Hey there. I'm back! It's that time again for a new chapter. This chapter will be a bit longer than most since it will include the attack on Renvall as well as the fight in the castle. I don't own Fire Emblem.

Chapter 7: Waterside Renvall

Rumors say that Ephraim has been defeated and taken prisoner. Now Eirika must find a way to rescue her brother from beneath enemy eyes. Eirika's company rushes toward Castle Renvall, where Ephraim is being held. Surrounded by lakes, Renvall is a natural fortress, all but unassailable. A lone bridge, held by the enemy, is its only entrance. Eirika has only one choice. Eirika decides to confront Grado's soldiers head on…

The night before the attack on Renvall, Eirika and Kouga were taking a walk, simply enjoying each other's company and talking.

"Eirika, tommorrow is the day you will be reunited with your brother."

"I know. While I can't wait for that moment, I'm also nervous that something might go wrong."

"Don't worry. I'll make sure that nothing goes wrong. I'll reunite you with your brother if it's the last thing that I do."

Eirika looked up at Kouga and said, "Thank you but I don't want to lose you either, so stay safe."

"Right."

Just as Eirika was about to thank him, things went horribly wrong for her. What happened next would forever haunt her dreams and give her nightmares non stop. She was opening her mouth to speak when suddenly, she let out a loud burp. Horrified, she covered her mouth and saw Kouga laughing a little.

"Don't laugh Kouga! It's not funny!"

"Sorry…It's just not something you expect the Princess of Renais to do."

Eirika blushed but then said, "You must not tell anyone of this! It will be so embarrasing."

Kouga, after calming down, said, "All right, all right. I promise not to tell anyone."

Eirika smiled and then the two headed back to camp.

The following day, Eirika, Seth and Kouga were getting ready for the attack on Renvall and were currently discussing what was going on.

Earlier that day, Seth had learned that Eirika had shared the secret of the bracelet with Kouga. While at first mad at Kouga, both him and Eirika assured him that they would keep the secret. After a while, Seth was able to calm down.

At the moment, Eirika was saying, "My brother is somewhere inside that castle…"

Kouga then said, "Renvall is surrounded by lakes. The only entrance is the bridge to the main gate, and it's well guarded. Castle Renvall is a natural stronghold, easy to defend and difficult to assault. We must plan our attack carefully."

Seth replied by simply saying, "I agree…"

The three were interrupted when Franz came rushing up to them. "Princess Eirika! Kouga! Please allow me to fight beside you. My elder brother, Forde, is in there with Prince Ephraim, Sir Kyle, Sir Orson…Let me help you set them free!"

Suddenly, everyone began to speak up. Gilliam spoke up by saying, "There is nothing to discuss. We will fight."

Moulder then said, "The hour of your reunion is not far off now."

Vanessa then said, "I am yours to command, Your Highness, Kouga."

Ross then said, "We're with you all the way! Right, Dad?"

Garcia then said, "Don't work yourself into a lather, Ross. In the heat of battle, a good warrior remains calm where lesser men do not."

Colm then said, "You need anything stolen, I'm your man. 'Course, my blade's no joke either."

Neimi then said, "I'm sure I can help if you'll let me…I'll keep myself safe."

Lute continued by saying, "You can't possibly consider fighting without my genius at your side!"

Artur said, "I have yet to repay you for helping me fight those abominations. Please, let me stand by your side a while longer."

Joshua said, "This has trouble written all over it. Bet you it's all a trap…Ah, well…My luck's gotta turn around sometime, right?"

Natasha said, "May the sacred light surround us and protect us all."

Seth then said, "Well, Princess, let us prepare for battle."

"…Brother, I'm on my way. Let's go!"

Kouga looked at the battle field and said, "All right! Listen up! Most of their forces are concentrated along the path towards the castle. There is an unmanned ballistae north of us. I want Neimi to head over there and attempt to use it. It's simply a bigger version of a bow, so it should be easy to use. Garcia and Ross, accompany her and protect her. Once you use all of the bolts, rush back and join us in front. Everyone else, stay close together. Healers stay towards the back. Mages stay in the middle and fire from afar. Everyone else, protect each other's backs and fight off anyone in the way. Move out!"

The fighting began swiftly and because of the surprise attack, the Grado forces were caught off guard. The leader of the forces outside,a man with orange armor and short dirty blonde hair by the name of Murray, said, "We're under attack! Rouse yourselves! General Valter's adjutant, Lord Tirado, has charged us with defending the castle! Show them the might of Murray's Brigade! Don't let anyone near the castle!"

The battle was going well for Eirika and her group. Halfway through the battle, Kouga had Vanessa fly ahead and take out the ballistae that they had encountered before it could get any shots in. Slowly, the Grado forces were being decimated. After only three hours of fighting, all that was left was Murray, the leader of the defense forces. "Our ballistae have failed? How could this be? Grrr… I guess it's up to me!"

Eirika and Kouga charged at Murray themselves. Eirika faked a strike towards him, and Murray moved back to avoid the attack, only to see that the attack was a fake. Instead, he found himself with a cut across his back, curtesy of Kouga. Murray turned to try and strike Kouga, but then Eirika charged and pierced Murray's armor with her rapier. Murray fell to the ground and said, "Lord Tirado…" before falling dead.

