A/N: Okay, so I didn't want to have to mention this again, but it appears I have to. I've recently gotten an influx of anonymous reviews on this story. Now this wouldn't bother me if Fanfiction allowed authors to reply to guest reviews, but since they don't, I really don't like getting them. A lot of you guest reviewers are asking questions that I really want to answer, but I can't because that's just the way it is. I'm really sorry, but if you can't take the time to log in and post a review, then I don't feel motivated to even read it. I don't mean to sound rude, but that's just my personal preference as an author. From now on, if you leave an anonymous review, I will not hesitate to remove it. Now getting off that topic, I hope you enjoy chapter 10. Lots of emotional fluff in this chapter, which I apologize for because I feel like I'm really dragging this out more than it needs to be. But I enjoy fluff as much as I enjoy plot, so this probably won't be the last of it. :P That being said, I hope everybody thoroughly enjoys this chapter. I'll see you all in chapter 11! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem. All characters you recognize belong to Nintendo/Intelligent Systems.
As was to be expected when his brother suddenly turned up in Melior, torn and battered, Reyson arrived soon after to inquire about Rafiel. He brought with him Tibarn, the Hawk King, and also Janaff and Ulki, who were Tibarn's 'eyes' and 'ears,' as they were respectively called. They all impatiently, and Reyson a little worriedly, rushed through the palace doors, without so much as waiting to be ushered inside by the guards. The queen knew they were coming, but to do so was still the height of rudeness, according to the palace attendants.
The disheveled Heron currently resided in the palace's infirmary, where Rhys carefully tended to him. Upon removal of his ragged robes, the healer had found that several scrapes and bruises marred his usually immaculate skin. Rhys noticed that the marks nearly covered him from head to toe. He gingerly placed a damp cloth atop the prince's head, causing him to stir slightly. Rafiel had been comatose for several hours now, but he was slowly beginning to come out of it. Rhys was watching the Heron's face so intently, that he nearly jumped out of his skin when the infirmary doors burst open.
"Where is he?" Reyson asked abruptly. "Where is my brother?" Upon entering the room, the hot-headed Heron prince picked up speed, and nearly ran to the cot which Rafiel rested upon.
Rhys quickly stood up from his chair and acted as a barrier between Reyson and the cot, trying to look intimidating, which for poor, well-mannered Rhys, was not an easy task. "Please, Reyson," he beseeched, holding his hands up in front of him. "Do not jar him. I'd like for him to wake up on his own accord." Rhys could tell that Reyson wanted to protest, but he willed himself not to. Carefully, he leaned over to get a closer look at his brother.
"Where did all these bruises come from?" he asked, not really to anyone in particular, Rhys realized. "Goddess, it looks like someone beat him up."
Tibarn, Janaff, and Ulki drew up by Reyson's side then, also wanting a better view. The Hawk King could only stare at the disarrayed figure before them. "Queen Elincia will be needing to meet with us, I presume?" he inquired of Rhys after several minutes of silence.
"Yes, I believe she said something about that," the healer said quietly. "I'll inform her that you've arrived. But for now, I think Reyson would like some alone time with his brother." And just like that, Rhys picked up his staff and quit the room. Tibarn, Janaff, and Ulki quickly followed, each of them occasionally looking back at the Heron siblings.
Reyson took the liberty to seat himself in the chair that Rhys had vacated. He pushed it up close to the cot, so that it was less than an inch away. He sighed and gently lifted Rafiel's hand to place it in his own. "Brother," he spoke softly. "You have no idea how worried I was about you. Leanne and I both. When they told us you were here, and in bad shape, I thought I was going to lose you." Reyson's hand tightened around Rafiel's, with no clear intention of letting go. "Leanne is well," he continued on. "She gave birth to her and Naesala's children a while ago. She'd be here as well, but with the twins being so small yet, and everything..." Reyson's voice trailed off a bit. "Maybe you didn't even know they were expecting." He suddenly found himself feeling very guilty. "Leanne and I haven't exactly been keeping in touch with you since the war. It's a shame that this is what it took for us to spend some quality time with each other." Reyson looked down at their intertwined hands, a small tear falling from the inner corner of his eye. "I'm so sorry, Brother."
"No, Reyson," Rafiel suddenly spoke, and Reyson's eyes shot up. Rafiel's voice was raspy and sounded as though there were fragments of gravel lodged in his throat.
"Rafiel?" Reyson said, his green eyes brightening up a bit.
"Reyson, the fault is mine," Rafiel continued. "I was in such a hurry to get back to Hatari after the war. I didn't even bother to write letters to Leanne and yourself." He began to cough then, and Reyson put a hand to his brother's forehead. "I feel like I distanced myself from you both, and I'm terribly sorry."
Reyson couldn't help but smile. "I should've known you'd take all the blame for this. You always were so keen on apologizing."
Rafiel looked his brother in the eyes and smiled also. "I'm surprised you apologized to me, actually," he chuckled. "You may act like a Hawk, but deep down, you're still the same Reyson I knew from before the Massacre."
Reyson's smile grew larger. "Once a Heron, always a Heron."
Fools, the lot of them! They know nothing of what they do! They have no sense!
"My Goddess, what ails you?"
Clearly, they underestimate my power. I, who have the eternal endowment to smite them whenever I wish! They mock me!
