want what every Plegian wants Exalt!" He stepped forwards, stance threatening. "A grisly end for each and every citizen of your perfect little country!" Spittle flew from his lips. "Is there a goal nobler?" I shivered as the bastard threw the Exalts words back at her.
"What?" Emmeryn seemed repulsed, even more so than normal.
"Surely, your Exaltedness, you have not forgotten what your father did to our people? He named us heathens, crusading across Plegia, bleeding and burning my subjects by the thousand!" I winced. The man had a genuine grievance with Ylisse, I knew, which made this all the worse. Ate least
"I have never denied Ylisse's past wrongdoings." Emmeryn replied, holding her head high. "Just as I have vowed to never repeat them. Our's is a land of peace, King Gangrel."
Wild fire danced in the man's eyes. "No! Yours is now a haven of hypocrisy! Now, give me the Fire Emblem!" He snarled, Maribelle screamed a denial from behind him. One of the Grimeal standing beside her slapped her in the face.
"Shut your mouth bitch." I heard him spit.
"Tick tock, your Grace!" Aversa smirked that cruel smile of hers. Fell magic boiled in my veins screaming for release, for blood.
"The negotiation is over." Gangrel announced, having reached in limits. I felt the magical signatures of the Grimeal move. "Your Lumosity, I shall have that Emblem, even if I must pry it from your cold dead hands!"
With those words, Grimeal leapt from the shadows, alongside more than four dozen soldiers, Chrom stepped protectively in front of his sister. I gave a cold smile, meeting Aversa's eyes.
"Ex Astris:" Thunder seemed to ring with my words. Aversa's eyes widening in an almost comical nature, as the power of the Fell Dragon roared to being, my restraint of my magic falling, leaving only a thundering wave of power in it's place. "GRIMA!" I snarled, feeling the rush of cold energy stream from my limbs. The Grimeal, most of whom had been in the process of calling for magic, screamed in agony, as the black energy swirled up, engulfing them.
"No!" Aversa screamed, retreating. Terror and shock flared in her eyes as the realization she was facing a Fell Mage. I stepped forwards, throwing caution to the wind. When dealing with Grimeal, I knew, the Lady of Grima would achieve the best results.
"Your God is angry, Aversa!" I snarled, my voice deepening the more Fell magic I called upon. While it would never reach the gravely baritone of Grima, I could impersonate the Fell Dragon well. "Ex Astris: Vilhume!" I threw my palm forwards. A bolt of black lightening jumped from my palm. Unlike traditional magic, the invocations for Fell magic did not have translations, as the meaning of the words had been lost to time, so I couldn't say for certain what this spell was intended to do, however, I could guess, as the bolt slammed into the earth were Aversa had once stood. The woman herself had jumped away, rolling across the hard earth. The point where just a moment before she had stood was transformed into an explosion of browns and greys as the rock and earth was shattered, and thrown about.
"Now that," Gangrel cried, "Is a declaration of war if I ever saw one!" A big messy war that will bleed you Ylisseans dry!" I spun, calling conventional thunder magic to my palm.
"Bolt!" I spat, throwing a Thoron bolt at the enemy King. He leapt back, graceful as ever, before being forced into a surprised roll as Robin unleashed her own fury upon him. I smirked, just a bit. Robin stepped forwards, joining me at Chrom's side. I would have liked to think we cut a rather terrifying figure, Robin and I with our cloaks alight with power, and snapping in a breeze of our own making, while Chrom's Falchion shone like a beacon.
The King cackled, running off as the rest of the Shepherds came running up close, weapons in hand.
"Captain!" Sumia dropped down beside us. "Are you alright!" Chrom nodded, giving Sumia a grim smile.
"Just fine." He offered Robin and I nods. "Thanks to these two." It was at that moment that I noticed the bandit dead at Chrom's left. A hole had been burned clean through the man. I winced. That kind of magic took some serious oomph to pull off. Although spells inflicted serious wounds, the idea of blasting a hole cleanly through a torso was more farfetched than most liked to think. Even I could only pull off such a feat occasionally. A combination of the human body naturally resisting magical assault, and wards meant that such feats tended to be impossible.
"Sumia, in the air! Kellam, Chrom, take the center. Sully and Stahl, defend our flanks." Robin barked. "Gri, I need you to rescue Maribelle and…is that Ricken?" I flicked a glance up the plateau, where Maribelle had been dragged. I knew what Robin wanted. Me to teleport up, and bring them back.
"I won't be able to bring them back with me." I warned. "You'll have to fight your way up to us." Robin waved a hand, and I could see her mind already working the possibilities.
"That is the plan already." She snapped. I nodded, feeling satisfied that the woman had a functional plan. Robin's tactical mind was sound, and as long as she had a plan, I was of no doubt there would be success.
I stepped forwards, willing myself to another place. It was funny, I thought. Combat magic was regarded as some of the most draining, so much so that they required tomes to be created as foci. Even powerful mages such as myself, Emmeryn, or even Robin, needed the tomes to prevent the power drawn by combat magic from becoming exhausting. Teleportation however, was not able to be focused using a tome, at least, not when you were teleporting yourself.