Once they brought down the gate, Kouga had everyone enter the castle, feeling that something was definitely going to happen in the castle. Once inside, Eirika said, "My brother is somewhere in this castle…Seth, we must go inside!"

Before she could move, both Seth and Kouga saw a figure in the shadow and took positions in front of her. Seth spoke up first and said, "Hold, Lady Eirika. Look, in the shadows—a figure…"

"An! An enemy soldier!"

To their surpise, Orson came running towards them. Once he saw them, he called out, "Princess Eirika. And…is that you, Seth?"

"Sir Orson…Why are you here? You should be with Prince Ephraim."

Kouga, meanwhie, was thinking about this knight and his actions. He had a suspicion that this man, apparently called Orson, was up to no good.

Eirika walked in front of Seth and said, "Are you all right, Orson? If you're here, my brother must be here as well, right?"

"Yes…" It was at that moment that Orson noticed Kouga and said, "Who might you be?"

Kouga stayed quiet for a second and then said, "My name is Kouga. I am a tactician under the service of Princess Eirika."

"Very well. Anyway, as I was saying, Prince Ephraim and I were both captured by Grado forces and held here as prisoners. I just managed to escape my cell… A chance to escape—It's what I had prayed for…"

Eirika, being her kind self, said, "Orson…are you well? Your face is so pale. Grado's men, don't tell me they've—"

"No…It's nothing. But Lord Ephraim…I cannot say whether he's still unharmed."

Kouga kept listening to Orson and the more he listened, the more convinced he was that Orson was lying. Sharing a look with Seth,he was that Seth was also skeptical about Orson. Come on Orson, give me the evidence to prove that you're lying.

Meanwhile, because of what Orson said, Eirika said, "What!? Where is he? Where is my brother?"

"If he lives still, he will be in one of the deeper cells, where I was held. Head down this corrider to the dungeons. Quickly, before reinforcements arrive."

"Thank you…"

Both Seth and Kouga shared a look and silently agreed to keep an ear and eye out for anything that Orson might say or do that would confirm their suspicions.

Chapter 8: It's a trap!

Orson was currently leading Eirika, Seth, and Kouga further into the castle. "This way, Princess Eirika. Prince Ephraim is being kept in a cell back here."

"Very well, let's go."

Seth then shared a look at Kouga and had an idea. He walked up and said, "…Sir Orson. How long ago were you taken prisoner?"

"Some two weeks past. Prince Ephraim and I were forced to surrender. We've been held captive here in this dungeon since that black day."

"Did you gain any news from your captors during that time?"

"Unfortunately, no. Not a word… Our daily meal was brought to us by servants from the neighboring village. They were instructed not to speak to us, and we heard nothing of the war. Tell me, Seth. How fares Renais?"

"…Renais has fallen. King Fado…The king is dead."

"Dead…My king… My apologies, Princess Eirika. I have served you poorly."

"You're not to blame, Sir Orson. We must look to the future, not find fault in the past. The Grado army pursues me in hopes of acquiring my bracelet. My brother wears this bracelet's twin, and he is in danger, too."

"Bracelet? Ah, I remember… Prince Ephraim still wears the bracelet. And Grado is after them? If that's the case, Princess…"

Kouga, at this moment, thought, Here it is, the moment to see your true colors, Orson.

"Perhaps you should entrust the bracelets to someone else."

Eirika was surprised by the suggestion and began to caress her bracelet before saying, "Perhaps, but…"

"Give them to me or to Seth. Let someone you trust guard them. If the empire desires your bracelet, you are in danger as long as you hold it. For your own safety, Your Highness, please. What say you?"

"I don't know…I guess it's a good idea. I could give it to Kouga to keep…"

"Ah yes, the Prince of Tactics would also be a valid candidate to safeguard the bracelet. As long as it is kept safe. We must not allow the Sacred Stone of Renais to be taken."

"Everything you say is true and sensible, yet…"

Kouga and Seth nodded to each other and then stepped up. While Seth simply placed his hand on his sword, Kouga unsheathed his sword. Seth spoke up first and said, "…Sir Orson. I am sorry for this, but please give me your weapons."

Eirika looked confused and said, "Seth? Kouga?"

"What are you talkin about, Seth? Can't you see I'm unarmed? Do you think they allow prisoners weapons? What kind of injury have you taken that you suggest such foolishness?"

Kouga then spoke up by saying, "If we are mistaken, then we will give you all due apologies. However, there are many questions that I have that I cannot answer. Too many questions. Why did no enemy reinforcements come from the castle during our battle outside? That battle was far too easy."

"How should I know? I also would think that the Prince of Tactics would be able to win a fight easily."

"That brings up another point. I simply introduced myself as Kouga, a simple tactician, not as the Prince of Tactics. Also, why would you escape your cell and yet leave Prince Ephraim in chains? Most importantly, how do you know of the tie between the bracelets and the Sacred Stone? That is a secret only Seth, Eirika, and I should be aware of."

"Kouga, Seth, there is some misunderstanding here. I…"

Seth then said, "And why… Why do you conceal a blade within your doublet?"

Kouga inspected a little closer and he saw the blade Seth was talking about, "Good observation, Seth. I missed that."

Eirika, shocked by the things that were being said, said, "…What?"

