The Sacaean Temple held many mysteries, only some of which were solved by Dame Elena. She returns to Lyn's home with this success in her mind.
With Elena recovered and Lyn on the team, the party decides to head to the source of the wyverns. Biran was a nation with more military prowess than other nations- much like Daein. Sitting on the throne is Queen Guinivere, having been put there by Roy in the Dragon's War. Guinivere would never have attacked Sacae. However, Roy recognises the tactic of striking Sacae- the Mad King Zephiel attempted something similar. Roy leads the party straight to Castle Biran, hoping to strike a blow to Biran contributions to the Spirit Charmer's influence.
There was no other word for what Castle Biran was doing. It was looming. Typically, whenever Elena found something was looming, that was not a good sign. She was worried for Guinivere. She also realised that there would be a despot on the throne. Zephiel would be the most logical guess.
"…Focus, Roy," Roy said. Guess it wasn't just her that was terrified. He stepped forward, and looked up at the castle gates. They began to slowly open, and Roy stepped back. Stepping out from behind the gates were Miledy and Guinivere, by Elena's reckoning.
"Thank goodness… Roy, it's so nice to see you again!" Guinivere said.
"As it is to see you. What happened?" Roy asked.
"It's… it's Zephiel. He's come back… and he's taken the throne by force. Judging by his reaction to seeing me, he remembered that he used up the last of his patience in the Dragon's War…" Guinivere said.
"So you'll be in danger," Elena said.
"Well… Lilina has been teaching me magic, but we are outnumbered by Zephiel's forces," Guinivere said.
"Hm. Being outnumbered is just another way of saying more experience. We're in," Elena said.
"Elena… you're not getting overconfident, are you?" Lyn asked.
"I don't think it counts as overconfidence here, wouldn't you think?" Elena said.
"…Ignoring that massive insult to Biran's proficiency… Zephiel would've prepared for battle the way he did in the Dragon's War. There are two switches that need to be stepped on at once, and then the Fire Emblem is needed to open the throne room," Miledy said.
"…Anyone here know how to summon Pyres?" Elena asked.
"…Not that Fire Emblem, Elena. Ours," Roy said. Guinivere reached into her pocket, and pulled it out.
"Roy… you need to take on Zephiel again," Guinivere said. Roy took the Fire Emblem thoughtfully, before handing it to Elena.
"Roy?" Guinivere asked.
"She's got a horse now. And from what I've seen of her training with Lyn, she's better with it than I am with mine. I think this is what she'll need to put her new skills to the test," Roy said.
"Roy… I'll do you proud!" Elena said, raising the Sol Katti.
Elena led the force into the Biran Castle Keep, diving the forces to the left and right, before beginning her charge straight forward. Lyn groaned, before beginning her pursuit. Roy and Lilina split apart, each leading one squad to each side of the castle for the switches.
Lilina's group was comprised largely of magical units, and more than a few laguz, for defensive reasons. Lilina was blasting a hole in Biran's defences, thunder, earth and fire magic alike causing building to crumble and soldiers to fall. Livia chuckled, wondering what Guinivere would have to say about the holes, before seeing her galloping behind, adding the wind, water and ice magic to the main charge. Apparently not much.
"A healer! On a pegasus! Just my luck!" a Biranian archer said, holding his bow forward. Livia gulped, watching in horror as the archer spun his arrow in preparation. She couldn't dodge: there wasn't room in the halls. She closed her eyes, and awaited her fate. She heard the twang of the bow and the song of the arrow, and then the thwack of the arrow biting armour and the thud of someone falling off their horse. Livia opened her eyes, and noticed the Biranian archer was, at least temporarily, without arrow. She fired a quick Arcӕther spell, before dropping to the ground to tend to the target. She was quite surprised to see Wright.
"Wright… what are you doing?" Livia asked, grabbing a small knife of hers to quickly cut the arrow out of his chest. Luckily, his armour had protected it, and Livia was certain there'd be no major damage.
"I heard a pegasus-riding healer was in trouble, and I came charging," Wright said.
"Wright…" Livia said, blushing slightly.
"But that's enough sentimentality. We have a job to do," Wright said. Livia looked up, in the direction of Elena's charge. Yes, there was a massive effort she'd need to exact.