Divine mages, had long ago learned how to bind the same spell into staves that drug others about, but never the caster. I knew staves that allowed other's to teleport tended to break quite swiftly, as channeling the requisite magical energy put an enormous strain on the runic arrays that staves relied on.
I moved myself only a few short meters with my burst of magic, however, the drain on my reserves was painful. Locking my knees to prevent myself from staggering, I faced a group of Plegian soldiers bearing down on Ricken and Maribelle.
"Whoa!" It was most definitely Ricken, I absently noted. His voice, even in the future had been distinctive. I flicked my wrist, mumbling a quick invocation. A bolt of thunder magic snapped from my left hand, piercing the skull of the foremost soldier, a myrmidon, who only had time for a surprised squawk before his death. The sounds of fighting began to rise from the slopes below, accompanied by the howls of magic from Robin and Miriel.
"She killed the Captain!" One of the soldiers snarled, raising his axe. I arched an eyebrow, almost amused. Did I care what his rank was? Without waiting for my response, or displaying any sort of fear, the men charged. I drew my sword, letting magic flow though my veins.
"May death have mercy on your souls." I spat, leaping to attack. A flash of razor sharp wind past my ears indicated Ricken's contribution to the battle. The first soldier, who had shouted a moment ago met a swift and grizzly end, between the biting winds, and my sword.
I allowed myself to become submerged in the ebb and flow of combat, relying on Ricken's good aim to avoid being sliced to ribbons. I knew my cloaks' runes would be perfectly capable of taking the damage, but I didn't' want to expend more Fell magic than I had too.
"My goodness!" Maribelle exclaimed, as I finished a complex spinning maneuver that, in a one on one fight, I would never have considered a viable tactic, however, in a massive brawl such as this one, it worked well enough to decapitate the surrounding men. Ricken's magic continued to snap and crack about me, sending my cloak whipping about.
I was first cognizant of pain at that point. The cuts, impossibly, were underneath the plates of my armor, leading me to believe that it was some variety of wind magic I didn't know.
"That was awesome!" Ricken bounced excitedly on the balls of his feet. Sweat dripped from his brow, and his arms were shaking, but his eyes gleamed with the boundless energy of youth.
"I would have suggested uncouth." Maribelle's voice shook only a small amount, which I supposed was a character statement. The prissy noblewoman was made of sterner stuff than I had thought. Then again, she had… I shut that thought down hard. "None the less, thank you."
"Er…miss?" Ricken gulped, gesturing over my shoulder. I glanced back, wincing. More than forty Plegian soldiers advanced, picking their way through the field of corpses Ricken's spells and my sword had left. "I can't cast too many more spells." The young man admitted, his face paling, a feat, considering magical overuse had already paled him a considerable degree.
"Shit." I closed my eyes. Between a high powered pair of Fell magic castings, and teleportation, I was pushing the limits of my own endurance, or at least, the limits of my control. More than ten minutes of hard combat had drained me further. Holding my sword was becoming more of a chore by the minute. I was a prodigious warrior, but even I had my limits.
The soft sound of wings was the only indication of danger, before a man atop of battle scared wyvern dove towards Maribelle. The noblewoman gave a shriek of terror. My hand snapped up, my lips forming a spell. Ricken was halfway through turning, but I already knew that neither of us would get magic off in time.
"Arcthunder!" Robin's voice rang, her surety lending force to the white lance of energy that jumped from outside my vision, to strike the drake. Despite the seeming impossibility of the feat, the impact hurled the airborne lizard back, unseated the rider. I spun, feeling a bit of relief as Robin and the rest of the Shepherds crested the hill. The advancing soldiers drew up short at the new arrivals.
"Ex Astris: Grima!" I pulled a small amount more Fell magic, as much as I dared. The dark roar in my ears suggested I had been too generous in my estimate.
The soldier's shadows rose up, shallowing them, screams and all. Using the distraction I had provided most deliberately, the Shepherds charged, blades flashing. I caught site of Sumia diving out of the air to skewer an archer, while Robin was in the center of the battle, sword and magic ablaze.
As I watched the other woman fight, I was struck by just how similar to me she was. The sword stance we both used was less refined than my own, perhaps, but she fought exactly as I did. Low starting stance, relying more on speed and unpredictability than pure power, left hand held forwards for easy casting of magic.
I followed the Shepherds, continuing my musings on the similarities between Robin and I, which, I realized, were more than a shared fighting style. That, I would have dismissed as coincidence. The physical similarities were abundant as well. Facial structure, hair color, eye color, and the list went on. Hell, I was the exact same height and build as she was. Even mannerisms were the same. I never considered myself a brilliant tactical mind, but I supposed that, when I thought about it, I wouldn't have made difference choices from Robin, except in cases where my centuries of knowledge would have been helpful.
Swearing under my breath, I snapped off a pair of spells, dropping some archers from a higher plateau. I had never expected to so readily encounter my past self when I had ascended to that shattered temple on Mt. Prism. In truth, I never expected to find my past self at all.
The question now was how to handle this situation. If I hadn't come up with a solution over several hundred years, Robin was unlikely to have one either.