"…Very well. It seems it is impossible to trick the Prince of Tactics. You also haven't changed a bit, Seth. If only Eirika had been alone. You two, however, simply will not be deceived."

Eirika, shocked once again, shouted, "Orson! What is the—"

Seth interrupted by saying, "Orson. Why did you betray Renais?"

"My fondest wish will be granted… To spend the rest of my days in the embrace of my loving wife once more…"

Eirika then said, "What are you saying?"

Before anything else could happen, Tirado walked up with two escorts and said, "That's enough. You've done well, Orson. I'll take over now. You may return to your beloved wife."

With that, Orson walked off and left the castle. Back with Tirado and the group, Seth said, "Who are you?"

"We've never met. I am Tirado. Loyal and talented aide to Valter, general of the Grado army."

"You're that monster's—"

"And you are General Seth of Renais, yes? As well as Kouga, the Prince of Tactics are here. I thought to catch a little bird in my net, and it seems instead I've snared a hawk and a legend."

Eirika ignored him and said, "Where is my brother?!"

"Ah, yes. Your brother. He's not here. The coward fled Lord Valter's pursuit…Somehow, he escaped the castle. And escaping under these conditions…Tch! Such stubbornness is quite annoying. It was my cunning that led us to turn this unfortunate blunder to our advantage. I spread the rumors myself. I led the villagers to believe he was our prisoner. What better trap with which to catch his sweet, devoted sister?"

"My brother escaped?"

"Yes, but your no-doubt emotional reunion will have to wait until the afterlife. Let's end this, shall we? First, to destroy the bridge and cut off your only avenue of escape…"

Kouga decided to enter the discussion by saying, "You seem to have missed two big flaws in your plans."

"What are you talking about?"

"First, you spreading those rumors also meant that Ephraim would be able to hear of them. That means that he would be able to figure out that Eirika would head to save him, and that would lead him to head back here to assist us. Secondly, it was obvious this was a trap. Why do you think I brought in all of our troops inside the castle, rather than simply bring a small force?"

Everyone stood gaping at his knowledge but then Tirado broke it by screaming, "All soldiers to arms! Kill the princess! Take her bracelet! Bring me the Prince of Tactics! I will kill him myself!"

Once Tirado left and more and more troops began to come out, Seth said, "Princess Eirika, we have to get away from this place!"

"But how? The bridge is gone!"

"Blast!"

"Oh, Brother…I'm so sorry. I…"

Kouga then said, "We fight our way out. We might not be able to escape through the bridge but we can deal with Tirado and escape another way. We have all of our forces in the castle. Let's do this!"

Both Seth and Eirika nodded and listened as Kouga gave his battle plan. Because of the close quarters, everyone would stick together and advance as one. The plan was going well and soon, the enemies in plain sight were taken care of. Colm immediately then set off to open the door that was locked and led to the chambers where Tirado and the rest of the troops were. While Colm was working on the door, Garcia noticed more fighting going on in another part of the castle.

"Kouga! I can hear battling coming from a part of the castle near here."

"As I thought. That might be Ephraim. Seth! You, Eirika, Franz and I will check things out. Everyone else, stick to the original plan and wait for us to regroup before facing Tirado!"

In another part of the castle, Ephraim, Forde, and Kyle rode back to castle after hearing the rumors of Eirika heading to Renvall to rescue him. "Eirika!"

Kyle then said, "Prince Ephraim, I hear sounds from the east corridor. Sounds like fighting."

Forde then said, "Do you think it could be General Seth and Princess Eirika?"

Ephraim replied by saying, "We have two goals here, men: save Eirika and vanquish the enemy. Kyle. Forde. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"As Always."

As they were fighting, Kyle said, "Lord Ephraim, we should join forces with Princess Eirika first. We should be able to reach them by way of the eastern corridor."

"Come now, Kyle. That seems like a lot of trouble when we could just crush Grado between us."

" 'A lot of trouble'? Forde, you're as insolent as you are careless! If anything were to happen to Princess Eirika, we Knights of Renais would…"

"Fine, fine. I see where you stand. Calm down, before you boil over. Prince Ephraim will decide. How shall we proceed, Your Highness?"

"We await your command, Prince Ephraim."

"Both of you, follow me!"

Back with Eirika and Kouga, they, along with Seth and Franz were heading towards where they heard the fighting. After a few minutes, they saw three men fighting. After taking care of the enemies near them, Franz confronted Forde. "Brother!"

"Ha! Franz! How've you been?"

"I should ask you! We'd heard you were captured by Grado's men. I was worried."

"Worried? I ride with Prince Ephraim, little brother. Death will have a tough time catching anyone who rides with our prince! But it's not like we've avoided trouble altogether, that's for sure. Hm? Say, have you grown taller on me?"

"I have. I've also finished my training. I'm now a sworn Knight of Renais. You just watch—I'm going to be on par with General Seth one day!"

"You want to be like the general, eh? ...What about me?"

"Oh, I… I still want to be like you, too, Brother!"

At the same time, Seth confronted Ephraim. "Prince Ephraim."

"General Seth! You're safe!"

"Princess Eirika is safe as well. I'm afraid I have much news to relate to you. That will have to wait, though. For now, we must cut our way out of here."

"Yes. Let's conclude our business here before we talk of other matters. Come on!"

"Yes, sire!"