"They are all imbeciles, my Goddess. They fail to recognize your true power."
Of course they do! They believe they've defeated me! But only you and I know better. Only you can help me rise to power once again. I saw great strength in you, and I immediately knew you would be the one. War will spread across Tellius, and when it does, you shall reap in victory, and I will be restored to my former glory. In the meantime, however, I am still weak. I must continue to use your body as a vessel for my vengeance. You must do whatever I ask of you. Swear to it.
"I swear, my Goddess. I will do anything you tell me."
Excellent.
Ranulf wasn't sure how he'd managed to single-handedly free Mordecai and the others from prison. He didn't know what to expect when he'd snatched the keys from the sleeping guard. It was perhaps the most bizarre thing he'd ever done. Lucky enough for him, the guard on duty that night was the laziest of all of them, and he often fell asleep on the job. Ranulf knew he didn't have much time until another guard would be coming in for the next shift, so he had to act quickly. He only had time to free the Laguz prisoners, feeling terribly guilty and sorry for all the Beorc that were in there as well. But he knew he needed as many Laguz as he could get for the war that was coming. He worked swiftly, unlocking cell after cell. When he reached Mordecai, the large tiger got a surprised look on his face.
"Ranulf?" he said, his eyes widening. "What are you doing?"
"What does it look like, Mordecai? I'm freeing you," Ranulf answered as he moved the key around inside the lock.
Mordecai 's expression changed from surprised to grateful in an instant. "Oh, Mordecai is very thankful for you, Ranulf! You will help bring peace among our peoples once again!" Ranulf finished unlocking the door and opened it slowly, as some of the cell doors had a tendency to squeak. Mordecai didn't waste any time in getting out of the cell, and he immediately wrapped his strong arms around Ranulf. "Let us go now," he said, releasing the smaller cat.
Ranulf nodded, and motioned for the others to follow him. He led them out of the dungeons and down a dark hallway. Through his years of working and living in the castle, Ranulf had learned of many secret passage ways. This one in particular happened to go directly underneath the capital city of Zarzi, and it led to the dense forest that bordered Gallia and Crimea. It was a few miles long, and very dark. Ranulf took a match out of his satchel and lit a torch on the wall. Once the torch flared to life, he lifted it from its holder and continued on. The others plodded quietly behind him, afraid to make any sudden moves just in case those above would hear them. Ranulf took note of this and chuckled softly.
"Relax," he said. "We're well enough below the surface. They can't hear us." This seemed to calm them down a bit, but they still dared not make an unnecessary sound. "We're almost out now," Ranulf said, after what seemed like hours of walking. They resurfaced out of a large, gaping hole in the ground, just outside the walls of the city. The tunnel had been disguised by a bush that made it seem like an ordinary crevice from the outside. As Ranulf had predicted, the forest stood just on the other side of the river. "We'll have to keep moving through the night," he said. "We cannot afford to stop and rest. Once morning comes, they'll know we've escaped and they'll come looking for us." Ranulf turned to face the others, and they all nodded their heads in understanding. "The faster we move through these forests, the faster we'll get to Melior, and hopefully to safety."
And so Ranulf led his small band of refugees through the thick trees, Mordecai close by his side. He didn't really know many of the others he'd rescued, but he knew they shared the same feelings he and Mordecai did. There was only one female among them, and Ranulf knew her by the name of Zeyd. She was a close friend of Lethe's, but their friendship ended once they discovered whose sides they were on. In fact, it was Lethe herself who had turned Zeyd in to Skrimir for treason. Ranulf couldn't even imagine how that must have felt. To be betrayed by your best friend. It only reminded Ranulf of how he and Skrimir had once been good friends, but they certainly were not any longer. Behind him, Ranulf could hear a soft, female cry. Zeyd had moved herself to the front of the pack, and was directly behind Mordecai. Ranulf turned his head to face her, and the female cat immediately straightened up, holding back tears in her bright aquamarine eyes. Her long silver hair created a shadow on her face and helped to hide her emotion, but Ranulf looked at her in a way that said she didn't have to mask the way she felt. They had all been betrayed by their own kind, and it was a sickening feeling. He silently gestured for her to join him at his other side, and she gratefully accepted. Truth be told, Zeyd was beautiful. Her hair was long and curly, and her eyes the most gorgeous shade of blue. In some kinds of light, they looked almost a pastel green. But tonight, in the soft moonlight, they were blue. Her hair had a voluminous, silver sheen, and it reminded Ranulf of the stars. It was only when she looked at him quizzically that he realized he'd been staring. Embarrassed, he turned away from her and focused his eyes on the path ahead of them. Mordecai noticed this and couldn't help but chuckle. Of course, this only caused Ranulf to turn a brighter shade of red then he already was. Playfully, he smacked Mordecai on his arm. The tiger simply shrugged his shoulders and grinned widely, pretending he hadn't noticed the whole thing. Zeyd began to toy with her wrists and innocently looked down at them. Beneath her thick locks of hair, she bore a sweet smile that she knew no one else could see, including Ranulf.
A/N: I wasn't planning on adding any OC's (besides Erin, but she's just a baby so she hardly even has a personality :P) into this story, but for some reason I felt like Zeyd was necessary. We'll definitely be seeing more of her in future chapters. Hope you all enjoyed that! :)