"We've made contact with the first switch!" Lilina called out. Natasha was fighting a hero for control of it. Livia nodded, and turned in the direction of Elena again.
She couldn't be too late.
Roy and Eliwood led the charge on their side, the mostly physical warriors following behind them. Roy was shooting blasts of flame from the Sword of Seals, and Eliwood was adding Durandal's might to the closer foes. The two soldiers met the end of the charge, though, at the hands of a dragon rider. Sitting astride the dragon was
"General Vaida!" Eliwood said.
"Oh, Eliwood? Marquess of Pherae? What brings you against Biran?" Vaida asked.
"We're here hunting Spirit Charmers. But we found Biran was in a spot of trouble with its king?" Eliwood asked.
"King Zephiel? Why should he be a troublesome king? He was so kind! Besides, it's not like you to go and assassinate him, especially not after all that trouble I heard you went through saving him," Vaida said.
"She's right, you know. Squirt, after everything that we've been through, why should I believe Zephiel's a bad king?" Hector said.
"He killed you. I've said this alread-," Roy said. Hector disappeared from sight, giving Roy pause. Eliwood looked up, and let out an exasperated sigh. Hector landed on Vaida, smashing her wyvern's skull in, and dealing heavy damage to her. He lifted Vaida up by the scuff of the neck, and tossed her to a corner roughly. He stood tall on the switch.
"He's a corpse," Hector said.
Elena stood tall in front of Zephiel's throne room, the Fire Emblem presented before her. Two lights lit up on either side of her, depicting a bishop and a general. Natasha and Hector had reached the switches. The Fire Emblem shone a brilliant golden hue, and the door to the throne room slowly opened. Sitting… no, lounging on the throne was Zephiel. Several manaketes, standing so still as to almost be statues, dotted the sides of the room. A tall trident stood beside Zephiel.
"Zephiel… the Mad King of Elibe," Elena said.
"Mad, am I? For wanting to return Elibe to its rightful owners, the dragons? For this, I am branded a madman?" Zephiel said.
"…My father earned his name in the history books by defeating a Mad King," Elena said, drawing the Sol Katti. After her training with Lyn, it didn't feel so unnatural in her hand.
"Your father? Are you to be defined by the actions of your father?" Zephiel asked.
"…Your father not the best?" Elena asked.
"That is neither here nor there. Desmond's name shall not be mentioned! You wished for a fight? You've got one!" Zephiel said, getting to his feet, and taking the trident. Elena pulled out her bow, and focused. Zephiel was running towards her, so she fired two arrows quickly. One struck his flank, the other just missed. Elena cursed, as Zephiel stood right beside her. Elena tossed aside her bow, and gripped the Sol Katti. Zephiel, meanwhile, had raised his trident, turning it into the Eckesachs, before spinning around on the spot. Elena tried to push back, but wound up in the path of the long blade still. Elena was pushed off the horse, her left arm in tatters and blood coursing down her arm, but the Sol Katti remained in her right. Despite losing her bow and horse, she was still a Dame.
"I fight with the pride of a Dame. I assure you, this is not the day of your victory," Elena said.
"Lowborn cur. This should not be taking nearly this long," Zephiel said.
"Wow, what a jerk," Elena said. She jumped up, and reached Zephiel. She slashed several times over, each time plink, plink, plink, plink. Elena was not to be discouraged until Zephiel's wave of the sword bit into her right side, dropping her to the ground. Elena's grip on the Sol Katti remained tight, as she got back to her feet.
"You… shall not… survive…" Elena said.
"Neither will you. Regardless of what you manage to do in the next ten seconds, before Eckesachs delivers the final blow," Zephiel said. A clatter sounded, and Zephiel looked around. Just in time to see five Lyns surrounding him, before dropping to the ground in a vertical slash. Lyn landed beside the horse, turning to Elena.
"What were you thinking? Better yet, were you thinking?" Lyn asked.
"Zephiel…" Elena stammered out. Lyn turned to Zephiel.
"As for you… we trusted you. We defended you from the Black Fang, and it took us everything we had… Raven died because of you. And this is what you have to show for it? If I had known, we would've left you for dead," Lyn said.
"Foolish plainswoman… I don't remember you," Zephiel said.