As soon as Seth rode off to confront Kyle, Ephraim went to confront Eirika.

"Eirika, are you well?"

Eirika turned and saw Ephraim. She looked shocked at first but then rushed to Ephraim and hugged him tightly. "Brother!? Is it really—You're alive! You're alive!"

"Well, of course I am. After we escaped Renvall, I thought I'd strike a blow against the emperor himself. When I heard that you'd been waylaid by the enemy, however, I turned back to find you. Looks like my timing was impeccable."

"I'm so sorry. The irony is that I was trying to rescue you. All I did was interfere with your plans…"

"What are you talking about? You came to help me, didn't you? Your efforts alone are enough to inspire me. Come on, Eirika! The enemy awaits!"

"All right!"

As Ephraim was about to run off, he noticed Kouga. "Who might you be?"

Before Kouga could introduce himself, Eirika giggled and said, "This would be Kouga, also known as the Prince of Tactics. He is my tactician, but he is also fearless with a blade."

Ephraim looked shocked but then held his hand out to Kouga and said, "It is an honor to meet you Kouga. I am a big fan of your work. I've spent a lot of time studying your tactics to learn more about how to be a successful leader. I've always wanted to speak with you."

Kouga accepted the handshake and said, "It is an honor to meet you Prince Ephraim. We can talk more later. How about for now, you and I show these Grado troops how to fight?"

"Right! Let's go!"

At the same time that this talk was happening, Kyle confronted Seth. "General Seth!"

"Well met, Kyle. I never thought for a moment that you could be bested easily."

"No, sir! And I never doubted that I would see you again."

"Kyle. About Orson…"

"We heard it all. Unbelievable, isn't it? But facts are facts."

"Yes. If Orson can turn his back on Renais… We remaining knights will have to work all the harder to prove ourselves! Let's go, Kyle."

"Yes, sir!"

The fighting continued for a while before all that was left was Tirado. Both Ephraim and Eirika were standing in front of him and were ready to confront him. After nodding to each other, Ephraim and Eirika charged at Tirado.

"Hmm…My men were unable to finish the job, were they? If falls on me to show you my own special brand of power."

Tirado sent his lance toward Ephraim, who ducked underneath it and then attempted to strike Tirado himself, only to find his lance unable to penetrable his armor. Ephraim cursed to himself and jumped back, in time to see Eirika attempt to strike Tirado, only for the same thing to happen.

"Ha ha ha! How do you like my perfect defense? None of your puny attacks will hit me. You are far too weak!"

Unknown to him, Ephraim and Eirika smirked and then saw Kouga behind Tirado. Before Tirado could react, Kouga pierced his armor with his sword and said, "They are not weak, they only have no experience against an opponent with such defense. I, however, have faced plenty of more skilled armor generals than you."

Tirado gave a weak cry and then said, "Very…impressive…However…I expect you'll wish you'd died here on my steel. Lord Valter is…not nearly as merciful as I…"

Kouga simply replied by saying, "When the time comes, we'll defeat Valter as well." He then pulled out his sword and Tirado fell to the ground dead.

Ephraim walked up to Kouga and said, "Well done. I see the rumors of you being a legend with the sword were not false."

"I'm no swordmaster but I do have some skill with the blade. I spent a lot of time training my blade back in Elibe."

After clearing the castle of any other enemies, Eirika, Seth, Ephraim, and Kouga met to talk. "Brother…"

"I worried you, didn't I, Eirika? And you as well, General?"

Seth responded by saying, "Not at all. We're happy you're safe. But tell me, Prince, do you know of Orson's treachery against you and all of Renais?"

"Yes, though I learned of it all too late, after we'd been trapped at Renvall. I still find it difficult to believe that after all his years of service to Renais… I am morally responsible for his plight."

"Ephraim…"

Suddenly, a small girl with indigo hair tied into two small ponytails walked up and tugged at Ephraim's cape. "…Ephraim."

Ephraim turned and said, "What is it, Myrrh?"

"Something's coming...It's drawing near. Dark…big…and great in number."

"I understand. It looks like we should get out of here."

Eirika looked at the girl and then turned to Ephraim and said, "Um, Brother? This girl...Her hair is indigo…Where did…"

"Ah, that's a long story. For now, we must move. Suffice to say Emperor Vigarde has enlisted some…otherwordly powers. We must warn everyone of the danger."

On the way back to Frelia, Ephraim and Eirika were walking together. Eirika was being unusually quiet, so Ephraim said, "What is it, Eirika?"

"I was thinking about Lyon. The last time we saw him was a year and a half ago…"

"You're right. It was at Grado Keep…Has it really been a year and a half?"

Flashback

Eirika was looking for both Ephraim and Lyon but so far had no luck. "Ephraim! Lyon! Where are you two?"

She then heard Lyon's voice from nearby yell out, "We're over here, 'd better be quick. Ephraim says he's tired of waiting."

"Oh, please. I'm sure you could wait a few moments longer…"

She walked over to where Lyon and Ephraim were and was greeted by Ephraim saying, "You're late. How does it take you so long to prepare for such a simple trip?"

Lyon spoke up by saying, "Rest easy, Ephraim. There's no need to be so curt with your own sister. After all, a king must learn to treat women with honor and 's what Father MacGregor says."

"Thank you, Lyon. You, unlike my dear brother, are a true gentleman. I was up far too late thinking about my prayer to the temple flame last night. And I'm afraid I…I overslept…"

"Your prayer? What are you babbling about?"

"Come now, you know that flame has been burning since the time of darness must know the story that the flame will answer the prayers of any pilgrim!"

"Really? I didn't know that…"

"Oh, Ephraim…Father MacGregor is going to scold you for neglecting your studies so."

"…Don't even joke about that. So tell us, what have you decided to pray for, Eirika?"

"I, uh…It's a secret."

"I should've known. You're so boring."

"Well, how about you, Ephraim?"

"Me? Let's see…I guess I'll pray to become a stronger fighter, like the famous tactician from Elibe."

"That's just like you, Ephraim."

"Just like you indeed, Brother."

"…I can never tell if you're complimenting me or mocking me."

"Praising you, of course! Right, Eirika?"

"Hee hee…Yes, that's right."

"And you, Lyon? What will you pray for?"

"What? Me? Hm…I suppose all I really want is for all our people to be happy."

"…That's very, uh…That's very much like you."

"Very much so, Lyon."

"…Now, I'm the one who cannot tell if he's being praised or…"

"You're being praised, as always, Lyon."

"Tell me, why the sudden decision to visit the temple? Did my brother do something again?"

"Now listen, you…"

"Oh no. It's not what Ephraim's done. It's what he hasn't done. He's learned nothing at all about the Sacred Stones and the temple flame, so…"

"Father MacGregor became angry. He said, 'One destined to become king and rule over a nation…must know the history of his kingdom and must respect the Sacred Stones.' Ever since I came to Grado, my life has been chastisement and castigation. Father MacGregor does not think me to be altogether too…kingly."

"And yet General Duessel has nothing but praise for you, Ephraim. He says you're brave and true, that you've the makings of a great king."

"A great king? I honestly have no idea what that means. Eirika should succeed the throne. I would be happy simply taking my lance and traveling the land as a mercenary."

"Ephraim, that is nothing but foolish, irresponsible remanticism! Do you realize how much your words would fill Father's heart with grief?"

"Are we speaking of the same man? Our father will likely outlive us all. For now, I'm content just learning the lance from General Duessel. What about you, Lyon? Is there anything you want to do?"

"Me? Well, I… I suppose I want to become like my father."

"You were born to be the Emperor of Grado, Lyon. It suits you."

"No, I don't think so. I'm not—One thing I do know from watching my father is that being emperor is hard. Every day, he answers the complaints of the people, and he almost never sleeps…My father is always so very tired. I hope one day that… I hope that I can help him."

"Lyon…You are so honorable. You should learn from him, Brother."

"…Again with your criticism! Tell me, Eirika. What say you to dressing like me and becoming king in my stead? You're so skinny, I doubt anyone would notice you're not really a man."

"Ha ha ha…"

"Ephraim!"

Flashback ended

"What do you suppose Lyon is doing now? When Emperor Vigarde ordered the invasion…How do you think Lyon felt?"

"He's always been so gentle, but he worships his father. He'd never question him. But the emperor…He's clearly not behaving rationally. I just hope he's not so far gone that he'd hurt his own flesh and blood."

"I just pray for the day when the three of us can be together once again."

"It'll come. I've no doubt…"

The two talked for a bit and Eirika found herself talking more and more about Kouga to Ephraim. At some point, she forgot what she was saying and before she could stop herself, she began to tell him of the burping incident with Kouga the day before. "I was walking and talking with Kouga when I suddenly let out a loud burp. I was so mortified…"

Ephraim, instead of comforting Eirika, began to laugh and said, "Oh Eirika! That is priceless. The Princess of Renais, burping."

He kept laughing and Eirika's embarrassment went through the roof. "Stop laughing! It's not funny! You have to promise not to tell anyone!"

After a while, Ephraim calmed down and said, "All right, all right. I promise. Let's get going then, Burp Princess."

"Ephraim!"

After a long march, the group reached the castle. Once they entered, they were met with Tana rushing towards them. "Eirika! Ephraim! Kouga! Welcome! All of you returning together, it's like a dream come true. You must know, I've prayed every day for your safe return."

Eirika replied by saying, "I'm so happy to see you, Tana."

Ephraim simply said, "I'm sorry, Tana. I didn't want you to worry."

"Oh, it doesn't matter now…All that really matters is that we've been brought together again. My own brother will soon return from the field. It will be nice to sit down and discuss things again."

A soldier then walked in and said, "Princess Tana! Prince Innes has returned from the front!"

The soldier walked off and Innes walked in. "Welcome home, dear brother! I'm so happy to see you return safe and sound!"

"You didn't expect less, did you? Do you think Grado's slugs could touch me? With my bow, I'll take down every Grado soldier from here to the emperor's palace!"

Ephraim walked up to Innes and said, "Well met, Innes."

"…Ephraim."

Eirika then walked up and said, "It's good to see you, Prince Innes."

"…They say Renais has fallen. I believe I warned you before. This happened because you provided Grado the opportunity to strike."

"Brother! Mind your tongue! This is no occasion for such harsh words. Ephraim and Eirika have lost their father to this terrible war…"

"…I'm sorry to hear of your father's death. Hear me, Ephraim. Our most important task is to defeat Grado and end this war."