"…After everything I did in that battle… I nearly died that day. I nearly died to make sure you survived to see the morrow. May Father Sky and Mother Earth have no mercy on whatever soul you have," Lyn said. She raised her blade, and struck. Zephiel caught it in its trident, and morphed the trident to Eckesachs. Lyn dodged the blade, and struck the side of Zephiel's armour. Zephiel staggered back, raising his sword, and descending it upon Lyn. Lyn dodged, the blade cutting her dress only. Lyn spun her sword around, and pierced right through his armour. Zephiel shuddered, taking a few steps towards Elena. Elena delivered a few strikes to Zephiel's ankles, dropping Zephiel before Elena could be crushed. Lyn turned on to Elena, pulling out a few emergency vulneraries.
"Lyn… manakete…" Elena said. Lyn turned, to notice the manaketes approaching, all transformed. Lyn reached for her sword.
"Lyn… give them… hell…" Elena said. Lyn decided against it, and turned back to Elena. She was starting to rapidly realise Elena had no options. Bleed out now, wrong end of manakete breath, or die from being carried away. Lyn started reaching under her, hoping the third option would be the least dangerous, before hearing a whoosh overhead.
"Hope we're not too late," Livia said, smiling. Emilyn jumped off the horse, and started lighting everything up. Using both fire and light magic families. Livia pulled and pushed overhead, summoning massive blasts of ӕther. The dragons weathered the magical attacks, but Lyn recognised that the dragons were distracted. She began rubbing the vulneraries all over Elena's wounds, before bandaging them up and staunching the blood flow. Bleeding would now be the least lethal option.
"Elena… that was reckless. I don't even think you-know-who would try that," Lyn said.
"Probably would," Elena said.
"…Admittedly, but do you really want to be compared to him?" Lyn asked. Elena's face fell.
"…I just… I just want to be the hero. Like my father," Elena said.
"…Not everyone can be your father, Elena. You're a hero to us… to me, to Emilyn, to Livia. You don't have to prove your worth at every turn," Lyn said.
"Lyn…" Elena said.
"That's enough talking, for now. Just take a nice rest, and allow your body to start getting to work on fixing those wounds. Livia'll have a look later, too, I presume, if Emilyn hasn't done so by then. I'll just check on the horse," Lyn said, turning to tend to it. Elena smiled, and got to her rest.
When Elena woke up and looked about, everyone was gathering in the throne room. She winced slightly as she got to her feet, her wounds doing a bit to her, but she felt fine enough to walk. She headed over to Lyn's side, and she looked around. Wright had cleared a space around him, and pulled Livia forward. Elena's heart got caught in her throat.
"So, Livia… I've saved your life, you've saved ours," Wright said nervously.
"Yes… Wright, what's going on?" Livia asked. He wouldn't…
"Livia, I'm going to stop beating around the bush…" Wright said. He dropped to one knee, and pulled out a ring. It definitely wasn't a Guiding Ring, an Energy Ring, a Body Ring, or any other kind of Ring that could be used to increase potency… and he was kneeling…
"Livia, will you marry me?" Wright asked.
"Wright… I…" Livia said nervously. She turned to Janiyah, who smiled encouragingly.
"Yes," Livia said. Everyone gave a bit of a clap, as Livia helped Wright to his feet, and offer him a kiss.
Aw… how sweet… a voice said sardonically. Livia and Wright broke apart, and everyone looked around. Lyn was the first to realise it was coming from below. From Mother Earth.
And how nice of you to go fight off Zephiel while I was preparing. I really do wonder what might've happened had you not saved him, all those years ago… but I digress. You fighting off Zephiel while I made my way to the most sacred place in all of Biran… why, that made things a lot nicer, the voice of the Earth said.
"You're… you're a Spirit!" Elena said.
Spirit of the Earth. Terrus is the name. My Charmer has charmed her way into the heart of Jahn, and soon, my Charmer will have acquired more Essence than she'll know what to do with, Terrus said.
"PYRES IS USING YOU!" Elena called out, hoping Terrus would believe her.
Silly human. Spirits cannot overthrow other Spirits. Well, gotta help my Charmer. Toodle-oo! Terrus said. Everyone looked between each other.
"Jahn? Sacred place in Biran… I know where she is," Roy said.