"Oh, Innes…"

As Innes was about to walk out, he noticed Kouga and said, "Who is this?"

Kouga walked up to Innes and stretched his hand out and said, "My name is Kouga, otherwise known as the Prince of Tactics."

Innes's face went from uninterested to shocked to amazed in a couple of seconds. He took Kouga's hand and said, "It is an honor to meet you. I've heard a many tales about you. If I were not in a hurry, we would talk more, but be assured, we will talk more."

"I look forward to it." With that, Innes walked out.

Tana then turned to the twins and said, "I'm sorry, Eirika, Ephraim."

"It's all right. It's comforting to see that, in all of this, at least he hasn't changed. Innes has hated me for as long as I can remember."

"My brother looks upon you as a rival, Ephraim, just like he sees Kouga here as a role model."

Kouga turned away embarrassed, which caused everyone to laugh at him for a moment.

Tana then continued, "And as you know, he wants to be the best at everything. The best, king, the best general, the best fighter, the best man…He won't allow himself to be beaten at anything…"

From the doorway, Innes called out, "Tana, you talk too much." He turned to the twins before saying, "…My father would like both of you to sit with him in a war council, as well as Kouga. Will you come with me to take part in your official audience?"

"Yes, of course. There's much that I have to tell him. It will be our honor to attend."

"This way."

The group walked to the war council and were met with King Hayden waiting for them. "It does my heart good to see you all here safely within our castle walls…Would that we had more time for pleasantries, but…let us hear your news."

Innes walked forward and said, "Very well, I will begin. I've directed the body of Frelia's army south to engage Grado directly. Our troops are proving themselves superior, and the battle progresses favorably."

"Hmm…But the riddle still needs answering. Why did Grado begin this war in the first place?"

Eirika then walked forward and said, "Your Majesty, we may well have found something relating to that…We learned something on our travels, news that weights heavily upon us."

"Ah, yes. Our messenger delivered your report to us a few days ago. Grado is trying to destroy the Sacred Stones…Is that it?"

"Yes."

"We've strengthened the tower's defenses. Frelia's stone is safe for the time being. But we remain confused in this. What does Grado hope to gain by destroying the Sacred Stones?"

"We don't know. The legends say the stones protect us all from the power of darkness."

Ephraim walked forwayd and said, "…I can't say if it relates, but I have a story about Grado. It's…been troubling me, and I would like to share it with you all. Myrrh. Come here, please."

"Yes?"

King Hayden saw the little girl and said, "Who's this girl?"

Suddenly, Myrrh revealed wings on her back. Eirika looked shocked and said, "On her back…Wings? Ephraim, who is she?"

"This is Myrrh. I met her while fighting in Grado territory. Myrrh, would you please tell everyone here the story you told me?"

Myrrh looked down for a moment before she turned to Ephraim and said, "…Please, Ephraim, you tell them."

Ephraim sighed and said, "She's a bit shy. Very well. Myrrh tells me that she belongs to an ancient race of dragon folk. They're mentioned in a few legends. They're called the tribe of Manakete."

"Manakete?"

Kouga looked at Myrrh and said, "I don't think Manaketes are anything like the dragon I faced back in Elibe."

King Hayden then said, "Yes, their name appears several times in the tale of the Sacred Stones. It says they were neither human nor demon but a separate, aloof race."

Ephraim turned to Myrrh and said, "Please, Myrrh."

"…We live in the east…in Darkling Woods. One day…"

"Yes?"

"We felt something. An ominous energy to the south."

Ephraim then added, "From the direction of Grado. They felt a…force flowing out of the Grado Empire."

"Saleh and I…We went to investigate this energy. But on our way, we came across a battle and were drawn into the conflict…"

"Myrrh got lost and was wandering aimlessly in an isolated region near Grado's border."

"I met some wicked folk there. They deceived me and enchained me. They stole my dragonstone. They were preparing me for transport. It was in that moment when Ephraim appeared and rescued me."

"I stumbled across Myrrh by chance when Grado's men had ambushed us. Everything she told me seemed beyond belief, and yet… And yet, when I saw her wings, what could I do but believe?"

"This dark wave of energy still flows from the southlands. Its current is strong and runs deep. It has awakened the evil ones. I want to stop it."

King Hayden sat back down and thought of everything that they found out. Suddenly, a soldier rushed inside and said, "Your Majesty! I bring word!"

"What is so urgent you would interrupt a private council?"

"The tower holding the Sacred Stone of Frelia…It's been destroyed by the Grado army!"

"What? That's impossible! What of the soldiers on watch? There were supposed to be many…"

"The enemy forces…They were led by Caellach the Tiger Eye and Selena Fluorspar! Our soldiers fell before even half a day had past!"

Seth approached and said, "Selena Fluorspar…Only General Duessel is higher in Emperor Vigarde's esteem…She's the one."

"She came personally…So they really do wish to see the Sacred Stones destroyed. Blast…"

In the tower holding the Frelian Sacred Stone

Caellach and Selena easily overpowered the guards in the tower and made their way to the Sacred Stone.

"Hah! So this hunk of rock is a Sacred Stone, eh? So much fuss over something as fragile as this. Watch. It crumbles so easily. Do we gain anything by this? Not that I care, but…"

A wounded Frelian soldier looked up at Caellach and said, "Black-hearted…fool…What have…you…done? Without the stone's…protection…the horrors…will spread…"

"Huh? What's this? Still breathing, are you? Come. If you've any last words, I'll hear them, fool of Frelia."

"You…monster…"

"You waste your last words on insults? And feeble ones, at that…Hardly the right note to enter the eternal on, wouldn't you say? Well then, die." With that, Caellach stabbed the soldier, thus ending the soldier's life.

Selena, who was simply watching, walked up to Caellach and said, "Hold! What are you doing, Caellach?! Our job was to destroy the Sacred Stone."

"I know that. And I crushed it, did I not? But if we don't clean up these Frelian curs, they might—"

"You do not raise you blade to anyone who is powerless to resist you! The emperor does not desire us to kill without cause! That would be murder!"

"Right, the emperor…Your name's Selena, ain't it? Tell me, Selena. What makes that pasty-faced old fool's word so important?"

"Wretch…Do you dare insult His Imperial Majesty!?"

"Hey, hey, I'm joking. Don't get so worked up. I get it now. You're a true and loyal soldier. I'm leaving before Frelia sends reinforcements. Coming?"

"…"

Back in Frelia Castle

"How could this happen…How could I have allowed our Sacred Stone to be destroyed? Dark energies from the emprire's capital…Evil monstrosities roaming our lands…Vigarde's mad invasion…And now this, the destruction of our sacred talisman. And we have no idea of Grado's goals. We are in dark times once again. But even so, we cannot sit here, wringing our hands. First, we must warn the nations that house the remaining Sacred Stones. If Vigarde seeks to destroy the Stones, they are all in grave danger. Jehanna and Rausten must be warned. The nations must join together to fight our common foe."

Eirika walked forward and said, "Do you think they will believe us?"

"Hm…It is a difficult tale to believe, I must agree."

Innes then walked forward and said, "I will go, Father."

"Innes?"

"A direct visit from the Prince of Frelia is not something they can ignore. I will travel to Jehanna, where I will forge an alliance with her queen. If our Sacred Stone has been destroyed, then Frelia could be in greater danger. Father, I cannot let you leave the nation in such a time of crisis. It is imperative that I be the one to go."

"Hmmm…"

Eirika then spoke up, "And I will head for Rausten."

Ephraim turned to Eirika surprised and said, "Eirika? You know I can't let you put yourself in such danger."

"Rest easy, dear brother. I will journey to Rausten by ship across the North Sea. There will be no danger. And I have made a vow. I will fight as you have until the day Renais is liberated."

"…I understand." Ephraim then turned to King Hayden and said, "King Hayden, I will take troops and march on the imperial capital from the west."

"The west?! Are you saying you will begin an assault on Grado from here?"

"If we can take Grado Keep, the war will be over. The Sacred Stones will be safe. If we start here and press forward with all our might…"

"And once you reach the capital? Vigarde's generals will be there waiting for you."

"If they oppose us, we will fight."

"…You've got your father's foolhardy courage, don't you?"

Kouga, who was silent for most of the talk, decided to speak up, "Ephraim will be fine. I've seen how he thinks. He will be fine if he stays calm and leads his troops properly."

Both Innes and Hayden turned to Kouga confused. Innes spoke up first and said, "You speak as if you won't be going with him? Wouldn't it be better if you went with Ephraim, since he has the most difficult of the three tasks?"

"That would have been the case if I were pledged to Renais, but I'm not. I'm pledged to Princess Eirika. Therefore, wherever she goes, I go."

"…Kouga. Thank you."

Hayden though for a while and then said, "…Very well. I entrust all our hope to you four. Innes, you will go to Jehanna, Eirika and Kouga to Rausten, and Ephraim the imperial capital. Funding you will have, but of soldiers, we have few to spare. For each of you, a difficult road awaits."

"If any of us meets with defeat, the battle will turn to Grado's favor. There must be no errors. We must not fail."

"Where I command, there are no mistakes."

"I have no doubts, I'll succeed, I swear it."

"I will use my skills to the best of my ability in order to ensure success."

Eirika then spoke up again and said, "Come, it is time to go!"

At the gate of Castle Frelia, Eirika and Ephraim were saying their goodbyes to each other. "Farewell, Brother. I will return."

"Mm… To be honest, I still do not want you to go. I would rather you wait here for my return."

"Please, Ephraim… I will be fine. There's no need for you to worry. Mine is the easiest task, and I'll be in no danger. Plus, I'll have Kouga with me. I'm far more worried about your mission. Challenging the might of an empire with a handful of men?"

"What's this now? Have you lost your faith in me?"

"No, of course not. I know your true strength, Ephraim. No one can defeat you."

"Ha ha! Hearing you say that fills me with confidence. I think I know my own limitations. I won't overextend my reach. I can't die and leave you on your own, can I?"

"Ephraim…"

"Let us both survive to be reunited. Give me your word, Eirika."

"You have it, Brother."

As Eirika was walking away, Kouga walked up to Ephraim. "Prince Ephraim, might I have a word?"

"Just Ephraim for you Kouga. And sure, what do you need?"

"First of all, I know you will want to send Kyle and Forde with us, but I want you to take them with you. We will have no need for them. You need them more."

"But—"

"It'll be fine. I'm expecting some old friends from Elibe to arrive any moment now, and they will be accompanying us, so we'll be fine."

"Alright then. Is that all?"

"…No. I actually have something that I need to confess…"

Ephraim looked at how Kouga suddenly became serious, so he said, "What is it?"

Kouga hesitated for a moment because of what he was about to tell Ephraim. "I'm in love with Princess Eirika."

Ephraim looked shocked at Kouga for a moment before saying, "What do you intend to do?"

"I will tell her how I feel and see where things go from there."

Ephraim looked down and then said, "Why are you telling me this?"

"You're her brother and I wanted you to know. I also want to see if you would give me your blessing to be with her."

Ephraim stayed silent for a while but then looked up and smiled at Kouga and said, "Of course. To be honest, I always worried about who Eirika would end up with. To know that she might be with a man such as yourself calms those worries. All I ask is that if you two do end up getting together, that you make her happy."

"Of course. Thank you Ephraim."

"Don't worry about it."

"I have to go now. I'll see you later."

"Right. Good luck."

"You too."

As soon as Kouga met up with Eirika, he said, "Eirika, can I talk to you privately."

Eirika turned to Kouga and smiled at him, "Of course."

The two walked off towards a private area and turned to look at each other. "What do you need Kouga?"

"I need to tell you something."

"I'm listening."

Kouga took Eirika's hands in his, which caused Eirika to blush. "K-Kouga?"

"Eirika, before he head off to Rausten, I need to tell you something. There is someone that has come and taken my heart."

Eirika looked down after hearing this and said, "I see…I'm glad for you…If you need help then I'll help you."

"I'm afraid you won't be able to help me."

"What? Why?"

"…Because the person I love is you."

Eirika eyes went wide in shock, but then softened and tears began to form in her eyes. Kouga, who saw the tears, said, "Don't cry Eirika."

Eirika shook her head and said, "Don't worry. These are tears of joy because I want you to know that you have also taken my heart. I love you too Kouga."

Kouga smiled and began to caress Eirika's cheek. Eirika leaned into his touch and then looked up at Kouga. The two smiled at each other and began to lean into each other. They lips met each other and slightly touched each other. They then pressed their lips harder into each other. They kissed for a few seconds before they separated. Eirika hugged Kouga and pressed her head onto his chest. The two stayed like that for a bit until Kouga pulled away and said, "We should head back. We have to get going."

"Right. But first…" Eirika pressed her lips onto Kouga's and then Kouga began to deepen the kiss. He licked the bottom of Eirika's lip, asking for permission. Eirika smiled and opened her lips to allow Kouga permission. Kouga's tongue entered Eirika's mouth and began to explore her. Eirika couldn't help but let out a small moan and had her tongue meet Kouga's to clash with each other. The two continued to kiss until the need for breath forced them to separate. A strand of saliva formed as they separated, before it cut off once they got far enough away.

Once they separated, the two hugged for a moment before starting to walk back. Once they got back, Kouga was met with a pleasant surprise. "Hello there, friend."

Kouga looked shocked at the sight in front of him but then smiled and walked towards them. "Heath, Priscilla, Karel, Karla, Jaffar, and Nino. I'm glad you all made it here safely."

Nino walked up to Kouga and gave him a brief hug before saying, "Of course we made it. As soon as we heard that you needed our help, we rushed over here."

"It is good to see you Nino. You seem to have grown quite a bit."

"Yeah! Who knows? Maybe I'll grow taller than you by the end of this."

"Ha ha…We'll see."

Jaffar then walked forward and said, "…You just tell us what needs to be done and we'll see to it."

"It's good to see you again Jaffar. I look forward to working with you again."

Heath then walked forward, gave Kouga a brotherly hug and said, "It is good to see you in good health."

"Same here. I was actually thinking that you would find us later, but it is good to see you now."

Priscilla, who had decided to acccompany Heath when she heard that he was coming to Magvel, gave Kouga a hug and said, "It does my heart good to see you once again Kouga."

"I'm glad to see you in good health Priscilla. It will be good to work with you again."

Karel and Karla walked forward and each gave Kouga their own version of a hug before Karel said, "It seems I will be lending you my blade once more friend."

"I look forward to our daily spars. Let's catch up a bit later."

Karla then said, "Don't forget about me. When I heard that you needed help, I couldn't help but come over here with my brother and help you."

"It is good to see you Karla. It also seems like you and Karel are starting to get along."

"Yeah. It took a while but we're finally starting to see eye to eye."

Eirika, who was simply looking at the reunion, took this chance to walk forward and said, "Kouga? Who are these people?"

Kouga turned to smile at Eirika and said, "These are some of my best friends from Elibe." He pointed to each person respectively and introduced them. He then smiled and turned to his friends and said, "This is Princess Eirika of Renais. She is also the woman that I love."

Eirika blushed and the others looked at Kouga with wide eyes before saying, "Congrats. We wish you luck."

"Thank you. Now how about we get going. We have a long way to go."

With that, the group walked off to get ready for the long trek ahead of them.

That is easily the longest chapter I have ever written. Kouga and Eirika are finally together, and we have also met some of Kouga's friends back from Elibe. I chose those characters because to me, they were some of my favorite characters, apart from the lords, who due to their duty to their lands, were unable to make it. Don't forget to review and favorite. Till next time. See ya.